Polyol-Epoxide Polymers for NVH Damping Without Harmful Emissions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current NVH materials, such as polyurethanes and flexible epoxies, often require polyisocyanates or amine curatives that emit undesirable off-gases and lack customization for desired performance attributes, limiting their effectiveness in reducing noise, vibration, and harshness across a broad temperature range.

Innovation Solution

Development of polyether- or polyester-epoxide polymer compositions (PEEP) that combine a polyepoxide compound with a polyether or polyester polyol, offering a one-component or two-component system with a specific epoxy/hydroxyl equivalent ratio, allowing for tailored NVH damping properties without amine or isocyanate reactants.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional NVH materials like polyurethanes and flexible epoxies are used, then NVH damping is achieved, but harmful off-gases are emitted and customization is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoff-gas emissionsVSAvoidcustomization capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using polyether or polyester polyols with specific hydroxyl values (28-800 mg KOH/g) and functionalities (1.8-8.0), combined with polyepoxides in controlled ratios (0.5:1 to 3:1 epoxy to hydroxyl equivalents). This allows customization of Tg (-40°C to 60°C) and loss factor (0.5-2.0) to achieve desired NVH performance without harmful emissions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates composite polymer compositions by reacting polyepoxide compounds with polyether or polyester polyols to form polyol-epoxide polymers. These composite materials combine the benefits of epoxy durability with polyol flexibility, achieving both NVH damping and environmental performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Adaptability or versatility

If polyurethanes and flexible epoxies are used for NVH damping, then vibration reduction is achieved, but the materials lack flexibility in achieving desired performance attributes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveperformance customizationVSAvoidoff-gas emissions
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables performance customization by adjusting the epoxy to hydroxyl equivalent ratio (0.5:1 to 3:1), selecting polyols with different hydroxyl values and functionalities, and controlling Tg ranges (-40°C to 60°C). This provides tailored NVH damping (loss factor 0.5-2.0) without the harmful emissions associated with conventional materials

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If PEEP compositions are formulated with specific epoxy/hydroxyl ratios, then tailored NVH damping is achieved, but formulation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveNVH performance tailoringVSAvoidformulation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent simplifies formulation by establishing clear parameter ranges: epoxy to hydroxyl equivalent ratios of 0.5:1 to 3:1, polyol hydroxyl values of 28-800 mg KOH/g, and functionalities of 1.8-8.0. These standardized parameters enable tailored NVH damping (loss factor 0.5-2.0) without excessive formulation complexity

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 PEEP compositions achieve a loss factor of at least 0.5 over a 15°C temperature range and across a wide frequency range, providing improved flexibility and tailored performance for NVH applications, while avoiding harmful emissions.

Implementation Method 1

The PEEP composition comprises a one-component or two-component reaction product of a polyepoxide compound and a polyol composition

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChemical Bonding: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 2

The PEEP composition has a loss factor of at least 0.5 by ASTM D5992 over a temperature range of at least 15 Celsius degrees at one or more frequencies within the range of 0.1 to 10,000 Hz

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectViscoelasticity: Viscoelasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3959711B1Polyol-epoxide polymers for NVH damping applications
Publication Date: 2024.08.28 STEPAN COMPANY
  • EP3959711B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3959711B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3959711B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Noise, vibration, or harshness (NVH) properties of an industrial or consumer product are reduced by incorporating therein an effective amount of a polyether- or polyester-epoxide polymer (PEEP) composition. The PEEP compositions are one-component or two-component reaction products of a polyepoxide compound and a polyol composition. The PEEP compositions have a glass-transition temperature within the range of -50ºC to 50ºC and a loss factor of at least 0.5 by ASTM D5992 over a temperature range of at least 15 Celsius degrees at one or more frequencies within the range of 0.1 to 10,000 Hz. The PEEP compositions provide NVH damping over a broad temperature range, have improved flexibility compared with conventional epoxy technologies, avoid amine and isocyanate reactants, and can be tailored to meet target specifications.