Microcapsule Curable Resin Composition for Screw Locking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional microcapsule type adhesives for threaded members, such as screws, face limitations in preservation stability and fixing force, and the encapsulation of curing agents within microcapsules is not effectively addressed in existing technologies, leading to suboptimal performance in locking and bonding applications.

Innovation Solution

A microcapsule type curable resin composition is developed, where a compound with 3 or 4 thiol groups is encapsulated, allowing for easy microencapsulation and providing excellent fixing force and preservation stability, utilizing a microcapsule structure that reacts with the encapsulated substance to form a strong, thin skin-like structure, enhancing low-temperature curability and quick curing properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional microcapsule type adhesives use epoxy resin as core material with aldehyde-based or urea-based resin as wall material, then preservation stability is improved, but fixing force is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepreservation stabilityVSAvoidfixing force
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the curing agent from conventional amine-based curing agents to mercaptan-based curing agents (containing -SH groups). This parameter change enables easier microencapsulation while maintaining high reactivity with epoxy resin, thereby achieving both good preservation stability and excellent fixing force that were previously contradictory

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the curing agent (mercaptan-based compound) from the conventional adhesive system and encapsulates it separately in microcapsules. This separation allows the curing agent to be protected during storage (improving preservation stability) while being released on-demand at the application site (improving fixing force), resolving the contradiction between these two properties

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If curing agent is encapsulated into microcapsule, then preservation stability is improved, but microencapsulation difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepreservation stabilityVSAvoidmicroencapsulation difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical structure of the curing agent to use mercaptan-based compounds with specific functional groups that facilitate microencapsulation. The -SH groups in mercaptan compounds react readily with isocyanate-based wall materials, enabling easy formation of stable microcapsules with thin skin-like structures, thus improving ease of manufacture while maintaining preservation stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If compound with 3 or 4 thiol groups is used as curing agent, then easy microencapsulation and quick curing is achieved, but cost-effective manufacturing at scale is not demonstrated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecuring velocityVSAvoidcost-effective mass production
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs mercaptan-based curing agents that exhibit self-accelerating polymerization characteristics. The -SH groups react rapidly with epoxy resin without requiring external catalysts or complex processing conditions, enabling quick curing that improves productivity while the simple chemical mechanism facilitates cost-effective mass production

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent selects mercaptan compounds with 3 or 4 thiol groups per molecule, optimizing the balance between reactivity (curing velocity) and encapsulation efficiency. This specific parameter selection enables both rapid curing for high productivity and easy microencapsulation for cost-effective manufacturing, resolving the contradiction between these two factors

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 microcapsule type curable resin composition achieves remarkable fixing force and preservation stability, enabling efficient and cost-effective manufacturing, with the compound's 3 or 4 thiol groups facilitating easy encapsulation and quick curing of screws, while maintaining stability over time.

Implementation Method 1

a compound with 3 or 4 thiol groups (a); a substance (b) curable by reacting with the compound with 3 or 4 thiol groups

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChemical Bonding: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentEP3064522B1Microcapsule-type curable resin composition
Publication Date: 2023.01.04 THREE BOND CO LTD
  • EP3064522B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3064522B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The present invention provides a microcapsule-type curable resin composition which enables the mass production of microcapsules each encapsulating a curing agent and therefore can be produced at significantly low cost, and which has an excellent adhesion property and excellent storage stability. Particularly provided is a microcapsule-type curable resin composition which can exhibit excellent low-temperature curability and an excellent curing rate when used for a screw member such as a screw and can exhibit a significantly superior effect when used for preventing the looseness of screws. The present invention is a microcapsule-type curable resin composition comprising: microcapsules each encapsulating (a) a compound having at least three thiol groups; (b) a substance capable of being cured by reacting with the compound having at least three thiol groups; and (c) a binder capable of adhering the microcapsules to a material of interest. The curable resin composition can be used preferably for the adhesion of a screw member.