Liquid membrane encapsulated reactive products

Abstract

A process for preparing reactive products which comprise two or more relative components is described. Said process comprises emulsifying at least one reactant in a first liquid which is substantially impermeable to all of the reactants, forming droplets of said emulsion, and suspending said droplets in a second liquid which is immiscible with said first liquid and which forms an immiscible continuous liquid phase, which comprises the remaining reactants. Preferably, the emulsion and the continuous liquid phase density are adjusted to be substantially equal so that a nonsettling product is obtained. In a most preferred embodiment, the reactive product comprises a two-component adhesive system, i.e., an epoxy resin and an amine hardener, said epoxy resin and amine hardener are maintained separate from each other by the exterior phase of an emulsion, the interior phase comprising the hardener, and the continuous phase, wherein said emulsion is suspended, comprising the epoxy resin. The adhesive product is applied to the objects, which are joined, by processes known in the art, i.e., spraying, dipcoating, etc., and the emulsion broken by heat and/or pressure, whereby the epoxy and the hardener mixes and forms a reaction product consisting of a copolymer of the epoxy resin and the amine hardener.