Heat-Expandable Microspheres Low-Temperature Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat-expandable microspheres composed of vinylidene chloride copolymers exhibit poor safety, odor issues, discoloration, corrosion, and limited solvent resistance, making them unsuitable for applications requiring expansion at low temperatures.
Innovation Solution
Development of heat-expandable microspheres with a copolymer shell produced from a polymerizable component containing 15-90 wt% acrylonitrile, 3-50 wt% acrylate ester monomer, and 3-70 wt% methacrylate ester monomer, with specific weight ratios to achieve high expansion performance and solvent resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If vinylidene chloride copolymer is used for heat-expandable microspheres, then expansion performance at low temperature is improved, but solvent resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite copolymer shell comprising acrylonitrile, acrylate ester monomer, and methacrylate ester monomer. This composite material combines the low-temperature expansion capability (from acrylonitrile with low Tg) with improved solvent resistance (from the acrylate and methacrylate components), resolving the contradiction between expansion temperature and solvent resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the shell polymer by specifying precise weight ratio ranges of acrylonitrile (15-90 wt%), acrylate ester monomer (3-50 wt%), and methacrylate ester monomer (3-70 wt%). By adjusting these parameters within the specified ranges, the patent achieves both low-temperature expansion and good solvent resistance simultaneously.
2Temperature
If vinylidene chloride copolymer is used for heat-expandable microspheres, then expansion performance at low temperature is improved, but safety and odor performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates vinylidene chloride monomer from the polymerizable component, replacing it with acrylonitrile, acrylate ester monomer, and methacrylate ester monomer. This removal of the harmful monomer (vinylidene chloride) while maintaining expansion performance through the low Tg of acrylonitrile resolves the contradiction between low-temperature expansion and safety/odor performance.
3Temperature
If vinylidene chloride copolymer is used for heat-expandable microspheres, then expansion performance at low temperature is improved, but chemical resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite copolymer shell made from acrylonitrile, acrylate ester monomer, and methacrylate ester monomer. The acrylate and methacrylate components provide enhanced chemical resistance while acrylonitrile maintains the low-temperature expansion capability, thus resolving the contradiction between expansion temperature and chemical resistance.
4Temperature
If vinylidene chloride copolymer is used for heat-expandable microspheres, then expansion performance at low temperature is improved, but manufacturing stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes vinylidene chloride monomer from the polymerizable component, eliminating the source of manufacturing problems such as discoloration and corrosion. The replacement monomers (acrylonitrile, acrylate ester, methacrylate ester) provide stable polymerization behavior and do not cause discoloration or equipment corrosion, while maintaining low-temperature expansion performance.
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 new microspheres demonstrate sufficient expansion performance at low temperatures and improved solvent resistance, maintaining stability even when stored with solvents or plasticizers, enabling stable molding in low-temperature regions.
Implementation Method 1
heat-expandable microspheres which comprise a thermoplastic resin shell and a thermally-vaporizable blowing agent encapsulated therein
Implementation Method 2
a thermally-vaporizable blowing agent encapsulated therein
Data Source
AI summary
Heat-expandable microspheres having a thermoplastic resin shell and a thermally-vaporizable blowing agent encapsulated therein. The thermoplastic resin is a copolymer produced from a polymerizable component containing 15 to 90 wt % of acrylonitrile, 3 to 50 wt % of an acrylate ester monomer (A) represented by formula (1) shown below, and 3 to 70 wt % of a methacrylate ester monomer (B) represented by formula (2) shown below. The weight ratio of the acrylate ester monomer (A) represented by formula (1) to the methacrylate ester monomer (B) represented by formula (2) in the polymerizable component (A:B) ranges from 10:90 to 90:10:H2C═CH—COOR1 (1)H2C═C(CH3)—COOR2 (2).Also disclosed are hollow particles manufactured by expanding the heat-expandable microspheres; a composition containing a base compound and the heat-expandable microspheres or the hollow particles; and a formed product manufactured by molding or applying the composition.