Low Temperature Curable Adhesive Composition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Adhesive compositions used for anchoring elements in concrete and masonry often fail to cure effectively at low temperatures, leading to weakness and failure, and many contain phthalates that are being phased out due to health concerns, necessitating a solution that maintains strength and durability across temperature ranges without phthalates.

Innovation Solution

The development of an adhesive composition that combines acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate and methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane monomers, along with a phthalate-free free radical initiator, allowing for curing at low temperatures while maintaining strength and durability, and using ethoxylated bisphenol A dimethacrylate resin for high mechanical strength and low shrinkage stress.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional adhesive compositions are used for anchoring elements in concrete and masonry, then they provide adequate strength and durability at normal temperatures, but they fail to cure effectively at low temperatures leading to weakness and failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecuring effectivenessVSAvoidlow temperature performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the chemical parameters of the adhesive composition by incorporating specific monomers (acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate and methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane) and a phthalate-free free radical initiator that enable effective curing at low temperatures. This changes the activation energy and reaction kinetics parameters of the curing process, allowing it to proceed effectively in cold conditions while maintaining strength and durability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite adhesive system combining multiple monomers with complementary properties: acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate provides low-temperature reactivity, methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane contributes to crosslinking and adhesion, and ethoxylated bisphenol A dimethacrylate resin provides mechanical strength and low shrinkage stress. This composite formulation achieves reliable curing across a wide temperature range.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If conventional adhesive compositions are used, then they achieve adequate strength, but they contain phthalates that are being phased out due to health concerns

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical strengthVSAvoidphthalate content
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes phthalates from the adhesive composition, extracting this harmful substance from the formulation. The invention achieves this by using a phthalate-free free radical initiator and selecting monomer combinations that do not require phthalates for proper curing, thereby eliminating the harmful factor while maintaining or improving performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the harmful phthalate component with alternative substances that achieve the same functional goals without the health risks. The phthalate-free initiator and monomer system provides equivalent or superior performance without the need for problematic additives.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Reliability

If adhesive compositions are formulated for low temperature curing, then they achieve effective cure at low temperatures, but they may compromise strength and durability characteristics

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelow temperature cureVSAvoidstrength and durability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the chemical composition parameters to achieve a balance between low-temperature reactivity and final strength. By selecting specific monomers with appropriate molecular weights and functional groups, and by optimizing the initiator concentration and type, the formulation achieves effective curing at low temperatures while maintaining high strength and durability in the cured state.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses a composite monomer system where each component contributes specific properties: acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate enables low-temperature initiation, methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane provides crosslinking for enhanced strength and moisture resistance, and ethoxylated bisphenol A dimethacrylate resin contributes high mechanical strength and low shrinkage. The synergistic interaction of these components achieves both low-temperature cure capability and superior strength-durability characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 adhesive composition exhibits a 20% improvement in mechanical strength at low temperatures and a 10% increase in strength and durability characteristics, retaining performance equivalent to or exceeding commercial adhesives at various temperature conditions without phthalates.

Implementation Method 1

a phthalate-free free radical initiator, allowing for curing at low temperatures

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFree radical polymerization: Photopolymerisation

Implementation Method 2

methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane monomers... organofunctional silanes will hydrolyze during polymerization, and provide some crosslinking

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydrolysis: Hydrolysis

Implementation Method 3

minimizing shrinkage of the adhesive when used for anchoring bolts in bore holes... low shrinkage stress

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPolymerization shrinkage:

Data Source

PatentEP3577176B1Low temperature curable adhesive compositions
Publication Date: 2024.10.23 SIMPSON STRONG TIE

AI summary

The present invention is concerned with curable adhesive compositions for anchoring elements in a structural body that exhibit low temperature versus standard temperature degree of cures that are at least 50% or higher. The compositions include, in a first component, a reactive resin, an acetoacetoxy functional monomer and a silane monomer. By using phthalate-free constituents in the formulation, a further 10% increase in strength and durability of the resins at standard temperatures may be realized after curing at low temperatures.