Miscellaneous applications - the versatility of Indopol polybutenes
Miscellaneous applications - the versatility of Indopol polybutenes
Our world-class technical service experts are available to advise customers on the development of new applications. (indopol@innovene.com)
Indopol® polybutenes have a unique combination of properties that makes them ideally suited for a huge range of different applications, some more of which are described below.
In the construction industry, very light grades of polybutene are used as concrete mold release agents where they can give much improved non staining performance.
Polybutenes are used in the construction board industry for controlling dust in the forming process as well as giving additional water resistance properties. Other examples where polybutenes are used as a dust suppressant include landfill coverings and synthetic tracks for horse racing.
Polybutenes are used to control the rheological properties of inks, resulting in improved processing and print image. They also offer an alternative to the naphthenic oil carriers traditionally used in printing inks, and have been used to improve the image quality and feel of carbon papers.
Paper can be made moisture and vapor resistant by treating with emulsions of Indopol polybutene in combination with a variety of materials such as latex, alkyd-coumarone indene and rosin ester dispersion, asphalt emulsions, and acrylic and methacrylate polymer and copolymer emulsions. These treated papers are flexible and offer excellent physical and optical properties. Waxes used for paper coatings can be toughened and plasticized by blending with polybutene.
Leather shoe soles impregnated with combinations of polybutene and resins can have increased resistance to water and wear, and improved flexibility. Leather impregnated with polybutene is a popular material for sports grips for golf clubs, tennis racquets and gear shift knobs. The permanent inherent tackiness of polybutene provides significant performance advantages for these applications.
Just a few of the many and varied applications for Indopol polybutenes have been described above. There are many other quite specialized end uses where polybutenes provide the product formulator with the unique properties needed to meet demanding performance requirements.