Floor Covering With Cross-Linked Thermoplastic Elastomer Particles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor coverings with unvulcanized rubber particles fail to maintain a prescribed pattern due to deformation during mechanical and thermal treatment, limiting shape diversity and material selection for dimensional stability.
Innovation Solution
Using thermoplastic elastomer particles that are pretreated with ionizing radiation for cross-linking, allowing them to remain dimensionally stable and maintain a prescribed form during processing, and incorporating them into an elastomeric matrix for uniform properties and pattern retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If unvulcanized rubber particles are used for coloring, then the particles can be easily processed and bonded, but they deform irregularly during mechanical and thermal treatment and cannot maintain a prescribed pattern
Solution Approach 1:
The particles are pre-crosslinked by ionizing radiation before being incorporated into the floor covering matrix. This preliminary crosslinking action stabilizes the particle structure in advance, preventing deformation during subsequent mechanical and thermal processing while maintaining ease of incorporation and bonding.
2Manufacturing precision
If already vulcanized rubber particles are used to maintain dimensional stability and prescribed patterns, then the particles retain their shape during processing, but the shape diversity and material selection are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the crosslinking state parameter of the particles from pre-vulcanized to pre-crosslinked by ionizing radiation. This parameter change allows the particles to maintain dimensional stability while remaining adaptable to various shapes and materials, as the crosslinking occurs after shaping but before incorporation into the matrix.
3Illumination intensity
If transparent vulcanizable elastomeric material is used for particles, then transparency is achieved, but the hardness is too low and particles are softer than the base material, resulting in non-uniform properties
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent thermoplastic elastomer particles are pre-crosslinked by ionizing radiation before being mixed into the elastomeric matrix. This preliminary crosslinking strengthens the particles to match the hardness of the base material while maintaining transparency, achieving uniform properties throughout the floor covering.
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
Enables the production of floor coverings with uniform properties and diverse patterns, maintaining shape and elastomeric properties under high temperatures and mechanical loads, with options for transparency and effect pigments for color and gloss variations.
Implementation Method 1
the particles are pretreated by means of ionizing radiation. These reactive particles react during the pretreatment with the polymers of the thermoplastic elastomer in such a way that they at least partially irreversibly cross-link
Implementation Method 2
At high temperatures, the cross-linking points of the thermoplastic elastomer are reversibly detached so that the material can be processed by means of the methods commonly used in the thermoplastic industry
Implementation Method 3
The subsequent thermal treatment softens the particles so that they are deformed through the effect of mechanical forces
Data Source
AI summary
A floor covering comprising an essentially sheet-shaped or plate-shaped matrix made of an elastomeric material. The matrix is provided with particles where the particles are made of a thermoplastic elastomer.