Thermally Restorable Adhesive Layer Thickness Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

High flowability of adhesive layers in thermally restorable articles leads to unstable shape formation during extrusion molding, resulting in increased thickness variation, particularly when the inner diameter is small, which complicates the process of increasing the diameter and achieving reliable adhesiveness.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a thermoplastic resin with a melt flow rate of 15 g/10 min to 1,000 g/10 min at 190°C and an organically treated layered silicate to control shear viscosity, ensuring good flowability during extrusion molding while maintaining thickness consistency and enhancing adhesiveness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the adhesive layer has high flowability to achieve good filling property and adhesiveness, then the adhesiveness to base is improved, but the shape stability during extrusion molding deteriorates resulting in increased thickness variation

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadhesivenessVSAvoidthickness variation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the adhesive layer by incorporating specific polymers (polyolefin, polyamide, polyester) with defined molecular weight ranges and compositions. This allows control of flowability through chemical structure rather than单纯 viscosity adjustment, achieving good filling property while maintaining shape stability during extrusion molding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The adhesive layer is formulated as a composite material containing multiple polymer components (polyolefin, polyamide, polyester) with specific weight ratios. This composite structure provides both the flowability needed for good filling and adhesiveness, and the structural stability required for consistent thickness during extrusion molding, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If the adhesive layer has high flowability to easily closely adhere to adherend, then the filling property is improved, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates because the space inside may be filled and diameter increase process becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilling propertyVSAvoidprocess difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent controls the flowability parameter through specific polymer selection and composition rather than using excessively low viscosity materials. This allows the adhesive to have sufficient flow to fill gaps and adhere well, while maintaining enough viscosity to prevent complete space filling during extrusion, thus keeping the diameter increase process manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The adhesive layer is designed with specific local properties through polymer composition - having high flowability characteristics in the radial direction for good filling and adhesion, while maintaining structural integrity in the axial direction to prevent space filling and allow diameter increase. This directional quality differentiation resolves the manufacturing difficulty.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 achieves a thermally restorable article with improved filling properties and reduced thickness variation of the adhesive layer, ensuring reliable adhesiveness and consistent extrusion moldability, even with small inner diameters.

Implementation Method 1

controlling a shear viscosity at a temperature of 150°C and at a shear rate of 0.1 s-1 to 10 Pa·s or less

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectViscosity control:

Implementation Method 2

heating is then performed so that the outer layer of the tube is thermally shrunk and, at the same time, the inner adhesive layer is allowed to flow to fill a gap between the base to be treated and the outer layer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal shrinkage: Thermal Contraction

Data Source

PatentEP2905132B1Multilayer thermally restorable article
Publication Date: 2020.06.17 SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES LTD
  • EP2905132B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

Provided is a thermally restorable article which has a good filling property when thermally shrunk to improve adhesiveness with a base to be treated, and in which the variation in the thickness of an adhesive layer during extrusion molding can be reduced. A multilayer thermally restorable article includes an adhesive layer composed of an adhesive composition that contains a thermoplastic resin having a melt flow rate of 15 g/10 min or more and 1,000 g/10 min or less at 190°C and at a load of 2.16 kg, and an organically treated layered silicate, and that has a shear viscosity of 1,000 Pa·s or more at a temperature of 150°C and at a shear rate of 0.1 s-1; and an outer layer disposed on an outer periphery of the adhesive layer. More preferably, a shear viscosity of the adhesive composition at a temperature of 150°C and at a shear rate of 100 s-1 is 200 Pa·s or less.