Epoxidation of styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer and use for gas permeation

The epoxidation of styrene–butadiene–styrene triblock copolymer (SBS) by an in situ generated peracid method is discussed. The presence of an acid acting as catalyst led to side reaction. The reactivities of internal double bonds (the 1, 4-structure) were higher than those of the vinyl bonds (the 1, 2-structure). In the 1, 4-structure, the reactivities of cis-structure were higher than those of trans-structure. The oxirane weight content and total oxygen weight content were determined by titration and element analysis, respectively. The cohesive energy, solubility parameter, and the glass transition temperature of epoxidized SBS increased with increasing total oxygen weight content. But the molecular weight between crosslinking points decreased resulting in an increase of crosslinking density with increasing total oxygen weight content. The changes of properties of epoxidized SBS reduced the gas permeability of oxygen and nitrogen through epoxidized SBS membrane, but increased the gas selectivity between oxygen and nitrogen. When the operating temperature of gas permeation was increased, the permeability of oxygen and nitrogen increased but the selectivity decreased. For epoxidized SBS containing 7.35 wt % oxygen content, the activation energy was 9 and 12.2 kcal/mol for oxygen and nitrogen, respectively.