Automotive Weather Strip Surface Texture via Thermo-Expansive Capsules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional polymeric compositions for automotive weather strips face issues with non-uniform surface treatment agent coating, leading to inadequate sliding characteristics, adherence resistance, and water repellency, which affects productivity and functional performance.
Innovation Solution
A polymeric composition comprising ethylene-α-olefin-nonconjugated polyene copolymer, carbon black with an average particle diameter of 60 nm or more, and thermo-expansive capsules, which creates a rough surface through thermal expansion, reducing the need for surface treatment agents and enhancing sliding characteristics and adherence resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a surface treatment agent is coated onto the polymer-extruded article to improve sliding characteristics and adherence resistance, then the functional performance is improved, but coating uniformity becomes difficult to control and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer-extruded article itself provides the sliding characteristics and adherence resistance through its inherent surface properties formed during extrusion, eliminating the need for additional surface treatment agent coating processes. The article serves its own functional requirements without requiring external treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface treatment agent coating process is completely removed from the manufacturing system. Instead of adding a separate coating step, the patent uses the base polymer-extruded article's surface properties directly, extracting the unnecessary coating operation that caused productivity issues.
2Reliability
If a surface treatment agent is coated onto the polymer-extruded article to improve adherence resistance, then the functional performance is improved, but coating uniformity becomes insufficient leading to macula formation
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer-extruded article's surface properties are optimized during the extrusion process itself to provide adequate adherence resistance. The surface morphology and composition are controlled through extrusion parameters, allowing the article to meet functional requirements without requiring additional coating layers that suffer from uniformity issues.
3Reliability
If a surface treatment agent is coated onto the polymer-extruded article to improve water repellency, then the functional performance is improved, but the coating layer thickness becomes insufficient under certain conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer-extruded article's water repellency is achieved through its inherent surface properties formed during extrusion, including surface energy characteristics and morphology. This eliminates dependence on additional coating layers whose thickness cannot be consistently controlled under varying coating conditions.
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 composition achieves improved sliding characteristics, adherence resistance, and water repellency without the need for surface treatment agents, ensuring the weather strip's functionality and productivity are maintained.
Implementation Method 1
During valcanization of the polymeric composition, the thermo-expansive capsules are thermally expanded (slightly foamed)
Data Source
AI summary
A polymer-extruded article produced by extrusion and vulcanization of a polymeric composition includes ethylene-α-olefin-nonconjugated polyene copolymer in an amount of 100 phr; carbon black in an amount ranging from more than 50 to 120 phr, the carbon black having an arithmetic average particle diameter of not smaller than 60 nm; a softener in an amount of not more than 100 phr; and thermo-expansive capsules in an amount ranging from 1 to 10 phr. The polymer-extruded article includes a surface section having an uneven surface derived from thermal expansion of the thermo-expansive capsules, and a rough surface derived from carbon particle of the carbon black and formed at the uneven surface derived form the thermal expansion of the thermo-expansive capsules.