A flexible cable material for robots and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of functional materials, and specifically discloses a flexible cable material for robots and a preparation method thereof. A flexible cable material for robots is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight: 80-120 parts of plastic material, 30-50 parts of filler, 10-20 parts of flame retardant, 10-15 parts of cross-linking agent, 6-12 parts of toughening agent, and 10-30 parts of other additives; the plastic material is composed of polyurethane elastomer, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber and TPEE; the preparation method is: mixing, extruding, cooling, and pelletizing the above raw materials. The flexible cable material for robots prepared in this application has good mechanical properties, high temperature resistance and low temperature resistance, good fatigue stability after long-term use, and is not easy to deform or crack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of functional materials, and more specifically, to a flexible cable material for robots and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Robot cables are the connection hubs that convert signals into mechanical movements. Their performance is directly related to the stable operation and service life of the robot. Robot cables must have the following properties: good flexibility, good resistance to bending fatigue, good anti-interference performance, good wear resistance, good flame retardancy, good resistance to high and low temperatures, etc.

[0003] At present, PVC materials are commonly used in robot cables. Although PVC materials have good wear resistance and insulation properties, they have low thermal stability and low softness. When used under high or low temperature conditions, their long-term fatigue resistance is low. In particular, robot cables are usually combined into multi-strand harnesses with narrow heat dissipation space. Long-term high-frequency movement will cause thermal aging of robot cables due to frictional heat generation, thereby reducing fatigue resistance, making them prone to cracking or damage, and reducing their service life. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the problem that conventional robot cables have low long-term fatigue resistance and are prone to cracking or damage, which reduces the service life of the robot cables, the present application provides a flexible cable material for a robot and a preparation method thereof.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a flexible cable material for a robot, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A flexible cable material for a robot is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight:

[0007] 80-120 parts of plastic material

[0008] 30-50 parts of filler

[0009] Flame retardant 10-20 parts

[0010] Crosslinking agent 10-15 parts

[0011] Toughener 6-12 parts

[0012] Other additives 10-30 parts;

[0013] The plastic material consists of polyurethane elastomer, EPDM rubber and TPEE.

[0014] By adopting the above technical scheme, the present application uses a plastic material composed of polyurethane elastomer, EPDM rubber and TPEE, wherein the polyurethane elastomer has good impact resistance and elasticity; EPDM rubber is a copolymer of ethylene, propylene and a small amount of non-conjugated dienes, and has good heat resistance, aging resistance, insulation and high elasticity; TPEE is a type of block linear copolymer containing PBT polyester hard segment (crystalline phase, providing strength) and polyether soft segment (continuous segment), the rigidity, polarity and crystallinity of the TPEE hard segment give it outstanding strength and good high temperature resistance, creep resistance, solvent resistance and impact resistance; the low glass transition temperature and saturation of the soft segment polyether give it excellent low temperature resistance and aging resistance, and the compound use of the three can produce a good synergistic effect, which can better improve the mechanical properties and temperature resistance of the prepared flexible cable material. Polyurethane elastomer, EPDM rubber and TPEE are compounded as plastic materials, and are compounded with fillers, flame retardants, cross-linking agents, toughening agents and other additives. The flexible cable material for robots prepared in this way has good mechanical properties and temperature resistance, good resistance to heat deformation and cracking when used under high and low temperature conditions, and good fatigue resistance after long-term use.

[0015] Preferably, the weight ratio of the polyurethane elastomer, the EPDM rubber and the TPEE is 1:(0.6-0.8):(0.2-0.4).

[0016] By adopting the above technical scheme, polyurethane elastomer, EPDM rubber and TPEE are compounded in an optimal dosage ratio, so that the prepared flexible cable material has moderate hardness and mechanical properties, good softness and temperature resistance, good fatigue resistance after long-term use, and is not easy to deform and crack.

[0017] Preferably, the plastic material is a modified plastic material, and the modified plastic material is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight:

[0018] Plastic material 120-140 parts

[0019] Maleic anhydride 4-8 parts

[0020] Allyl alcohol glycidyl ether 5-10 parts

[0021] 3-6 parts of castor oil modified polyol

[0022] Initiator 0.2-0.5 parts

[0023] 2-5 parts of dodecyl to octadecyl silane coupling agent.

[0024] By adopting the above technical scheme, in order to further improve the compatibility and dispersibility of the plastic material, the present application further modifies the plastic material, and under the action of the initiator, the plastic material is grafted with maleic anhydride. Allyl alcohol glycidyl ether and castor oil modified polyol have soft soft segments, which can make the plastic material molecular segments fully stretch and interweave, further improve the grafting efficiency with maleic anhydride, and further improve the softness and molecular structure density of the prepared flexible cable material. The dodecadecyl to octadecyl silane coupling agent is a type of silane coupling agent with a long-chain alkyl group, and its lipophilic group can It can be stably interwoven with plastic materials to further improve the density of the interwoven structure of plastic materials. Its hydrophilic group can improve the dispersion uniformity of plastic materials and fillers and flame retardants in the system. The modified plastic material obtained in this way has good compatibility and dispersion uniformity, and can be evenly dispersed with fillers, flame retardants, cross-linking agents and toughening agents in the system. There is no need to add additional compatibilizers, nor is there any need to modify the fillers and flame retardants. The flexible cable material obtained in this way has good structural flexibility and mechanical properties, good temperature resistance and fatigue resistance after long-term use, and is not easy to deform and crack.

[0025] Preferably, the modified plastic material is prepared by the following steps: adding allyl alcohol glycidyl ether, castor oil modified polyol, maleic anhydride, dodecadecyl to octadecyl silane coupling agent and initiator to the plastic material, heating to 130-150°C, mixing for 2-4h, extruding at a temperature of 200-220°C, cooling, and granulating to obtain the modified plastic material.

[0026] By adopting the above technical scheme, the above raw materials are firstly mixed and grafted, and then extruded to prepare a modified plastic material with good compatibility, mechanical properties and soft and dense molecular structure.

[0027] Preferably, the crosslinking agent is composed of dibenzoyl peroxide, ethyl isocyanate acrylate and ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate in a weight ratio of 1:(1-2):(2-4).

[0028] By adopting the above technical scheme, dibenzoyl peroxide, ethyl isocyanate acrylate and ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate in a relatively optimal dosage ratio are used as cross-linking agents, which can be further cross-linked and interwoven with the plastic material, thereby further improving the molecular structure density of the prepared flexible cable material, and improving the mechanical properties and temperature resistance; the combined use of ethyl isocyanate acrylate and ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate has a good synergistic effect, and can better improve the softness and temperature resistance of the prepared flexible cable material.

[0029] Preferably, the filler is one or a combination of carbon black, white carbon black, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, kaolin, and barium sulfate.

[0030] By adopting the above technical solution, the above filler has a good performance reinforcement effect and can improve the mechanical properties and hardness of the prepared flexible cable material.

[0031] Preferably, the flame retardant is an ammonium phosphate flame retardant and / or a metal hydroxide flame retardant.

[0032] By adopting the above technical solution, the flame retardant has good flame retardancy and can improve the flame retardant stability of the prepared flexible cable material.

[0033] Preferably, the toughening agent is one or a combination of POE, SBS and MBS.

[0034] By adopting the above technical solution, the toughening agent has good toughness enhancement and can be stably dispersed in the plastic material system, further improving the softness and mechanical properties of the prepared flexible cable material.

[0035] Preferably, the other additives include plasticizers, lubricants and antioxidants, the plasticizer is one or a combination of white oil, dioctyl phthalate, and epoxy soybean oil, the lubricant is one or a combination of polyethylene wax, zinc stearate, calcium stearate, and polyethylene glycol, and the antioxidant is a hindered phenol antioxidant and / or a phosphate antioxidant.

[0036] By adopting the above technical solution, plasticizers, lubricants and antioxidants are used as auxiliary additives to further improve the mechanical properties, processing stability and anti-aging properties of the prepared flexible cable material.

[0037] In a second aspect, the present application provides a method for preparing a flexible cable material for a robot, using the following technical solution:

[0038] A method for preparing a flexible cable material for a robot, comprising the following preparation steps:

[0039] S1, adding plastic material, toughening agent, cross-linking agent and other additives into a mixing and extruding device, and mixing to obtain a mixed material A;

[0040] S2, adding filler and flame retardant to mixed material A, mixing and mixing, to obtain mixed material B;

[0041] S3, melt-extrude the mixed material B, cool it, and pelletize it to obtain a flexible cable material for robots.

[0042] By adopting the above technical scheme, the plastic material, toughening agent, cross-linking agent and other additives are first mixed to prepare a mixture A with uniform dispersion and stable system cross-linking, and then the filler and flame retardant are added and evenly dispersed to prepare a mixture B with a dense molecular structure, and then the mixture B is melt-extruded to prepare a flexible cable material with stable performance for robots.

[0043] In summary, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0044] 1. The present application uses polyurethane elastomer, EPDM rubber and TPEE as plastic materials, and compounds them with fillers, flame retardants, cross-linking agents, toughening agents and other additives. The flexible cable material for robots prepared in this way has good mechanical properties and temperature resistance, good resistance to heat deformation and cracking when used under high and low temperature conditions, and good fatigue resistance when used for a long time.

[0045] 2. The plastic material is modified by using allyl glycidyl ether, castor oil modified polyol, maleic anhydride, dodecadecyl to octadecyl silane coupling agent and initiator. The modified plastic material obtained in this way has good compatibility and uniform dispersion, and can be evenly dispersed with the filler, flame retardant, cross-linking agent and toughening agent in the system. There is no need to add additional compatibilizer, nor is there any need to modify the filler and flame retardant. The flexible cable material obtained in this way has good structural flexibility and mechanical properties, good temperature resistance and fatigue resistance after long-term use, and is not easy to deform and crack.

[0046] 3. Using dibenzoyl peroxide, ethyl isocyanate acrylate and ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate in a better dosage ratio as crosslinking agents can further crosslink and interweave with plastic materials, further improve the molecular structure density of the flexible cable material, and improve the mechanical properties and temperature resistance.

[0047] 4. The preparation method of the present application is simple and easy to mass-produce, and a flexible cable material for robots with stable performance can be prepared. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The present application is further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments.

[0049] The following are the sources and specifications of some raw materials of this application. The raw materials used in the preparation examples and embodiments of this application can be obtained from the market, including but not limited to the raw materials of the following models and manufacturers. Raw materials with equivalent performance can be used:

[0050] 1. Polyurethane elastomer: BASF, 1177A FHF;

[0051] 2. EPDM rubber: Dow 3745P;

[0052] 3. TPEE: DuPont 4068;

[0053] 4. Castor oil modified polyol: Ito Oil URIC H-368;

[0054] 5. Ethyl isocyanate acrylate: CAS: 13641-96-8, content 99%;

[0055] 6. Ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate: CAS: 51728-26-8, content 99%;

[0056] 7. Carbon black: Olilong high resistance carbon black SB4A;

[0057] 8. White carbon black: Cabot TS-530;

[0058] 9. Calcium carbonate: light calcium carbonate, 800-1250 mesh;

[0059] 10. POE: Dow 8450;

[0060] 11. MBS: Rohm and Haas EXL-2620;

[0061] 12. Polyethylene wax: Honeywell, AC-629A;

[0062] 13. Epoxidized soybean oil: CAS number 8013-07-8, epoxide value greater than 6.3%, molecular weight 1000.

[0063] Preparation example of modified plastic material

[0064] Preparation Example 1

[0065] Preparation Example 1 discloses a modified plastic material, which is prepared by the following steps: 0.5 kg of allyl alcohol glycidyl ether, 0.3 kg of castor oil modified polyol, 0.4 kg of maleic anhydride, 0.2 kg of hexadecyltrimethoxysilane and 0.02 kg of 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-bis(tert-butylperoxy)hexane are added as initiators to 12 kg of a plastic material composed of a polyurethane elastomer, ethylene propylene rubber and TPEE in a weight ratio of 1:0.6:0.2, the temperature is raised to 130° C., mixed for 2 hours, extruded at a temperature of 220° C., water-cooled, and granulated to obtain a modified plastic material.

[0066] Preparation Example 2-3

[0067] The difference between Preparation Example 2-3 and Preparation Example 1 is that the amount of raw materials used and the preparation conditions are different, see Table 1 below for details.

[0068] Table 1 Raw material dosage and preparation conditions of Preparation Examples 1-3

[0069]

[0070]

[0071] Preparation Comparative Example 1

[0072] The difference between Preparation Comparative Example 1 and Preparation Example 3 is that the castor oil-modified polyol is replaced by allyl alcohol glycidyl ether in an equal amount, and the rest is the same as Preparation Example 3.

[0073] Preparation Comparative Example 2

[0074] The difference between Preparation Comparative Example 2 and Preparation Example 3 is that the castor oil-modified polyol is replaced by an equal amount of polyethylene glycol 2000, and the rest is the same as Preparation Example 3.

[0075] Preparation Comparative Example 3

[0076] The difference between Preparation Comparative Example 2 and Preparation Example 3 is that an equal amount of hexadecyltrimethoxysilane is replaced by methyltrimethoxysilane coupling agent, and the rest is the same as Preparation Example 3.

[0077] Preparation Comparative Example 4

[0078] The difference between Preparation Comparative Example 4 and Preparation Example 3 is that allyl glycidyl ether and castor oil-modified polyol are replaced by hexadecyltrimethoxysilane in equal amounts, and the rest is the same as Preparation Example 3.

[0079] Example

[0080] Example 1

[0081] Example 1 discloses a flexible cable material for a robot, which is prepared by the following steps:

[0082] S1, adding 8 kg of plastic material consisting of a polyurethane elastomer, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber and TPEE in a weight ratio of 1:1:1, 0.6 kg of POE as a toughening agent, 1 kg of a cross-linking agent consisting of dibenzoyl peroxide and vinyl trimethoxysilane in a weight ratio of 1:5, 0.65 kg of 26# white oil as a plasticizer, 0.3 kg of polyethylene wax as a lubricant, and 0.05 kg of antioxidant 1010 and antioxidant 168 in a weight ratio of 3:1 as an antioxidant into a mixing extruder, and mixing at a temperature of 110° C. for 1.5 hours to obtain a mixed material A;

[0083] S2, adding 3 kg of carbon black as a filler and 1 kg of a flame retardant consisting of ammonium polyphosphate and aluminum hydroxide in a weight ratio of 2:1 to the mixed material A, and mixing at a temperature of 130° C. for 1 h to obtain a mixed material B;

[0084] S3. Extruding the mixed material B at a temperature of 200° C., water cooling, and pelletizing to obtain a flexible cable material for a robot.

[0085] Embodiment 2-4

[0086] The difference between Example 2-4 and Example 1 is that the amount of raw materials used and the preparation conditions are different, see Table 2 below for details.

[0087] Table 2 Raw material dosage and preparation conditions of Examples 1-4

[0088]

[0089]

[0090]

[0091] Example 5-11

[0092] The difference between Examples 5-11 and Example 4 is that the sources of the plastic materials are different, see Table 3 below for details.

[0093] Sources of plastic materials in Examples 5-11

[0094] Example Sources of plastic materials Example 5 Preparation Example 1 Example 6 Preparation Example 2 Example 7 Preparation Example 3 Example 8 Preparation Comparative Example 1 Example 9 Preparation Comparative Example 2 Example 10 Preparation Comparative Example 3 Embodiment 11 Preparation Comparative Example 4

[0095] Example 12

[0096] The difference between Example 12 and Example 7 is that the cross-linking agent is different. The cross-linking agent in Example 7 is composed of dibenzoyl peroxide, ethyl isocyanate acrylate and ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate in a weight ratio of 1:1:2, and the rest is the same as Example 7.

[0097] Example 13

[0098] The difference between Example 13 and Example 12 is that the crosslinking agent consists of dibenzoyl peroxide, ethyl isocyanate acrylate and ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate in a weight ratio of 1:2:4, and the rest is the same as Example 12.

[0099] Embodiment 14

[0100] The difference between Example 14 and Example 13 is that the crosslinking agent consists of dibenzoyl peroxide and ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate in a weight ratio of 1:3, and the rest is the same as Example 13.

[0101] Comparative Example

[0102] Comparative Example 1

[0103] The difference between Comparative Example 1 and Example 1 is that TPEE is replaced by polyurethane elastomer in equal amounts, and the rest is the same as Example 1.

[0104] Comparative Example 2

[0105] The difference between Comparative Example 2 and Example 1 is that TPEE is replaced by SEBS in equal amount, which is purchased from Taiwan Rubber Co., Ltd., model 6151, and the rest is the same as Example 1.

[0106] Performance testing

[0107] The following is a performance test of the flexible cable materials for robots prepared in Examples 1-14 and Comparative Examples 1-2:

[0108] 1. Tensile strength:

[0109] According to the requirements and test methods in EN 50363-10-2 "Insulation and sheath materials for low voltage power cables Part 10-2: Sheath compounds - Thermoplastic polyurethane", the tensile strength (unit: N / mm2) at room temperature (25°C) is tested. 2 ) and record the test results;

[0110] High temperature aging test: at 110℃, after 7 days of constant temperature testing, the test was restored to room temperature (25℃) and the tensile strength (unit: N / mm 2 ) and record the test results;

[0111] 2. Thermal deformation rate test:

[0112] According to the requirements and test methods in EN 50363-10-2 "Insulation and sheath materials for low voltage power cables Part 10-2: Sheath compounds - Thermoplastic polyurethane", test the thermal deformation rate (unit: %) when compressed at 100°C for 1h, and test and record the test results;

[0113] 3. Low temperature bending performance test:

[0114] According to the requirements and test methods in EN 50363-10-2 "Insulation and sheath materials for low voltage power cables Part 10-2: Sheath compounds - Thermoplastic polyurethane", after being placed at -50°C for 1 hour, a bending test is performed to observe the surface cracking, test and record the test results;

[0115] The following are the performance test data of the flexible cable materials for robots prepared in Examples 1-14 and Comparative Examples 1-2, see Table 4 below for details.

[0116] Table 4 Performance test data of flexible cable materials for robots prepared in Examples 1-14 and Comparative Examples 1-2

[0117]

[0118]

[0119] Combining Examples 1-4 and 5-11, Comparative Examples 1-2 and Table 4, it can be concluded that the flexible cable material prepared by compounding the polyurethane elastomer, EPDM rubber and TPEE in the preferred ratio of the present application has good tensile properties, good tensile strength after high temperature aging, low high temperature thermal deformation, no cracking after low temperature bending, good fatigue resistance after long-term use, and is not easy to be damaged; in Comparative Example 1, TPEE is replaced by polyurethane elastomer in equal amounts, and in Comparative Example 2, TPEE is replaced by SEBS in equal amounts, and the tensile strength of the prepared flexible cable material is reduced, and the tensile strength after high temperature test is significantly increased. The thermal deformation and low-temperature bending properties are significantly reduced, indicating that the polyurethane elastomer, EPDM rubber and TPEE in an optimal dosage ratio have a good synergistic effect, can improve the fatigue resistance of the prepared flexible cable material, and are not prone to cracking and aging after long-term use; further, the modified plastic material prepared by allyl glycidyl ether, castor oil-modified polyol, maleic anhydride and dodecyl to octadecyl silane coupling agent in Examples 5-7 can further improve the comprehensive performance of the prepared flexible cable material, which may be because the modified rubber material has good compatibility and dispersibility, and the structure of the prepared flexible cable material is soft and dense.

[0120] Combining Example 7 and Examples 12-14 with Table 4, it can be concluded that the use of a preferred ratio of dibenzoyl peroxide, ethyl isocyanate acrylate and ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate in the present application as a cross-linking agent can further be cross-linked and interwoven with the rubber material, thereby improving the fatigue resistance of the obtained flexible cable material, and preventing it from cracking and aging after long-term use.

[0121] This specific embodiment is merely an explanation of the present application and is not a limitation of the present application. After reading this specification, those skilled in the art may make modifications to the present embodiment without any creative contribution as needed, but such modifications are protected by the patent law as long as they are within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A flexible cable material for a robot, characterized in that: Made from the following raw materials in parts by weight: 80-120 parts of plastic material 30-50 parts of filler Flame retardant 10-20 parts Crosslinking agent 10-15 parts Toughener 6-12 parts Other additives 10-30 parts; The plastic material is composed of polyurethane elastomer, EPDM rubber and TPEE in a weight ratio of 1: (0.6-0.8): (0.2-0.4); the cross-linking agent is composed of dibenzoyl peroxide, ethyl isocyanate acrylate and ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate in a weight ratio of 1: (1-2): (2-4); The plastic material is a modified plastic material, and the modified plastic material is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight: Plastic material 120-140 parts Maleic anhydride 4-8 parts Allyl alcohol glycidyl ether 5-10 parts 3-6 parts of castor oil modified polyol Initiator 0.2-0.5 parts 2-5 parts of dodecyl to octadecyl silane coupling agent; The modified plastic material is prepared by the following steps: adding allyl alcohol glycidyl ether, castor oil modified polyol, maleic anhydride, dodecyl to octadecyl silane coupling agent and initiator into the plastic material, heating to 130-150° C., mixing for 2-4 hours, extruding at a temperature of 200-220° C., cooling, and granulating to obtain the modified plastic material.

2. A flexible cable material for a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The filler is one or a combination of carbon black, white carbon black, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, kaolin and barium sulfate.

3. The flexible cable material for a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flame retardant is an ammonium phosphate flame retardant and / or a metal hydroxide flame retardant.

4. The flexible cable material for a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The toughening agent is one or a combination of POE, SBS and MBS.

5. The flexible cable material for a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The other additives include plasticizers, lubricants and antioxidants. The plasticizer is one or a combination of white oil, dioctyl phthalate, and epoxy soybean oil. The lubricant is one or a combination of polyethylene wax, zinc stearate, calcium stearate, and polyethylene glycol. The antioxidant is a hindered phenol antioxidant and / or a phosphate antioxidant.

6. A flexible cable material for a robot as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The method comprises the following preparation steps: S1, adding plastic material, toughening agent, cross-linking agent and other additives into a mixing and extruding device, and mixing to obtain a mixed material A; S2, adding filler and flame retardant to mixed material A, mixing and mixing, to obtain mixed material B; S3. Melt-extrude the mixed material B, cool it, and pelletize it to obtain a flexible cable material for robots.

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