Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser – Synthetic resins – Processes of preparing a desired or intentional composition...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-04
2003-01-28
Medley, Margaret (Department: 1714)
Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser
Synthetic resins
Processes of preparing a desired or intentional composition...
C528S028000, C528S029000, C528S038000, C156S330000, C428S422800, C428S426000, C428S457000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06512033
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to polyurethane sealant compositions which are capable of being used without the need for a primer.
Polyurethane sealant compositions typically comprise at least one urethane prepolymer. Sealants useful for bonding to non-porous substrates, such as glass are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,237 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,533, both incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,237 describes a polyurethane sealant containing urethane prepolymers which have been further reacted with secondary amine compounds containing two silane groups. U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,533 describes a polyurethane sealant containing urethane prepolymers which contain silane groups which have been prepared by reacting a polyisocyanate having at least three isocyanate groups with less than an equivalent amount of an alkoxysilane having a terminal group containing active hydrogen atoms reactive with isocyanate groups to form an isocyanatosilane having at least two unreacted isocyanate groups. In a second step, the isocyanatosilane is mixed with additional polyisocyanate and the mixture is reacted with a polyol to form a polyurethane prepolymer having terminal isocyanato groups and pendant alkoxysilane groups.
However, when such sealants are used to bond glass substrates to painted substrates, such as for window installation in vehicle manufacturing, the lap shear strength of the bonded substrate may be less than desirable for safety or structural purposes. Consequently, a separate paint primer comprising a solution of one or more silanes is typically applied to a painted substrate prior to the application of the sealant in most vehicle assembly operations for bonding the windshield and the rear window. The use of a primer in assembly operations is undesirable in that it introduces an extra step, additional cost, the risk of marring the paint surface if dripped on an undesired location and exposes the assembly line operators to additional chemicals. It would be desirable to provide a polyurethane sealant which, when bonded to a painted substrate and cured, provides a bonded substrate with a higher lap shear strength, particularly when used in the absence of a paint primer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, this invention is a polyurethane sealant composition comprising
(1) a urethane prepolymer having an isocyanate functionality of at least about 2.0 and a weight average molecular weight of at least about 2,000;
(2) a catalytic amount of a tin compound which catalyzes the reaction of isocyanate moieties and water or an active hydrogen containing compound; and
(3) a stabilizing amount of an organophosphite which has an alkaryl ligand or both an aliphatic ligand and an aromatic ligand.
In a preferred embodiment the prepolymer further comprises silane functionality or the composition further comprises a compound or polymer which contains silane moieties and is compatible with the polyurethane prepolymer.
In another embodiment the invention is a method for bonding glass to a substrate which comprises contacting a sealant according to the invention with glass and another substrate with the sealant disposed between the glass and substrate and thereafter allowing the sealant to cure so as to bond the glass to the substrate.
The sealant composition of the invention is useful in bonding glass substrates to plastic, metal, fiberglass and composite substrates which may or may not be painted. The sealant composition gives unexpectedly high lap shear strength when no primer compositions have previously been applied to a painted plastic, metal, fiberglass or composite substrate. The adhesive compositions of the invention bond to acid resistant coating systems without the need for primers, achieve faster link-up in low temperature conditions and maintain adhesion when exposed to weathering conditions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The prepolymers used in the invention can be conventional prepolymers used in polyurethane adhesive compositions. In a preferred embodiment the prepolymers are blended with a compound or polymer having silane functionality. In another preferred embodiment the prepolymer contains silane functionality as well as isocyanate functionality. A urethane prepolymer having silane functionality may be the entire prepolymer used in the adhesive or it may be blended with a prepolymer which does not have silane functionality.
Preferable urethane prepolymers for use in preparing the composition of the invention include any compound having an average isocyanate functionality of at least about 2.0 and a molecular weight of at least about 2,000. Preferably, the average isocyanate functionality of the prepolymer is at least about 2.2, and is more preferably at least about 2.4. Preferably the isocyanate functionality is no greater than about 4.0, more preferably, no greater than about 3.5 and most preferably, no greater than about 3.0. Preferably, the weight average molecular weight of the prepolymer is at least about 2,500, and is more preferably at least about 3,000; and is preferably no greater than about 40,000, even more preferably no greater than about 20,000, more preferably, no greater than about 15,000 and is most preferably no greater than about 10,000. The prepolymer may be prepared by any suitable method, such as by reacting an isocyanate-reactive compound containing at least two isocyanate-reactive groups with an excess over stoichiometry of a polyisocyanate under reaction conditions sufficient to form the corresponding prepolymer.
Suitable polyisocyanates for use in preparing the prepolymer include any aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, araliphatic, heterocyclic or aromatic polyisocyanate, or mixture thereof. Preferably the polyisocyanates used have an average isocyanate functionality of at least about 2.0 and an equivalent weight of at least about 80. Preferably, the isocyanate functionality of the polyisocyanate is at least about 2.0, more preferably at least about 2.2, and is most preferably at least about 2.4; and is preferably no greater than about 4.0, more preferably no greater than about 3.5, and is most preferably no greater than about 3.0. Higher functionality may also be used, but may cause excessive cross-linking, and result in an adhesive which is too viscous to handle and apply easily, and can cause the cured adhesive to be too brittle. Preferably, the equivalent weight of the polyisocyanate is at least about 100, more preferably at least about 110, and is most preferably at least about 120; and is preferably no greater than about 300, more preferably no greater than about 250, and is most preferably no greater than about 200.
Examples of useful polyisocyanates include ethylene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, bis(4-isocyanate cyclohexyl) methane, trimethyl hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,4-tetramethylene diisocyanate, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,12-dodecane diisocyanate, cyclobutane-1,3-diisocyanate, cyclohexane-1,3- and 1,4-diisocyanate and mixtures of these isomers; 1-isocyanato3,3,5-trimethyl-5-isocyanato methyl cyclohexane (see e.g., German Auslegeschrift No. 1,202,785); 2,4- and 2,6-hexahydrotolylene diisocyanate and mixtures of these isomers, hexahydro1,3- and/or 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate, perhydro2,5′- and/or 4,4′-diphenyl methane diiso-cyanate, 1,3- and 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate, 2,4′- and 2,6-tolylene diisocyanate and mixtures of these isomers, diphenylmethane2,4′- and/or 4,4′-diisocyanate, naphthylene-1,5-diisocyanate, triphenylmethane4,4′,4″-triisocyanate, tetramethylxylene diisocyanates, polymeric derivatives of the previously described isocyanates, polyphenyl polymethylene polyisocyanates of the type obtained by condensing aniline with formaldehyde, followed by phosgenation and such as described, for example, in British Patents 874,430 and 848,671, perchlorinated aryl polyisocyanates of the type described in German Auslegeschrift 1,157,601, polyisocyanates containing carbodiimide groups of the type described in German Patent 1,092,007, diisocyanates
Essex Specialty Products Inc.
Medley Margaret
Sims Norman L.
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