Material for hat brim and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a material for a hat brim and a preparation method of the material. The material for the hat brim comprises the following raw materials: a main material EVA, a filling agent, a foaming agent, a bridging agent, a foaming accelerant and a lubricating agent. The foaming material provided by the invention has excellent flexibility, is not easy to break in the bending process, can meet different wearing requirements, greatly improves the durability of the brim, and also has the advantages of softness, comfort, high resilience, lightness, easiness in cleaning, quick drying and the like. Compared with a traditional manufacturing technology, the injection molding technology is adopted, the production process is more efficient, a large number of hat brim products can be rapidly produced, and the production efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of foamed materials technology, specifically to a material for hat brims and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] In the structure of a hat, the brim is an important component. It not only serves to modify the appearance, but also plays a role in blocking sunlight and protecting the head. Its performance and manufacturing process have always been the focus of industry attention.

[0003] Currently, most hat brims on the market are made using traditional techniques. Common methods include sewing fabric with foam or glue together using a sewing machine, or using a high-temperature setting process to shape the material into a specific arc before trimming the edges. However, these traditional techniques have many obvious drawbacks.

[0004] From the perspective of production processes, whether it is sewing after the fabric is wrapped with glue, sewing after the fabric is bonded to foam, or trimming the edges after high-temperature setting, it involves many complex operation steps. This not only requires a lot of manual labor, but also makes the production process lengthy, which seriously affects production efficiency and makes it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale and rapid production.

[0005] From a performance perspective, traditionally made brims tend to be heavy and thick, causing a feeling of pressure and affecting comfort. Furthermore, due to variations in material composition, brims often exhibit inconsistent water absorption, easily absorbing moisture and becoming heavy in humid environments or after contact with water, and are difficult to dry. In addition, traditional brims lack flexibility, easily deforming under pressure or impact, and are difficult to restore to their original shape, thus affecting their lifespan and appearance. Moreover, cleaning these brims is inconvenient; due to the limitations of the materials, stains are difficult to remove, and residue tends to accumulate after prolonged use.

[0006] In summary, the existing hat brims have many problems in terms of production process and product performance, which can no longer meet the market demand for high-quality hat brims. Therefore, developing a new type of hat brim material and its preparation method to solve the above problems has important practical significance and application value. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Therefore, embodiments of the present invention provide a material for hat brims and a method for preparing the same, in order to solve the problems of poor flexibility, insufficient softness, poor resilience, difficulty in cleaning, and complex manufacturing process of existing hat brims.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present invention provide the following technical solutions:

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a material for a hat brim, the raw materials of which include: EVA as the main material, filler, foaming agent, crosslinking agent, foaming accelerator, and lubricant.

[0010] In some preferred embodiments, the VA content of the main material EVA is 15-45%.

[0011] In some preferred embodiments, the filler includes calcium carbonate and / or talc.

[0012] In some preferred embodiments, the foaming agent is azodicarbonamide, and preferably, a high-temperature foaming agent with a decomposition temperature of 200-220°C is selected.

[0013] In some preferred embodiments, the crosslinking agent is DCP (di-2-octyl phthalate), or a mixture of DCP and BIPB (odorless crosslinking agent for odor reduction).

[0014] In some preferred embodiments, the foaming accelerator includes zinc oxide and / or zinc stearate.

[0015] In some preferred embodiments, the lubricant is stearic acid.

[0016] In some preferred embodiments, the raw materials for the brim material also include titanium dioxide and shrinkage inhibitors.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a method for preparing a brim material as described in any of the preceding claims, the method comprising:

[0018] The raw materials are fed into the heating cylinder of the injection molding machine to melt and mix evenly to obtain molten material;

[0019] Molten material is injected into the cap mold under high pressure for foaming, and then cooled and shaped.

[0020] The embodiments of the present invention have the following advantages:

[0021] (1) This invention uses EVA as the main material and fillers, foaming agents, crosslinking agents, foaming promoters, lubricants and other auxiliary materials. The foaming material provided has excellent flexibility and is not easy to break during bending. It can adapt to different wearing needs and greatly improve the durability of the brim.

[0022] Soft and comfortable: The material is extremely soft and will not put much pressure on the forehead when worn, providing users with a comfortable wearing experience.

[0023] High resilience: Excellent resilience allows the brim to quickly return to its original shape after being squeezed, maintaining its appearance and good performance.

[0024] Lightweight: The foaming process creates a uniform and dense pore structure inside the material, reducing the material's density and making the brim lighter, thus reducing the burden on the head.

[0025] Easy to clean and quick-drying: The special material formula and structure make the surface of this foam material less prone to stains and quick to clean. It also dries quickly, saving time on cleaning and waiting for it to dry.

[0026] (2) The present invention adopts injection molding process, which is more efficient than traditional manufacturing process, and can quickly produce a large number of hat brim products, thus improving production efficiency. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] This invention provides a material for hat brims, the raw materials of which include: main material EVA, filler, foaming agent, crosslinking agent, foaming accelerator, lubricant, titanium dioxide and shrinkage inhibitor.

[0029] In this context, EVA, the main material, refers to ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, a random copolymer composed of ethylene monomers and vinyl acetate monomers. VA content, i.e., the mass percentage of vinyl acetate monomers, is one of the key performance indicators of EVA. In some preferred embodiments, EVA with a VA content of 18-40% is selected as the main material, resulting in a brim material with moderate flexibility, combining a certain degree of elasticity and hardness.

[0030] Fillers are used to improve the properties of materials, such as chemical stability and mechanical properties. This invention uses calcium carbonate or talc as fillers, which can reduce overall raw material costs, increase product rigidity, and also provide thermal conductivity. In some preferred embodiments, the particle size is selected as 120-400 mesh.

[0031] In the commonly used IP series of foaming agents, AC3000J is a medium-temperature type, and AC3000F is a high-temperature type (suitable for secondary foaming). Foaming agents can be classified according to their decomposition temperature into low-temperature (approximately 140℃), medium-temperature, and high-temperature (approximately 220℃) types. Since the price difference between different types of foaming agents is not significant, and high-temperature foaming agents generally have better stability, most EVA manufacturers currently prefer to use high-temperature foaming agents, and may also use different types in combination depending on the requirements. The specific dosage needs to be determined based on the target expansion ratio.

[0032] The most widely used crosslinking agent is DCP (dicumyl peroxide). During refining, the temperature should be controlled below 120℃ as much as possible. If the product has specific odor requirements, the odorless crosslinking agent BIPB can be used.

[0033] Foaming accelerators mainly include zinc oxide and zinc stearate: zinc oxide can conduct heat, promote the foaming reaction, improve process stability and accelerate catalytic efficiency; zinc stearate helps the foaming agent decompose more fully, makes the material more uniformly dispersed, and maintains temperature stability.

[0034] Stearic acid is usually chosen as the lubricant. Its main function is to reduce the adhesion between the material and the equipment during the refining process, prevent the raw material from sticking to the machine, and improve the flowability of the material to facilitate uniform mixing.

[0035] Titanium dioxide and color masterbatch are commonly used colorants: Titanium dioxide is mainly used to improve the whiteness and hiding power of products, and also has a certain whitening and color fixing effect; color masterbatch can be formulated into different colors according to needs to ensure that the product color is uniform and not easy to fade, and plays the role of coloring and color fixing.

[0036] The core function of anti-shrinkage agents is to inhibit the shrinkage of EVA foam material after cooling and molding, help maintain the dimensional stability of the product, and avoid deformation or dimensional deviation caused by shrinkage.

[0037] In some preferred embodiments, the raw materials for the brim material, by weight, include: 75-90 parts EVA (main material), 5-10 parts filler, 1-2 parts foaming agent, 1-2 parts crosslinking agent, 0.5-1 part foaming accelerator, 0.5-1 part lubricant, 2-5 parts titanium dioxide, and 1-2 parts anti-shrinkage agent. Studies have found that, under the above-mentioned proportions, the main material and auxiliary materials exhibit a synergistic effect, resulting in a brim material that combines flexibility, softness, and resilience, demonstrating superior overall performance.

[0038] The preparation method of the above-mentioned hat brim material includes the following steps:

[0039] Step 1: Feed the raw materials, such as EVA, filler, foaming agent, crosslinking agent, foaming accelerator, lubricant, titanium dioxide and anti-shrinkage agent, into the heating cylinder of the injection molding machine to melt and mix evenly to obtain molten material.

[0040] Step 2: The molten material is injected under high pressure into a pre-designed cap mold for foaming.

[0041] Step 3: After foaming and molding, open the mold and remove the molded hood.

[0042] Step 4: Cool and shape the eaves.

[0043] Step 5: After cooling, perform surface finishing on the hood.

[0044] In some preferred embodiments, the foaming temperature is 160–200°C.

[0045] Example 1

[0046] This embodiment provides a material for hat brims, the raw materials of which include: 86 parts of main material EVA (VA content 24%), 6 parts of calcium carbonate, 1 part of AC3000F high temperature foaming agent, 1 part of DCP, 0.5 parts of zinc stearate, 0.8 parts of stearic acid, 3.5 parts of titanium dioxide, and 1.2 parts of anti-shrinkage agent.

[0047] Example 2

[0048] This embodiment provides a material for hat brims, the raw materials of which include: 82 parts of main material EVA (VA content 30%), 8 parts of talc powder, 1.2 parts of AC3000F high temperature foaming agent, 2 parts of BIPB, 1 part of zinc stearate, 0.8 parts of stearic acid, 4 parts of titanium dioxide, and 1 part of anti-shrinkage agent.

[0049] Example 3

[0050] This embodiment provides a material for hat brims, the raw materials of which include: 78 parts of main material EVA (VA content 40%), 10 parts of calcium carbonate, 2 parts of AC3000J medium temperature foaming agent, 2 parts of DCP, 0.5 parts of zinc stearate, 0.5 parts of stearic acid, 5 parts of titanium dioxide, and 2 parts of anti-shrinkage agent.

[0051] Performance testing

[0052] The performance of the hat brim materials prepared in Examples 1-3 was tested. The results showed good flexibility, with no breakage after 100 repeated bending cycles; in the softness test, the simulated wearing experience was comfortable with no noticeable pressure; in the resilience test, it quickly returned to its original shape within 1 second after being compressed; in the cleaning test, stains were quickly removed after wiping with a damp cloth and dried completely within 10 minutes in a ventilated environment. The magnification was set at 1.3x, and the hardness was Shore 65±3.

[0053] Although the present invention has been described in detail above with general descriptions and specific embodiments, modifications or improvements can be made to it, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, all such modifications or improvements made without departing from the spirit of the present invention fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A material for hat brims, characterized in that, The raw materials for the brim material include: EVA as the main material, filler, foaming agent, crosslinking agent, foaming accelerator, and lubricant.

2. The material for the brim of a hat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main ingredient, EVA, has a VA content of 15-45%.

3. The material for the brim of a hat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filler includes calcium carbonate and / or talc.

4. The material for the brim of a hat as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The foaming agent is azodicarbonamide.

5. The material for the brim of a hat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The crosslinking agent includes DCP, or a mixture of DCP and BIPB.

6. The material for the brim of a hat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The foaming accelerator includes zinc oxide and / or zinc stearate.

7. The material for the brim of a hat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lubricant is stearic acid.

8. The material for the brim of a hat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The raw materials for the brim material also include titanium dioxide and shrinkage inhibitors.

9. A method for preparing the brim material according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The method includes: The raw materials are fed into the heating cylinder of the injection molding machine to melt and mix evenly to obtain molten material; Molten material is injected into the cap mold under high pressure for foaming, and then cooled and shaped.