DE19532598A1 - Thermoplastic plastics strip useful for sealing or welding seams of walls or floors - Google Patents

Abstract

Thermoplastic plastics strip has a uni-coloured sheath around a coloured structurised core. Also claimed is a method of producing the strip by plasticising an uncoloured or uni-coloured plastics base material in an extruder; and dosing coloured material(s) at predetermined point(s) of the extruder, pref. where the melt index and/or temp. of the core material is higher than that of the added material(s).

Description

The invention relates to a thermoplastic plastic wire and a Ver drive to its manufacture.

Multi-colored structured homogeneous floor or wall coverings are becoming more common wise using suitable adhesives on leveled screed floors or walls the glued. Butting sheets or tiles of the floor or wall coverings produce joints or seams that must be sealed in order to Penetration of dirt and moisture, e.g. B. wet cleaning, in the Avoid joints. Otherwise, the adhesive strength of the covering becomes a subordinate affected, and it can lead to a detachment of the covering from the surface to lead. The joints or seams must also be sealed for visual reasons ten.

So far, the seams have been single-colored, usually in the extrusion process Manufactured plastic wires sealed or welded, if it is thermoplastic floor or wall coverings. In the area of the finished multi-colored structured floor or wall coverings are one colored sealed seams recognizable as stripes that the optical appearance affect the image.

In order to eliminate this disadvantage, DE 40 07 763 has a multi-colored in itself structured welding cord made of thermoplastic material proposed, by machining, preferably by simultaneous form milling  from the bottom and top of a multi-colored homogeneous plate or sheet-like fabric can be produced. However, this procedure is costly and material-intensive, as large parts of the fabric as Waste.

The object of the present invention is therefore a thermoplastic To provide plastic wire that is structured in color and simple and can be manufactured inexpensively. Another job is specify a procedure for this.

These tasks are met by the counter defined in the claims stands solved.

In particular, the object of the invention by an extrusion drive manufactured thermoplastic plastic wire solved, the one uni colored cladding area and one colored by the cladding area structured core area.

So far, it has not been possible using the inexpensive extrusion process to produce colored structured plastic wires. By plasticizing and Mixing different colored plastic materials at higher temperatures in the The extruder, the individual color structures were mixed together in such a way that the wires were practically single-colored and no longer recognized any color structure let. However, if the conditions in the extruder were set so that the different colored plastic materials are not mixed so intimately were, for example, by lowering the temperature or a late Dosing of the spot color material to the plastic base material, the so-called plastic fund material, no plastic wire could sufficient cohesion, d. H. internal strength.

It has now surprisingly been found that it is still possible to color one to produce structured plastic wire by means of an extrusion process.  

According to the invention, an undyed or plain-colored plastic base material plasticized in an extruder with heating and then the plasticized stock material at least at one point of the extruder at least one piece of jewelry colored material added when using a plain-colored base material either has or have a different shade or shades. It can also use a spot color material of the same color as the Fondmateri than, but with higher or lower color intensity. Here the essential parameters, d. H. the parameters regarding the conc tration, the melt viscosity and the temperature of the spot color or colors materials or spot color materials in relation to the plastic Fondma material of the extruder geometry, the advance speed and the distance of the Feed device (s) for the spot color material from the discharge opening for the wire from the extruder can be set so that in the colored structured core area of the wire delimited color areas arise without that essentially areas with undesirable mixed colors arise.

This is achieved in particular in that the spot color material only in the total amount of the fund is added to an amount which is insufficient Color the material evenly. Despite the chosen low color material con concentration is formed due to shearing processes and material liability the outlet opening of the extruder has a relatively thin, plain-colored jacket area, that surrounds the colored structured core area of the plastic wire. However, this plain-colored coat area is ultimately harmless to them manufactured seam seal, as explained below. With a through The thickness of the sheath can be about 4 mm range, for example, be about 0.2 mm. Usually the Plastic wires have a diameter of 3 to 6 mm, preferably 4 mm.

The invention is illustrated by the drawings, being noted is that the drawings are to be understood only schematically and no dimensions reproduce conditions appropriate to the staff. Show:  

Figures 1a and 1b a cross section through a plastic wire according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a butt joint between two floor or wall coverings;

Fig. 3 is a butt joint with milled out groove;

FIGS. 4a and 4b an inserted into the milled groove plastic wire;

FIGS. 5a and 5b a fitted by heating in the groove plastic wire; and

Fig. 6 is a seam seal made after removing the protruding part of the plastic wire of two floor or wall covering sheets.

As mentioned above, one proceeds in the production of the invention Plastic wire from a base material, the so-called plastic Fondma material. Depending on the desired color structure, this fund material will be a or added several spot color materials. Fund material and jewelry paint material contains either the same plastics or plastics, that are compatible with each other. Basically, all plastics can be used are used, from which floor or wall coverings are usually made will. Art is preferably used to manufacture the plastic wire used materials from which the floor or wall covering to be sealed later consists.

For example, if a flooring based on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is abge sealed or welded, is preferably used as the base material rial for the plastic wire by suspension polymerization ("S-PVC") and / or emulsion polymerization ("E-PVC") made PVC. But it can also a PVC made by bulk polymerization ("M-PVC") is used will.

The floor or wall covering sheets to be sealed are made of thermoplastic Plastic, e.g. B. based on PVC or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA),  the seal leads to welding, d. H. a homogeneous material Connection of the sheets to be sealed. On the other hand, the tracks are not out thermoplastic material, e.g. B. linoleum or cross-linked plastics, gives the Use of the thermoplastic plastic wire according to the invention Enamel seal with which the sheets are glued together in a material-tight manner are.

The plastic base material regularly has a lower melt viscosity, d. H. a higher melt flow index (M.F.I.) according to DIN 53 735, than the spot color material. On the one hand, this ensures that a coherent, solid wire is obtained and on the other hand prevented the higher melt viscosity of the spot color material that the two Mixing plastic materials together homogeneously, creating a more colored structured core area of the wire could not be preserved.

The different melt viscosities of fund material and jewelry Color material can be obtained in different ways. First, you can thermoplastics with different molecular weights, expressed by their K-value for PVC (i.e. intrinsic viscosity according to Fikentscher) or by their melt index (M.F.I.) for other thermoplastics be chosen. Then different amounts of additives, such as for example plasticizers and / or internal lubricants in the case of PVC, be added. In the case of thermoplastics other than Lubricant can be added to the plastic base material.

Furthermore, the melt viscosity of the spot color material can be added of fillers, preferably with a high specific surface area, as described in homogeneous floor or wall coverings are common to be increased.

The base material can be undyed or have a basic color and be both transparent and non-transparent. If a basic color is present, a color is expediently chosen, the reason  color of the floor or wall covering to be sealed. Preferably the base material is transparent and undyed. This causes the color areas of the colored structured core area of the thermo according to the invention plastic plastic wire in a preferred embodiment of trans parent areas are interrupted. It has been shown that the finished seam sealing or welding due to the transparent Areas that interrupt the color areas, most inconspicuously in the colored textured surface of the installed floor or wall covering. This may be due to the fact that the transparent areas of the seam seal lend a certain depth effect and on the other hand that through the trans Parent areas of the color of the sheath area of the plastic wire or the Color tone resulting from the melting of the plastic wire sheath material with the floor or wall covering material shows through.

Depending on the color of the floor or wall covering to be sealed can accordingly many different colored spot color materials Fund material to be metered in during the extrusion process. It is from crucial that the color concentration by adding Spot color material under the given conditions in the extruder, which in the are not significantly influenced by the aforementioned parameters is enough to evenly mix the material of the fund and spot color material to color ugly. Only then is it possible to use a colored plastic wire to get structured core area, whose color areas of areas in Color of the base material or preferably through transparent areas to be interrupted.

Anyone can color the base material and the spot color material pigments common in the manufacture of floor or wall coverings as well organic and inorganic dyes are used.

A conventional one can be used to produce the plastic wire according to the invention Extruder with addition devices for spot color material and given  if additives and processing aids are used. Preferably becomes a single screw extruder with constant screw geometry of the conveyor snail used. The ratio of length to diameter of a suitable th single screw extruder is 20D, i. H. the length is twenty times surface of the diameter. Preferably the extruder should be divided into several differently adjustable heating zones can be operated. Usually the temperature in the heating zones is between 80 ° and 180 ° C, the Temperature in the different heating zones may be the same or different can and depends on the type of plastic material selected.

A thermoplastic plastic wire according to the invention has a schematic cross section, as shown in Fig. 1a. 1 shows the plastic wire in cross section, 2 the plain-colored sheath area and 3 the colored structured core area. The shaded areas in the core area represent the color areas, which can have one or more colors, depending on whether only one spot color material was used or several with different colors. The non-hatched area of the core area is formed by the plain-colored, preferably undyed, transparent base material.

The plastic wire 1 usually has an essentially circular cross section. For the seam sealing of two flooring sheets 4 , as shown in Fig. 2, a groove 5 is milled along the joint of the sheets 4 glued to the substrate, as indicated in Fig. 3. Referring to FIG. 4a of the plastic wire 1 in the milled groove is inserted 5 and SHORT- with a welding machine or with a corresponding hand unit at about 400 ° C-500 ° C (device setting for the temperature of the heating air) to the floor or wall covering is welded . The molten plastic wire 6 fills the groove 5 completely, as shown in Fig. 5a, with a portion of the melted plastic wire 6 protrudes. After the seam seal has cooled, the protruding part of the plastic wire 6 is removed with a cutting tool that is usually used for this purpose, wherein according to FIG. 6 there is a colored structured seam seal or weld seam which connects and seals the two webs 4 together.

Based on this schematic drawing it can be seen that the single-color cladding region 2 of the plastic wire 1 according to the invention is not disadvantageous since the colored structure of the plastic wire 1 becomes visible after removal of the emergent over the floor or wall covering layer portion of the melted plastic wire 6 and then the with the Wall of the groove 5 in contact with or fused with the jacket area 2 of the plastic wire 6 does not affect the color structure of the seam seal 7 .

Another embodiment of the plastic wire 1 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1b. Thereafter, the plastic wire 1 has a cross section which essentially corresponds to a regular hexagon. This is advantageous if the groove 5 is milled in such a way that it corresponds to half the cross section of the plastic wire 1 . Then is the as shown in Fig. 4b inserted into the groove 5 hexagonal plastic wire 1 already relatively snugly to the wall of the groove 5 and can be connected easily and with less thermal load to the wall of the groove 5 (see Fig. 5b ). In this case, it is not necessary for the plastic wire 1 to be brought into a flowable state, as in the case of a circular cross section. It is sufficient if the surface of the hexagonal plastic wire 1 softens enough to connect to the floor or wall covering 4 .

The circular or hexagonal or any other cross-sectional shape is determined through the discharge opening for the plastic wire from the extruder.

The invention is illustrated by the following example, with stellver a plastic wire based on other usable plastics made of PVC. Unless otherwise stated, refer to Percentages on weight percent.  

example

The following substances were mixed, plasticized and granulated in a dry mixer to produce a plastic base material:
Fund material:
13.6% Vinoflex® E 6915 (E-PVC from Vinnolit Kunststoff GmbH)
54.4% Vinoflex® S 6514 (S-PVC from Vinnolit Kunststoff GmbH)
28.5% Palatinol® AH (plasticizer from BASF AG)
1.5% Edenol® D 81 (plasticizer from Henkel KGaA)
0.6% Sicostab® VM 2328/1 (stabilizer from BASF AG)
1.4% wax PED 522 (lubricant from Hoechst AG).

In this example, no pigment or dye was added to the fund material given so that the fund material was colorless transparent.

In the same way as for the fund material, the following substances were processed into granules to produce a spot color material:
Spot color material:
51.3% Vinoflex® S 6514
18.8% Palatinol® AH
19.5% chalk industry special (filler from Omya GmbH)
6.5% Titan Kronos® 2200 (filler from Kronos Titan GmbH)
0.9% color pigment Paliogen® Red K 3911 HD (BASF AG)
1.0% Edenop® D 81
1.0% Bärostab® DE 683 B (stabilizer from Bärlocher GmbH)
0.5% Hostalub® H 22 (lubricant from Hoechst AG)
0.5% Zinkum® 5 (lubricant from Bärlocher GmbH).

The granulate of the base material was fed to a single-screw extruder with constant screw geometry of a length of 20D. The extruder is operated in three heating zones. Zone 1 at a temperature of 130 ° C over a length of 8D, zone 2 at a temperature of 130 ° C over a length of 8D and the remaining screw of the extruder, ie zone 3 over a length of 4D unheated.

The conveying speed can be 10-80 U / min. In the present For example, a conveying speed of 30 rpm was set.

In this way it became a plastic wire with a plain-colored sheath get rich and a colored structured core area, its color structure after welding two PVC floor covering sheets and removing the over part of the melted plastic wire was visible. The The weld seam blended inconspicuously into the color structure of the PVC flooring.

This can be done in a simple and inexpensive way in the extrusion process thermoplastic wire can be made to a colored struk tured seam sealing or welded joint with colored textured Floor or wall coverings leads and thus the installed floor or wall covering gives an improved appearance.

Claims (13)

1. Thermoplastic plastic wire with a plain-colored sheath area and a colored structured one enclosed by the cladding area Core area. 2. Thermoplastic plastic wire according to claim 1, wherein the colored structured core area on at least two different shades points. 3. Thermoplastic plastic wire according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the Color areas in the colored structured core area from one another are separated and there are essentially no areas with mixed colors they are. 4. Thermoplastic plastic wire according to one of the preceding An sayings, the color areas in the colored structured core area are interrupted by transparent areas. 5. Thermoplastic plastic wire according to one of the preceding An say, the wire having a substantially circular cross has a section or a cross-section that is essentially a rule moderate hexagon. 6. A method for producing a thermoplastic plastic wire with a plain-colored sheath area and a colored structured core area enclosed by the sheath area according to one of claims 1 to 5, comprising the steps:
Plasticizing an undyed or plain-colored plastic base material in an extruder, and
Dosing of at least one spot color material to the plastifi ed plastic base material at at least one predetermined location of the extruder. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the melt index and / or the tem temperature of the plastic base material is higher than that of the metered Spot color material. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein spot color material with mind at least two different colors are used. 9. The method of claim 7 or 8, wherein the plastic base material is transparent. 10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the discharge opening an essentially circular one for the wire from the extruder Has cross-section or the cross-section essentially a rule moderate hexagon. 11. Thermoplastic plastic wire, obtainable according to one of the claims 7 to 10. 12. Use of the thermoplastic wire according to one of the Claims 1 to 5 and 11 for sealing seams of non-thermoplastic Floor or wall coverings. 13. Use of the thermoplastic wire according to one of the Claims 1 to 5 and 11 for welding seams of thermopla floor or wall coverings.