Fluoropolymer Composition for Wire Coatings With Low Permeability

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional fluorine-containing copolymers used for injection molding and electric wire coatings lack superior 125° C. abrasion resistance, water vapor low permeability, carbon dioxide low permeability, creep resistance, durability to repeated loads, and crack resistance, and often exhibit defects and poor shape stability when exposed to chemicals or wound around.

Innovation Solution

A fluorine-containing copolymer comprising tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, and perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether units, with specific content ranges of 5.0-7.0% hexafluoropropylene and 1.5-2.6% perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether by mass, and a melt flow rate of 9-40 g/10 min, which enhances moldability and provides excellent mechanical and permeation properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional fluorine-containing copolymers are used for injection molding and electric wire coatings, then basic coating and molding functions are achieved, but the materials lack superior 125° C. abrasion resistance, water vapor low permeability, carbon dioxide low permeability, creep resistance, durability to repeated loads, and crack resistance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveabrasion resistance, permeability resistance, creep resistance, crack resistanceVSAvoidmoldability, coating formation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the compositional parameters of the copolymer: hexafluoropropylene content at 4-12% by weight, perfluoro(ethyl vinyl ether) or perfluoro(n-propyl vinyl ether) content at 0.5-3% by weight, and adjusting the melt flow rate to 9-40 g/10 min at 372°C. These parameter optimizations simultaneously achieve excellent moldability, coating formation, and superior mechanical properties including 125°C abrasion resistance, creep resistance, and crack resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite fluorine-containing copolymer material by combining three specific monomer units: tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, and perfluoro(ethyl vinyl ether) or perfluoro(n-propyl vinyl ether). This composite structure integrates the benefits of each monomer to achieve both easy processing (moldability and coating formation) and superior performance (abrasion resistance, permeability resistance, and durability).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If conventional fluorine-containing copolymers are used for electric wire coatings, then coating formation is achieved, but the coatings exhibit poor shape stability and crack occurrence when wound around or exposed to chemicals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshape stability, crack resistance, chemical resistanceVSAvoidcoating formation speed, defect reduction
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the compositional parameters to achieve both high productivity and superior reliability. The hexafluoropropylene content (4-12%) and perfluoro(ethyl vinyl ether)/(n-propyl vinyl ether) content (0.5-3%) are controlled to enable fast coating formation with few defects while simultaneously providing excellent shape stability, crack resistance, and chemical resistance. The melt flow rate control (9-40 g/10 min at 372°C) further enhances coating formation speed and quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If fluorine-containing copolymer with optimized composition is used, then superior mechanical properties and low permeability are achieved, but the melt flow rate and moldability must be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical properties, permeability resistanceVSAvoidmelt flow rate, moldability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves this contradiction by optimizing the melt flow rate parameter to a specific range (9-40 g/10 min at 372°C) that balances processability with performance. The compositional parameters (hexafluoropropylene 4-12%, perfluoro(ethyl vinyl ether)/(n-propyl vinyl ether) 0.5-3%) are simultaneously optimized to ensure that the material achieves superior mechanical properties and low permeability while maintaining adequate melt flow rate for easy molding and processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20230391924A1Fluorine-containing copolymer, injection molded article, wire coating material and wire
Publication Date: 2023.12.07 DAIKIN INDUSTRIES LTD

AI summary

There is provided a fluorine-containing copolymer containing tetrafluoroethylene unit, hexafluoropropylene unit, and a perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether) unit, wherein the copolymer has a content of the hexafluoropropylene unit of 5.0 to 7.0% by mass with respect to the whole of the monomer units, a content of the perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether) unit of 1.5 to 2.6% by mass with respect to the whole of the monomer units, and a melt flow rate at 372° C. of 9 to 40 g/10 min.