Polyethylene wax as an alternative to mineral fillers for preparation of reinforced pressure-sensitive adhesives

Abstract Phase behavior, rheology and adhesive properties of polyisobutylene-based blends containing up to 60 wt% of polyethylene wax were studied. Polyisobutylene and wax partially dissolve in each other at high temperatures, which strongly reduce the viscosity of the blends and facilitate their mixing. When cooled, the wax loses its solubility in the polymer matrix and crystallizes to form reinforcing particles. These particles increase the viscoelasticity of the blends, resulting in improved durability (up to 66-fold) and strength (up to 1.4-fold) of adhesive bonds. At the same time, the growth of viscoelasticity does not lead to a loss of tackiness of the blends, as the application of external force to form an adhesive bond destroys the percolation structure of wax particles. Because of the low specific surface area of wax particles, they increase the durability of adhesive joints worse than silica (in 380-fold) or organoclay particles (in 3300-fold). However, the use of polyethylene wax allows reducing melt viscosity by 4–5 decimal orders of magnitude in the case of highly filled adhesives.