Thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition and thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather prepared therefrom

Abstract

The present application discloses a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition and a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather prepared therefrom, which can be applied to laser weakening. The thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition comprises a main component and talc, and the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition comprises 2.2-6 parts of talc, based on 100 parts of the total weight of the main component. In the present application, the applicant has unexpectedly found that by adding talc in the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition and controlling the content of talc at 2.2-6 parts (based on 100 parts of the total weight of the main component), the infrared light transmittance of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer prepared therefrom can be effectively reduced, so that the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather prepared therefrom can be well applied to laser weakening, and the phenomenon of leakage can be effectively reduced.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition and thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather prepared therefrom, which can be used for laser weakening. [Background Technology]

[0002] Leather is widely used as a surface decoration material in many fields such as automobiles and home decoration. Common types of leather include genuine leather, polar artificial leather such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) artificial leather, and non-polar artificial leather such as thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer (TPO) artificial leather. Among them, PVC artificial leather refers to artificial leather made of polyvinyl chloride as resin raw material, while TPO artificial leather refers to artificial leather made of thermoplastic polyolefin as resin raw material.

[0003] Taking the automotive industry as an example, TPO artificial leather is often used in car dashboards as a surface interior material. To complement the function of airbags, TPO artificial leather needs to be weakened, and the commonly used weakening process is laser weakening. The principle of laser weakening is that when a laser is excited and passes through the target material, because different materials have different light transmittance, some energy is absorbed by the material, causing it to vaporize, thus weakening the material. When the laser passes through the material and the detector detects the transmitted light, the weakening stops, and some material is not burned by the laser, retaining a certain residual thickness. However, existing TPO artificial leather often exhibits porosity during the laser weakening process.

[0004] Therefore, we hope to propose a new technical solution to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition and a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather prepared therefrom, wherein the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather can be well applied to laser weakening.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention can adopt the following technical solution: a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather, which can be applied to laser weakening, wherein the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather includes a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer, wherein the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer contains a main component, wherein the total weight of the main component is 100 parts, and the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer contains 2.2-6 parts of talc, more preferably 2.5-4 parts of talc.

[0007] Currently used laser weakening equipment uses a laser wavelength of 10.6 μm, which falls within the infrared range. Therefore, laser weakening can be simulated by testing the infrared transmittance of the material. In this invention, the applicant, through extensive experiments and research, unexpectedly discovered that adding talc to the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer, and controlling its content at 2.2-6 parts (based on a total weight of 100 parts of the main components), can effectively reduce the infrared transmittance of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer. This ensures that the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather prepared from it can be well applied to laser weakening, effectively reducing porosity. Simultaneously, the talc has good system compatibility with the main components, ensuring the various properties of the thermoplastic elastomer skin layer. Of course, the content of talc should not be too high, otherwise it will have a great negative impact on the feel, appearance, mechanical properties and production process of thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather. For example, the hardness of thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather will be harder. Also, during mass production, talc will be unevenly dispersed, and serious precipitation will occur during the use of the product, affecting the appearance and feel of the product. For example, too much talc will cause greater wear and tear on equipment such as extruders, and so on.

[0008] The main component can be an olefin resin or a mixture of an olefin resin and a rubber elastomer. For example, the main component can be polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), and thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer (POE); for another example, the main component can be PP, PE, and TPV; for yet another example, the main component can be PP, PE, and POE; for yet another example, the main component can be PP, TPV, and POE; for yet another example, the main component can be PP and ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). When the main component is TPV, PP, and LLDPE, based on a total weight of 100 parts of TPV, PP, and LLDPE, TPV is typically 30-40 parts, PP is typically 30-40 parts, and LLDPE is typically 20-40 parts.

[0009] The molecular formula of the talc is Mg3[Si4O] 10 The talc powder has a mesh size greater than 500 mesh, which allows for relatively uniform dispersion in the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer. This results in a lower mixture viscosity during production, maintaining good flowability. The purity of the talc powder is greater than 95%, preferably 98%. If the purity is insufficient, the color of impurities will affect the product's color and light transmittance. Higher talc powder purity leads to more stable color and higher stability of the infrared transmittance of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer. Furthermore, higher talc powder purity also improves its compatibility with the main components.

[0010] When the color of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer has an L value greater than 40, i.e., the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer is light-colored, the talc content is 2.5-3 parts. When the color of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer is |a|>5 and / or |b|>4, i.e., the color of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer is bright-colored, the talc content is 2.5-4 parts.

[0011] The thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer may also contain additives such as stabilizers and pigments, depending on actual needs. Those skilled in the art will know how to select them.

[0012] The infrared transmittance of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer is 0.5-6%, preferably 0.5-3%. If the infrared transmittance of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer is too high, the fluctuation of infrared transmittance between batches and within batches will be relatively large, making it difficult to accurately determine the residual thickness corresponding to the weakening line. If the infrared transmittance of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer is too low, the laser can only penetrate when the residual thickness of the skin layer is set relatively small, that is, only then can laser weakening be completed. In this case, the traces of the weakening line can be seen on the surface of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer, which is not conducive to ensuring the aesthetic appearance of the product.

[0013] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention may also adopt the following technical solution: a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition, wherein the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition comprises a main component and talc powder, wherein the total weight of the main component is 100 parts, and the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition comprises 2.2-6 parts of talc powder, preferably 2.5-4 parts of talc powder.

[0014] In this invention, the applicant, through extensive experimentation and research, unexpectedly discovered that by adding talc to a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition and controlling its content to 2.2-6 parts (based on a total weight of 100 parts of the main components), the infrared transmittance of the skin layer prepared from it can be effectively reduced. This ensures that the artificial leather prepared from it can be well applied to laser weakening, effectively reducing porosity. As mentioned above, talc has good system compatibility with the main components, ensuring the various properties of the thermoplastic elastomer skin layer. However, the talc content should not be excessive, otherwise it will have a significant negative impact on the feel, appearance, mechanical properties, and production process of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather.

[0015] The selection of the main components is the same as described above. Those skilled in the art can also select to add stabilizers and pigments as needed. The molecular formula, mesh size, purity and content of the talc are also the same as described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0016] In this invention, the talc powder is added to the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition in the form of talc masterbatch, and the infrared transmittance of the talc masterbatch is preferably 2.5-9.5%. The talc masterbatch contains 20%-70% talc powder and 30-80% carrier, wherein the carrier is preferably linear low-density polyethylene. During production, the talc masterbatch can be mixed more uniformly with the main components than talc powder. The talc content in the masterbatch should not be too high, otherwise the mixture will have a high viscosity, which is not conducive to extrusion granulation and makes it difficult for the mixture to form particles. However, the talc content should not be too low either; otherwise, a higher addition amount will be required when using the masterbatch later, causing the masterbatch to become a main additive, losing the flexibility of the additive in the formulation, and posing a certain challenge to the preparation process of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer. The particle size of the talc masterbatch is preferably 2.0-3.0 mm. If the particle size of the talc masterbatch is too large, it is easy to get stuck; if the particle size of the talc masterbatch is too small, it is difficult to absorb the material. The talc masterbatch is spherical, ellipsoidal, flat, or cylindrical.

[0017] In this invention, the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition contains 0.08-3.3 parts of pigment. If the amount of pigment added is too small, the desired color effect cannot be achieved, and it is not conducive to reducing the infrared transmittance of the product. If the amount of pigment added is too large, it will not only increase the cost, but also cause pigment migration and precipitation problems due to excessive pigment content. The pigment is added to the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition in the form of a masterbatch, which contains 10%-40% pigment and also includes a carrier and additives. The carrier is preferably linear low-density polyethylene, and the additives include calcium stearate, etc.

[0018] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention can also adopt the following technical solution: a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather, comprising a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer and a surface treatment agent layer, wherein the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer is prepared from the aforementioned thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition. After the thermoplastic elastomer skin layer is prepared from the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer composition, the content of the main component, the talc, the stabilizer, and pigments remains essentially unchanged.

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0019] The present invention will be further illustrated below with reference to examples and comparative examples.

[0020] Example 1

[0021] This embodiment describes the preparation of TPO artificial leather. The preparation method of TPO artificial leather used in this embodiment is a conventional method in the art. Those skilled in the art can clearly know how to select specific equipment, process steps and conditions. Therefore, only the key equipment, process steps and conditions are described below.

[0022] Step 1: According to the components and proportions shown in Tables 1-1, 2-1 and 2-2, thermoplastic vulcanized rubber (TPV), polypropylene (PP), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), stabilizer, color masterbatch 1 and talc masterbatch 1 are mixed and melted through a two-roll mill to obtain a TPO film (TPO skin layer) with a uniform thickness of 0.8 mm. After cooling and shaping, it is stored.

[0023] Step 2: Coat the surface of the TPO film prepared in Step 1 with polyurethane resin, and dry it to form a TPO semi-finished product for storage.

[0024] Step 3: The TPO semi-finished product prepared in Step 2 and the polyolefin foam sponge are hot-pressed together to obtain TPO artificial leather.

[0025] Examples 2-8

[0026] Examples 2-8 also involve the preparation of TPO artificial leather. The preparation processes of the polyolefin foamed sponge and TPO artificial leather are exactly the same as those in Example 1. The difference lies in the composition and content of the TPO epidermal layer composition, as detailed in Tables 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 2-1, and 2-2.

[0027] Table 1-1

[0028] TPV 40 40 40 15 40 40 40 PP 30 30 30 70 30 30 30 LLDPE 30 30 30 15 30 30 30 stabilizer 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 Masterbatch 1 6 6 6 8 6 6 6 Talc Masterbatch 1 4 6.5 8.5 4 0 0.4 16

[0029] Table 1-2

[0030]

[0031]

[0032] Table 1-3

[0033] TPV 40 40 PP 30 30 LLDPE 30 30 stabilizer 2 2 Masterbatch 2 6 0 Masterbatch 3 0 6 Talc Masterbatch 1 4 4

[0034] Table 1-4

[0035] PP 30 PE 15 TPV 40 POE 15 stabilizer 2 Masterbatch 1 6 Talc Masterbatch 1 4

[0036] Table 2-1

[0037] Talc Masterbatch 1 500 95 55％ 45％ 8.2％ cylinder 2-3mm Talc Masterbatch 2 600 96 40％ 60％ 9.5％ cylinder 2-3mm Talc Masterbatch 3 1000 99 60％ 40％ 5.3％ cylinder 2-3mm Talc Masterbatch 4 400 97 65％ 35％ 3.8％ cylinder 4-5mm

[0038] Table 2-2

[0039] Masterbatch 1 29.8 0.55 9.74 55％ 45％ Masterbatch 2 28.66 0.34 10.78 50％ 50％ Masterbatch 3 26.6 2.4 4.66 58％ 42％

[0040] Light transmittance test of TPO artificial leather

[0041] Test indicators: Based on multiple laser weakening verifications, the infrared transmittance of TPO artificial leather pressed to 0.42mm at 943.40cm-1 is generally less than or equal to 6.5%, which can basically be uniformly weakened during subsequent laser weakening without any leakage on site.

[0042] Test method for light transmittance of TPO artificial leather:

[0043] Step 1: The samples in the examples and comparative examples are prepared into test samples using a sample preparation machine;

[0044] Step 2: Test the thickness of the test sample;

[0045] Step 3: Measure the background spectrum of the test sample;

[0046] Step 4: Place the test sample into a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and measure the transmittance of the test sample at the corresponding wavenumber of 943.40 cm⁻¹.

[0047] Test method for the hardness of TPO artificial leather:

[0048] Step 1: Prepare samples at least 4mm thick (if less, stack the samples), and place the samples on a hard, horizontal surface;

[0049] Step 2: Hold the hardness tester, keep it vertical, and apply the pressure base to the sample without impact, making sure the pressure base is parallel to the sample and applying sufficient pressure.

[0050] Step 3: Read the value after 15 seconds.

[0051] The test results are shown in Table 3 below.

[0052]

[0053]

[0054]

[0055] It is understood that the above embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other to obtain more embodiments without conflict. The various specific technical features described in the above detailed embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction.

[0056] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and not all embodiments. It is understood that those skilled in the art can make many reasonable changes to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the essential spirit and scope of the present invention, and these reasonable changes are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather suitable for laser weakening, wherein the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather comprises a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer, the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer containing a main component, characterized in that: The main components are polypropylene, polyethylene, thermoplastic vulcanized rubber and thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer, or polypropylene, polyethylene and thermoplastic vulcanized rubber, or polypropylene, polyethylene and thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer, or polypropylene, thermoplastic vulcanized rubber and thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer, or polypropylene and EPDM rubber. Based on a total weight of 100 parts of the main components, the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer contains 2.2-6 parts of talc powder; the talc powder has a mesh size greater than 500 mesh and a purity greater than 95%.

2. The thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The molecular formula of the talc is Mg3[Si4O] 10 ](OH)2.

3. The thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Based on a total weight of 100 parts for the main components, the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer contains 2.5-4 parts of talc.

4. The thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The purity of the talc powder is 98%.

5. The thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The color of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer has an L value greater than 40, and the content of talc is 2.5-3 parts.

6. The thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The color of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer is |a|>5 and / or |b|>4, and the content of the talc is 2.5-4 parts.

7. The thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The infrared transmittance of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer is 0.5-6%.

8. The thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The infrared transmittance of the thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer is 0.5-3%.

9. The thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer skin layer also contains stabilizers and pigments.

10. The thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer artificial leather also includes a surface treatment agent layer.

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