Hydrogenation of Indene–Coumarone Resin on Palladium Catalysts for Use in Polymer Adhesives

Hydrogenation of indene–coumarone resin on commercial palladium catalysts, including crusted catalysts, was studied. The process parameters were optimized to reach the maximal hydrogenation of aromatic fragments with minimal thermal degradation of the macromolecules. The optimum conditions are as follows: temperature 230°C, pressure 3 MPa, resin concentration in the solvent 10–25 wt %. Comparative analysis of the activity of the tested catalysts shows that palladium on activated carbon exhibits the highest activity. The use of indene–coumarone resin as an adhesive component of polymer hot-melt and pressure-sensitive adhesives was considered. The rheology of the initial resins and adhesives based on them, the phase state of the formulations, and their adhesiveness were compared. The advantage of using the hydrogenated resin for preparing polymer adhesives based on styrene–isoprene–styrene triblock copolymer was demonstrated.