Indopol Polybutene

Overview

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The INEOS polybutene business is a leading global merchant supplier of polybutenes and offers polybutene products under the Indopol and Panalane brands.

INEOS manufactures polybutene in Lavéra, France where it benefits from an integrated feedstock position.

Indopol Polybutenes

Indopol polybutenes are synthetic hydrocarbon polymers made by polymerization of C4 olefins (primarily isobutene) and are available in a wide range of viscosities. By controlling the polymerization conditions, polymer chains of different lengths are manufactured giving a wide range of polybutene grades having different physical properties. Short chain-length polybutenes are free-flowing; medium chain-length polybutenes are sticky with a honey-like consistency, while those with the longest chain length are very tacky, semi-solid materials.

Indopol polybutenes have many useful properties, including:

• Permanently non-drying
• Colorless (water white) and non-staining
• Soluble in a wide range of organic solvents
• Compatible with a wide range of organic materials
• Completely hydrophobic
• Tacky
• Emulsifiable
• Excellent electrical insulators
• Good lubricants
• Non-corrosive
• Practically non-toxic and non-phytotoxic
• Stable to light and air (i.e. oxidatively stable) under ambient conditions
• Reactive by virtue of their olefinic end-group
• Very low moisture transmission rates
• Low to negligible evaporation loss at ambient temperature
• High Viscosity Indices
• Low Pour Points
• Complete depolymerization at elevated temperature leaving no residues

Indopol PIB Grade Summary

Markets and Applications

Indopol polybutenes are uniquely versatile polymers. Their combination of properties makes them ideal for a wide range of applications, such as lubricants, adhesives, rubber modification, sealants/caulks/putties, tackified PE stretch cling film, polymer modification, paints and coatings, personal care and cosmetics, agriculture and polybutene emulsions.

Adhesives

Indopol® polybutenes are key components in many pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSA), hot-melt pressure sensitive adhesives (HMPSA) and hot-melt adhesives (HMA). Polybutenes can plasticize, tackify, and extend many base elastomers, enhancing many adhesive properties and offering performance improvements over mineral/process oils. 

Rubber

Indopol® polybutenes are used as extenders and plasticizers for a variety of vulcanized and other elastomers while offering performance improvements over mineral/process oils.  Polybutenes are compatible with many types of rubber, including butyl and natural rubber, styrenic block copolymers (SEBS, SIS, SBS), EPDM, styrene-butadiene rubber, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, bromo- and chloro-butyl rubber, and polyisobutylene.

Lubricants

Indopol® polybutenes are clear, pure, synthetic hydrocarbon polymers that contain no additives or aromatic compounds. Polybutenes are widely used in many automotive and industrial oil applications, replacing bright stocks and mineral oils. The performance improvements achieved with Indopol polybutenes can be attributed to their unique physical properties and wide viscosity ranges.

Sealants / caulks / putties

Indopol® polybutene plasticizes, extends and adds tack to a variety of elastomer-based caulks and sealants, resulting in softer, more easily extruded products.  Polybutenes can contribute desirable properties and performance benefits when used as partial replacements for drying oils and/or solvents in sealant and putty formulations.

Tackified polyethylene (pe) stretch / cling film

Indopol polybutenes are ideally suited as tackifiers and cling agents for linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) blown and cast films. Polybutenes can be employed in the production of LLDPE/polybutene masterbatches or more typically added directly to the LLDPE during the film extrusion process. The major areas of application for tackified LLDPE film are bale silage wrap, pallet stretch wrap, and hand/domestic food cling wrap. Films tackified with Indopol polybutene exhibit good clarity, durability and cling properties.

Polymer Modification

Indopol polybutenes can plasticize and modify many physical properties of thermoplastic polymers. Examples include polypropylene, high impact polystyrene, polyethylene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, and thermoplastic polyolefins and elastomers. Thermoplastics modified with Indopol polybutenes provide improved performance in many diverse applications like consumer products, automotive, appliance and business machines. Indopol polybutenes also meet the composition requirements of Title 21 of the code of Federal Regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other applicable regulations which allows for use in food packaging products.

Paints and Coatings

Indopol polybutenes are used as components in many special purpose paints and coatings. They can contribute performance advantages to coatings for porous substrates such as wood, concrete and stucco, as well as masonry paints/coatings. The addition of polybutene can also benefit thermoplastic road marking paints, anticorrosion and emulsion paints, conventional gloss paints and undercoats and ceramic, aluminum or high temperature paints. Polybutenes can also be emulsified for use in water-based systems, replacing systems with volatile solvents.

Personal Care and Cosmetics

Indopol polybutenes are used in a variety of cosmetic and personal care products. They are pure, clear, non-comedogenic, non-irritating, hydrophobic, non-drying, synthetic liquid polymers that can be easily emulsified. By virtue of their unique properties, polybutenes can replace mineral oils, providing an upgrade in product quality and performance. The Personal Care Products Council INCI name for INEOS Indopol polybutenes is 'Polybutene'.