Hollow window or door chamber profile and method for its production

Abstract

The present invention relates to a window or door profile hollow chamber profile (1) comprising (a) a core profile (30) with a plastic matrix formed from plastic material and reinforcing fibers contained in the plastic matrix; and (b) a jacket layer (40) in the form of a powder coating that at least partially encloses the core profile (30). According to the invention, the window or door profile hollow chamber profile (1) is characterized in that the core profile (30) is designed to be electrically conductive or statically conductive at least on its surface. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for producing a window or door profile hollow chamber profile (1) according to the invention.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a window or door profile hollow chamber profile comprising (a) a core profile with a plastic matrix formed from plastic material and reinforcing fibers contained in the plastic matrix; and (b) a coating layer in the form of a powder coating that at least partially encloses the core profile. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for producing a window or door profile hollow chamber profile.

[0002] For window and door hollow chamber profiles used to frame glass panes, the aim is to achieve the best possible thermal insulation for the resulting window or door. To ensure the mechanical stability required for such windows or doors, it is necessary for structural reasons for corresponding window or door hollow chamber profiles made of unreinforced, thermoplastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), to incorporate a metallic reinforcement profile, usually made of steel, into at least one of the hollow chambers of the window or door hollow chamber profile. The resulting significant improvement in mechanical stability is accompanied by a significant deterioration in thermal insulation properties due to the thermal bridge created by the reinforcement.To increase stability while maintaining good thermal insulation properties, DE 82 82 221 U1, for example, discloses a profile strip consisting of a core profile made of polyvinyl chloride containing short glass fibers up to 12 mm long in an amount of up to 50 wt.%, and a PVC sheath profile encasing the core profile with high impact strength. Furthermore, DE 203 02 286 U1 proposes the continuous fiber reinforcement of one or more areas of a window profile made of thermoplastic material with a fiber volume content of more than 20%. Such window and door profiles reinforced with continuous fibers exhibit very high elastic moduli.A disadvantage of the profile strips described in DE 82 82 221 U1 and DE 203 02 286 U1 is that they cannot be coated with powder coatings under the standard conditions applicable to corresponding metal profiles without the resulting powder-coated profile exhibiting significant surface defects.

[0003] This is where the present invention comes in. Its objective is to provide a window or door profile hollow chamber profile that at least partially overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, the window or door profile hollow chamber profile according to the invention should have a good surface quality and high mechanical stability even after powder coating. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a method for producing such a window or door profile hollow chamber profile.

[0004] These and other objects are achieved according to the invention by a window or door profile hollow chamber profile having the features of claim 1 or by a method having the features of claim 8. Preferred embodiments of the window or door profile hollow chamber profile according to the invention and of the method according to the invention are each described in the dependent claims.

[0005] According to the present invention, it was surprisingly discovered that a high surface quality can also be achieved for powder-coated, fiber-reinforced plastic profiles by making the outer side of the plastic profile to be coated electrically or statically conductive. This leads to better adhesion of the powder coating to the fiber-reinforced plastic profile and a more compact coating, resulting in a good surface quality of the coated plastic profile that is equivalent to that of corresponding powder-coated metal profiles. According to the present invention, this is achieved by making the core profile electrically or statically conductive, at least on its surface.

[0006] Accordingly, the present invention lies in the provision of a window or door profile hollow chamber profile which comprises (a) a core profile with a plastic matrix formed from plastic material and reinforcing fibers contained in the plastic matrix; and (b) a coating layer in the form of a powder coating which at least partially envelops the core profile, wherein the window or door profile hollow chamber profile is characterized according to the invention in that the core profile is designed to be electrically conductive at least on its surface.

[0007] As used herein, the term "surface resistance" means the electrical resistance measured on the surface of the core profile according to DIN EN 62631-3-2:2016-10, in particular using the "ring electrode" method. In this context, as used herein, an "electrically conductive" surface is referred to when the surface resistance is in the range of 10 2 < Ω to 10 6 < Ω. Likewise, as used herein, a "statically conductive" surface is referred to when the surface resistance is in the range of 10 6 < and 10 8 < Ω. The lower limit of the surface resistance is preferably 10 2 < Ω, in particular 5*10 2 < Ω.Furthermore, the term "plastic material" describes a plastic, in particular a thermoplastic, to which the additives commonly used in the production of window or door profile hollow chambers, such as stabilizers, plasticizers, pigments, and the like, have been added. Accordingly, the term "polyamide" in connection with a plastic material, for example, means that the additives commonly used in the production of window or door profile hollow chambers, such as stabilizers, plasticizers, pigments, and the like, have been added to the polyamide as the actual plastic material. The same applies accordingly to polyolefins, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), poly(meth)acrylates, polyesters, and the like.

[0008] With regard to the window or door profile hollow chamber profile according to the invention, it may be preferred if the surface resistance of the core profile according to DIN EN 62631-3-2:2016-10 is at most 10 6< Ω, preferably at most 10,000 Ω. Such a surface resistance value has proven sufficient to achieve powder coatings with good adhesion to the core profile and high surface quality. A value of 100 Ω can be mentioned as a preferred lower limit for the surface resistance.

[0009] It may also be advantageous if the plastic material of the core profile contains electrically conductive particles in a proportion of 0.5 wt.% to 50 wt.%, preferably 1 wt.% to 30 wt.%, and particularly preferably 5 wt.% to 20 wt.%, in each case based on the weight of the core profile as 100 wt.%. Alternatively, it may be useful if the core profile comprises an outer layer which contains electrically conductive particles in a proportion of 0.5 wt.% to 50 wt.%, preferably 1 wt.% to 30 wt.%, and particularly preferably 5 wt.% to 20 wt.%, in each case based on the weight of the outer layer as 100 wt.%. This allows the total amount of electrically conductive particles to be used according to the invention to be considerably reduced.

[0010] Preferably, the thickness of the outer layer of the core profile is within a range of 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm, in particular within a range of 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm. A thickness of the outer layer in this range sufficiently covers any glass fibers that may occur on the surface.

[0011] It may also be advantageous if the electrically conductive particles are selected from electrically conductive carbon black particles, electrically conductive carbon fiber particles, electrically conductive carbon nanotubes, electrically conductive graphite particles, metallic particles (especially copper, aluminum, and the like), and combinations thereof. Such particles have been proven effective according to the invention and are readily available commercially.

[0012] In preferred embodiments of the window or door profile hollow chamber profile according to the invention, the plastic matrix of the core profile is designed as a polyvinyl chloride matrix, poly(meth)acrylate matrix, polyester matrix or polyamide matrix. The plastic matrix of the core profile is expediently designed as a polyacrylate matrix, in particular PMMA matrix. In this case, the core profile is preferably produced by reactive pultrusion of the corresponding monomers and / or reactive oligomers to produce polyacrylate, e.g., polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). However, this does not preclude the production of other materials by means of reactive pultrusion, for example, polyester, e.g., polyethylene terephthalate (PET), in particular impact-resistant polyethylene terephthalate (PET-G), or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU).The production of polyamide, for example PA6 or PA12, or bisphenol A (BPA), polycarbonate (PC), polyesteramides or polyimides, preferably by means of reactive pultrusion, is also within the scope of the invention. If the plastic matrix of the core profile comprises a polyamide, the polyamide is preferably selected from the group comprising polyamide 6 (PA 6), polyamide 6.6 (PA 6.6), polyamide 6.10 (PA 6.10), polyamide 4.6 (PA 4.6), polyamide 12 (PA 12) and blends of the aforementioned polyamides. Polyamide 6 is particularly preferred due to its good availability. With regard to reactive pultrusion and the production of window and door profile hollow chamber profiles by means of reactive pultrusion, reference is made to WO 2018 / 072828 766 A1, which is hereby explicitly incorporated by reference.

[0013] If the core profile has an outer layer, this outer layer is expediently made from a polymer compatible with the core profile. The material of the outer layer preferably corresponds to the material of the plastic matrix of the core profile. For example, if the thermoplastic matrix of the core profile is designed as a poly(meth)acrylate matrix, the coating is expediently also made from a poly(meth)acrylate. In principle, the same materials can be used for the coating as for the plastic matrix of the core profile, i.e. in addition to poly(meth)acrylate (e.g. PMMA), in particular polyester (e.g. PET, PET-G or PBT), polyurethanes (e.g. TPU), polyamides (e.g. PA6 or PA12), BPA or PC. The outer layer preferably does not comprise any fiber-reinforced material.

[0014] Preferably, the outer layer is coextruded with the core profile. The term "coextrusion," as used herein, also refers to the application of the coating to the freshly produced core profile by means of an online extrusion process immediately following the reactive pultrusion. In this case, intermediate cooling of the core profile prior to application of the coating is also within the scope of the invention. Alternatively, in coextrusion, the core profile and the coating can be produced in a single tool.

[0015] It may be particularly preferred for the plastic matrix of the core profile to be formed as a polyamide matrix. The polyamide is then preferably selected from the group comprising polyamide 6 (PA 6), polyamide 6.6 (PA 6.6), polyamide 6.10 (PA 6.10), polyamide 4.6 (PA 4.6), polyamide 12 (PA 12), and blends of the aforementioned polyamides with one another and with other polymers or copolymers, in particular acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers (ABS) and acrylonitrile-acrylate-styrene copolymers (ASA). Of these, polyamide 6 is particularly preferred due to its good availability. The thermoplastic material of the outer layer, which is compatible with the plastic material of the core profile, is also preferably selected from these materials. The polyamide of the core profile is preferably also used as the thermoplastic material of the shell profile.In particularly preferred embodiments of the window or door profile hollow chamber profile according to the invention, polyamide 6 is used as the plastic material of the core profile and the outer profile.

[0016] If an outer layer of the core profile is present, this preferably has a thickness in the range of 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm. According to the invention, the core profile is preferably completely surrounded by the outer layer in cross-section. In order to achieve a good external appearance of the profile, it may, however, also be sufficient if the weather-side outer wall, the room-side outer wall and the fitting-side profile outer wall have such an outer layer. The remaining wall thickness of the weather-side outer wall, the room-side outer wall and the fitting-side profile outer wall is then preferably formed by the core profile. This maintains smooth visible surfaces of the structural elements formed from the window or door profile hollow chamber profile according to the invention while maintaining very high stability of the resulting frame.Preferably, the outer layer formed by the casing profile has a thickness in the range of about 0.4 mm to about 1.2 mm, in particular about 0.5 mm to about 0.9 mm, particularly preferably about 0.6 mm.

[0017] The reinforcing fibers are expediently formed as glass and / or carbon and / or aramid fibers and / or basalt fibers, although other fiber materials are not excluded. According to the invention, however, the use of glass fibers as reinforcing fibers contained in the plastic matrix is ​​preferred. Within the scope of the invention, it is preferred to use short glass fibers with a fiber length in the range of 0.1 mm to 5 mm, long glass fibers with a fiber length in the range of 5 mm to 50 mm and / or continuous glass fibers with a length of over 50 mm, individually or in combination. While when using short and long glass fibers, the core profile is preferably produced by extrusion or coextrusion, when using continuous glass fibers, the production of the window or door profile hollow chamber profile according to the invention by means of reactive pultrusion is most suitable.When using short glass fibers, it can also be advantageous if the average fiber length of the reinforcing fibers is in the range of 1.5 mm to 3.2 mm. An average length of the glass fibers in this range leads to high mechanical stability of a window or door profile hollow chamber profile according to the invention, both in the longitudinal direction and perpendicular to it. In this context, an average fiber length in a range of 2.5 mm to 3.0 mm has proven to be particularly suitable. According to the invention, the use of continuous glass fibers is particularly preferred. For continuous glass fibers, the greatest need exists to improve the surface quality. In addition, the use of continuous glass fibers achieves the highest stiffness and strength values ​​with a Young's modulus according to DIN EN ISO 527-4: 2022-03 of up to 70,000 N / mm² in the longitudinal direction of the profile.

[0018] It can also be helpful if the reinforcing fibers are contained in the core profile in a proportion of 10 wt.% to 90 wt.%, based on the weight of the core profile as 100 wt.%. If the weight fraction of the reinforcing fibers in the core profile is within the range of 10 wt.% to 90 wt.%, based on the weight of the core profile as 100 wt.%, excellent elastic moduli according to DIN EN ISO 527-4: 2022-03 are achieved, and corresponding core profiles can be produced, for example, by means of reactive pultrusion. In this context, it is preferred if the weight fraction of the reinforcing fibers in the core profile is within the range of 20 wt.% to 80 wt.%, in particular 30 wt.% to 60 wt.%, in each case based on the weight of the core profile as 100 wt.%.

[0019] With regard to the coating layer formed in the form of a powder coating, materials, application and curing processes known to those skilled in the art can be used according to the invention. For example, powder coating compositions based on polyester resins, epoxy resins and / or (meth)acrylate resins and mixtures thereof, which may additionally contain crosslinking resins (hardeners), pigments, fillers and other coating additives, can be used according to the invention. Epoxy resins, polyester resins and mixtures containing these have proven to be particularly suitable according to the invention, as they wet the surfaces of the plastic profiles best. To cure powder coatings, it is necessary to first melt the powder deposited on the substrate by heating it to temperatures above the glass transition temperature or the melting point of the powder coating formulation. Heat sources used include, for example,Convection ovens, infrared radiators, or combinations of both are used. For thermally crosslinking systems, the powder coating is typically cured by heating to temperatures between 140 and 200°C for a period of approximately 10 to 30 minutes. For UV-curing powder coating formulations, the molten powder layer is cured with the aid of ultraviolet radiation within a few seconds. In preferred embodiments of the hollow chamber window or door profile according to the invention, the powder coating has a thickness in the range from 25 µm to 200 µm, in particular in the range from 60 µm to 120 µm.

[0020] All plastic materials in the hollow chamber window or door profile according to the invention can also be used in the form of materials obtained through a recycling process. In particular, it is preferred that a recycled polyamide be contained in the core profile. Additionally or alternatively, "fresh," i.e., non-recycled, polymer material can also be used in the shell profile.

[0021] Particularly preferably, the core profile of the window or door profile hollow chamber profile according to the invention can be produced in a manner known per se by coextrusion of the core profile and the shell profile.

[0022] The hollow chamber window or door profiles according to the invention are preferably used to manufacture a plastic window or a plastic door. A window or door frame can be obtained by welding mitered pieces of a hollow chamber window or door profile according to the invention or by connecting such pieces using appropriate corner connectors. The window or door frame is intended for installation in an opening in the wall of a building or can be installed in the opening in the wall of a building.

[0023] The statements relating to the window or door profile hollow chamber profile according to the invention apply accordingly to the method according to the invention.

[0024] With regard to the method according to the invention, it is preferred if the production of the core profile, optionally together with the outer layer, is carried out by means of extrusion, coextrusion or pultrusion, in particular by means of reactive pultrusion.

[0025] The window or door profile hollow chamber profile according to the invention as well as individual parts thereof can also be produced line by line or layer by layer using a line-building or layer-building manufacturing process (e.g. 3D printing), but production by means of the process according to the invention is preferred.

[0026] The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the figures. The figures show a cross-sectional view of a window or door profile hollow chamber profile designed as a window sash profile according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] In Figur 1 An embodiment of the window or door profile hollow chamber profile 1 according to the invention is shown in a cross-sectional view using the example of a sash profile for a plastic window. The window or door profile hollow chamber profile 1 according to the invention comprises a weather-side outer wall 2 and a room-side outer wall 3. Two hollow chambers 4, 5 are adjacent to the weather-side outer wall 2, which are delimited by walls 6, 6', 6" designed as webs and the weather-side outer wall 2. Centrally, the hollow chamber profile 1 according to the invention comprises a main hollow chamber 7. The upper web 8 of the main hollow chamber 7, together with an outer overlap 5, forms a rebate area 10, in which a surface element (not shown), in particular insulating glazing, can be accommodated. The surface element is stabilized by a glazing bead (not shown), which can be anchored in a glazing bead groove 11 of the hollow chamber profile 1 according to the invention. Fig. 1 The outer wall 12 of the hollow chamber profile 1 according to the invention arranged at the bottom is referred to as the fitting-side profile outer wall 12, while the side opposite the fitting side is referred to as the rebate side with a rebate-side profile outer wall 13.

[0028] In the Fig. 1 The embodiment of the window or door profile hollow chamber profile 1 according to the invention shown in Fig. 1 In the embodiment shown, the core profile 30 completely encloses the inner walls, for example the walls 6, 6', 6", the rebate-side profile outer wall 13 and sections of the glazing bead groove 11, as well as partially enclosing the weather-side outer wall 2, the fitting-side profile outer wall 12 and the room-side outer wall 3, directed towards the inside of the profile. The remaining parts of the wall thickness of the weather-side outer wall 2, the room-side outer wall 3, the glazing bead groove 11, the fitting-side profile outer wall 12 and the stop 14 are formed by an outer layer 31. The outer layer 31 thus partially forms the outer side of the core profile 30. This outer side of the core profile 30 is completely encased by a jacket profile 40 in the form of a powder coating. In the embodiment shown, the jacket profile 40 has a thickness of 80 µm.

[0029] According to the Fig. 1 In the illustrated embodiment of the window or door profile hollow chamber profile 1 according to the invention, the core profile 30 comprises a plastic matrix made of polyamide 6, to which additives customary for the extrusion of window or door profile hollow chamber profiles, such as stabilizers, plasticizers, pigments, and the like, are added. For reinforcement, short glass fibers with an average fiber length of 2.7 mm are embedded in the plastic matrix in a proportion of 45 wt. %, based on the weight of the core profile 30 as 100 wt. %. The outer layer 31 forms a mixture of electrically conductive polyamide 6 (Percolen PA 4200 EC; purchased from Grafe GmbH & Co. KG, D-99444 Blankenhain) and conventional polyamide 6, wherein the additives customary for the extrusion of window or door profile hollow chamber profiles have also been added to the mixture. This mixture is compatible with the core profile 30.By varying the proportion of electrically conductive polyamide 6 in the mixture, the surface resistance of the core profile 30 was adjusted to various values ​​from 500 Ω to 10 8< Ω in the range according to DIN EN 62631-3-2:2016-10.

[0030] Subsequently, a polyester-based powder coating (TIGER Drylac ®< Series 068 smooth, satin finish; purchased from TIGER Coatings GmbH & Co. KG, A-4600 Wels) was applied to the resulting profiles as well as to the core profile 30 without outer layer 31, each in a layer thickness of 80 µm, and cured.

[0031] In the case of the core profile 30 without an outer layer 31, i.e., without an electrically conductive surface (reference example), the surface exhibits several large bubbles after curing. In contrast, the window profiles 1 according to the invention exhibited a smooth surface finish similar to that of powder-coated aluminum profiles, as well as good paint adhesion, in the areas with an outer layer 31, i.e., with an electrically conductive surface (inventive examples), after curing, whereas several large bubbles appeared on the surface in the areas without an outer layer 31.

[0032] Corresponding window profiles 1 were also carried out with polyvinyl chloride, epoxy resins and (meth)acrylate resins, with comparable results being achieved.

[0033] In alternative embodiments, the core profile 30 is also formed entirely from the electrically conductive plastic material with reinforcing fibers embedded therein (without outer layer 31). In such cases, powder coatings with good surface quality and good adhesion to the core profile 30 are also obtained.

[0034] The window profiles 1 according to the Fig. 1 The embodiment of the present invention shown has very good weather resistance and high mechanical stability both in the longitudinal direction (E-modulus according to DIN EN ISO 527-4: 2022-03 of 9,400 N / mm2) and perpendicular to it.

[0035] The window profile 1 according to the invention was produced by coextruding the core profile 30 with the outer layer 31 and subsequently applying the jacket layer 40 by powder coating.

[0036] The present invention has been described by way of example with reference to hollow chamber profiles for the sash of a window. It is understood that the present invention is also applicable to other window or door profile hollow chamber profiles, in particular window frame profiles, as well as to door frame, casing, or sash profiles.

Claims

1. A window or door profile hollow chamber profile (1), comprising (a) a core profile (30) with a plastic matrix formed from plastic material and reinforcing fibers contained in the plastic matrix; and (b) a coating layer (40) in the form of a powder coating at least partially enclosing the core profile (30), characterized in that the core profile (30) is designed to be electrically conductive or statically conductive at least on its surface.

2. Window or door profile hollow chamber profile (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface resistance of the core profile (30) according to DIN EN 62631-3-2:2016-10 is not more than 10 8 Ω, preferably not more than 10 6 Ω.

3. Window or door profile hollow chamber profile (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the plastic material of the core profile (30) contains electrically conductive particles in a proportion of 0.5 wt.% to 50 wt.%, based on the weight of the core profile (30) as 100 wt.%.

4. Window or door profile hollow chamber profile (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the core profile (30) comprises an outer layer (31) which contains electrically conductive particles in a proportion of 0.5 wt.% to 50 wt.%, based on the weight of the outer layer (31) as 100 wt.%.

5. Window or door profile hollow chamber profile (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the thickness of the outer layer (31) of the core profile (30) is within a range of 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm.

6. Window or door profile hollow chamber profile (1) according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the electrically conductive particles are selected from electrically conductive soot particles and electrically conductive carbon fiber particles, electrically conductive carbon nanotubes and combinations thereof.

7. Window or door profile hollow chamber profile (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in thatthe plastic matrix (4) of the core profile (30) is designed as a polyvinyl chloride matrix, poly(meth)acrylate matrix, polyester matrix or polyamide matrix.

8. A method for producing a window or door profile hollow chamber profile (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein first the core profile (30) is produced by means of a strand production process and then the jacket layer (40) formed as a powder coating is applied.

9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the production of the core profile (30) is carried out by means of extrusion, coextrusion or pultrusion, in particular by means of reactive pultrusion.

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