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US 7,862,671 B2Granted
Welding of a polymeric material and structures formed thereby
AssigneeDow Global Technologies LLC
InventorsJames Thomas Seliskar, James David Oelberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to welding of a polymeric material and structures formed by such welding. The material is preferably a thermoplastic material that is a blend of one or more thermoplastic polyolefins and one or more elastomers. One preferred welding technique is vibration welding.
Claims20
A process of welding a polymeric material, the process, comprising:
- providing a first member having a surface wherein the first member and the surface are formed of a polymeric composition and the polymeric composition includes:
- i. thermoplastic polyolefin that includes a relatively high crystallinity portion having a crystallinity greater than about 65%, wherein the relatively high crystallinity portion includes one or more polypropylenes homopolymers, and the highly crystalline portion is at least 40% of the thermoplastic polyolefin;
- and
- ii. 10% to 25% by weight polyolefin elastomer, wherein the polyolefin elastomer is formed of one or more linear or substantially linear ethylene copolymers, wherein the one or more linear or substantially linear ethylene copolymers are copolymers consisting of ethylene and one or more α-olefin comonomers;
- wherein the polymeric composition includes less than about 1 weight percent of a calcined filler, or is without any calcined filler;
- providing a second member having a surface;
- heating and softening at least a portion of the polymeric composition the first member;
- contacting the portion of the polymeric composition with the second member and allowing the portion to cool and harden thereby forming a weld connecting the first member to the second member, the weld being at least partially formed of the polymeric composition.
5 more elements
A process of welding a polymeric material, the process, comprising:
- providing a first member having a surface wherein the first member and the surface are formed of a polymeric composition and the polymeric composition includes:
- i. a thermoplastic polyolefin that includes a relatively high crystallinity portion, wherein the relatively high crystallinity portion has a crystallinity greater than about 50%, wherein the highly crystalline portion includes one or more homopolymer polypropylenes, wherein the concentration of the one or more homopolymer polypropylenes is at least 95 weight percent, based on the total weight of the relatively high crystallinity portion;
- and the concentration of the relatively high crystallinity portion is at least 40% by weight, based on the total weight of the thermoplastic polyolefin;
- and
- ii. 10% to 25% by weight polyolefin elastomer wherein the elastomer is substantially entirely formed of a. one or more linear ethylene copolymers consist of ethylene and one or more α-olefin comonomers, b. one or more substantially linear ethylene copolymers consisting of ethylene and one or more α-olefin comonomers, or c. both a. and b.;
- providing a second member having a surface;
- contacting the surface of the first member with the surface of the second member and oscillating the first member or second member for frictionally heating and softening at least a portion of the polymeric composition of the first member;
- and
- allowing the portion to cool and harden thereby forming a weld connecting the first member to the second member, the weld being at least partially formed of the polymeric composition;
- wherein the polymeric composition includes less than about 1 weight percent of a calcined filler, or is without any calcined filler.
7 more elements
A process of welding a polymeric material, the process, comprising:
- providing a first member having a surface wherein the first member and the surface are formed of a polymeric composition and the polymeric composition includes:
- i. a thermoplastic polyolefin that includes a relatively high crystallinity portion;
- wherein the relatively high crystallinity portion is formed substantially entirely of one or more polypropylenes homopolymers;
- the relatively high crystallinity portion has a crystallinity greater than about 50%;
- the relatively high crystallinity portion has a melt flow rate from about 4 to about 20 g/10 min measured at 230° C./2.16 kg;
- the concentration of the relatively high crystallinity portion is at least 40% by weight, based on the total weight of the thermoplastic polyolefin;
- and the concentration of the thermoplastic polyolefin is about 60% to about 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the polymeric composition;
- and
- ii. 10% to 25% by weight polyolefin elastomer wherein the elastomer substantially entirely formed of a. one or more linear ethylene copolymers consisting of ethylene and one or more α-olefin comonomers, b. one or more substantially linear ethylene copolymers consisting of ethylene and one or more α-olefin comonomers, or c. both a. and b.;
- providing a second member having a surface wherein the second member and surface of the second member are formed of the polymeric composition;
- contacting the surface of the first member with the surface of the second member and oscillating the first member or second member for frictionally heating and softening at least a portion of the polymeric composition of the first member;
- and
- allowing the portion to cool and harden thereby forming a weld connecting the first member to the second member, the weld being at least partially formed of the polymeric composition;
- wherein the surface of the first member exhibits a scratch resistance of at least about 7 newtons, wherein the polymeric composition is substantially without any grafted polymers, and the polymeric composition is substantially without any calcined fillers;
- and
- wherein the composition includes:
- i. 5% to 40% filler that includes at least at least 88% by weight talc;
- ii. antioxidant;
- and
- iii. erucamide.
17 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.