Henkel Corporation

Bruce Lee Harrison

Bradley L Hilborn

Vettithara C Koshy

George F Didlake

A high performance structural foam is used for stiffening parts such as plastic parts. The foam could be formulated for in-mold use at elevated temperatures or at ambient temperatures for use with previously molded parts. Various ingredients are used to control the properties of the foam.

Method of forming a high performance structural foam for stiffening parts

A thermosettable adhesive is used to secure a laminate having a compliant layer (for example, a foamable composition containing a diene rubber), a layer comprised of a thermosettable resin capable of being cured to a rigid state, and an optional carrier layer (for example, a metal foil) to a substrate for the purpose of strengthening, stiffening, or otherwise reinforcing the substrate. The substrate may, for example, be a metal vehicle door. The thermosettable adhesive is comprised of at least one polyol such as a polyether polyol, at least one epoxy resin, and at least one polyisocyanate.

Reinforcement laminate

Waxes, particularly paraffin and microcrystalline waxes, can act as corrosion inhibitors when added at low levels to compositions based on thermosettable resins such as epoxy resins. When such wax-modified thermosettable compositions are used to coat a metallic surface, enhanced protection of the metallic surface against corrosion due to environmental exposure such as salt spray is obtained. The thermosettable compositions are particularly useful in expandable or foamable form for imparting structural reinforcement to hollow metal parts such as automotive components.

Wax-modified thermosettable compositions

Foamable compositions based on epoxy resins which exhibit good shelf life are obtained through the use of specific blowing agent and curing accelerator systems. The blowing agent system contains azodicarbonamide, while the curative system contains an amine-epoxy adduct such as an imidazole-epoxy adduct. The compositions are capable of providing structural foams which are useful in the manufacture of reinforced structural members and the like.

Storage-stable compositions useful for the production of structural foams

Foamable compositions which exhibit reduced surface tack and better handling characteristics are obtained through the use of specific combinations of epoxy resins. One or more solid epoxy resins are utilized together with liquid and/or semi-solid epoxy resins. The compositions, which preferably contain hollow glass microspheres, are capable of providing foams which are useful in the manufacture of reinforced structural members.

Reduced tack compositions useful for the production of reinforcing foams

Titanates and zirconates bearing organic substituents can act as corrosion inhibitors when added to foamable compositions based on thermosettable synthetic resins such as epoxy resins. Combinations of organometallates containing certain specific types of substituents provide synergistic improvements in the properties of structural reinforcement foams obtained by heating and curing the foamable compositions.

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Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Bruce Lee Harrison