Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser – Synthetic resins – Cellular products or processes of preparing a cellular...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-02
2001-05-22
Foelak, Morton (Department: 1711)
Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser
Synthetic resins
Cellular products or processes of preparing a cellular...
C521S154000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06235801
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of expanding a gel material.
2. Description of Related Art
Gels have been used for a variety of applications, such as sealing, encapsulation, acoustic isolation or damping, insulation, and the like. Properties which make gels valuable in such applications include their conformability, adhesion to a wide variety of materials, and re-enterability.
Because of their tackiness, gels can be difficult to handle. For certain applications, it may be desirable to be able to place the gel more or less at its final desired location, and then expand the gel to its full void-filling or gap-bridging size.
Thus, it would be desirable to have a gel material which can first be emplaced in its use location, and then be expanded to its final location.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides method of expanding a gel material, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a mixture comprising a curable gel precursor material and a plurality of heat-expandable microspheres, the gel precursor material being curable into a gel material having a tensile strength of no greater than about 150 psi upon subjection to a curing condition and the microspheres being expandable upon heating to a expansion temperature, the pre-determined curing condition not causing the expansion of the microspheres;
(b) subjecting the mixture to the curing condition to cure the gel precursor material into a gel material having a tensile strength of no greater than about 150 psi and containing the microspheres; and
(c) heating the gel material containing the microspheres to the expansion temperature, causing the microspheres to expand and thereby also causing the expansion of the gel material.
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Ellsowrth Mark W.
Mathews Barry C.
Morales Miguel A.
Rinde James A.
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