Method and apparatus for bonding and debonding adhesive interface surfaces
AssigneeDe-Bonding Limited
InventorsPeter Bain, Giovanni Manfre
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a system and a method of improving the debonding of two or more surfaces together. The invention utilises thermoexpanadable microspheres and thermal energy to debond interfaces in an adhesive system or as vehicle carriers. It also discloses a method of curing the adhesive system prior to the debonding step so that the same adhesive system may be used for both phases. It is especially useful in the automotive industry for end of vehicle life dismantling.
Claims43
A method of bonding and debonding two or more surfaces or supports or layers of an adhesive system, the adhesive system comprising:
- (i) an adhesive composition at its bonded surface(s), the composition being placed between said surfaces or supports or layers, and the adhesive composition comprising an adhesive agent and/or a primer and/or a cleaner at its interface and dispersed therein at least two sets of thermoexpandable microspheres that are not simultaneously activatable;
- (ii) a first set of microspheres being associated with curing and bonding;
- and
- (iii) a second set of microspheres being associated with debonding, wherein in order to debond the system a sufficient power level of thermal radiation and/or thermal energy is provided which concentrates on the adhesive surfaces so as to expand the second set of microspheres in the adhesive and/or a primer and/or a cleaner layers and so causes weakening of adhesive surface forces at the interface of said layers in the adhesive system.
An adhesive system comprising curing an adhesive composition and/or de-bonding the same adhesive at its bonded surface, the composition being placed between two or more surfaces of supports or layers, and the adhesive composition comprising an adhesive and/or cleaner and/or primer at its interface and dispersed therein thermo-expandable microspheres the system comprising the steps of:
- (i) activating a method of curing the composition by providing a first power level of thermal radiation and/ or thermal conduction and/or thermal energy which passes through the adhesive composition so the contents of the expanded microspheres leach or migrate through their porous shells into the matrix of the composition and;
- (ii) de-bonding adhesive interfaces of the same surfaces of supports or layers by providing a second power level of thermal radiation and/ or thermal conduction and/or thermal energy which concentrates on the adhesive surfaces so as to expand the microspheres in the adhesive and/or cleaner and/or primer layers and so cause weakening of adhesive surface forces in the interface of the adhesive composition.
A method of attaching or bonding two or more surfaces together comprising:
- (i) applying an adhesive composition according to claim to one or more of the contact surfaces of each or all items which is to be bonded together;
- and
- (ii) supplying sufficient thermal radiation and/ or thermal conduction to the composition via contact with one or more of the contact surfaces of each or all items which is to be bonded together so as to cause a proportion of the thermoexpandable microspheres to expand and optionally to further release a curing agent into the composition during the bonding process.
(canceled)
An apparatus for attaching or detaching two or more surfaces that have been bonded together comprising an IR emitting device comprising at least one bulb, at least one lens and at least one reflecting mirror mutually arranged so that heat is directed or focused only at an adhesive interface or a path where the thermoexpandable microspheres are present.
A method of de-bonding an adhesive composition, the composition being present at an interface and being placed between two or more surfaces of vehicle glazing or vehicle panel(s) or part(s) the composition comprising an adhesive or cleaner and/or primer and thermoexpandable microspheres dispersed therein the microspheres having a diameter of between 10-50 μm and an activation temperature range of between 110-210 C° and encapsulating at least one blowing agent the debonding being effected by exposing the microspheres power level of thermal radiation and/or thermal energy that results in a temperature received by the microspheres in the range of 110-210 C°.
A method of curing an adhesive and de-bonding the same adhesive from automotive glazing or panels or parts comprising applying a composition comprising an adhesive and thermoexpandable microspheres dispersed therein, a first set of microspheres having a diameter of between 30-50 μm and an activation temperature range of between 50-100 C° and a second set of microspheres having a diameter of between 10-50 μm and an activation temperature range of between 110-210 C° the second set of microspheres being present at an interface of the adhesive or cleaner and/or primer, the composition being placed between two or more surfaces of the glazing or panel or part(s) and:
- (i) activating curing of the composition by exposing it to a first power level of thermal radiation and/or thermal energy that results in a temperature received by the microspheres in the range of 50-100 C°;
- and
- (ii) de-bonding the adhesive system at its interfaces by exposing it to a first power level of thermal radiation and/or thermal energy that results in a temperature received by the microspheres in the range of 110-210 C°.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.