3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

David Adrian Ylitalo

Gary Timothy Boyd

Robert J DeVoe

Steven Joseph Hamrock

Michael Andrew Yandrasits

Michael D Swan

Krzysztof A Lewinski

Jerry W Williams

Shane Shanhong Mao

Gerald L Uhl

Jeanne M Goetzke

Douglas Willard Kado

Raymond Patrick Johnston

Mario Alberto Perez

Jonathan D Zook

Pingfan Peter Wu

Junkang Jacob Liu

Ilya Gorodisher

Ryan E Marx

Larry S Hebert

Susan E DeMoss

Thomas Herdtle

Feng Bai

Sanat Mohanty

Richard W Greger

Kevin E Kinzer

Patrick G Zimmerman

Thomas M Clausen

Michael Patrick M Mandanas

Ali Berker

Marie Aloshyna Ep Lesuffieur

Alla Yankovsky

Audrey B Nguyen

Provided are two-component curable compositions and methods thereof. The composition includes a base component comprised of a curable resin and a first compressible filler dispersed therein. The composition further includes a curative component comprised of a curing agent and a second compressible filler dispersed therein. The base and curative components react with each other upon mixing to provide a crosslinked network. When used with automated metering pumps, the compressibility of the base and curing agent components can be matched, allowing for a constant mix ratio despite variability in applied pressure.

Curable compositions and related methods

Methods of using and repairing seal caps as well as constructions comprising seal caps, including in some embodiments seal caps which may be useful in sealing fasteners that protrude into fuel storage cells in aircraft. In some embodiments, methods include the use of optically translucent seal cap and application of a second quantity of sealant to fill voids observed within the interior of the seal cap after cure of a first quantity of sealant.

Method of filling voids in a filled seal cap

Thermally stable microstructured layers comprising polyurethane, polyurea and/or polyurethane/urea semi-IPN materials are provided which have microstructured surfaces which are highly durable, erosion resistant, and thermally stable. The microstructured layer comprises a semi-IPN of a polymer network selected from the group consisting of urethane acrylate polymer networks, urethane/urea acrylate polymer networks and urea acrylate polymer networks and a linear or branched polymer that is a thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyurethane/polyureas, thermoplastic polyureas, and combinations thereof. The microstructures are thermally stable at temperatures above the crossover point of the thermoplastic polymer, despite comprising a majority of such thermoplastic material. In another aspect, the present disclosure provides methods of making microstructured layers according to the present disclosure.

Thermally stable microstructured semi-IPN layer

Crosslinked silicone foams are provided that can be substantially free of chemical blowing agents or byproducts thereof. These foams can be prepared from polymerizable silicone compositions that include an MQ-water cluster including a silicate MQ resin and a quantity of water dispersed in the silicate MQ resin and a silicone fluid, wherein the MQ-water cluster and silicone fluid collectively provide a inverted emulsion having a continuous and a discontinuous phase, the continuous phase including the silicone fluid and the discontinuous phase including the MQ-water cluster. The foams can be made by dispersing water into a silicate MQ resin to provide an MQ-water cluster; dispersing the stabilized MQ-water cluster into a silicone fluid to obtain an inverted silicone emulsion having the MQ-water cluster as a discontinuous phase and the silicone fluid as a continuous phase; foaming the silicone emulsion by evolving the water in the MQ-water cluster to provide a cellular structure; and polymerizing the silicone emulsion.

Silicone compositions and related methods

A sound insulation process comprises (a) providing at least one sound insulation device comprising at least one sound barrier comprising at least one substantially periodic array of structures disposed in a first medium having a first density, the structures being made of a second medium having a second density different from the first density, wherein one of the first and second media is a viscoelastic medium having a speed of propagation of longitudinal sound wave and a speed of propagation of transverse sound wave, the speed of propagation of longitudinal sound wave being at least about 30 times the speed of propagation of transverse sound wave, and wherein the other of the first and second media is a viscoelastic or elastic medium; and (b) interposing the sound insulation device between an acoustic source area and an acoustic receiving area of a transportation vehicle.

Transportation vehicle sound insulation process and device

A method is provided for making an edge-sealed fuel cell membrane electrode assembly comprising the steps of: i) providing a suitable membrane electrode assembly lay-up; ii) positioning a suitable annular layer of a thermoplastic; and iii) applying pressure and heat sufficient to melt impregnate the thermoplastic into the fluid transport layer or layers of the membrane electrode assembly lay-up and simultaneously bond the fluid transport layer or layers to the polymer electrolyte membrane of the membrane electrode assembly lay-up. The polymer electrolyte membrane of the membrane electrode assembly lay-up may be perforated in its outer sealing area. Membrane electrode assemblies made according to the method of the present invention are also provided.

One-step method of bonding and sealing a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly

Sulfonated perfluorocyclobutane ion-conducting membranes

A flow field for an electrochemical cell such as a fuel cell is provided, having micro-flow channels having a width or depth of less than 800 &mgr;m, a pitch of less than 800 &mgr;m, or a proportion of inter-channel land area of less than 25%. The channels may further comprise micro-features within the channels. A flow field plate comprising the subject flow field is provided.

Microstructured flow fields

A polymer electrolyte membrane is provided comprising an intimate mixture of an ionomeric polymer and a structural film-forming polymer. A method of making the polymer electrolyte membrane is also provided, comprising the step of coalescing at least one of an ionomeric polymer and a structural film-forming polymer in a mixture of the two resulting from a mixed dispersion and optionally crosslinking one or both.

Polymer electrolyte membranes from mixed dispersions

A method is provided for making crosslinked acidic polymers useful as ion conductive membranes, such as crosslinked sulfonated polyether ketones, sulfonated polysulfones, sulfonated polystyrenes, and other acidic polymers, by crosslinking with a species which generates an acidic functionality. The crosslinker preferably binds to acid functions by conversion of acid groups to imide functionality, which, due to the acidity of the N-H bonds therein, compensate for the acidity lost by the occupation of the acid groups and thus preserve membrane conductivity while contributing to membrane strength and resistance to swelling.

Crosslinked ion conductive membranes

A shaped adhesive article is prepared by a method comprising the steps of shaping an adhesive mixture in a mold, said mold having one or more featured surfaces, said mixture including a first polymer precursor and a second polymer precursor, or a first polymer precursor and a thermoplastic polymer, polymerizing said first polymer precursor in said mold, to produce a shaped adhesive article having one or more featured surfaces, removing said shaped adhesive article from said mold, and adhering one or more of said featured surfaces to a substrate.

Method of forming shaped adhesives

A process for making an adhesive comprising allowing a carrier web coated with a thermal free-radically polymerizable mixture to remain in a heat exchange medium for a time sufficient to subdue the reaction exotherm and maintain a reaction temperature by thermal contact of the polymerizable mixture with the heat exchange medium and to affect conversion of the coating to an adhesive layer, preferably to a pressure sensitive adhesive layer, wherein the coating is a substantially solvent-free thermally initiated polymerizable mixture comprised of at least one free radical monomer, at least one thermal initiator, optionally, at least one cross-linker and optionally, at least one co-monomer.

Opaque adhesives and method therefor

Process of making thermal free-radical cure adhesives

A curable composition comprises 0.1 to 50 weight percent of a curable epoxy resin, the weight percent being based on the total resin composition, an effective mount of a curative for the curable epoxy resin, 50 to 99.9 weight percent of at least one of a fully prepolymerized hydrocarbon polyolefin resin and a fully prepolymerized functionalized polyolefin resin, the weight percent being based on the total resin composition, wherein said hydrocarbon polyolefin is present in the range of 25 to 99.9 weight percent of the total resin composition and said functionalized polyolefin is present in the range of 0 to 49.9 weight percent of the total resin composition, said composition being free of epoxidized natural and/or synthetic rubber.

Semi-interpenetrating polymer networks of epoxy and polyolefin resins,

Growing community of inventors

Stillwater, MN, United States of America

David Adrian Ylitalo