Polyurethane Gel Surface Tackiness Reduction via Composite Polyol Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional polyurethane gels used in vibration isolation, seismic isolation, and surface protection face issues with surface tackiness, handleability, mechanical properties, and heat resistance, particularly when using alicyclic isocyanates and bifunctional isocyanate-trihydric polyol combinations.
Innovation Solution
A polyurethane gel with a gel layer produced by reacting aliphatic polyisocyanates with polyols, and a coat layer formed using aliphatic and/or alicyclic diisocyanates with bifunctional active hydrogen compounds, where the aliphatic polyisocyanate has an average functionality of 2.5 to 4.0, and the coat layer has a thickness of 500 μm or less, enhancing mechanical properties and heat resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a plasticizer is added to achieve softness, then softness is improved, but surface tackiness increases due to plasticizer bleeding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the plasticizer component from the polyurethane gel formulation entirely. Instead of adding a plasticizer to achieve softness, the invention uses a specific combination of polyols (polyester polyol and polyether polyol) with controlled molecular weights and functionalities to achieve both softness and low surface tackiness without plasticizer bleeding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by specifying precise molecular weight ranges for polyols (polyester polyol: 500-2000, polyether polyol: 500-2000) and their functional group contents. This parameter optimization allows the gel to achieve softness through the polyol structure itself rather than through plasticizer addition, eliminating the harmful surface tackiness effect.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If aliphatic polyisocyanate with average functionality >2.0 is used to reduce surface tackiness, then surface tackiness is improved, but mechanical properties and heat resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite approach by combining multiple polyols (polyester polyol and polyether polyol) with specific molecular weight ranges and functional group contents. This composite polyol system, when reacted with aliphatic polyisocyanate, produces a gel that achieves both low surface tackiness and good mechanical properties/heat resistance simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between surface properties and bulk properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the average functionality parameter of the polyisocyanate to be greater than 2.0 (preferably 2.5 to 4.0), which reduces surface tackiness. Simultaneously, it controls the molecular weights and functional group contents of the polyols to ensure that the overall gel structure maintains adequate crosslinking density for good mechanical properties and heat resistance.
3Shape
If a coat layer is added to improve surface texture, then surface texture is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the surface texture function into the bulk gel formulation itself by optimizing the polyol composition and molecular weights. Instead of adding a separate coat layer, the improved surface texture is achieved through the inherent properties of the gel matrix, eliminating the need for additional surface treatment layers and simplifying the overall structure.
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 solution improves handleability, mechanical properties, and heat resistance of the polyurethane gel, reducing surface tackiness and achieving excellent texture and appearance, suitable for applications requiring vibration isolation and surface protection.
Implementation Method 1
the gel layer is produced by allowing at least aliphatic polyisocyanate having an average functionality of more than 2.0 to react with polyol having an average functionality of 3.0 or less
Implementation Method 2
the coat layer is produced by allowing at least aliphatic diisocyanate and/or alicyclic diisocyanate to react with bifunctional active hydrogen compound
Data Source
AI summary
In a polyurethane gel 1 including a gel layer 2 and a coat layer 3 covering the gel layer 2, the gel layer 2 is produced by allowing at least aliphatic polyisocyanate having an average functionality of more than 2.0 to react with polyol having an average functionality of 3.0 or less, and the coat layer 3 is produced by allowing at least aliphatic diisocyanate and/or alicyclic diisocyanate to react with bifunctional active hydrogen compound.