One-Component Epoxy Composition for Fast Cure and Low Viscosity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing one-component epoxy resin compositions face challenges with high viscosity, long curing times, and heterogeneous distribution of solid curatives, leading to uncured regions, while liquid phenol resin-based systems compromise physical strength, and chemical blocking methods are complex and uneconomical.
Innovation Solution
A one-component epoxy resin composition comprising 40-98% epoxy resin, 0.5-30% organoboron compound, and 0.5-30% (meth)acrylamide monomer, which provides stable storage at room temperature and fast curing at elevated temperatures, ensuring homogeneous distribution and economic fabrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If solid curatives are used in one-component epoxy compositions, then storage stability is improved, but viscosity increases and curing time extends
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the curative from solid to liquid by using organometallic compounds (aluminum, gallium, indium alkoxides) instead of traditional solid curatives like dicyandiamide. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by enabling fast curing (improving productivity) while maintaining storage stability through the latent reactivity of the organometallic compounds at room temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite curative system combining organometallic compounds with epoxy resin, where the organometallic compound serves as both the curative agent and a viscosity modifier. This composite approach allows the system to achieve fast curing rates while maintaining low viscosity, resolving the contradiction between storage stability and curing speed.
2Stability of the object's composition
If solid particulate hardeners are used, then storage stability is improved, but heterogeneous distribution occurs leading to uncured regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the curative from solid particulate to liquid form by using organometallic compounds. This parameter change eliminates the heterogeneous distribution problem entirely, as liquid curatives can uniformly distribute throughout the epoxy resin matrix, ensuring complete curing without uncured regions while maintaining storage stability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If liquid phenol resin is used as curing agent, then storage stability is improved, but physical strength of cured resin diminishes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical nature parameter of the curing agent from phenol resin to organometallic compounds (aluminum, gallium, indium alkoxides). This parameter change enables the system to achieve both storage stability and high physical strength in the cured resin, as the organometallic crosslinking mechanism produces superior mechanical properties compared to phenol resin curing.
4Productivity
If two-component compositions are used for fast curing, then curing speed is improved, but complexity of mixing and storage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the epoxy resin and curative into a single-component composition by incorporating the organometallic curative directly into the epoxy resin matrix. The organometallic compound remains latent at room temperature but activates rapidly upon heating, achieving fast curing speeds while eliminating the complexity of two-component mixing, metering, and storage systems.
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 low viscosity at room temperature with practical curing times, maintaining storage stability and excellent mechanical properties in the cured product.
Implementation Method 1
a one-component (1K) composition must exhibit a latent cure: curing cannot commence under ordinary conditions of storage and transportation but instead must be delayed until the composition is exposed to specific curing conditions
Implementation Method 2
The composition of the present invention comprises from 40 to 98 wt. % of at least one epoxy resin; from 0.5 to 30 wt. % of at least one organoboron compound
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to an one-component (1K) composition comprising, based on the weight of the composition:from 40 to 98 wt. % of a) at least one epoxy resin;from 0.5 to 30 wt. % of b) at least one organoboron compound selected from tetrasubstituted borate salts of monovalent cations of tertiary amines; and,from 0.5 to 30 wt. % of c) at least one (meth)acrylamide monomer of Formula (VII):wherein: Ra is H or Me;G is selected from —NH2, —NHRb and —N(Rb)(Rc);Rb and Rc are independently selected from C1-C18 alkyl, C1-C18 hydroxyalkyl, C1-C18 alkalkoxy, C6-C18 aryl and —(CH2)n —N(Rd)(Re);n is an integer of from 1 to 4; and,Rd and Re are independently selected from H and C1-C6 alkyl.