Porous materials and automotive interior components

Abstract

To provide a porous body that is low in density, highly rigid, and has excellent moldability, and an automotive interior component equipped with the above porous body. [Solution] A porous body comprising granular material A, which is pulverized porous material having a 10% compressive stress of 100 kPa or more; granular material B, which is pulverized porous material having a 10% compressive stress of less than 100 kPa; and a binder; and an automotive interior component comprising the porous body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a porous body and an automotive interior member.

Background Art

[0002] Porous bodies formed from a molding raw material containing a pulverized material such as a resin porous body and a binding component are used in various applications such as automotive interior members. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a porous slab bonded with an adhesive, which is made from a pulverized hard polyurethane foam having an average particle size of at least 2 mm and an adhesive content of 3 to 25% by weight based on the weight of the slab, and having a bulk density of 30 to 200 kg / m 3 of.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in a porous body using a pulverized material of a hard polyurethane foam, such as the porous slab described in Patent Document 1, it may be difficult to achieve both low density and high rigidity. In addition, since the pulverized material of the hard polyurethane foam has low flexibility, the larger the particle size of the pulverized material, the lower the adhesion between the pulverized materials, and it is likely to cause poor adhesion. As a result, the moldability deteriorates when manufacturing the porous body.

[0005] The problem to be solved by one embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a porous body having low density, high rigidity, and excellent moldability. Another problem to be solved by another embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide an automotive interior member provided with the above porous body.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] This disclosure includes the following aspects: <1> Granular material A is a pulverized product of porous material a, which has a 10% compressive stress of 100 kPa or more, Granular material B is a porous material b that has a 10% compressive stress of less than 100 kPa, Binder and, including Porous material. <2> The ratio of granular material A to granular material B (A:B) is 1:9 to 9:1 by mass. <1> The porous material described above. <3> Granular material A and granular material B are resin foams. <1> or <2> The porous material described above. <4> <1> ~ <3> An automotive interior component comprising a porous material as described in any one of the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a porous body is provided that is low in density, highly rigid, and has excellent moldability. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an automotive interior component comprising the porous body is provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a molding apparatus. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The contents of this disclosure will be described in detail below. The descriptions of the constituent elements described below may be based on representative embodiments of this disclosure, but this disclosure is not limited to such embodiments.

[0010] In this disclosure, a numerical range indicated using "~" means a range that includes the numbers before and after "~" as the minimum and maximum values, respectively. In numerical ranges described in stages in this disclosure, the upper or lower limit stated in one numerical range may be replaced with the upper or lower limit of another numerical range described in stages. Also, in numerical ranges described in this disclosure, the upper or lower limit stated in one numerical range may be replaced with the values ​​shown in the examples. In this disclosure, the amount of each component in a composition means the total amount of any multiple substances present in the composition, unless otherwise specified, if there are multiple substances corresponding to each component in the composition. In this disclosure, a combination of two or more preferred embodiments is a more preferred embodiment. In this disclosure, the term "process" includes not only independent processes but also processes that cannot be clearly distinguished from other processes, as long as their intended purpose is achieved.

[0011] In this disclosure, a porous material is considered to have low density if its density, as measured in accordance with JIS K 7222:1999, is 300 kg / m³. 3 This means the following: In this disclosure, a porous material is considered to have high rigidity if its compressibility when subjected to 28,000 Pa is 50% or less. In this disclosure, the statement that a porous material has excellent moldability means that the occurrence of defects caused by the absence of granular material is prevented.

[0012] [Porous material] The porous body of this disclosure includes granular material A (hereinafter also referred to as "granular material A") which is a pulverized product of porous body a having a 10% compressive stress of 100 kPa or more, granular material B (hereinafter also referred to as "granular material B") which is a pulverized product of porous body b having a 10% compressive stress of less than 100 kPa, and a binder.

[0013] The porous material of this disclosure is low in density, high in rigidity, and has excellent moldability. Although the reason for achieving the above effects is not clear, it is presumed that by including both particulate A and particulate B, low density and high rigidity are compatible, and the adhesion between the particulates is improved, resulting in excellent moldability.

[0014] <Particulate A and Particulate B> The porous body of the present disclosure contains particulate A and particulate B.

[0015] Particulate A is a pulverized product of a porous body a whose 10% compression stress is 100 kPa or more. The 10% compression stress of the porous body a is 100 kPa or more, preferably 150 kPa or more, more preferably 200 kPa or more, and still more preferably 250 kPa or more. The porous body a whose 10% compression stress is 100 kPa or more may be manufactured by controlling the cell structure (i.e., the closed-cell ratio), resin composition, etc., or a commercially available product may be used.

[0016] Particulate B is a pulverized product of a porous body b whose 10% compression stress is less than 100 kPa. The 10% compression stress of the porous body b is less than 100 kPa, preferably 80 kPa or less, more preferably 50 kPa or less, still more preferably 20 kPa or less, and particularly preferably 10 kPa or less. The porous body b whose 10% compression stress is less than 100 kPa may be manufactured by controlling the cell structure (i.e., the closed-cell ratio), resin composition, etc., or a commercially available product may be used.

[0017] In the present disclosure, the 10% compression stress of the porous body a and the porous body b is a value measured in accordance with JIS K6400-2:2012 Method E.

[0018] In the present disclosure, the pulverization of the porous body a and the porous body b can be performed using a known pulverization device.

[0019] The average particle diameter of particulate A is preferably 1 mm to 30 mm, more preferably 2 mm to 20 mm, and still more preferably 3 mm to 15 mm. The average particle size of granular material B is preferably 1 mm to 30 mm, more preferably 2 mm to 20 mm, and even more preferably 3 mm to 15 mm.

[0020] The presence of granular material (i.e., granular material A and granular material B) in the porous material can be confirmed by visually inspecting the surface and / or cross-section of the porous material.

[0021] In this disclosure, the average particle size of granular material shall be measured by the following method. Select 10 granular materials to be measured. For each of the 10 selected granular materials, measure the longest diameter in a plan view. Calculate the arithmetic mean of the obtained measurements and round the result to the first decimal place to obtain the average particle diameter (in mm).

[0022] The ratio of granular material A to granular material B (A:B) is preferably 1:9 to 9:1 by mass, more preferably 1:6 to 6:1, and even more preferably 1:3 to 3:1. By having a content ratio of granular material A to granular material B within the above range, the porous material of this disclosure exhibits superior low density and high rigidity, as well as excellent moldability.

[0023] The materials constituting granular material A and granular material B may each consist of one type or two or more types.

[0024] Granules A and granules B are preferably formed from a resin material. Examples of resin materials that form granular material A and granular material B include polyurethane, polystyrene, polyethylene, polyolefins such as polypropylene, and rubber. Granular material A preferably contains polyurethane from the viewpoint of adhesion between granular materials. Granular material B preferably contains at least one selected from the group consisting of polyurethane and polyolefin from the viewpoint of adhesion between granular materials.

[0025] Granular material A and granular material B are more preferably resin foams from the viewpoint of the flexibility of the resulting porous body. The granular material A is preferably a polyurethane foam. The granular material B is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of polyurethane foam and expanded polyolefin.

[0026] <Binder> The porous material of this disclosure includes a binder. The binder contained in the porous material of this disclosure may be of one type or of two or more types.

[0027] The binder is not particularly limited as long as it functions as an adhesive component between granular material A and granular material B in the porous body of this disclosure, and binders known in the art to which the porous body of this disclosure belongs can be used.

[0028] Examples of binders include polyurethane-based binders such as urethane prepolymers, solvent-based polyurethanes, and two-component solvent-free polyurethanes. From the viewpoint of adhesion between granular materials, polyurethane-based binders are preferred as binders. Among polyurethane-based binders, urethane prepolymers that cure when wet are more preferred from the viewpoint of workability.

[0029] From the viewpoint of moldability, the ratio of binder to granular materials A and B is preferably 1 to 100 parts by mass, more preferably 5 to 70 parts by mass, and even more preferably 10 to 50 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the total amount of granular materials A and B.

[0030] <Other ingredients> The porous material of this disclosure may contain, as necessary, other components in addition to granular material A, granular material B, and binder. Other components may include additives such as fillers, foaming agents, dispersants, crosslinking aids, antioxidants, pigments, plasticizers, thermally expandable particles, and functionalizers (e.g., flame retardants).

[0031] <Shape and physical properties of porous materials> The shape of the porous body of this disclosure is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate depending on the application to which the porous body is applied.

[0032] The porous material disclosed herein has a density of 10 kg / m³ as measured in accordance with JIS K 7222:1999. 3 ~300kg / m 3 Preferably, it is 20 kg / m 3 ~200kg / m 3 It is more preferable that it be 30 kg / m 3 ~100kg / m 3 It is even more preferable that this be the case.

[0033] The porous material of this disclosure preferably has a compressibility (%) of 50% or less, more preferably 40% or less, even more preferably 30% or less, even more preferably 20% or less, and particularly preferably 10% or less when pressurized at 28,000 Pa. The lower limit of the compressibility (%) when pressurized at 28,000 Pa is preferably 1% or more, more preferably 3% or more, and even more preferably 5% or more.

[0034] The compressibility (%) of a porous material shall be measured by the following method. A sample measuring 100mm in diameter and 20mm in thickness is cut from the porous material. Using the prepared sample, the stroke (strain, in mm) at 28,000 Pa after pre-compression will be measured in accordance with JIS K 6400-2:2012 Method E. The compressibility (%) is calculated using the following formula A, based on the obtained strain amount (mm) and the thickness of the sample before measurement (mm). Compression ratio (%) = Distortion amount (mm) / Sample thickness (mm) × 100 ... (A)

[0035] [Method for manufacturing porous materials] The method for producing the porous body described herein is not particularly limited, but for example, the porous body can be produced by carrying out a production method X that includes (1), (2) and (3) below. (1) Prepare a molding material containing granular material A, granular material B, and a binder. (2) Placing the molding material inside the mold. (3) Heating and pressurizing the molding material to harden it and obtain a porous body. (4) Demolding the resulting porous body. Manufacturing method X may further include any optional steps, such as drying the demolded porous body.

[0036] In manufacturing method X, first, a molding raw material containing granular material A, granular material B, and a binder is prepared. Details of granular material A, granular material B, and the binder have already been described in the description of porous bodies in this disclosure, and are therefore omitted here.

[0037] The molding material can be prepared by attaching a binder to a mixture of granular material A and granular material B. The mixing of granular material A and granular material B can be carried out using a known mixing and stirring machine (blender). The binder can be attached to granular material A and granular material B by known methods. Examples include spraying the binder onto the mixture while it is being mixed and stirred, putting granular material A and granular material B, after the binder has been sprayed onto them, into a mixing and stirring machine and mixing them while the binder adheres to them, and directly putting granular material A and granular material B and the binder into a mixing and stirring device and mixing them. If granular material A, granular material B, and other components besides the binder are to be added to the molding raw material, they should be added when preparing the molding raw material.

[0038] The prepared molding material is placed in a predetermined position within the mold.

[0039] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a mold. It goes without saying that the mold used in the manufacture of the porous body of this disclosure is not limited to this example.

[0040] In Figure 1, the mold 100 consists of a housing 10, a pair of upper molds 14a and lower molds 14b provided inside the housing 10, and a weight 12. A space A is provided at the bottom of the mold 100, and steam (specifically water vapor) heated to a predetermined temperature is injected from the inlet 18 in the steam injection direction indicated by arrow X.

[0041] The upper mold 14a and lower mold 14b are made of breathable materials such as mesh or perforated plates. In the example shown in Figure 1, the molding material 16 in the mold 100 is placed on the lower mold 14b and then covered with the upper mold 14a. After placing the molding material 16 between the upper mold 14a and the lower mold 14b, a weight 12 is placed on top of the upper mold 14a.

[0042] The molding material 16 placed inside the mold 100 is pressurized by the weight 12 via the upper mold 14a and heated, compressed, and hardened by contact with steam injected from the injection port 18 in the direction of arrow X. The steam heating temperature should be set according to the type of binder; for example, 90°C to 130°C is appropriate. The steam injection time can be, for example, 10 to 60 seconds. After the molding material 16 heated by steam injection is cured, the holding member 14a is removed, the mold is demolded, and the molded body is taken out. The curing time can be, for example, 1 minute or more. After curing, it is preferable to dry the demolded molded body. As a result, a porous body (i.e., a molded body) containing granular material A, granular material B, and a binder is obtained.

[0043] <Application> The porous material of this disclosure can be used in a variety of applications, including furniture such as sofas and chairs; bedding such as mattresses and pillows; clothing such as underwear; daily necessities such as tableware and cleaning sponges; building joint materials; building cushioning materials; building sealants; home appliance sealants; soundproofing materials; packaging materials; vehicle insulation materials; condensation prevention materials; interior materials; home appliance insulation materials; pipe insulation materials; various covers; cushioning materials; toys; general merchandise; and automotive interior components. The porous material of this disclosure is low in density, high in rigidity, and has excellent moldability, making it suitable for use in automotive interior components. That is, the automotive interior component of this disclosure comprises the porous material of this disclosure. Examples of automotive interior components include headrests, armrests, seat cushions, and floor silencers. [Examples]

[0044] The present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to examples. However, the present disclosure is not limited in any way by these examples.

[0045] <Preparation of Granules A and Granules B> The porous material a (EL-02, resin foam) shown in Table 1 below was fed into a pulverizer (product name: high-speed pulverizer, manufactured by Meino Co., Ltd.) and pulverized to obtain granular material A, which is the pulverized product of porous material a. The porous materials b (SL50α and A-8, resin foam) shown in Table 1 below were each fed into a pulverizer (product name: high-speed pulverizer, manufactured by Meino Co., Ltd.) and pulverized to obtain granular material B, which is the pulverized product of porous material b. The physical properties of porous material a and porous material b before pulverization are shown in Table 1 below.

[0046] [Table 1]

[0047] The details of the abbreviations in Table 1 are as follows. The abbreviations in Table 2 are the same. • EL-02: Polyurethane foam, Product name: EL-02, Manufactured by Inoac Corporation. • SL-50α: Polyurethane foam, Product name: FoamLite SL-50α, Manufactured by BASF INOAC Polyurethane Co., Ltd. • A-8: Polyethylene foam, Product name: PE Light, Manufactured by Inoac Corporation.

[0048] [Examples 1-6, Comparative Examples 1-2] The granular material A and granular material B prepared above were added to the mixing machine through the inlet to achieve the mixing ratio shown in Table 2, and then mixed and stirred. A moisture-curing polyurethane binder (product name: EC-1150, manufactured by BASF INOAC Polyurethane Co., Ltd.) was spray-applied to the mixture of granular material A and granular material B during mixing and stirring through the mixing machine through the inlet to achieve the mixing ratio shown in Table 2, thereby obtaining the molding raw material. The total amount of granular material A and granular material B was 50 g, and the amount of binder applied was 19 g. The spray application speed was 0.22 g / second.

[0049] In the molding die having the configuration shown in Figure 1, the molding material obtained above was placed on the lower mold b, then the upper mold was used as a lid, and a weight (5 kg) was placed on top of it. The dimensions of the molding material input area, which is partitioned by the upper mold, lower mold, and the inner wall of the housing, were 150 mm x 150 mm x 20 mm in height.

[0050] Next, steam (120°C) was injected for 30 seconds through an inlet located at the bottom of the mold. After the steam injection, a curing period of 1 minute was allowed. After curing, the hardened material (porous body) of the molding raw material was removed from the mold and dried in a constant temperature bath at 100°C for 1 hour. Based on the above, a plate-shaped porous material was obtained.

[0051] <Rating> The plate-shaped porous materials (molded products) obtained in Examples 1-6 and Comparative Examples 1-2 were evaluated as follows.

[0052] (Density measurement) The density of the obtained porous material was measured in accordance with JIS K 7222:1999. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0053] (Measurement of plate thickness) The thickness (mm) of the resulting porous material was measured using calipers. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0054] (Moldability) The surface of the obtained porous material was visually inspected to determine whether defects had occurred due to the loss of granular material, and evaluated according to the following criteria.

[0055] -Evaluation Criteria- A: There are no missing parts. B: There are some minor defects. C: There are numerous missing values.

[0056] (Measurement of compressibility (%) under a pressure of 28,000 Pa) The compressibility (%) of the obtained porous material was measured under a pressure of 28,000 Pa. In the case of Comparative Example 2, the resulting porous material collapsed, making it impossible to measure the compressibility. The compression ratio (%) was measured as follows. A sample measuring 100 mm in diameter and 20 mm in thickness was cut from the resulting porous material. Using the prepared sample, the stroke (strain, in mm) at 28,000 Pa after pre-compression was measured in accordance with JIS K 6400-2:2012 Method E. The compression ratio (%) was calculated using the following formula A, based on the obtained strain amount (mm) and the thickness of the sample before measurement (mm). Compression ratio (%) = Distortion amount (mm) / Sample thickness (mm) × 100 ... (A) The results are shown in Table 2. A lower compressibility (%) value indicates that the porous material is more rigid.

[0057] [Table 2]

[0058] In Table 2, a blank space in the "Mixing Ratio [Parts by Mass]" column indicates that the corresponding granular material was not used.

[0059] As shown in Table 2, the porous materials of Examples 1 to 6 were found to be low-density, high-rigidity, and highly moldable porous materials. On the other hand, it was found that the porous material of Comparative Example 1 did not contain granular material A and therefore could not achieve high rigidity. Furthermore, the porous material of Comparative Example 2 had poor moldability, making it impossible to measure its compressibility. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 10 cabinets 12 weights 14a upper mold 14b Lower mold 16 Molding raw materials 18 Inlet 100 molds X Steam injection direction Space A

Claims

1. Granular material A is a pulverized product of porous material a, which has a 10% compressive stress of 100 kPa or more, Granular material B is a pulverized product of porous material b, which has a 10% compressive stress of less than 100 kPa, Binder and, including Porous material.

2. The porous body according to claim 1, wherein the content ratio (A:B) of granular material A to granular material B is 1:9 to 9:1 by mass.

3. The porous body according to claim 1, wherein the granular material A and the granular material B are a resin foam.

4. An automotive interior component comprising a porous body according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images