Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09J—ADHESIVES; NON-MECHANICAL ASPECTS OF ADHESIVE PROCESSES IN GENERAL; ADHESIVE PROCESSES NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; USE OF MATERIALS AS ADHESIVES
  • C09J5/00—Adhesive processes in general; Adhesive processes not provided for elsewhere, e.g. relating to primers
  • C09J5/06—Adhesive processes in general; Adhesive processes not provided for elsewhere, e.g. relating to primers involving heating of the applied adhesive
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B37/00—Methods or apparatus for laminating, e.g. by curing or by ultrasonic bonding
  • B32B37/12—Methods or apparatus for laminating, e.g. by curing or by ultrasonic bonding characterised by using adhesives
  • B32B37/1207—Heat-activated adhesive
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B37/00—Methods or apparatus for laminating, e.g. by curing or by ultrasonic bonding
  • B32B37/12—Methods or apparatus for laminating, e.g. by curing or by ultrasonic bonding characterised by using adhesives
  • B32B37/1284—Application of adhesive

Definitions

• This invention relates to a method for the continuous production of composite flexible materials, in particular foamed tape for footwear and sportswear, and as trimming for automobile and general upholstery.
• the invention also relates to a plant for implementing the method.
• Composite flexible materials are known, produced by bonding a natural or synthetic fabric to another natural or synthetic fabric, possibly of elastic foamed material (flexible polyurethane, PVC, EVA, etc.).
• foamed material flexible polyurethane, PVC, EVA, etc.
• the fabric performs a finishing function and limits the longitudinal and transverse elasticity of the composite material, whereas the foamed material gives the finished product the desired degree of comfort.
• a drawback of this method is that it can be applied only to thermoplastic materials and can therefore not be used toi non-thermoplastic foams (polyurethane polyethers) or for EVA foam, which deforms permanently at 60oC.
• thermoplastic material produces harmfu l fumes der i v i ng from the thermal decomposit ion of the material itself.
• Another known method is to wet-bond the two tapes with aqueous emulsions or spreadable 100% dry products.
• This method comprises depositing a cold, layer of aqueous emulsion on one of the two supports using a coating roller, then placing this upport against the other and finally evaporating the water using a heater roller.
• the drawback of this method is that the product obtained is not finished byt requires curing for at least 24 hours before being fed to checking and/or used.
• a further known method is to wet-glue the materials with resins dissolved in solvents.
• solvents are non-flammable they are inevitably harmful, as they are of either chlorinated type (trichloroethane, methylene chloride etc.) or fluorinated type (freon).
• This method also requires the treated product to be stored for the time required for the adhesive to harden.
• the invention propose a plant as described in claim 13.
• the method of the invention is implemented by a plant comprising a first coating station 1, a second additive application station 2, a
• the coating station 1 comprises a plurality of deviation rollers 5, a roller 6 for transferring 100% dry polyurethane adhesive and a distributor blade 7, which with the surface of the transfer roller 6 forms a type of tray for containing the adhesive 8 and spreads a uniform layer of adhesive over the surface of the roller 6 downstream of said blade 7.
• the quantity of adhesive spread over the surface of the roller 6 can be adjusted either by adjusting the distance of the blade 7 from said roller or by varying the speed of rotation of the roller, or by varying the distance between it and the roller 9 on which the tape 10 to be coated rests.
• the additive application station 2 comprises a series of sprayers 11 which spary an accelerator additive onto the tape 10 already coated with adhesive.
• the bonding station 3 comprises two separate feed lines for the material to be bonded, ie a feed line for a continuous tape 12, for example of fabric, arriving directly from a feeder, not shown on the drawing, and a feed line for the continuous polyurethane polyether tape 10, which arrives from a separate feeder after passing through the coating station 1 and additive application station 2.
• the cross-linking station 4 comprises a pair of largediameter cylinders 14 provided with a system for heating their lateral surface to a temperature at least 30oC higher than the cross-linking temperature of the polyurethane adhesive, and generally 70-100oC.
• the surfaces of the two cylinders 14 are preferably heated by circulating a fluid at controlled temperature.
• Each cylinder 14 is supported by support rollers 14, one of which is motorized to rotate the corresponding cylinder 14 at a peripheral speed equal to that of the other cylinder.
• the cross-linking station 4 also comprises for each cylinder 14 an endless band 16 passing about idle deviation rollers 17 and arranged to exert a certain pressure on the composite tape under formation, this being interposed between said endless band 16 and the surface of the corresponding cylinder 14.
• the two heating cylinders 14 are housed
• the method of the invention is as follows:
• the fabric tape 12 reaches the bonding roller 13, at which the polyether tape 10 also arrives.
• This latter has previously passed through the coating station 1 in which it has received a uniform layer of polyurethane adhesive on that surface to be bonded to the fabric tape 12, and has further received the accelerator additive on this adhesive layer.
• the two tapes 10 and 12 pass about the bonding roller 13 they become provisionally bonded at ambient temperature, ie at a temperature lower than the cross-linking temperature of the polyurethane adhesive.
• the composite tape 18 thus formed then enters the crosslinking station 4, where the prolonged time for which it remains in contact with the heating surface of the two cylinders 14 and the pressure exerted on it by the bands 16 result in cross-liking of the adhesive and intimate stable bonding of the two tapes 10 and 12, to thus form the composite material.
• Composite tapes can also be formed of more than two layers, either by passing the layers through independent coating stations 1 and additive application stations 2 and then bonding them together in single pass, or by bonding the composite two-layer tape 18 leaving the cross-linking station 4 to further tapes.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)
• Adhesives Or Adhesive Processes (AREA)
• Hydroponics (AREA)
• Fertilizers (AREA)
• Superconductors And Manufacturing Methods Therefor (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11324660

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1990
  • 1990-07-27 IT IT08414090A patent/IT1242855B/it active IP Right Grant
• 1991
  • 1991-07-19 EP EP91912963A patent/EP0544691A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1991-07-19 AU AU81080/91A patent/AU8108091A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1991-07-19 WO PCT/EP1991/001363 patent/WO1992002367A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events