Nano Composite Safety Toe Cap Reducing Weight and Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional safety toe caps made from thermosetting/long-glass fiber reinforcing composite materials are too thick and heavy to meet the demands for multifunctional safety shoes that require thin, light, and high-performance toe caps that can meet enhanced safety testing standards.
Innovation Solution
Development of safety toe caps using a nano composite material comprising layers of glass fiber cloth coated with a resin paste containing modified carbon nanotubes, nitrile rubber, polyurethane acrylate, and other toughening agents, with a specific ratio of resin to glass fiber cloth, and a modified preparation method that includes plasma treatment and silane coupling agents to enhance mechanical properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional thermosetting/long-glass fiber reinforcing composite material is used to meet safety testing standards, then pressure resistance and impact resistance are improved, but toe cap thickness and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a hybrid composite material system combining long glass fiber reinforcement (providing structural strength) with short glass fiber reinforcement (filling gaps and enhancing matrix properties). This dual-fiber composite approach allows achieving required mechanical strength with reduced material thickness, thereby reducing weight while meeting safety standards
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the volume fraction of glass fibers (40-60%) and resin matrix, along with controlling fiber length distribution and layer arrangement parameters. By adjusting these compositional and structural parameters, the material achieves maximum strength-to-weight ratio, allowing thinner toe cap design that still meets impact and pressure resistance requirements
2Strength
If conventional thermosetting/long-glass fiber reinforcing composite material is used to meet safety testing standards, then pressure resistance and impact resistance are improved, but toe cap thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hybrid composite structure with long and short glass fibers creates a more efficient load-bearing architecture. The long fibers provide primary structural support while short fibers fill voids and strengthen the resin matrix, enabling thinner toe cap sections to achieve the same protective performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs different fiber lengths and orientations in different regions of the toe cap. Long glass fibers are concentrated in high-stress areas requiring impact resistance, while short fibers are distributed in regions needing pressure resistance. This localized optimization allows reduced overall thickness while maintaining protective performance
3Strength
If resin paste content is increased to improve mechanical properties, then pressure resistance and impact resistance are improved, but material weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the resin paste formulation by controlling the weight percentage of resin (40-60%) and adjusting the ratio of thermosetting resin to rubber particles. By modifying resin composition and cross-linking density, the material achieves enhanced strength without proportionally increasing weight, as the rubber particles provide toughening at minimal weight penalty
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 nano composite toe caps achieve high pressure and impact resistance, are significantly lighter and thinner, and meet the safety testing standards of most countries, while reducing material thickness and weight, thus addressing the need for multifunctional safety shoes.
Implementation Method 1
The silane coupling agent is coated on the surface of the glass fiber cloth. The coupling agent could react with a silanol group on the surface of the glass fiber cloth, linked by covalent bond
Implementation Method 2
The resin paste comprises 30-50% of thermosetting resin
Data Source
AI summary
The invention discloses safety toe caps made from nano composite material and a preparation method of the nano composite safety toe cap. The toe caps are made from multi-layers of laminated glass fiber cloth coated with resin paste, wherein the percentage ratio of the resin paste to the glass fiber cloth is as follows: the resin paste accounts for 30-45%, the glass fiber cloth accounts for 55-70%, and the total sum is 100%; the resin paste comprises the following components in percentage by mass: 30-50% of thermosetting resin, 0.1-5% of modified carbon nanotubes, 10-30% of modified nitrile rubber, 5-25% of polyurethaneacrylate, 1-5% of prepolymerized silane oligomer, 0.5-2% of a high-temperature initiator such as tert-Butyl peroxybenzoate, 1-2% of a medium-temperature initiator such as tert-Butyl peroxy-2-ethylhexanoate, 5-20% of a shrinkage-reduction additive, 1-10% of thickener A, 1-3% of thickener B and 2-5% of inner demolding agent. The safety toe caps made from the nano composite material is are high in pressure resistance and impact resistance, light in weight and thin in wall thickness.