Donor-Acceptor Antistatic Agent for Insulating Polymers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing antistatic agents for insulating polymer materials fail to provide reliable and reproducible static charge prevention on IC devices, with surfactant-based agents showing short durability and polymer blend-type agents requiring high concentrations, leading to increased costs and potential ionic impurity risks.

Innovation Solution

A donor-acceptor type molecular compound is created by reacting a semi-polar organoboron compound with a basic nitrogen compound, which is melt-dispersed into the insulating polymer material and molded using a steel surface to form a stable antistatic film, effectively preventing static charge without altering the polymer material's properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a surfactant-based antistatic agent is coated on the surface of an insulating polymer product, then the initial antistatic performance is excellent, but the durability deteriorates quickly due to weak surface adsorption force

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinitial antistatic performanceVSAvoiddurability of antistatic effect
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The antistatic agent is incorporated into the polymer material before molding, allowing it to be pre-positioned within the material matrix. This preliminary incorporation ensures the agent is already in place to provide immediate antistatic performance upon contact with the mold surface, eliminating the need for separate surface coating steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The antistatic agent is nested within the polymer material matrix during the molding process. The agent is contained inside the material being molded, allowing it to migrate to the surface during molding and remain embedded in the finished product, providing both immediate and long-lasting antistatic effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Stability of the object's composition

If a surfactant-based antistatic agent is applied in combination with an easily adhesive polymer compound vehicle, then the composition improves surface adhesion, but it becomes difficult to efficiently raise the polarity of the outermost region

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface adhesionVSAvoidpolarity enhancement efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the polymer compound vehicle from the antistatic agent composition. By using only the surfactant component without any adhesive polymer vehicle, the composition achieves high polarity enhancement efficiency while maintaining sufficient surface adhesion through the surfactant's inherent properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If a large amount of antistatic agent is admixed to achieve intended antistatic performance, then the antistatic effect is sufficient, but the adhesiveness is weakened and electrical properties become unstable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveantistatic performanceVSAvoidadhesiveness and electrical property stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the concentration parameter of the antistatic agent to an optimized low level (0.01-5 parts by mass per 100 parts of polymer). This parameter change, combined with the specific surfactant structure and molding process, achieves sufficient antistatic performance while maintaining adhesiveness and electrical property stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Duration of action of stationary object

If an internally kneaded-type antistatic agent is used with preliminary admixture of surfactant into the starting material, then long-lasting antistatic performance is targeted, but the surfactant is not fixed to the surface and weaker performance is exhibited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedurability of antistatic effectVSAvoidantistatic performance intensity
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention creates a composite system where the surfactant is combined with specific polymer materials and processed through a controlled molding method. This composite approach, using nonionic or ionic polar group-containing compounds with specific structures, enables the surfactant to effectively migrate to and remain on the surface, providing both durability and intensity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

5Duration of action of stationary object

If polymer blend-type antistatic agents are used to achieve stable and long-lasting antistatic performance, then durability is improved, but the amount required is 5- to 20-times that of surfactant-based agents, driving up production cost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelong-lasting antistatic performanceVSAvoidamount of antistatic agent required
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the chemical structure parameters of the antistatic agent to use nonionic or ionic polar group-containing compounds with specific molecular structures. This parameter change, combined with optimized incorporation amounts (0.01-5 parts per 100 parts polymer), achieves long-lasting performance at much lower quantities compared to conventional polymer blend agents.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

6Reliability

If conventional antistatic agents are used to prevent static electricity on insulating polymer materials, then some antistatic effect is achieved, but ionic impurities may come closer to the main body of IC devices, creating safety risks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestatic electricity preventionVSAvoidionic impurity risk to IC devices
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention uses nonionic polar group-containing compounds that do not generate ionic impurities during their antistatic action. These compounds provide effective static electricity prevention through their molecular structure and hole transport action, eliminating the ionic impurity hazard to IC devices entirely.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

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 solution provides persistent and reproducible antistatic performance at low concentrations, efficiently attenuating static electricity both on the surface and within molded articles, suitable for IC devices and other applications, while maintaining the material's properties and avoiding ionic impurities.

Implementation Method 1

the antistatic agent is composed of a donor-acceptor type molecular compound represented by general formula (1) and obtained by mixing, melting, and reacting a semi-polar organoboron compound (donor component) with a basic nitrogen compound (acceptor component)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChemical bonding: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 2

the surfactant that is assumed to exert the antistatic performance by migrating from the interior to the surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDiffusion: Diffusion

Implementation Method 3

with a surface coating-type antistatic agent, any of various surfactants is dissolved as such in a volatile solvent or is dissolved or dispersed in a volatile solvent in combination with an easily adhesive polymer compound vehicle. The application of this surface coating-type antistatic agent to the surface of a target product causes a strengthening of the polarity of the outermost region of the target product

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSurface adsorption: Adsorption

Data Source

PatentEP2957614B1Antistatic agent, molded article comprising insulator polymer material, and method for producing same
Publication Date: 2017.11.29 BORON LAB
  • EP2957614B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2957614B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2957614B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An object of the present invention is to provide an antistatic agent composed of a donor-acceptor type molecular compound that can prevent static charge on an insulating polymer material surely with good persistency and reproducibility. The antistatic agent of the present invention is composed of a donor-acceptor type molecular compound represented by the general formula (1) below and obtained by melt-mixing and reacting a semi-polar organoboron compound (donor component) of the upper part in the general formula (1) below with a basic nitrogen compound (acceptor component) of the lower part in the general formula (1) below, wherein R1 and R2 are each independently CH3(CH2)16-CO-OCH2 or HOCH2 and at least one thereof is CH3(CH2)16-CO-OCH2; R3 and R4 are each independently CH3, C2H5, HOCH2, HOC2H4, or HOCH2CH(CH3); and R5 is C2H4 or C3H6.