Insulating Glass Spacer Composition Low-Temperature Molding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of insulating glass requires high temperatures to melt and mold the spacer material, leading to increased energy consumption, higher manufacturing costs, and potential deterioration of the spacer material, which affects long-term reliability.
Innovation Solution
A thermoplastic resin composition with a specific range of melt viscosity and storage elastic modulus is used for the spacer, allowing for molding at temperatures below 150 °C, reducing energy consumption and material degradation, while maintaining the necessary physical properties for the spacer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the spacer material is arbitrarily selected, then the manufacturing process can be simplified, but the viscosity of the spacer material increases during melt molding, requiring significantly higher heating temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the thermoplastic resin, specifically setting the butyl-type rubber content to 50-98% by weight and crystalline polyolefin content to 2-50% by weight. This parameter optimization reduces the melt viscosity of the spacer material, enabling molding at lower temperatures (150°C or less) while maintaining ease of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite thermoplastic resin material consisting of butyl-type rubber and crystalline polyolefin. This composite formulation combines the low-temperature molding properties of butyl-type rubber with the structural integrity of crystalline polyolefin, achieving both ease of manufacture and low heating temperature requirements
2Ease of manufacture
If the heating temperature of the spacer material is increased, then the viscosity decreases and molding becomes easier, but energy consumption increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the composition parameters to achieve appropriate melt viscosity at low temperatures (150°C or less). By controlling the butyl-type rubber and crystalline polyolefin content ratio, the material maintains moldability without requiring high heating temperatures, thus reducing energy consumption while preserving ease of manufacture
3Ease of manufacture
If the heating temperature of the spacer material is increased, then the viscosity decreases and molding becomes easier, but the spacer material deteriorates and long-term reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the composition parameters to achieve optimal melt viscosity at low temperatures. By controlling the butyl-type rubber content (50-98% by weight) and crystalline polyolefin content (2-50% by weight), the material can be molded easily at 150°C or less without thermal deterioration, preserving both molding ease and long-term reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent selects a thermoplastic resin composition that can be processed at low temperatures, avoiding the thermal degradation that would compromise the service life and reliability of the spacer in the insulating glass unit
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
This approach enables efficient and cost-effective manufacturing of insulating glass with improved long-term reliability by reducing energy use and minimizing spacer material degradation during the molding process.
Implementation Method 1
melt viscosity at 120 °C is not less than 0.6 kPa·s and not more than 7.0 kPa·s
Data Source
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AI summary
In insulating glass including two or more glass sheets arranged to face each other via a spacer sandwiched between the glass sheets so as to form an air space layer between the glass sheets, the spacer is made from a thermoplastic resin composition having a JIS A hardness of 10 to 90 at 25 °C, the thermoplastic resin composition contains a butyl-type rubber, a crystalline polyolefin, a desiccant and an inorganic filler, a percentage of the butyl-type rubber is 50 to 98% by weight, and a percentage of the crystalline polyolefin is 2 to 50% by weight with respect to a total amount of the butyl-type rubber and the crystalline polyolefin, a ratio of the inorganic filler is 200 parts by weight or less to a total 100 parts by weight of the butyl-type rubber and the crystalline polyolefin, melt viscosity at 120 °C is not less than 0.6 kPa·s and not more than 7.0 kPa·s, and storage elastic modulus at 25 °C is not less than 15 MPa and not more than 60 MPa, wherein the spacer is bonded to the glass sheets by a urethane-type adhesive.