Window Covering Slat Using Calcium Carbonate Polyolefin Composite
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plastic window covering slats made of PVC pose environmental hazards due to improper disposal, and existing environment-friendly materials lack sufficient toughness and incur high manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A composite material comprising 50-70 wt% inorganic mineral powder, 20-45 wt% polyolefin, and 5-15 wt% auxiliary agent, primarily using calcium carbonate and polyolefin, which can be directly kneaded and extruded to form window covering slats, reducing manufacturing costs and environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional PVC is used to manufacture window covering slats, then the slats have sufficient mechanical strength and toughness, but they cause environmental harm when discarded and incinerated producing Dioxin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite material combining polyolefin (20-45 wt%), inorganic mineral powder (50-70 wt%, primarily calcium carbonate), and auxiliary agents (5-15 wt%). This composite structure provides both environmental friendliness through biodegradability and sufficient mechanical strength through the synergistic combination of organic and inorganic components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the weight percentage ranges of each component to achieve the desired balance between environmental friendliness and mechanical properties. Specifically, polyolefin content is controlled at 20-45 wt% to provide toughness while inorganic mineral powder at 50-70 wt% provides structural integrity, replacing harmful PVC with a tunable composite formulation.
2Ease of manufacture
If inorganic mineral powder is used directly in conventional elastic sheet manufacturing, then the material composition can be simplified, but the inorganic powder cannot be kneaded directly requiring masterbatch preparation which increases cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the material parameters by selecting specific auxiliary agents (polyolefin elastomer, maleic anhydride grafted polyolefin elastomer, or maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene) that act as coupling agents, enabling direct kneading of inorganic mineral powder with polyolefin without requiring masterbatch preparation, thus simplifying the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary agents serve as intermediaries between the inorganic mineral powder and polyolefin matrix, facilitating direct mixing and kneading by improving compatibility and dispersion, thereby eliminating the need for complex masterbatch preparation steps.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If inorganic mineral powder content is increased to reduce cost and improve environmental friendliness, then the material becomes more eco-friendly and cost-effective, but the toughness and mechanical properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent formulates a composite where inorganic mineral powder (50-70 wt%) provides environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness, while polyolefin (20-45 wt%) and auxiliary agents (5-15 wt%) maintain toughness and mechanical properties through their matrix-forming and coupling functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the weight percentage of each component, specifically maintaining polyolefin at 20-45 wt% and auxiliary agents at 5-15 wt% to ensure sufficient toughness even with high inorganic mineral powder content (50-70 wt%), achieving the desired balance between environmental friendliness and mechanical performance.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If PVC is replaced with environment-friendly materials, then environmental harm is reduced, but the manufacturing cost increases and the material lacks sufficient toughness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a cost-effective composite using primarily calcium carbonate (inorganic mineral powder, 50-70 wt%) which is inexpensive and environmentally friendly, combined with polyolefin and auxiliary agents in optimized ratios to achieve both cost reduction and environmental friendliness without sacrificing toughness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adjusts the formulation parameters to use cost-effective materials like calcium carbonate at high concentrations (50-70 wt%) while maintaining performance through optimized polyolefin (20-45 wt%) and auxiliary agent (5-15 wt%) content, achieving both economic and environmental benefits.
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 provides window covering slats with enhanced mechanical strength and toughness, reducing environmental harm and manufacturing costs while simplifying the production process, making the material suitable for panel-type, vertical, or horizontal louvers.
Implementation Method 1
the auxiliary agent may be polyolefin elastomer (POE), maleic anhydride grafted polyolefin elastomer (POE-g-MA), or maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (PE-g-MA)
Implementation Method 2
b) extruding the composite material obtained in step a) to form a sheet
Implementation Method 3
a) kneading and pelletizing an environment-friendly material comprising 50 wt % to 70 wt % of inorganic mineral powder, 20 wt % to 45 wt % of polyolefin, and 5 wt % to 15 wt % of auxiliary agent to obtain a composite material
Data Source
AI summary
An environment-friendly material includes 50 wt % to 70 wt % of inorganic mineral powder, 20 wt % to 45 wt % of polyolefin, and 5 wt % to 15 wt % of auxiliary agent. The inorganic mineral powder contains calcium carbonate; the polyolefin may be linear low density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, medium density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, or polypropylene; and the auxiliary agent may be polyolefin elastomer, maleic anhydride grafted polyolefin elastomer, or maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene. The disclosure also provides a manufacturing method of window covering slat using the environment-friendly material and a window covering slat manufactured by the method.