Sealant application method
AssigneeRocket Research Company
InventorJoel V. Van Ornum
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fast gelling method of formulating and applying a curable butyl rubber sealant composition which composition is cured using a quinoid curing agent and a free radical cross-linking activator. The curing agent and a first portion of the activator are added to the sealant components to produce a base component. If the amount of activator in the first portion is chosen correctly, the base component remains ungelled until the remainder of the activator is added, at which time a very rapid gel takes place. This method is particularly useful where the sealant is a tire sealant and is to be sprayed onto the inner surface of a tire.
Claims39
A method of compounding a sealant composition, which sealant composition comprises the reaction product, in the presence of finely divided carbon, of (a) a copolymer comprising a major proportion of an isoolefin having 4 to 7 carbon atoms with a minor proportion of an open chain conjugated diolefin having 4 to 8 carbon atoms, (b) a quinoid curing agent, and (c) a free radical cross-linking activator, capable of initiating a cross-linking reaction between the copolymer and the curing agent, in an amount sufficient to at least partially cross-link the copolymer, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing an essentially uncross-linked base component comprising the copolymer, the curing agent, the carbon and a portion of the activator;
- providing a second component comprising the remainder of the activator;
- and
- mixing the base component and the second component.
A method of compounding a sealant composition, which sealant composition comprises the reaction product, in the presence of finely divided carbon, of (a) a copolymer comprising a major proportion of an isolefin having 4 to 7 carbon atoms with a minor proportion of an open chain conjugated diolefin having 4 to 8 carbon atoms, (b) a quinoid curing agent, and (c) a free radical cross-linking activator capable of initiating a cross-linking reaction between the copolymer and the curing agent, in an amount sufficient to at least partially cross-link the copolymer, said copolymer, curing agent, and activator being characterized by a delay time, defined as the time elapsing between mixing of copolymer, carbon, curing agent and all of the activator and the rapid rise in viscosity of the mixed components, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming a base component by mixing the copolymer, the curing agent, the carbon, and a first portion of the activator, which activator portion is less than the amount of activator which will cause the viscosity of the base component to rise rapidly within a period of time substantially equal to the delay time;
- allowing the base component to stand for a period of time greater than the delay time but less than the pot life of the base component;
- and
- adding the remainder of the activator to the base component.
In a method of applying a sealant composition to an object, which sealant composition comprises the reaction product, in the presence of finely divided carbon, of (a) a copolymer comprising a major proportion of an isoolefin having 4 to 7 carbon atoms with a minor proportion of an open chain conjugated diolefin having 4 to 8 carbon atoms, (b) a quinoid curing agent, and (c) a free radical cross-linking activator, capable of initiating a cross-linking reaction between the copolymer and the curing agent, in an amount sufficient to at least partially cross-link the copolymer, the improvement comprising the steps of:
- providing an essentially uncross-linked base component comprising the copolymer, the curing agent, the carbon and a portion of the activator;
- providing a second component comprising the remainder of the activator;
- mixing the base component and the second component;
- and
- applying the mixture of base component and second component to the object.
In a method of applying a sealant composition to an object, which sealant composition comprises the reaction product, in the presence of finely divided carbon, of (a) a copolymer comprising a major proportion of an isolefin having 4 to 7 carbon atoms with a minor proportion of an open chain conjugated diolefin having 4 to 8 carbon atoms, (b) a quinoid curing agent, and (c) a free radical cross-linking activator capable of initiating a cross-linking reaction between the copolymer and the curing agent, in an amount sufficient to at least partially cross-link the copolymer, said copolymer, curing agent, and activator being characterized by a delay time, defined as the time elapsing between mixing of copolymer, carbon, curing agent and all of the the activator and the rapid rise in viscosity of the mixed components, the improvement comprising the steps of:
- forming a base component by mixing the copolymer, the curing agent, the carbon, and a first portion of the activator, which activator portion is less than the amount of activator which will cause the viscosity of the base component to rise rapidly within a period of time substantially equal to the delay time;
- allowing the base component to stand for aperiod of time greater than the delay time but less than the pot life of the base component;
- adding the remainder of the activator to the base component;
- and
- applying the combination of base component and remainder of the activator to the object.
In a method of making a self healing tire, which method involves applying to the inner surface of the tire a sealant composition comprising the reaction product, in the presence of finely divided carbon, of (a) a copolymer comprising a major proportion of an isoolefin having 4 to 7 carbon atoms with a minor proportion of an open chain conjugated diolefin having 4 to 8 carbon atoms, (b) a quinoid curing agent, and (c) a free radical cross-linking activator, capable of initiating a cross-linking reaction between the copolymer and the curing agent, in an amount sufficient to at least partially cross-link the copolymer, the improvement comprising the steps of:
- providing an essentially uncross-linked base component comprising the copolymer, the curing agent, the carbon and a portion of the activator;
- providing a second component comprising the remainder of the activator;
- mixing the base component and the second component;
- and
- applying the mixture of base component and second component to the inner surface of the tire.
In a method of making a self healing tire, which method involves applying to the inner surface of the tire a sealant composition comprising the reaction product, in the presence of finely divided carbon, of (a) a copolymer comprising a major proportion of an isoolefin having 4 to 7 carbon atoms with a minor proportion of an open chain conjugated diolefin having 4 to 8 carbon atoms, (b) a quinoid curing agent, and (c) a free radical cross-linking activator capable of initiating a cross-linking reaction between the copolymer and the curing agent, in an amount sufficient to at least partially crosslink the copolymer, said copolymer, curing agent, and activator being characterized by a delay time, defined as the time elapsing between mixing of copolymer, carbon, curing agent and all of the activator and the rapid rise in viscosity of the mixed components, the improvement comprising the steps of:
- forming a base component by mixing the copolymer, the curing agent, the carbon, and a first portion of the activator, which activator portion is less than the amount of activator which will cause the viscosity of the base component to rise rapidly within a period of time substantially equal to the delay time;
- allowing the base component to stand for a period of time greater than the delay time but less than the pot life of the base component;
- adding the remainder of the activator to the base component;
- and
- applying the combination of base component and remainder of the activator to the inner surface of the tire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.