High Solids Epoxy Coatings via CHDM Resin Blends

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current epoxy resin coatings face challenges with high viscosity, brittleness, and poor impact resistance, while solvent-based solutions result in undesirable volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and reactive diluents compromise performance properties like chemical and water resistance.

Innovation Solution

A curable epoxy resin composition is developed with a blend of at least two epoxy resins, including a CHDM epoxy resin with low chlorine content, and an amine curing agent, which reduces viscosity and enhances curing speed, resulting in coatings with improved flexibility, chemical resistance, and corrosion protection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional epoxy resins are used to achieve good chemical resistance, then chemical resistance is improved, but viscosity becomes very high and coatings become brittle with low impact resistance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechemical resistanceVSAvoidviscosity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a composite epoxy resin system combining multiple epoxy resins with different molecular weights and structures. This composite approach maintains the chemical resistance of conventional epoxy resins while reducing overall viscosity and improving impact resistance through the synergistic effects of the blended resin system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent modifies the epoxy resin parameters by selecting specific molecular weight ranges and structural characteristics. By controlling the epoxy equivalent weight and molecular structure parameters, the formulation achieves lower viscosity while preserving chemical resistance properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If solvents are added to reduce viscosity, then viscosity is reduced and handling is facilitated, but volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are generated

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveviscosityVSAvoidVOCs
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the solvent component from the epoxy coating system. By developing a high-solids formulation that achieves acceptable viscosity through resin selection and modification rather than solvent addition, the harmful VOC emissions are removed while maintaining workability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If reactive diluents are used to reduce viscosity, then viscosity is reduced, but performance properties such as chemical resistance, impact resistance, water resistance, and corrosion resistance are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveviscosityVSAvoidperformance properties
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a composite epoxy resin system that achieves viscosity reduction through the synergistic blending of multiple epoxy resins with different properties. This composite approach maintains or enhances performance properties while reducing viscosity, avoiding the need for reactive diluents that would compromise chemical resistance, impact resistance, and corrosion protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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

The composition achieves rapid curing, superior moisture and corrosion resistance, and increased flexibility and impact resistance, while minimizing VOCs and avoiding the drawbacks of solvent-based systems and reactive diluents.

Implementation Method 1

a curable epoxy resin composition including: (a) a blend of at least two epoxy resins; and (b) at least one amine curing agent

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChemical reaction (epoxy-amine curing): Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentEP2931822B1High solids epoxy coatings
Publication Date: 2021.06.23 BLUE CUBE IP LLC
  • EP2931822B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2931822B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2931822B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A coating composition including a blend of at least two or more epoxy resins, wherein at least one of the epoxy resins comprises (i) a CHDM epoxy resin having less than about 2 wt % total chlorine content; and wherein at least one of the epoxy resins comprises (ii) at least one other epoxy resin other than the epoxy resin in component (i); a curable coating composition including (a) the above blend of epoxy resins and (b) at least one amine curing agent; a thermoset coating product prepared from the above curable composition; and a process for preparing the above compositions and a coating therefrom.