TPE material for sports masks

Abstract

This invention discloses a TPE material for sports masks, specifically relating to the technical field of TPE materials for sports masks. By weight, it comprises 30-50 parts of TPE base resin, 10-20 parts of functional filler, 15-25 parts of elastomer toughening agent, 2-5 parts of lubricant, 3-8 parts of antibacterial agent, 5-10 parts of breathability enhancer, and 1-3 parts of additives. The TPE material for sports masks of this invention has excellent breathability, ensuring smooth breathing during exercise; a high antibacterial rate effectively prevents bacterial growth; and high tensile strength and elongation at break ensure the durability and wearing comfort of the mask during use, thus well meeting the needs of sports mask use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of TPE material technology for sports masks, and more specifically, to TPE materials for sports masks. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with the continuous improvement of people's health awareness and the increasing demand for sports protection, sports masks have gradually become an important part of the sports equipment field. During exercise, the human body's breathing rate increases and the breathing volume increases. This requires sports masks to not only have good filtration performance to effectively block pollutants such as dust, pollen, and droplets, but also to have excellent breathability to ensure that the wearer can breathe smoothly and avoid the decline in sports experience or even the impact on physical health due to breathing difficulties. Traditional sports mask materials mainly include non-woven fabric and gauze. Although non-woven fabric masks have a certain filtration effect, their breathability is relatively poor, and wearing them for a long time can easily make the wearer feel stuffy and uncomfortable. In addition, their mechanical properties are limited, and they are prone to damage or deformation during frequent exercise, affecting the protective effect and service life of the mask. Gauze masks, on the other hand, perform poorly in terms of filtration efficiency and are difficult to effectively prevent the intrusion of fine particles.

[0003] TPE materials, due to their combination of rubber's elasticity and plasticity's plasticity, have been used to some extent in mask production. However, existing ordinary TPE materials still have many shortcomings when used in sports masks, such as: In terms of antibacterial properties, most masks lack efficient and long-lasting antibacterial capabilities, making it difficult to meet the protection needs of bacteria generated by a large amount of sweat during exercise. This can easily lead to the mask becoming a breeding ground for bacteria, increasing the risk of infection for the wearer. While its breathability is improved compared to some traditional materials, it still needs further improvement to meet the high-intensity breathing requirements during exercise. In terms of the comprehensive mechanical properties of the material, such as tensile strength and elongation at break, it is not possible to achieve a good balance, which makes the mask easy to be damaged when subjected to large external forces and unable to adapt to various complex movements and stretching during exercise.

[0004] In response to the above situation, the present invention provides a TPE material for sports masks. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the present invention provides a TPE material for sports masks to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: TPE material for sports masks, by weight, is composed of the following components: 30-50 parts of TPE base resin, 10-20 parts of functional filler, 15-25 parts of elastomer toughening agent, 2-5 parts of lubricant, 3-8 parts of antibacterial agent, 5-10 parts of breathability promoter and 1-3 parts of additives.

[0007] Preferably, the TPE base resin is a blend of styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer and polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, wherein the mass ratio of styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer to polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer is 1:1-3:1; The styrene content of the styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer in the TPE base resin composition is 20-40 wt%.

[0008] Preferably, the functional filler is nano-sized zeolite powder with an average particle size of 50-200 nm after surface treatment with a silane coupling agent, and the silane coupling agent used for the functional filler is γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane.

[0009] Preferably, the elastomer toughening agent is an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, wherein the content of vinyl acetate is 10-30 wt%.

[0010] Preferably, the lubricant is zinc stearate, and the antibacterial agent is titanium dioxide supported on nano-silver ions, wherein the loading amount of nano-silver ions is 1-5 wt%.

[0011] Preferably, the air permeability enhancer is a polyether polyol with a multi-branched chain structure and a hydroxyl value of 30-80 mgKOH / g; The additive is bamboo fiber powder pretreated with ultraviolet light, with a particle size of 100-300 mesh. The ultraviolet pretreatment conditions are a wavelength of 250-280 nm and a treatment time of 30-60 min.

[0012] The present invention also includes the following preparation steps: S1. Preheating of base resin: Place the TPE base resin in a high-speed mixer and preheat it at 80-100℃ for 10-15 minutes at a speed of 500-800 r / min. S2. Add and mix the filler and lubricant. Slowly add the filler to the high-speed mixer, and add the lubricant at the same time. Continue mixing for 15-20 minutes. Turn on the vacuum device and set the vacuum degree to -0.05 to -0.08 MPa. Increase the speed to 800-1000 r / min. S3. Elastomer toughening agent fusion: Add the elastomer toughening agent to the mixer and mix for 10-15 minutes. Then raise the temperature to 120-150℃ and keep the rotation speed at 800-1000 r / min. S4. Mixing functional additives: Add antibacterial agents, air permeability promoters and additives to the mixer and continue mixing at 150-180℃ for 20-30 minutes, gradually reducing the speed to 300-500 r / min. S5. Ultrasonic oscillation homogenization: The mixture obtained in S4 is transferred to an ultrasonic oscillation device and oscillated at a frequency of 20-30kHz for 10-15 minutes to further homogenize the components under the action of the ultrasonic field and promote the optimization of the microstructure. S6. Twin-screw extrusion granulation: The ultrasonically treated material is extruded and granulated through a twin-screw extruder. The screw temperature of the twin-screw extruder is set to 160℃, 180℃, 200℃, 200℃ and 190℃ from the feeding section to the die head, and the screw speed is 200-300r / min. S7. Ozone post-treatment: Place the extruded and granulated TPE material particles in a sealed container and introduce ozone gas for post-treatment. The ozone concentration is 20-50 ppm and the treatment time is 1-2 hours. This is used to improve the surface properties of the material and enhance its skin-friendliness and anti-aging properties. S8. Add antistatic agent: After ozone treatment, put the TPE material particles into a high-speed mixer again, add 0.5-1.5% of the total weight of the particles with quaternary ammonium salt antistatic agent, and mix at 60-80℃ for 5-10 minutes.

[0013] Preferably, the impeller of the high-speed mixer is a double-layer spiral ribbon impeller, with the pitch ratio of the inner spiral ribbon to the outer spiral ribbon being 1:1.2-1:1.5, and the surface of the impeller has a ceramic coating.

[0014] Preferably, the twin-screw extruder has a screw length-to-diameter ratio of 30-40:1, and the screw has a mixing section, a dispersing section and a venting section, wherein the screw element in the mixing section is a forward kneading block, the screw element in the dispersing section is a toothed disc, and the screw element in the venting section is a reverse thread element.

[0015] Preferably, after the mixing in step S4 is completed, the material is further homogenized by a static mixer. The mixing unit of the static mixer is a twisted blade type mixing unit, and the number of mixing units is 8-12.

[0016] The technical effects and advantages of this invention are as follows: The base resin of this invention, a blend of styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer and polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, provides a good foundation for elasticity and strength. Nano-sized zeolite powder functional filler enhances the material structure while silane coupling agent treatment ensures good compatibility with the resin. Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer toughening agent further improves the material's toughness, and zinc stearate lubricant ensures smooth processing. Nano-silver ion-loaded titanium dioxide antibacterial agent provides highly efficient antibacterial capabilities. Multi-branched polyether polyol breathability promoter ensures good breathability. UV-pretreated bamboo fiber powder enhances antibacterial durability and component bonding. This combination results in excellent performance in key indicators such as tensile strength, elongation at break, breathability, and antibacterial rate. It effectively meets the comprehensive requirements of sports masks for material mechanical properties, breathing comfort, and hygiene protection in different usage scenarios, overcoming the shortcomings of traditional materials that often compromise on certain aspects and struggle to meet multiple performance standards simultaneously. In the mixing stage, this invention employs a high-speed mixer with a double-layer spiral ribbon impeller, a specific pitch ratio, and a ceramic coating. This effectively improves the uniformity of material mixing and reduces material agglomeration and adhesion. Multi-stage temperature and speed control, along with vacuum treatment, ensures that the components are fully integrated at different stages and eliminates defects such as air bubbles. The twin-screw extruder's special screw length-to-diameter ratio and the combination of screw elements in each section further refine the material dispersion, ensuring a uniform and stable microstructure. The ultrasonic oscillation step utilizes the cavitation and mechanical action of the ultrasonic field to achieve more uniform dispersion of components at the molecular level and optimize the microstructure, improving the material's uniformity and performance stability. Ozone post-treatment improves the material's surface properties, enhancing its skin-friendliness and anti-aging capabilities. The subsequent addition of an antistatic agent effectively solves the problem of dust and impurities adsorbed by static electricity during mask use, extending the mask's lifespan and hygiene maintenance time. This invention embodies the concepts of environmental protection and sustainable development in its material selection and process design. The base resin is a thermoplastic elastomer blend, which is recyclable and reusable, reducing resource waste and environmental pollution. The functional filler, zeolite powder, is a natural mineral material that is widely available and environmentally friendly. The antibacterial agent uses nano-silver ions loaded with titanium dioxide, which, compared to traditional single silver ion antibacterial agents, reduces the amount of silver ions used while ensuring antibacterial effects, thus reducing potential environmental hazards. The auxiliary agent, bamboo fiber powder, is a renewable biomass material. The ultraviolet pretreatment process has low energy consumption and no pollution emissions. Compared to traditional complex chemical synthesis processes, the entire preparation process has a low level of energy consumption and waste emissions, which meets the requirements of modern society for environmental protection and sustainable material development. It helps to promote the development of the sports mask industry towards green manufacturing and has less pressure on the environment and resources during long-term use and large-scale production. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is the overall flowchart of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. 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. Example

[0019] This embodiment provides a TPE material for sports masks, which, by weight, consists of the following components: 40 parts of TPE base resin, specifically a blend of styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer and polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, wherein the mass ratio of styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer to polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer is 2:1, and the styrene content of the styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer is 30 wt%. 15 parts of functional filler, specifically nano-sized zeolite powder with an average particle size of 100 nm after surface treatment with γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. 20 parts of elastomer toughening agent, specifically ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, wherein the content of vinyl acetate is 20 wt%; Three parts of lubricant, specifically zinc stearate; Antibacterial agent, 5 parts, specifically titanium dioxide supported on nano-silver ions, wherein the loading of nano-silver ions is 3 wt%; Seven parts of a breathability enhancer, specifically a polyether polyol with a multi-branched chain structure and a hydroxyl value of 50 mg KOH / g; Two parts of the additive were used, specifically bamboo fiber powder pretreated with ultraviolet light with a particle size of 200 mesh. The ultraviolet pretreatment conditions were a wavelength of 260 nm and a treatment time of 45 min.

[0020] The preparation method also provided in this embodiment specifically includes the following steps: S1. Preheating of base resin: Place the TPE base resin in a high-speed mixer (the agitator is a double-layer spiral ribbon type, with a pitch ratio of 1:1.3 between the inner and outer spiral ribbons, and the surface of the agitator has a ceramic coating), preheat at 90℃ for 12 minutes, and the speed is 600r / min. S2. Add and mix the filler and lubricant. Slowly add the filler to the high-speed mixer, and add the lubricant at the same time. Continue mixing for 18 minutes, turn on the vacuum device, the vacuum degree is -0.06MPa, and the speed is increased to 900r / min. S3. Elastomer toughening agent fusion: Add the elastomer toughening agent to the mixer and mix for 12 minutes. Then raise the temperature to 130°C and keep the rotation speed at 900 r / min. S4. Functional additives are mixed by adding antibacterial agents, air permeability promoters and additives into the mixer and continuing to mix at 160°C for 25 minutes, gradually reducing the speed to 400 r / min. The material is then passed through a static mixer (the mixing unit is a twisted blade type mixing unit, and the number of mixing units is 10) for further homogenization. S5. Ultrasonic oscillation homogenization: The resulting mixture is transferred to an ultrasonic oscillation device and oscillated at a frequency of 25 kHz for 12 min. S6. Twin-screw extrusion granulation: The ultrasonically treated material is extruded and granulated through a twin-screw extruder (screw length-to-diameter ratio of 35:1, the screw element in the mixing section is a forward kneading block, the screw element in the dispersing section is a toothed disc, and the screw element in the venting section is a reverse thread element). The screw temperature is set to 160℃, 180℃, 200℃, 200℃ and 190℃ from the feeding section to the die head, and the screw speed is 250r / min. S7. Ozone post-treatment: Place the extruded and granulated TPE material particles in a sealed container and introduce ozone gas for post-treatment. The ozone concentration is 30 ppm and the treatment time is 1.5 h. S8. Antistatic agent addition: After ozone treatment, the TPE material particles are put back into the high-speed mixer, and 1% of the total weight of the particles is added as a quaternary ammonium salt antistatic agent. The mixture is then mixed at 70°C for 8 minutes. Example

[0021] This embodiment provides a TPE material for sports masks, which, by weight, consists of the following components: The TPE base resin consists of 35 parts, specifically a blend of styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer and polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, wherein the mass ratio of styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer to polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer is 1.5:1, and the styrene content of the styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer is 25 wt%. 18 parts of functional filler, specifically nano-sized zeolite powder with an average particle size of 150 nm after surface treatment with γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. 22 parts of elastomer toughening agent, specifically ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, wherein the content of vinyl acetate is 250 wt%; Four parts of lubricant, specifically zinc stearate; Six parts of antibacterial agent, specifically titanium dioxide supported on nano-silver ions, wherein the loading of nano-silver ions is 4 wt%; Six parts of a breathability enhancer, specifically a polyether polyol with a multi-branched chain structure and a hydroxyl value of 60 mgKOH / g; Two parts of the additive, specifically bamboo fiber powder pretreated with ultraviolet light with a particle size of 150 mesh, and ultraviolet pretreatment conditions of wavelength 270nm and treatment time 35min. The preparation method also provided in this embodiment specifically includes the following steps: S1. Preheating of base resin: Place the TPE base resin in a high-speed mixer (the impeller is a double-layer spiral ribbon type, with a pitch ratio of 1:1.4 between the inner and outer spiral ribbons, and the surface of the impeller has a ceramic coating), preheat at 85°C for 13 minutes, and the speed is 700 r / min. S2. Add and mix the filler and lubricant. Slowly add the filler to the high-speed mixer, and add the lubricant at the same time. Continue mixing for 16 minutes, turn on the vacuum device, the vacuum degree is -0.07MPa, and the speed is increased to 950r / min. S3. Elastomer toughening agent fusion: Add the elastomer toughening agent to the mixer and mix for 13 minutes. Then raise the temperature to 140°C and keep the rotation speed at 950 r / min. S4. Functional additives are mixed by adding antibacterial agents, air permeability promoters and additives into the mixer and continuing to mix at 170°C for 22 minutes, gradually reducing the speed to 350 r / min. The material is then passed through a static mixer (the mixing unit is a twisted blade type mixing unit, and the number of mixing units is 9) for further homogenization. S5. Ultrasonic oscillation homogenization: The resulting mixture is transferred to an ultrasonic oscillation device and oscillated at a frequency of 22kHz for 13 minutes. S6. Twin-screw extrusion granulation: The ultrasonically treated material is extruded and granulated through a twin-screw extruder (screw length-to-diameter ratio of 32:1, the screw element in the mixing section is a forward kneading block, the screw element in the dispersing section is a toothed disc, and the screw element in the venting section is a reverse thread element). The screw temperature is set to 160℃, 180℃, 200℃, 200℃ and 190℃ from the feeding section to the die head, and the screw speed is 220r / min. S7. Ozone post-treatment: Place the extruded and granulated TPE material particles in a sealed container and introduce ozone gas for post-treatment. The ozone concentration is 25 ppm and the treatment time is 1.8 hours. S8. Antistatic agent addition: After ozone treatment, the TPE material particles are put back into the high-speed mixer, and 1.2% of the total weight of the particles of quaternary ammonium salt antistatic agent is added. The mixture is then mixed at 65°C for 9 minutes.

[0022] Experimental test: Using the TPE materials for sports masks prepared in Examples 1-2 above as examples, a commercially available ordinary TPE material for sports masks was selected as a comparative example. The main components of the comparative material are conventional TPE base resin, a small amount of calcium carbonate filler, ordinary lubricant, and antibacterial agent without special treatment (such as silver ion antibacterial agent but not loaded on titanium dioxide and without specific particle size control). It does not contain special components such as breathability promoters and additives in this invention. Its preparation process adopts conventional simple blending extrusion process, without ultrasonic oscillation, ozone post-treatment and antistatic agent addition steps. The above embodiments and comparative examples were subjected to performance tests, for example: For the air permeability test, an air permeability tester was used. A 100cm² sample of TPE material for sports masks was cut and fixed in the test chamber of the tester to ensure a good seal. The test conditions were set to a temperature of 30℃ and a relative humidity of 65%. The tester was started and the volume of air passing through the sample within 1 minute was measured. The air permeability was calculated according to the formula: air permeability = volume of air passing through the sample / test time / sample area. The antibacterial rate test was conducted using the shaking flask method, with bacterial suspensions of *Escherichia coli* and *Staphylococcus aureus* at a concentration of approximately 1 × 10⁻⁶. 5 -1×10 6 CFU / mL and 1g of TPE material sample for sports masks were placed in a 100mL Erlenmeyer flask containing sterile physiological saline. The flask was placed on a shaker and incubated at 37℃ for 24h. The cultured bacterial solution was then serially diluted and spread onto nutrient agar plates. After incubation at 37℃ for 24-48h, the colony count was counted. The antibacterial rate was calculated using the following formula: Antibacterial rate = (Number of colonies in blank control - Number of colonies in sample treatment) / Number of colonies in blank control × 100%; For tensile strength and elongation at break testing, an electronic universal testing machine was used. The TPE material sample for the sports mask was cut into a dumbbell-shaped standard specimen. The original width and thickness of the specimen were measured. The specimen was fixed on the upper and lower clamps of the testing machine. The tensile speed was set to 500 mm / min. The testing machine was started, and the force-to-displacement curve of the specimen during the tensile process was recorded until the specimen broke. The tensile strength (tensile strength = maximum tensile force / original cross-sectional area) and elongation at break (elongation at break = (length at break - original length) / original length × 100%) were calculated based on the curve data.

[0023] Based on the above testing steps, the final test table is shown below: As can be clearly seen from the data table, the TPE material for sports masks of the present invention is significantly superior to the commercially available ordinary TPE material in key performance indicators such as air permeability, antibacterial rate, tensile strength and elongation at break. This indicates that the present invention can better meet the various material performance requirements of sports masks in actual use compared to existing products. For example, good breathability can ensure smooth breathing during exercise, high antibacterial rate can effectively prevent bacterial growth, and high tensile strength and elongation at break can ensure the durability and wearing comfort of the mask during use.

[0024] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A TPE material for sports masks, characterized in that: By weight, it consists of the following components: 30-50 parts TPE base resin, 10-20 parts functional filler, 15-25 parts elastomer toughening agent, 2-5 parts lubricant, 3-8 parts antibacterial agent, 5-10 parts air permeability promoter, and 1-3 parts additives.

2. The TPE material for sports masks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The TPE base resin is a blend of styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer and polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, wherein the mass ratio of styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer to polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer is 1:1-3:

1. The styrene content of the styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer in the TPE base resin composition is 20-40 wt%.

3. The TPE material for sports masks according to claim 2, characterized in that: The functional filler is nano-sized zeolite powder with an average particle size of 50-200 nm that has been surface-treated with a silane coupling agent. The silane coupling agent used for the functional filler is γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane.

4. The TPE material for sports masks according to claim 3, characterized in that: The elastomer toughening agent is an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, wherein the content of vinyl acetate is 10-30 wt%.

5. The TPE material for sports masks according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lubricant is zinc stearate, and the antibacterial agent is titanium dioxide supported on nano-silver ions, wherein the loading amount of nano-silver ions is 1-5 wt%.

6. The TPE material for sports masks according to claim 5, characterized in that: The air permeability enhancer is a polyether polyol with a multi-branched chain structure and a hydroxyl value of 30-80 mgKOH / g; The additive is bamboo fiber powder pretreated with ultraviolet light, with a particle size of 100-300 mesh. The ultraviolet pretreatment conditions are a wavelength of 250-280 nm and a treatment time of 30-60 min.

7. The TPE material for sports masks according to claim 6, characterized in that: Specifically, the following preparation steps are also included: S1. Preheating of base resin: Place the TPE base resin in a high-speed mixer and preheat it at 80-100℃ for 10-15 minutes at a speed of 500-800 r / min. S2. Add and mix the filler and lubricant. Slowly add the filler to the high-speed mixer, and add the lubricant at the same time. Continue mixing for 15-20 minutes. Turn on the vacuum device and set the vacuum degree to -0.05 to -0.08 MPa. Increase the speed to 800-1000 r / min. S3. Elastomer toughening agent fusion: Add the elastomer toughening agent to the mixer and mix for 10-15 minutes. Then raise the temperature to 120-150℃ and keep the rotation speed at 800-1000 r / min. S4. Mixing functional additives: Add antibacterial agents, air permeability promoters and additives to the mixer and continue mixing at 150-180℃ for 20-30 minutes, gradually reducing the speed to 300-500 r / min. S5. Ultrasonic oscillation homogenization: The mixture obtained in S4 is transferred to an ultrasonic oscillation device and oscillated at a frequency of 20-30kHz for 10-15 minutes to further homogenize the components under the action of the ultrasonic field and promote the optimization of the microstructure. S6. Twin-screw extrusion granulation: The ultrasonically treated material is extruded and granulated through a twin-screw extruder. The screw temperature of the twin-screw extruder is set to 160℃, 180℃, 200℃, 200℃ and 190℃ from the feeding section to the die head, and the screw speed is 200-300r / min. S7. Ozone post-treatment: Place the extruded and granulated TPE material particles in a sealed container and introduce ozone gas for post-treatment. The ozone concentration is 20-50 ppm and the treatment time is 1-2 hours. This is used to improve the surface properties of the material and enhance its skin-friendliness and anti-aging properties. S8. Add antistatic agent: After ozone treatment, put the TPE material particles into a high-speed mixer again, add 0.5-1.5% of the total weight of the particles with quaternary ammonium salt antistatic agent, and mix at 60-80℃ for 5-10 minutes.

8. The TPE material for sports masks according to claim 7, characterized in that: The high-speed mixer has a double-layer spiral ribbon impeller with a pitch ratio of 1:1.2 to 1:1.5 between the inner and outer spiral ribbons, and the surface of the impeller has a ceramic coating.

9. The TPE material for sports masks according to claim 8, characterized in that: The twin-screw extruder has a screw length-to-diameter ratio of 30-40:1, and the screw has a mixing section, a dispersing section and a venting section. The screw element in the mixing section is a forward kneading block, the screw element in the dispersing section is a toothed disc, and the screw element in the venting section is a reverse threaded element.

10. The TPE material for sports masks according to claim 9, characterized in that: After the mixing in step S4 is completed, the material is further homogenized by a static mixer. The mixing unit of the static mixer is a twisted blade type mixing unit, and the number of mixing units is 8-12.

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