CA2039201A1 - Filler for molded articles - Google Patents
Filler for molded articlesInfo
- Publication number
- CA2039201A1 CA2039201A1 CA 2039201 CA2039201A CA2039201A1 CA 2039201 A1 CA2039201 A1 CA 2039201A1 CA 2039201 CA2039201 CA 2039201 CA 2039201 A CA2039201 A CA 2039201A CA 2039201 A1 CA2039201 A1 CA 2039201A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- polystyrene
- molded
- filler
- powdered
- curable
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
- C08K—Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients
- C08K9/00—Use of pretreated ingredients
- C08K9/10—Encapsulated ingredients
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present invention is directed to a powdered filler for use in curable molded or cast articles. The filler comprises one or more particulate components to be incorporated into the molded or cast article, the particulate components being encapsulated by polystyrene.
Preferably the polystyrene and particulate components are produced from recycling previously used articles. In an aspect of the invention, a process for producing a filler for use with curable molded or cast articles is provided.
The process comprises dissolving polystyrene and preferably dissolving and degassing expanded or foamed polystyrene in a suitable solvent, mixing into the dissolved polystyrene one or more particulate components to be incorporated into the molded or cast article, and drying the mixture, whereby the particulate components are encapsulated by the polystyrene. In another aspect of the invention a molded or cast article is provided, the molded or cast article comprising a curable base material having incorporated therein the powdered filler. In yet another aspect of the invention a process for producing molded article is provided, the process comprising adding the filler to a curable base material in a suitable mold to produce a molded or cast article.
The present invention is directed to a powdered filler for use in curable molded or cast articles. The filler comprises one or more particulate components to be incorporated into the molded or cast article, the particulate components being encapsulated by polystyrene.
Preferably the polystyrene and particulate components are produced from recycling previously used articles. In an aspect of the invention, a process for producing a filler for use with curable molded or cast articles is provided.
The process comprises dissolving polystyrene and preferably dissolving and degassing expanded or foamed polystyrene in a suitable solvent, mixing into the dissolved polystyrene one or more particulate components to be incorporated into the molded or cast article, and drying the mixture, whereby the particulate components are encapsulated by the polystyrene. In another aspect of the invention a molded or cast article is provided, the molded or cast article comprising a curable base material having incorporated therein the powdered filler. In yet another aspect of the invention a process for producing molded article is provided, the process comprising adding the filler to a curable base material in a suitable mold to produce a molded or cast article.
Description
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FILLER FOR MOLDED ARTICLES
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present inven-tion relates to filler materials for curable molded and cast articles and processes for producing such filler materials. In particular, the invention relates to filler materials for curable molded and cast articles where certain of the components of the filler material are produced by recycling otherwise unusable materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is common in the art to provide various filler materials for molded and cast articles produced with a curable base material and in particular such articles made with synthetic resins as the curable base material.
Such filler materials are generally used for economic reasons as the curable base material is generally very expensive or to improve certain of the characteristics of the products either physical characteristics as for example strength, rigidity, density, impact or heat resistance or shrinkage or aesthetic characteristics in terms of coloring, marbleizing or other treatments.
Filler materials are commonly employed in the production of various types of artificial stones wherein the filler material is mixad with a curable synthetic . ,- : , ,., '. ' ' : . ; ' ' ' . ,' , , . ,1 , .. . .
FILLER FOR MOLDED ARTICLES
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present inven-tion relates to filler materials for curable molded and cast articles and processes for producing such filler materials. In particular, the invention relates to filler materials for curable molded and cast articles where certain of the components of the filler material are produced by recycling otherwise unusable materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is common in the art to provide various filler materials for molded and cast articles produced with a curable base material and in particular such articles made with synthetic resins as the curable base material.
Such filler materials are generally used for economic reasons as the curable base material is generally very expensive or to improve certain of the characteristics of the products either physical characteristics as for example strength, rigidity, density, impact or heat resistance or shrinkage or aesthetic characteristics in terms of coloring, marbleizing or other treatments.
Filler materials are commonly employed in the production of various types of artificial stones wherein the filler material is mixad with a curable synthetic . ,- : , ,., '. ' ' : . ; ' ' ' . ,' , , . ,1 , .. . .
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resin. A pigment is partially mixed into the resin and filler so the streaks of filler and pigment appear in the final molded object giving the molded object the appearance of the natural stone as for example marble, onyx, soap stone or other stone. Traditionally, the fillers employed have been various inorganic substances such as aluminum hydroxide, alumina, calcium carbonate and various natural stone powders and aggregates. These fillers are traditionally incorporated into a resin such as polyester resin, epoxy resin or acrylic resin, in particular methyl methacrylate (MMA). Upon mixing, the mixture can be molded to form sink basins, counter tops, or other architectural structures and various objects of art.
When utilizing filler material with synthetic resins as the curable base material, problems of miscibility, adhesion, etc. are present due to the substantial differences in properties between the inorganic filler and the organic resin which may result in non-uniform dispersion of the filler in the resin material.
There have been attempts to develop organic based filler materials which will overcome some of these difficulties.
One such organic based filler material is described in for example U.S. Patent No. 4,678,819. Others have attempted to overcome the difficulties by providing silicate or silane based filler materials such as described in U.S.
Patent Nos. 4,643,921 and 4,771,095. These filler materials, while overcominq some of the difficulties, utilize high value prime ingredients for the filler and hence increase the cost of production of the final molded or cast article.
Numerous articles made from plastic, glass and metal are produced each year and while attempts to provide for reuse or recycling of the material of such articles have been instituted in many communities, there are still a number of such articles which are at present not : :
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recyclable. For example, at the present time, many tons of articles produced from polystyrene are discarded requiring the provision of suitable land fill sites for their disposal.
Post-consumer plastic articles in a variety of high density and low density polyethylene as well as pre-consumer prime waste are now being recycled. During the process of shredding, meltiny and forming the waste plastic into pellets that can be re-used by the plastics industry, tons of mixed polyethylene are also produced. This mixed polyethylene cannot be used by the majority of the plastics manufacturers for a variety of reasons, for example, the typical machines and tools used by the industry have been lS geared to handle polymers of a certain density and in pellet form for ease, convenience and economy. The mixed polyethylene is composed of a mixture of polyethylene polymers with different melting temperatures and thus is not suitable for re-cycling at the present time.
Another example of the above situation is found in the recycling of metals from used wire and cables encased in a plastic covering. Again tons of plastic fluff, both polyethylene and polyvinylchloride, are occasionally produced during the process of extracting the metals and until now most of this fluff has been disposed of in land fill sites.
Many large glass companies are recycling only the sorted used glass articles which have been collected from consumers. However if various types of glass are mixed and cannot be sorted, it is not possible at present to recycle the mixed glass because their equipment cannot handle the variation in the melting temperatures of the mixed glass.
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Processes which could utilize such articles as the raw materials for the processes would have access to a potentially inexpensive source of raw material.
Additionally, the ability to recycle such articles would result in significant savings to the environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a powdered filler for use in curable molded or cast articles. The filler comprises one or more particulate components to be incorporated into the molded or cast article, the particulate components being encapsulated by polystyrene.
In an aspect of the invention, a process for producing the filler for use with curable molded or cast articles i5 provided. The process comprises dissolving polystyrene in a suitable solvent, mixing into the dissolved polystyrene one or more particulate components to be incorporated into the molded or cast article, and drying the mixture, whereby the particulate components are encapsulated by the polystyrene.
In another aspect of the invention a molded or cast article is provided, the molded or cast article comprising a curable base material having incorporated therein the powdered filler.
In yet another aspect of the invention a process for producing molded article is provided, the process comprising adding the filler to a curable base material in a suitable mold to produce a molded or cast article.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention provides for a filler for use in producing curable molded and cast articles. The filler comprises particulate components coated or encapsulated by polysty.ene. The filler of the present invention provides for the even distribution during casting or molding processes of components which may be incompatible in the base material. Thus, for example, polyethylene which would normally float to the surface during the molding or casting process is maintained evenly distributed throughout the article by coating or encapsulating in the polystyrene. Similarly, powdered iron which would normally sink to the bottom is maintained evenly distributed. Additionally, by encapsulating the particulate components in the polystyrene, the polystyrene may have pigment added to it to mask the intrinsic color of the particulate component. In this way the particulate component for the filler can be selected based upon desired characteristics independent of the aesthetic qualities of the particulate component.
The first step in the production of the fillers of the present invention is dissolving polystyrene in a suitable solvent. The suitable solvent for dissolving the polystyrene can be any of the solvents commonly known to dissolve same. The solvent may be selected from the group consisting of terpenes such as d-limonene, pinene or turpentine, styrene, carbon tetrachloride, methylethyl ketone, dioxane, butyl acetate, ethylene chloride, benzene or pyridine. Most preferably, because of the ease of handling the solvent safely with minimal risk to the operator or the environment, the solvent is a pure turpentine. It has been found that the more expensive brands of turpentine containing mineral spirits will not totally dissolve the polystyrene and therefore, the less .. . .
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expensive pure turpentine has been found to be most suitable.
The polystyrene is preferably dissolved at a concentration of 15 to 45 g of polystyrene per 100 ml of suitable solvent, most pre~erably, 20 to 40 g of polystyrene per 100 ml of solvent.
Depending upon the type of polystyrene being used, certain precautions should be taken if dissolving previously foamed or expanded polystyrene. Some expanded or foamed polystyrene is produced using gases such as forms of pentane or hexane which remain associated with the polystyrene. As such gasses may be toxic, suitable precautions in terms of venting must be taken. The behaviour of the gasses and the stage of the process where such precautions are necessary are dependent upon the solvent being utilized. Some solvents release the gasses immediately upon dissolving the polystyrene. Other solvents such as turpentine appear to dissolve the gasses whereby they are not released until such time as the dissolved polystyrene is dried, at which time the gasses must be vented and recovered.
The dissolved polystyrene may then be used to produce the fillers of the present invention. If desired the dissolved polystyrene can also be recycled to yield polystyrene alone. This recycling may be accomplished by simply drying the dissolved polystyrene into sheets or the dissolved polystyrene may be processed using a solvent extractor, an extruder and cutter to produce polystyrene pellets. During the solvent extraction step the solvent may be recovered utili~ing for example a chiller or solvent recoverer. In this way the solvent may be recycled for further use in the process. During the processes of recycling the dissolved polystyrene where the polystyrene is previously foamed or expanded material, it may also be --. ~ : . , . ;.:
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possible to recover the gasses that were utilized in the production of the foamed or expanded polystyrene. The gasses may be recovered by extraction during either the dissolving proc~ss or the solvent extraction process depending upon the solvent being utilized for dissolving the polystyrene. Such gasses, if properly recovered, can then be reutilized with the polystyrene to produce foamed or expanded polystyrene beads.
The fillers of the present invention which are used for curable molded or cast articles are produced by mixing into the dissolved polystyrene prepared as above, the particulate components of the filler, then drying the mixture, thereby encapsulating the particulate components in polystyrene. The particulate components are generally any inert components which can be utilized as a filler in the curable molded or cast article. By the term inert, it is meant that the particulate component is not generally reactive with the polystyrene or solvent utilized for dissolving polystyrene as for example, the component is not soluble in the solvent. Such particulate components may include crushed glass, powdered glass, powdered thermoplastics such as polyethylene or polyvinylchloride, powdered stone, iron powder, clay, gypsum, mica, concrete, paper, urea, etc. Other optional additives such as pigments, fire retardant materials and the like may be added to the mixture either prior to the drying or to the powdered mixture produced from the drying step depending upon the nature of the optional additives. Suitable such additives would be those additives generally utilized in the production of curable molded or cast articles.
Preferably the additives are added prior to drying, however, depending upon the effect desired, pigments can be added at any stage in the process of producing the filler or the molded article.
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In order to provide Eor a very economic process for producing the filler, the polystyrene and particulate components for example, pol~ethylene, polyvinylchloride, powdered stone, iron powder, gypsum, mica, concrete, paper, urea and glass are preferably produced from recycling of previously used articles. The polystyrene may be recycled from previously formed, high density polystyrene articles such as disposable cutlery or from previously foamed or expanded polystyrene articles such as for example beverage containers, insulation, packaging and the like. Preferably the polystyrene is recycled from expanded or foamed polystyrene articles. The polystyrene is bro~en down if necessary and then added to the suitable solvent until dissolved. Similarly, the polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, glass and other particulate components may be recycled from previously used articles. As the process of the present invention does not require the use of heat the particulate components such as the polyethylene and glass can be previously unusable mixed polyethylene and glass.
The particulate components are ground up to produce aggregates or powders prior to being added to the dissolved polystyrene. For powders the particulate components are ground or milled to preferably have an average particle size of 3 to 300 mesh, more preferably 10 to 200 mesh, most preferable 30 to 100 mesh (U.S.
Standard). The particle size of the particulate component is selected based upon the desired effect in the final article and upon the porosity of the component amongst other factors. Thus for more porous materials such as limestone or clay, larger particle sizes are preferred while for less porous materials such as polyethylene or polyvinylchloride, smaller particle sizes are preferable.
Flame retardants such as aluminum trihydrate or antimony compounds, preferably aluminum trihydrate may be :
2 ~ 3 added depending upon the concentration of such materials already present in the recycled material.
Pigments may be added to the liquid filler, powdered filler, or to the curable base material depending upon the presence of pigments already in the article from which the polystyrene was produced and the desired final article in terms of color and effect. The pigment can be any of those compounds which are typically used in the production of curable molded or cast articles or any of the pigments that are typically used in the production of paint as for example various titanium, chrome, cadmium, iron, strontium and barium compounds, amongst others. If it is desired to have a finished article with an opaque color effect to the filler then the pigment is added to the dissolved polystyrene prior to mixing in the particulate components and drying. In this way the pigment becomes incorporated into the polystyrene encapsulating the particulate component and masks the intrinsic color of the particulate components. If no pigment is present in the polystyrene article from which the polystyrene was produced nor is added to the polystyrene solution during the encapsulation of the particulate, the filler will ha~e particulate components encapsulated by translucent polystyrene. In this way the intrinsic color of the particulate components of the filler lends a diffused or translucent color to the final article. Color may also be added to clear base materials for articles where a uniform opaque color is desired. The color in the base material will mask the intrinsic colors of the filler materials which will then be selected on their desired physical properties other than aesthetic effect.
The fillers oE the present invention can be utilized with any suitable curable base material such as for example curable synthetic resins, cements or concretes.
Amongst the curable synthetic resins that can be utilized , , .
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are urethanes, polyesters, epoxy, and acrylic esters such as methyl methacrylate. The selection of the suitable curable base material will be dependent upon the desired final product.
The filler preferably comprises 10 to 35% by volume of the dissolved polystyrene with the remainder being the particulate component, more preferably the filler contains 17 to 25% dissolved polystyrene with the remainder particulate components, most preferably 20% dissolved polystyrene with the remainder the particulate components.
The concentration of polystyrene in the filler material will be selected depending upon the particulate components utilized in the filler material and the desired effect in lS the final molded or cast article. For example, with particulate components, it is most preferred to use 20%
polystyrene to 80% of the particulate component materials, all by volume. For very porous materials such as clay, up to 25% polystyrene is preferred and for less porous materials such as plastics, for example, polyvinylchloride or polyethylene, 17 to 18% polystyrene is preferred.
For certain applications the filler may be used in the liquid state prior to drying, however for ease of handling and to provide flexibility in use it is preferred to use the filler in the dried, powdered state.
To produce the dried, powdered filler material, the above ingredients are mixed together, dried and then powdered. The filler may be dried by any of the methods commonly employed in the art such as for example vacuum and air drying, spray casting, etc. The method of drying of the filler will be dependent upon the solvent being utilized and such factors as whether previously foamed polystyrene was utilized and whether the gasses used in the production of the previously foamed polystyrene have been dissolved in the solvent. With turpentine as a solvent it "
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is preferred to vacuum dry the filler and to pass the exhaust from the vacuurn dryer through a solvent recoverer to recover the turpentine and gasses. Alternatively, the filler may be dried by air drying with proper venting for the escaping gasses being provided. The dried filler material owing to the encapsulation of the particulate components by the polystyrene is a very granular material.
This granular material may be used as is or may be further processed using standard techniques such as milling, grinding or pulverizing to produce powders of various particle sizes. Thus with some processing of the granular material the granules can be reduced slightly in particle size. By further processing the granules can be reduced to a medium or fine powder. However, in order to maintain the encapsulation of the particulate components the powdering of the filler material should be such to provide average particle sizes at least the same as or greater than the average particle sizes of the particulate components utilized to produce the filler. By processing beyond this point some of the polystyrene encapsulating the particulate components may be stripped from the particulate components.
The filler material may be produced having a single particulate component or fillers having multiple particulate components may also be produced. It is preferable to produce fillers having a single particulate component as less grinding is required to powder the filler owing to the relative homogeneity of the filler material.
Additionally, various single component filler may be blended depending upon the particulate component and the pigmentation of the fillers to produce any desired effect in the final molded or cast article.
In preferred embodiments of multiple component fillers for use with curable plast:ic resins, the filler comprises 15 to 35% by volume polystyrene, 10 to 50% by volume dissolved polyethylene and 10 to 70% by volume .
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powdered glass. More preferably, the filler contains 20 to 25% dissolved polystyrene, 15 to 35% polyethylene and 45 to ~0% powdered glass. Most preferably, the filler contains 20% polystyrene, 25% polyethylene and 55% powdered glass.
The preferred composition will depend on the viscosity of the base material used in molding or casting the finished article and the desired effect in the finished article.
If aluminum trihydrate is added to the mixture as a flame retardant, it is preferably added in the range to 3 to 10% of the mixture most preferably, 5% of the mixture. When adding the aluminum trihydrate it is preferable to maintain the levels of polystyrene and adjust the proportion of particulate components to compensate for the aluminum trihydrate. Thus, in the most preferred mixture 20% polystyrene, 75% particulate components, and 5%
aluminum trihydrate are mixed, dried and powdered in a ball mill or grinder.
The filler materials either in liquid or powder form are added to a suitable curable base material for molding or casting into the desired shape. The curable base material is preferably a thermose-tting resin to provide a finished article not affected by heat. Such thermosetting resins may include for example urethanes, acrylic resins such as methyl methacrylate, polyester resins or epoxy preferably polyester or epoxy resins. With liquid filler material, it is preferable to add the liquid material to the catalyzed resin. The mixture is then degassed, and thereafter the mixture is placed into the mold. Accelerators or further catalysts may be added to the resin at the time of mixing with the filler if desired.
Use of pressure molding techniques also tends to accelerate the curing of the resin.
In mixing together the liquid flller and the epoxy or polyester resin it has been found that the mixing ., ~
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operation is made easier if the resin is warmed slightly -to a temperature of between abou-t 25 and 35 C prior to mixing while the liquid filler is maintained at room temperature. Warming of the resin also allows higher ratios of filler to be used and reduces the the incidence of bubbling in the casting and curing of the final article.
For the powdered filler material, the powder in suitable quantities is added to the curable resin, a suitable catalyst is added, the mixture degassed and thereafter placed into a mold. It has been found that when utilizing epoxy resins an accelerator and/or pressure molding techniques are preferably used to shorten curing times.
The proportion of the filler material to the base material is selected depending upon the desired characteristics of the final molded or cast article, in particular the hardness of the article desired, the composition of the fi]ler material, the type and viscosity of the base material being used and the desired viscosity of the final mixture. The ratios can vary anywhere from 20 to 80% of filler material and 80 to 20% of base material.
Mixtures high in concentration of filler material containing polyethylene, e.g., 70 to 80% of filler material containing 20% or more polyethylene tend to produce a softer article. Mixtures having higher ratios of base material, e g., 40 to 60% of the filler material, 60 to 40%
of the base material produce a much harder article which is suitable for producing decorative tiles, artificial marble counter tops and decorative art pieces. The most preferred ratio is 55% to 60% of filler material to 45% to 40% of base material.
For producing molded or cast articles having a marbleized effect, mixtures of the fillers and in particular mixtures of liquid and powdered filler may be ' :
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utilized with the curable base material. For example, a mixture containing pigmented liquid dissolved polystyrene in a curable base material is gently mixed into a curable base material containing a powdered filler. Preferably the cura~le base materials are thermosetting resins such as polyester or epoxy. The molded or cast article produced imitates very closely the effects of veined marble or onyx.
The mix-ture of the powdered filler material and the resin may also be utilized for spray coating, in particular spray coating of cements, concretes and gypsums.
The molded or cast articles can be produced by any of the standard molding or casting techniques. For curable resins and in particular thermosetting resins, cast molding, vacuum and pressure molding may be used, depending upon the final desired article to be produced.
The present invention will be illustrated in the following non-limiting examples:
35 g of used foamed polystyrene coffee cups were dissolved in 150 ml of pure turpentine to produce a mixture having a final volume of 175 ml. To this mixture was added -245 ml of fluffed recycled polyethylene, 35 ml of alumina trihydrate, 280 ml of powdered glass to produce a liquid filler mixture.
50 g of used previously foamed polystyrene were dissolved in 150 ml of turpentine. To the mixture 225 ml of fluffed recycled polyethylene, 45 ml of alumina trihydrate, 450 ml of powdered glass was added, the mixture : : , I
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mixed thoroughly, vacuumed to dry and then f:Lnally powdered in a ball mill.
200 ml of the liquid filler mixture produced in accordance with Example 1, was added gradually with stirring to 200 ml of warm catalyzed polyester resin, the mixture degassed under vacuum and poured into a casting mold for producing tiles measuring 2 inches by 2 inches by 1/4 inch. The tiles produced had a hard surface with a feel similar to that of ceramic tile and did not have the plastic feel usually associated with polyester resins.
Example 3 was repeated using varying ratios of the components of the liquid filler material and varying ratios of filler to polyester resin and thereafter casting into the tiles. The results of the examples are shown in the following table:
Example liquid filler polyester appearance of material resin the tile 4 (50% vol PS -smooth hard stone 50% vol PG) like surface 160 ml 240 ml -miscible during processing ~as in 4) -as above but less 240 ml 160 ml brittle 35 6 (25% vol PS -as above but less 30~ vol PE brittle and more 45% vol PG) resilient not 160 ml 240 ml flexible 40 7 (as in 6) -as above but more 240 ml 160 ml difficult to pour into open cast molds that are intricate PS - polystyrene PG - powdered glass PE - polyethylene -- . . . .
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100 ml of a powdered filler material produced in accordance with Example 2 was added to 100 ml of a slightly warmed mixture of parts A and B of epoxy resin and accelerator. The mixture was degassed and poured into a casting mold to produced tiles having dimensions 2 inches by 2 inches by 1/4 inch. The tiles had a hard surface.
Example 8 was repeated using varying ratios of powdered filler material to epoxy resin and thereafter casting into the tiles. The results of the examples are shown in the following table:
Example powdered filler epoxy appearance of material resin the tile 9 (25% vol PS -rubbery, pliable 45% vol PE soft flexible tile 30% vol PG) 100 ml 100 ml (50% vol PS -hard but still 25% vol PE slightly flexible 25% vol PG) resilient 100 ml 100 ml -plastic feel 11 (20% vol PS -hard almost 15% vol PE brittle 65% vol PG) -surface abrasion 100 ml 100 ml resistant -less plastic feel PS - polystyrene PG - powdered glass PE - polyethylene A cast artificial marble was produced as follows: 125 ml of polyester resin was catalyzed using approximately 12 drops of appropri.ate peroxide catalyst, 50 ml of liquid filler comprised of 30% dissolved polystyrene, , . ..
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30% powdered mixed polyethylene and 40% powdered mixed glass was slowly added to the polyester mixture. The filler as a result of the mixed polyethylene and mixed glass had a black color which, upon mixing with the resin, resulted in a clear resin mixture with black suspended particles. Two aliquots of 5 ml of the polyester resin liquid filler mixture were drawn, one of the aliquots was colored with titanium white pigment, the other aliquot was coloxed with yellow ochre pigment. All three of the above mixtures were vacuumed briefly to degas. The pigmented mixtures were added back to the base mixture, slightly stirred to obtain the marbleizing effect and poured into an open Room Temperature Vulcanizing (RTV) silicone mold.
125 ml of polyester was catalyzed using 12 drops of appropriate catalyst, 100 ml of powdered filler comprising 20% dissolved polystyrene, 5% alumina trihydrate, 35% powdered polyethylene, 40% powdered glass was slowly added to the polyester mixture which then took upon a black coloration. Two 5 ml aliquots of the polyester filler mixture were drawn, one aliquot was colored with titanium white pigment and the o-ther aliquot was colored with yellow ochre pigment. The above mixtures were vacuumed and degassed and the pigment mixtures were added back to the polyester filler mixture, slightly stirred to create a marbleizing effect, and slowly poured into an open RTV silicone mold.
90 ml of part A epoxy and 60 ml of part B epoxy were warmed, mixed together and appro~imately 1.5 ml of appropriate accelerator was added. 150 ml of a liquid mixture comprising 25% dissolved polystyrene, 25% powdered polyethylene and 50% powdered glass was mixed into the , .
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epoxy resin. A 10 ml aliquot was drawn to which was added a titanium white pigment. A further 15 ml aliquot was drawn to which was added a yellow ochre pigment. All three of these mixtures were vacuumed to degas. The piqmented mixtures were then added back to -the epoxy resin filler mixture, the mixture slightly stirred to create a marbleizing effect and then poured into an open RTV
silicone mold.
300 ml of epoxy mixture was prepared by mixing 180 ml part A and 125 ml of part B, 3 ml accelerator was added and thereafter, 210 ml of powdered filler comprising 20% dissolved polystyrene, 5% alumina trihydrate, 35%
powdered polyethylene and 40% powdered glass was added. Two 15 ml aliquots were drawn into one of which was added titanium white pigment and into the second aliquot yellow ochre pigment was added. All three mixtures were vacuumed to degas and the pigmented mixtures added back to the epoxy and filler, the mixture slightly stirred to create a marbleiæing effect and then poured into an open RTV
silicone mold.
165 g of previously foamed polystyrene was dissolved in 450 ml of turpentine to produce a mixture having a final volume of 600 ml. To separate lO0 ml aliquots of the dissolved polystyrene, 400 ml of polyethylene, iron powder, limestone powder, powdered glass, polyvinylchloride or molding was added. To each of the resulting mixture a cadmium yellow pigment was added, the mixtures dried with proper venting and then powdered.
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165 g of foamed polystyrene was dissol~ed in 450 ml of turpentine to produce 600 ml of dissolved 5 polystyrene To separate 200 ml aliquots of the dissolved polystyrene was added, 800 ml polyethylene; 400 ml polyethylene and 400 ml limestone; or 200 ml limestone and 600 ml iron powder respectively. The resulting mixtures were dried with proper venting and powdered to produce 10 light, medium and heavy fillers respectively. The fillers were ground to a variety of si~es.
A marbleized article was produced as follows.
To 60 ml slightly warmed Part A of Epoxy, 65 ml of black pigmented filler containing powdered glass prepared in accordance with Example 16 was added, mixed and degassed.
To 55 ml of room temperature part B, 70 ml of black pigmented filler containing powdered glass prepared in accordance with Example 16 was added,mixed and degassed.
25 To 60 ml of warmed Part A, 65 ml of yellow pigmented filler containing powdered glass prepared in accordance with Example 16 was added, mixed and degassed.
To 55 ml of room temperature Part B, 70 ml of yellow 30 pigmented filler containing powdered glass prepared in accordance with Example 16 was added, mixed and degassed.
To 60 ml of warmed Part A, 65 ml of white pigmented filler containing powdered glass prepared in accordance with 35 Example 16 was added, mixed and degassed.
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To 55 ml of room temperature Part B, 70 ml of white pigmented filler containing powdered glass prepared in accordance with Example 16 was added, mixed and degassed.
Each of the individually colored part A and part B
solutions were mixed together and degassed. The three individual epoxies are gently mixed together and the mixture gently poured into an RTV mold and cured in a pressure pot to produce the marbleized piece.
It will now be seen how utilizing the filler material of the present invention, molded articles having the appearance and feel of natural stone can be produced economically from heretofore unusable plastic materials lS economically and with significant savings to the environment.
Although various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in detail, it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.
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resin. A pigment is partially mixed into the resin and filler so the streaks of filler and pigment appear in the final molded object giving the molded object the appearance of the natural stone as for example marble, onyx, soap stone or other stone. Traditionally, the fillers employed have been various inorganic substances such as aluminum hydroxide, alumina, calcium carbonate and various natural stone powders and aggregates. These fillers are traditionally incorporated into a resin such as polyester resin, epoxy resin or acrylic resin, in particular methyl methacrylate (MMA). Upon mixing, the mixture can be molded to form sink basins, counter tops, or other architectural structures and various objects of art.
When utilizing filler material with synthetic resins as the curable base material, problems of miscibility, adhesion, etc. are present due to the substantial differences in properties between the inorganic filler and the organic resin which may result in non-uniform dispersion of the filler in the resin material.
There have been attempts to develop organic based filler materials which will overcome some of these difficulties.
One such organic based filler material is described in for example U.S. Patent No. 4,678,819. Others have attempted to overcome the difficulties by providing silicate or silane based filler materials such as described in U.S.
Patent Nos. 4,643,921 and 4,771,095. These filler materials, while overcominq some of the difficulties, utilize high value prime ingredients for the filler and hence increase the cost of production of the final molded or cast article.
Numerous articles made from plastic, glass and metal are produced each year and while attempts to provide for reuse or recycling of the material of such articles have been instituted in many communities, there are still a number of such articles which are at present not : :
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recyclable. For example, at the present time, many tons of articles produced from polystyrene are discarded requiring the provision of suitable land fill sites for their disposal.
Post-consumer plastic articles in a variety of high density and low density polyethylene as well as pre-consumer prime waste are now being recycled. During the process of shredding, meltiny and forming the waste plastic into pellets that can be re-used by the plastics industry, tons of mixed polyethylene are also produced. This mixed polyethylene cannot be used by the majority of the plastics manufacturers for a variety of reasons, for example, the typical machines and tools used by the industry have been lS geared to handle polymers of a certain density and in pellet form for ease, convenience and economy. The mixed polyethylene is composed of a mixture of polyethylene polymers with different melting temperatures and thus is not suitable for re-cycling at the present time.
Another example of the above situation is found in the recycling of metals from used wire and cables encased in a plastic covering. Again tons of plastic fluff, both polyethylene and polyvinylchloride, are occasionally produced during the process of extracting the metals and until now most of this fluff has been disposed of in land fill sites.
Many large glass companies are recycling only the sorted used glass articles which have been collected from consumers. However if various types of glass are mixed and cannot be sorted, it is not possible at present to recycle the mixed glass because their equipment cannot handle the variation in the melting temperatures of the mixed glass.
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Processes which could utilize such articles as the raw materials for the processes would have access to a potentially inexpensive source of raw material.
Additionally, the ability to recycle such articles would result in significant savings to the environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a powdered filler for use in curable molded or cast articles. The filler comprises one or more particulate components to be incorporated into the molded or cast article, the particulate components being encapsulated by polystyrene.
In an aspect of the invention, a process for producing the filler for use with curable molded or cast articles i5 provided. The process comprises dissolving polystyrene in a suitable solvent, mixing into the dissolved polystyrene one or more particulate components to be incorporated into the molded or cast article, and drying the mixture, whereby the particulate components are encapsulated by the polystyrene.
In another aspect of the invention a molded or cast article is provided, the molded or cast article comprising a curable base material having incorporated therein the powdered filler.
In yet another aspect of the invention a process for producing molded article is provided, the process comprising adding the filler to a curable base material in a suitable mold to produce a molded or cast article.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention provides for a filler for use in producing curable molded and cast articles. The filler comprises particulate components coated or encapsulated by polysty.ene. The filler of the present invention provides for the even distribution during casting or molding processes of components which may be incompatible in the base material. Thus, for example, polyethylene which would normally float to the surface during the molding or casting process is maintained evenly distributed throughout the article by coating or encapsulating in the polystyrene. Similarly, powdered iron which would normally sink to the bottom is maintained evenly distributed. Additionally, by encapsulating the particulate components in the polystyrene, the polystyrene may have pigment added to it to mask the intrinsic color of the particulate component. In this way the particulate component for the filler can be selected based upon desired characteristics independent of the aesthetic qualities of the particulate component.
The first step in the production of the fillers of the present invention is dissolving polystyrene in a suitable solvent. The suitable solvent for dissolving the polystyrene can be any of the solvents commonly known to dissolve same. The solvent may be selected from the group consisting of terpenes such as d-limonene, pinene or turpentine, styrene, carbon tetrachloride, methylethyl ketone, dioxane, butyl acetate, ethylene chloride, benzene or pyridine. Most preferably, because of the ease of handling the solvent safely with minimal risk to the operator or the environment, the solvent is a pure turpentine. It has been found that the more expensive brands of turpentine containing mineral spirits will not totally dissolve the polystyrene and therefore, the less .. . .
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expensive pure turpentine has been found to be most suitable.
The polystyrene is preferably dissolved at a concentration of 15 to 45 g of polystyrene per 100 ml of suitable solvent, most pre~erably, 20 to 40 g of polystyrene per 100 ml of solvent.
Depending upon the type of polystyrene being used, certain precautions should be taken if dissolving previously foamed or expanded polystyrene. Some expanded or foamed polystyrene is produced using gases such as forms of pentane or hexane which remain associated with the polystyrene. As such gasses may be toxic, suitable precautions in terms of venting must be taken. The behaviour of the gasses and the stage of the process where such precautions are necessary are dependent upon the solvent being utilized. Some solvents release the gasses immediately upon dissolving the polystyrene. Other solvents such as turpentine appear to dissolve the gasses whereby they are not released until such time as the dissolved polystyrene is dried, at which time the gasses must be vented and recovered.
The dissolved polystyrene may then be used to produce the fillers of the present invention. If desired the dissolved polystyrene can also be recycled to yield polystyrene alone. This recycling may be accomplished by simply drying the dissolved polystyrene into sheets or the dissolved polystyrene may be processed using a solvent extractor, an extruder and cutter to produce polystyrene pellets. During the solvent extraction step the solvent may be recovered utili~ing for example a chiller or solvent recoverer. In this way the solvent may be recycled for further use in the process. During the processes of recycling the dissolved polystyrene where the polystyrene is previously foamed or expanded material, it may also be --. ~ : . , . ;.:
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possible to recover the gasses that were utilized in the production of the foamed or expanded polystyrene. The gasses may be recovered by extraction during either the dissolving proc~ss or the solvent extraction process depending upon the solvent being utilized for dissolving the polystyrene. Such gasses, if properly recovered, can then be reutilized with the polystyrene to produce foamed or expanded polystyrene beads.
The fillers of the present invention which are used for curable molded or cast articles are produced by mixing into the dissolved polystyrene prepared as above, the particulate components of the filler, then drying the mixture, thereby encapsulating the particulate components in polystyrene. The particulate components are generally any inert components which can be utilized as a filler in the curable molded or cast article. By the term inert, it is meant that the particulate component is not generally reactive with the polystyrene or solvent utilized for dissolving polystyrene as for example, the component is not soluble in the solvent. Such particulate components may include crushed glass, powdered glass, powdered thermoplastics such as polyethylene or polyvinylchloride, powdered stone, iron powder, clay, gypsum, mica, concrete, paper, urea, etc. Other optional additives such as pigments, fire retardant materials and the like may be added to the mixture either prior to the drying or to the powdered mixture produced from the drying step depending upon the nature of the optional additives. Suitable such additives would be those additives generally utilized in the production of curable molded or cast articles.
Preferably the additives are added prior to drying, however, depending upon the effect desired, pigments can be added at any stage in the process of producing the filler or the molded article.
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In order to provide Eor a very economic process for producing the filler, the polystyrene and particulate components for example, pol~ethylene, polyvinylchloride, powdered stone, iron powder, gypsum, mica, concrete, paper, urea and glass are preferably produced from recycling of previously used articles. The polystyrene may be recycled from previously formed, high density polystyrene articles such as disposable cutlery or from previously foamed or expanded polystyrene articles such as for example beverage containers, insulation, packaging and the like. Preferably the polystyrene is recycled from expanded or foamed polystyrene articles. The polystyrene is bro~en down if necessary and then added to the suitable solvent until dissolved. Similarly, the polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, glass and other particulate components may be recycled from previously used articles. As the process of the present invention does not require the use of heat the particulate components such as the polyethylene and glass can be previously unusable mixed polyethylene and glass.
The particulate components are ground up to produce aggregates or powders prior to being added to the dissolved polystyrene. For powders the particulate components are ground or milled to preferably have an average particle size of 3 to 300 mesh, more preferably 10 to 200 mesh, most preferable 30 to 100 mesh (U.S.
Standard). The particle size of the particulate component is selected based upon the desired effect in the final article and upon the porosity of the component amongst other factors. Thus for more porous materials such as limestone or clay, larger particle sizes are preferred while for less porous materials such as polyethylene or polyvinylchloride, smaller particle sizes are preferable.
Flame retardants such as aluminum trihydrate or antimony compounds, preferably aluminum trihydrate may be :
2 ~ 3 added depending upon the concentration of such materials already present in the recycled material.
Pigments may be added to the liquid filler, powdered filler, or to the curable base material depending upon the presence of pigments already in the article from which the polystyrene was produced and the desired final article in terms of color and effect. The pigment can be any of those compounds which are typically used in the production of curable molded or cast articles or any of the pigments that are typically used in the production of paint as for example various titanium, chrome, cadmium, iron, strontium and barium compounds, amongst others. If it is desired to have a finished article with an opaque color effect to the filler then the pigment is added to the dissolved polystyrene prior to mixing in the particulate components and drying. In this way the pigment becomes incorporated into the polystyrene encapsulating the particulate component and masks the intrinsic color of the particulate components. If no pigment is present in the polystyrene article from which the polystyrene was produced nor is added to the polystyrene solution during the encapsulation of the particulate, the filler will ha~e particulate components encapsulated by translucent polystyrene. In this way the intrinsic color of the particulate components of the filler lends a diffused or translucent color to the final article. Color may also be added to clear base materials for articles where a uniform opaque color is desired. The color in the base material will mask the intrinsic colors of the filler materials which will then be selected on their desired physical properties other than aesthetic effect.
The fillers oE the present invention can be utilized with any suitable curable base material such as for example curable synthetic resins, cements or concretes.
Amongst the curable synthetic resins that can be utilized , , .
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are urethanes, polyesters, epoxy, and acrylic esters such as methyl methacrylate. The selection of the suitable curable base material will be dependent upon the desired final product.
The filler preferably comprises 10 to 35% by volume of the dissolved polystyrene with the remainder being the particulate component, more preferably the filler contains 17 to 25% dissolved polystyrene with the remainder particulate components, most preferably 20% dissolved polystyrene with the remainder the particulate components.
The concentration of polystyrene in the filler material will be selected depending upon the particulate components utilized in the filler material and the desired effect in lS the final molded or cast article. For example, with particulate components, it is most preferred to use 20%
polystyrene to 80% of the particulate component materials, all by volume. For very porous materials such as clay, up to 25% polystyrene is preferred and for less porous materials such as plastics, for example, polyvinylchloride or polyethylene, 17 to 18% polystyrene is preferred.
For certain applications the filler may be used in the liquid state prior to drying, however for ease of handling and to provide flexibility in use it is preferred to use the filler in the dried, powdered state.
To produce the dried, powdered filler material, the above ingredients are mixed together, dried and then powdered. The filler may be dried by any of the methods commonly employed in the art such as for example vacuum and air drying, spray casting, etc. The method of drying of the filler will be dependent upon the solvent being utilized and such factors as whether previously foamed polystyrene was utilized and whether the gasses used in the production of the previously foamed polystyrene have been dissolved in the solvent. With turpentine as a solvent it "
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is preferred to vacuum dry the filler and to pass the exhaust from the vacuurn dryer through a solvent recoverer to recover the turpentine and gasses. Alternatively, the filler may be dried by air drying with proper venting for the escaping gasses being provided. The dried filler material owing to the encapsulation of the particulate components by the polystyrene is a very granular material.
This granular material may be used as is or may be further processed using standard techniques such as milling, grinding or pulverizing to produce powders of various particle sizes. Thus with some processing of the granular material the granules can be reduced slightly in particle size. By further processing the granules can be reduced to a medium or fine powder. However, in order to maintain the encapsulation of the particulate components the powdering of the filler material should be such to provide average particle sizes at least the same as or greater than the average particle sizes of the particulate components utilized to produce the filler. By processing beyond this point some of the polystyrene encapsulating the particulate components may be stripped from the particulate components.
The filler material may be produced having a single particulate component or fillers having multiple particulate components may also be produced. It is preferable to produce fillers having a single particulate component as less grinding is required to powder the filler owing to the relative homogeneity of the filler material.
Additionally, various single component filler may be blended depending upon the particulate component and the pigmentation of the fillers to produce any desired effect in the final molded or cast article.
In preferred embodiments of multiple component fillers for use with curable plast:ic resins, the filler comprises 15 to 35% by volume polystyrene, 10 to 50% by volume dissolved polyethylene and 10 to 70% by volume .
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powdered glass. More preferably, the filler contains 20 to 25% dissolved polystyrene, 15 to 35% polyethylene and 45 to ~0% powdered glass. Most preferably, the filler contains 20% polystyrene, 25% polyethylene and 55% powdered glass.
The preferred composition will depend on the viscosity of the base material used in molding or casting the finished article and the desired effect in the finished article.
If aluminum trihydrate is added to the mixture as a flame retardant, it is preferably added in the range to 3 to 10% of the mixture most preferably, 5% of the mixture. When adding the aluminum trihydrate it is preferable to maintain the levels of polystyrene and adjust the proportion of particulate components to compensate for the aluminum trihydrate. Thus, in the most preferred mixture 20% polystyrene, 75% particulate components, and 5%
aluminum trihydrate are mixed, dried and powdered in a ball mill or grinder.
The filler materials either in liquid or powder form are added to a suitable curable base material for molding or casting into the desired shape. The curable base material is preferably a thermose-tting resin to provide a finished article not affected by heat. Such thermosetting resins may include for example urethanes, acrylic resins such as methyl methacrylate, polyester resins or epoxy preferably polyester or epoxy resins. With liquid filler material, it is preferable to add the liquid material to the catalyzed resin. The mixture is then degassed, and thereafter the mixture is placed into the mold. Accelerators or further catalysts may be added to the resin at the time of mixing with the filler if desired.
Use of pressure molding techniques also tends to accelerate the curing of the resin.
In mixing together the liquid flller and the epoxy or polyester resin it has been found that the mixing ., ~
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operation is made easier if the resin is warmed slightly -to a temperature of between abou-t 25 and 35 C prior to mixing while the liquid filler is maintained at room temperature. Warming of the resin also allows higher ratios of filler to be used and reduces the the incidence of bubbling in the casting and curing of the final article.
For the powdered filler material, the powder in suitable quantities is added to the curable resin, a suitable catalyst is added, the mixture degassed and thereafter placed into a mold. It has been found that when utilizing epoxy resins an accelerator and/or pressure molding techniques are preferably used to shorten curing times.
The proportion of the filler material to the base material is selected depending upon the desired characteristics of the final molded or cast article, in particular the hardness of the article desired, the composition of the fi]ler material, the type and viscosity of the base material being used and the desired viscosity of the final mixture. The ratios can vary anywhere from 20 to 80% of filler material and 80 to 20% of base material.
Mixtures high in concentration of filler material containing polyethylene, e.g., 70 to 80% of filler material containing 20% or more polyethylene tend to produce a softer article. Mixtures having higher ratios of base material, e g., 40 to 60% of the filler material, 60 to 40%
of the base material produce a much harder article which is suitable for producing decorative tiles, artificial marble counter tops and decorative art pieces. The most preferred ratio is 55% to 60% of filler material to 45% to 40% of base material.
For producing molded or cast articles having a marbleized effect, mixtures of the fillers and in particular mixtures of liquid and powdered filler may be ' :
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utilized with the curable base material. For example, a mixture containing pigmented liquid dissolved polystyrene in a curable base material is gently mixed into a curable base material containing a powdered filler. Preferably the cura~le base materials are thermosetting resins such as polyester or epoxy. The molded or cast article produced imitates very closely the effects of veined marble or onyx.
The mix-ture of the powdered filler material and the resin may also be utilized for spray coating, in particular spray coating of cements, concretes and gypsums.
The molded or cast articles can be produced by any of the standard molding or casting techniques. For curable resins and in particular thermosetting resins, cast molding, vacuum and pressure molding may be used, depending upon the final desired article to be produced.
The present invention will be illustrated in the following non-limiting examples:
35 g of used foamed polystyrene coffee cups were dissolved in 150 ml of pure turpentine to produce a mixture having a final volume of 175 ml. To this mixture was added -245 ml of fluffed recycled polyethylene, 35 ml of alumina trihydrate, 280 ml of powdered glass to produce a liquid filler mixture.
50 g of used previously foamed polystyrene were dissolved in 150 ml of turpentine. To the mixture 225 ml of fluffed recycled polyethylene, 45 ml of alumina trihydrate, 450 ml of powdered glass was added, the mixture : : , I
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mixed thoroughly, vacuumed to dry and then f:Lnally powdered in a ball mill.
200 ml of the liquid filler mixture produced in accordance with Example 1, was added gradually with stirring to 200 ml of warm catalyzed polyester resin, the mixture degassed under vacuum and poured into a casting mold for producing tiles measuring 2 inches by 2 inches by 1/4 inch. The tiles produced had a hard surface with a feel similar to that of ceramic tile and did not have the plastic feel usually associated with polyester resins.
Example 3 was repeated using varying ratios of the components of the liquid filler material and varying ratios of filler to polyester resin and thereafter casting into the tiles. The results of the examples are shown in the following table:
Example liquid filler polyester appearance of material resin the tile 4 (50% vol PS -smooth hard stone 50% vol PG) like surface 160 ml 240 ml -miscible during processing ~as in 4) -as above but less 240 ml 160 ml brittle 35 6 (25% vol PS -as above but less 30~ vol PE brittle and more 45% vol PG) resilient not 160 ml 240 ml flexible 40 7 (as in 6) -as above but more 240 ml 160 ml difficult to pour into open cast molds that are intricate PS - polystyrene PG - powdered glass PE - polyethylene -- . . . .
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100 ml of a powdered filler material produced in accordance with Example 2 was added to 100 ml of a slightly warmed mixture of parts A and B of epoxy resin and accelerator. The mixture was degassed and poured into a casting mold to produced tiles having dimensions 2 inches by 2 inches by 1/4 inch. The tiles had a hard surface.
Example 8 was repeated using varying ratios of powdered filler material to epoxy resin and thereafter casting into the tiles. The results of the examples are shown in the following table:
Example powdered filler epoxy appearance of material resin the tile 9 (25% vol PS -rubbery, pliable 45% vol PE soft flexible tile 30% vol PG) 100 ml 100 ml (50% vol PS -hard but still 25% vol PE slightly flexible 25% vol PG) resilient 100 ml 100 ml -plastic feel 11 (20% vol PS -hard almost 15% vol PE brittle 65% vol PG) -surface abrasion 100 ml 100 ml resistant -less plastic feel PS - polystyrene PG - powdered glass PE - polyethylene A cast artificial marble was produced as follows: 125 ml of polyester resin was catalyzed using approximately 12 drops of appropri.ate peroxide catalyst, 50 ml of liquid filler comprised of 30% dissolved polystyrene, , . ..
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30% powdered mixed polyethylene and 40% powdered mixed glass was slowly added to the polyester mixture. The filler as a result of the mixed polyethylene and mixed glass had a black color which, upon mixing with the resin, resulted in a clear resin mixture with black suspended particles. Two aliquots of 5 ml of the polyester resin liquid filler mixture were drawn, one of the aliquots was colored with titanium white pigment, the other aliquot was coloxed with yellow ochre pigment. All three of the above mixtures were vacuumed briefly to degas. The pigmented mixtures were added back to the base mixture, slightly stirred to obtain the marbleizing effect and poured into an open Room Temperature Vulcanizing (RTV) silicone mold.
125 ml of polyester was catalyzed using 12 drops of appropriate catalyst, 100 ml of powdered filler comprising 20% dissolved polystyrene, 5% alumina trihydrate, 35% powdered polyethylene, 40% powdered glass was slowly added to the polyester mixture which then took upon a black coloration. Two 5 ml aliquots of the polyester filler mixture were drawn, one aliquot was colored with titanium white pigment and the o-ther aliquot was colored with yellow ochre pigment. The above mixtures were vacuumed and degassed and the pigment mixtures were added back to the polyester filler mixture, slightly stirred to create a marbleizing effect, and slowly poured into an open RTV silicone mold.
90 ml of part A epoxy and 60 ml of part B epoxy were warmed, mixed together and appro~imately 1.5 ml of appropriate accelerator was added. 150 ml of a liquid mixture comprising 25% dissolved polystyrene, 25% powdered polyethylene and 50% powdered glass was mixed into the , .
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epoxy resin. A 10 ml aliquot was drawn to which was added a titanium white pigment. A further 15 ml aliquot was drawn to which was added a yellow ochre pigment. All three of these mixtures were vacuumed to degas. The piqmented mixtures were then added back to -the epoxy resin filler mixture, the mixture slightly stirred to create a marbleizing effect and then poured into an open RTV
silicone mold.
300 ml of epoxy mixture was prepared by mixing 180 ml part A and 125 ml of part B, 3 ml accelerator was added and thereafter, 210 ml of powdered filler comprising 20% dissolved polystyrene, 5% alumina trihydrate, 35%
powdered polyethylene and 40% powdered glass was added. Two 15 ml aliquots were drawn into one of which was added titanium white pigment and into the second aliquot yellow ochre pigment was added. All three mixtures were vacuumed to degas and the pigmented mixtures added back to the epoxy and filler, the mixture slightly stirred to create a marbleiæing effect and then poured into an open RTV
silicone mold.
165 g of previously foamed polystyrene was dissolved in 450 ml of turpentine to produce a mixture having a final volume of 600 ml. To separate lO0 ml aliquots of the dissolved polystyrene, 400 ml of polyethylene, iron powder, limestone powder, powdered glass, polyvinylchloride or molding was added. To each of the resulting mixture a cadmium yellow pigment was added, the mixtures dried with proper venting and then powdered.
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165 g of foamed polystyrene was dissol~ed in 450 ml of turpentine to produce 600 ml of dissolved 5 polystyrene To separate 200 ml aliquots of the dissolved polystyrene was added, 800 ml polyethylene; 400 ml polyethylene and 400 ml limestone; or 200 ml limestone and 600 ml iron powder respectively. The resulting mixtures were dried with proper venting and powdered to produce 10 light, medium and heavy fillers respectively. The fillers were ground to a variety of si~es.
A marbleized article was produced as follows.
To 60 ml slightly warmed Part A of Epoxy, 65 ml of black pigmented filler containing powdered glass prepared in accordance with Example 16 was added, mixed and degassed.
To 55 ml of room temperature part B, 70 ml of black pigmented filler containing powdered glass prepared in accordance with Example 16 was added,mixed and degassed.
25 To 60 ml of warmed Part A, 65 ml of yellow pigmented filler containing powdered glass prepared in accordance with Example 16 was added, mixed and degassed.
To 55 ml of room temperature Part B, 70 ml of yellow 30 pigmented filler containing powdered glass prepared in accordance with Example 16 was added, mixed and degassed.
To 60 ml of warmed Part A, 65 ml of white pigmented filler containing powdered glass prepared in accordance with 35 Example 16 was added, mixed and degassed.
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To 55 ml of room temperature Part B, 70 ml of white pigmented filler containing powdered glass prepared in accordance with Example 16 was added, mixed and degassed.
Each of the individually colored part A and part B
solutions were mixed together and degassed. The three individual epoxies are gently mixed together and the mixture gently poured into an RTV mold and cured in a pressure pot to produce the marbleized piece.
It will now be seen how utilizing the filler material of the present invention, molded articles having the appearance and feel of natural stone can be produced economically from heretofore unusable plastic materials lS economically and with significant savings to the environment.
Although various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in detail, it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.
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Claims (30)
1. A process for producing a filler for use with curable molded or cast articles, said process comprising dissolving polystyrene in a suitable solvent, mixing into said dissolved polystyrene one or more particulate components and drying said mixture, whereby the particulate components are encapsulated by the polystyrene.
2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the one or more particulate components are selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, crushed glass, powdered glass, powdered stone, powdered iron, clay, gypsum, mica, concrete, paper, and urea.
3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the suitable solvent is selected form the group consisting of terpenes, styrene, carbon tetrachloride, methyl ethyl ketone, dioxane, butyl acetate, ethylene chloride, benzene and pyridine.
4. A process according to claim 1 wherein the suitable solvent is a terpene selected from the group consisting of pinene, d-limonene and turpentine.
5. A process according to claim 1 wherein the suitable solvent is turpentine.
6. A process according to claim 2 wherein the suitable solvent is selected form the group consisting of terpenes, styrene, carbon tetrachloride, methyl ethyl ketone, dioxane, butyl acetate, ethylene chloride, benzene and pyridine.
7. A process according to claim 2 wherein the suitable solvent is terpene selected from the group consisting of pinene, d-limonene and turpentine.
8. A process according to claim 2 wherein the suitable solvent is turpentine.
9. A process according to claim 1 further comprising adding pigment to said dissolved polystyrene.
10. A process according to claim 2 further comprising adding pigment to said dissolved polystyrene.
11. A process according to claim 3 further comprising adding pigment to said dissolved polystyrene.
12. A filler for use with curable molded or cast articles, said filler comprising one or more particulate components to be incorporated into the molded or cast articles, the particulate components being encapsulated by polystyrene.
13. A filler according to claim 12 wherein said one or more particulate components are selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, crushed glass, powdered glass, powdered stone, powdered iron, clay, gypsum, mica, concrete, paper and urea.
14. A filler according to claim 13 wherein said filler comprises a single particulate component encapsulated by polystyrene.
15. A filler according to claim 13 wherein the particulate components are two or more components.
16. A filler according to claim 12 further comprising pigment incorporated in said polystyrene.
17. A filler according to claim 10 further comprising pigment incorporated in said polystyrene.
18. A molded or cast article comprising a curable base material having incorporated therein a filler material comprising one or more particulate components encapsulated by polystyrene.
19. A molded or cast article according to claim 18 wherein said one or more particulate components are selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, crushed glass, powdered glass, powdered glass, powdered stone, powdered iron, clay, gypsum, mica, concrete, paper and urea.
20. A molded or cast article according to claim 18 wherein said curable base material is a curable synthetic resin.
21. A molded or cast article according to claim 18 wherein said curable synthetic resin is selected from the group consisting of polyester, epoxy, urethanes and acrylic esters.
22. A molded or cast article according to claim 19 wherein said curable base material is a curable synthetic resin.
23. A molded or cast article according to claim 19 wherein said curable synthetic resin is selected from the group consisting of polyester, epoxy, urethanes and acrylic esters.
24. A molded or cast article according to claim 18 wherein said curable base material is a cement or concrete.
25. A molded or cast article according to claim 19 wherein said curable base material is a cement or concrete.
26. A molded or cast article according to claim 18 wherein said polystyrene has a pigment incorporated therein.
27. A molded or cast article according to claim 19 wherein said polystyrene has a pigment incorporated therein.
28. A molded or cast article according to claim 20 wherein said polystyrene has a pigment incorporated therein.
29. A molded or cast article according to claim 21 wherein said polystyrene has a pigment incorporated therein.
30. A molded or cast article according to claim 22 wherein said polystyrene has a pigment incorporated therein.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2039201 CA2039201A1 (en) | 1991-03-27 | 1991-03-27 | Filler for molded articles |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2039201 CA2039201A1 (en) | 1991-03-27 | 1991-03-27 | Filler for molded articles |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2039201A1 true CA2039201A1 (en) | 1992-09-28 |
Family
ID=4147285
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2039201 Abandoned CA2039201A1 (en) | 1991-03-27 | 1991-03-27 | Filler for molded articles |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2039201A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1996011973A1 (en) * | 1994-10-12 | 1996-04-25 | John Geza Dobozy | Waste plastic conversion |
| WO2018029087A1 (en) | 2016-08-08 | 2018-02-15 | Global Tele Marketing Gtm Sa | Process for treating household waste and exploiting construction and demolition rubble and plastic waste for the purpose of recycling same and converting same into various construction materials |
-
1991
- 1991-03-27 CA CA 2039201 patent/CA2039201A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1996011973A1 (en) * | 1994-10-12 | 1996-04-25 | John Geza Dobozy | Waste plastic conversion |
| WO2018029087A1 (en) | 2016-08-08 | 2018-02-15 | Global Tele Marketing Gtm Sa | Process for treating household waste and exploiting construction and demolition rubble and plastic waste for the purpose of recycling same and converting same into various construction materials |
| LU93166B1 (en) * | 2016-08-08 | 2018-03-28 | Global Tele Marketing Gtm Sa | Process for the treatment of household waste and recovery of building and demolition rubble and plastic waste for recycling and transformation into various building materials |
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