Accelerator Solution Reducing Blister Formation in Gelcoats
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional accelerator solutions for polymerization, particularly those used in gelcoats, suffer from high solvent content leading to blister formation and environmental concerns, while they often fail to cure acrylate resins at ambient temperature.
Innovation Solution
A novel accelerator solution comprising a complexing agent with a nitrogen atom and hydroxyl group, a metal salt, and a reduced solvent content, specifically less than 50 wt% solvent and less than 25 wt% diethylene glycol, which includes metal salts like copper, manganese, and cobalt, and optionally a solvent, enhancing polymerization performance and allowing ambient temperature curing of acrylate resins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional accelerator solutions with high solvent content are used, then the accelerator solution is stable and easy to handle, but gelcoats form blisters easily due to solvent exchange with water and have high volatile content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the concentration parameters of the accelerator solution by reducing solvent content from predominant levels to less than 50 wt%, and specifically reducing diethylene glycol to less than 25 wt%. This parameter change maintains solution stability while eliminating the harmful blister formation effect caused by excessive solvent exchange with water.
2Device complexity
If conventional accelerator solutions are used, then the formulation is simple, but acrylate resins cannot be cured at ambient temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters by selecting specific metal salts (transition metals, magnesium, or lithium) and complexing agents with nitrogen and hydroxyl groups in specific ratios. This parameter optimization enables the accelerator solution to activate acrylate resin curing at ambient temperature while maintaining formulation simplicity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If high amounts of glycol solvent are used in accelerator solutions, then the accelerator solution has good solubility and stability, but the resulting gelcoats have reduced physical appearance and mechanical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the glycol content parameter by limiting diethylene glycol to less than 25 wt% and total solvent to less than 50 wt%, while adjusting the complexing agent concentration to at least 5 wt%. This parameter optimization maintains adequate solubility and stability of the accelerator solution while significantly improving the physical appearance and mechanical properties of the cured gelcoat.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution improves polymerization performance by increasing gelcoat hardness, reducing blister formation, and enabling ambient temperature curing of acrylate resins, thus enhancing production capacity and physical properties while minimizing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
an accelerator solution comprising a complexing agent selected from the group consisting of complexing agents having a nitrogen atom and a hydroxyl group and bipyridine, a salt of a metal selected from the group consisting of transition metal, magnesium, and lithium
Implementation Method 2
WO 2006/128816 discloses storage-stable acceleration solutions suitable for forming a redox system with peroxides
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an accelerator solution comprising a complexing agent selected from the group consisting of complexing agents having a nitrogen atom and a hydroxyl group and bipyridine, a salt of a metal selected from the group consisting of transition metal, magnesium, and lithium, and optionally a solvent, wherein when the complexing agent has a nitrogen atom and a hydroxyl group, the amount of complexing agent in the accelerator solution is at least 5 wt%, based on the total weight of the accelerator solution, the amount of solvent is less than 50 wt%, and the amount of diethylene glycol as solvent is less than 25 wt%, based on the total weight of the accelerator solution.