GB2467992A - Porous elastomeric infills - Google Patents

Porous elastomeric infills Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2467992A
GB2467992A GB0918240A GB0918240A GB2467992A GB 2467992 A GB2467992 A GB 2467992A GB 0918240 A GB0918240 A GB 0918240A GB 0918240 A GB0918240 A GB 0918240A GB 2467992 A GB2467992 A GB 2467992A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
porous
polyurethane
uncured
tree
base
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.)
Granted
Application number
GB0918240A
Other versions
GB0918240D0 (en
GB2467992B (en
Inventor
Frank Bowers
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
JACQUELINE MARY BOWERS
Original Assignee
JACQUELINE MARY BOWERS
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by JACQUELINE MARY BOWERS filed Critical JACQUELINE MARY BOWERS
Publication of GB0918240D0 publication Critical patent/GB0918240D0/en
Publication of GB2467992A publication Critical patent/GB2467992A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2467992B publication Critical patent/GB2467992B/en
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
    • A01G13/00—Protecting plants
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
    • A01G13/00—Protecting plants
    • A01G13/02—Protective coverings for plants; Coverings for the ground; Devices for laying-out or removing coverings
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
    • C08J—WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H
    • C08J9/00—Working-up of macromolecular substances to porous or cellular articles or materials; After-treatment thereof
    • C08J9/0061—Working-up of macromolecular substances to porous or cellular articles or materials; After-treatment thereof characterized by the use of several polymeric components
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
    • C08J—WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H
    • C08J9/00—Working-up of macromolecular substances to porous or cellular articles or materials; After-treatment thereof
    • C08J9/33—Agglomerating foam fragments, e.g. waste foam
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
    • C08L—COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS
    • C08L25/00—Compositions of, homopolymers or copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, each having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond, and at least one being terminated by an aromatic carbocyclic ring; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
    • C08L25/02—Homopolymers or copolymers of hydrocarbons
    • C08L25/04—Homopolymers or copolymers of styrene
    • C08L25/08—Copolymers of styrene
    • C08L25/10—Copolymers of styrene with conjugated dienes
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
    • E01C—CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR
    • E01C9/00—Special pavings; Pavings for special parts of roads or airfields
    • E01C9/004—Pavings specially adapted for allowing vegetation
    • E01C9/005—Coverings around trees forming part of the road
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
    • C08J—WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H
    • C08J2309/00—Characterised by the use of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons
    • C08J2309/06—Copolymers with styrene
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
    • C08J—WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H
    • C08J2375/00—Characterised by the use of polyureas or polyurethanes; Derivatives of such polymers
    • C08J2375/04—Polyurethanes
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
    • C08J—WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H
    • C08J2409/00—Characterised by the use of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
    • C08J—WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H
    • C08J2475/00—Characterised by the use of polyureas or polyurethanes; Derivatives of such polymers

Abstract

A method of forming a porous elastomeric composition for use as an infill for installation at the base of trees and signs comprises the steps of encapsulating recycled styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) with pigmented polyurethane to form coloured SBR granules, mixing the coloured SBR granules with a polyurethane based moisture curing prepolymer to form an uncured porous polymeric composition. The composition, when used, is applied as the uncured porous polymeric composition to the base of a tree or sign, tamped until its uppermost surface is level with a surrounding area and allowed the to cure. For preference, the pigment is iron oxide.

Description

POROUS ELASTOMERIC INFILLS
This invention relates to porous elastomeric infills and particularly, although not exclusively, to such infills for use at the base of trees and sign posts in rural, urban and other areas.
In urban locations, trees planted in paved areas in paved areas may incorporate an area at the base of the tree that is free of paviors, i.e. a tree-well, to facilitate the transmission of water to the tree roots. The tree-well is often fitted with a cast iron grid that prevents the sub-soil from being compacted due to foot traffic, since compacted sub-soil would prevent the transmission of water.
Such cast iron grids have serious disadvantages. They are extremely expensive. Unsightly waste material accumulates between the grid elements and is extremely difficult to remove. The base of the tree usually expands with time due to normal growth and causes the grid elements to slit and rise above their intended level.
If a tree-well is not protected from foot traffic, the sub-soil compacts, thus reducing the water and nutrient supply to the tree roots. This ultimately results in the tree becoming distressed and possibly eventually dying.
In soft landscaped grassy areas, the grass and weeds at the bases of trees have to be cut using a mechanical grass/weed cutting machine -strimming. This is a labour intensive and costly activity. l0
A solution to prevent compaction soil compaction and facilitate vital watering of the tree roots is to install either a pre-formed or a wet-poured porous polymeric tree well infill or ring.
The compositions of known such porous decorative elastomeric infills comprise of coloured synthetic rubber, such as ethylene-propylene-diene-momomer-rubber (EPDM) or vulcanized thermo-pastic (TPV) for example, adhered together by polyurethane-based moisture curing pre-polytner (binder'). However, EPDM, TPV and binder are very expensive, and moreover the bulk density of EPDM and TPV is considerably greater than that of recycled tyre rubber. This means that such compositions are expensive and not environmentally friendly since considerable energy is required to manufacture nascent EPDM and TPV. See, for example, United States Patent No 7,452,159.
Pre-formed porous polymeric composition tree-rings have predetermined apertures. Such tree-rings therefore do not locate precisely to the free trunk and are liable to damage due to contact with the mower blade during grass cutting.
The present invention seeks to overcome the above disadvantages by providing improved methods and materials for the production of cost-effective, environmentally friendly, decorative porous elastomenc infills for installation at the base of trees and signs.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of forming a porous elastomeric composition for use as an infill for installation at the base of tress and signs comprising the steps encapsulating recycled rubber -styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) -with pigmented polyurethane to form coloured SBR granules, and mixing OS the coloured SBR granules with a polyurethane based moisture curing prepolymer to form an uncured porous polymeric composition.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of forming a porous elastomeric inftll for installation at the base of trees and signs comprising the steps of encapsulating recycled rubber -styrene butadiene rubber -with pigmented polyurethane to form coloured SBR granules, mixing the coloured SBR granules with a polyurethane based moisture curing prepolymer to form an uncured porous polymeric composition, applying the uncured porous polymeric composition to the base of a tree or sign, tamping the uncured porous polymeric composition until its uppermost surface is level or substantially level with a surrounding area and allowing the porous polymeric composition to set.
The method may include the additional step of excavating an area at -5-the base of the tree or sign prior to the application of the uncured porous polymeric composition.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of
example only.
Pigmented polyurethane is formed by mixing to homogeneity 18% by weight of iron oxide pigment and 82% by weight of MDI polyurethane based prepolymer with a free NCO of 8.5%. 10% by weight of the pigmented polyurethane is mixed with 90% by weight of SBR granules having a size range of 2mm to 6mm. The uncured mixture of pigmented polyurethane and SBR particles is kept agitated until the pigmented polyurethane is cured -to prevent agglomeration of the particles -to form coloured SBR granules.
The coloured SBR granules are then mixed with 8% by weight of moisture curing prepolymer to form an uncured coloured porous polymeric composition, the composition then being applied to a prepared area at the base of a tree or sign and allowed to set.
The resultant porous polymeric mull so formed will withstand foot traffic and will not compact, thus allowing the transmission of water! rain and nutrients to the roots of a tree.
There are no voids or areas that will allow the accumulation of waste material and the infill is easily cleaned by brushing.
Strimming around the tree or sign in grassed areas is eliminated.
The porous decorative elastomeric composition used to form the infill is considerably cheaper than conventional cast iron grids and the composition * infill -will expand with any growth of the tree.
The porous decorative elastomeric composition so formed is of the order of 50% cheaper than if it were formed with EPDMITPV because: coloured SBR granules described herein are approximately 50% cheaper than coloured EPDMTFPV granules; the coverage rate of coloured SBR is approximately 40% greater than that of EPDM/TPV due to the difference in density of EPDMITPV c.f.
coloured SBR; the binder requirement to facilitate a composite strong enough to with-stand foot traffic of the elastomeric polymeric composition described herein is approximately 50% less than if it comprised of coloured EPDMJTPV because there is 10% by weight of polyurethane on the surface of the coloured SBR granules and the tensile strength of tyre rubber is 500% greater than EPDM/TPV.
The incorporation of recycled scrap tyres and the use of less polyurethane is much more environmentally friendly than alternative systems.
It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the example given herein. Many variations, such as might readily occur to one skilled in the art, are possible, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Finally, it will be understood that there is no restriction with respect to the size of the SBR granules.

Claims (13)

  1. CLAIMS: 1. A method of forming a porous elastomeric composition for use as an infill for installation at the base of trees and signs comprising encapsulating recycled rubber -styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) -with pigmented polyurethane to form coloured SBR granules, mixing the coloured SBR granules with a polyurethane based moisture curing prepolymer to form an uncured porous polymeric composition.
  2. 2. A method of forming a porous elastomeric infill for installation at the base of frees and signs comprising encapsulating recycled rubber -styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) -with pigmented polyurethane to form coloured SBR granules, mixing the coloured SBR granules with a polyurethane based moisture curing prepolymer to form an uncured porous polymeric composition, applying the uncured porous polymeric composition to the base of a tree or sign, tamping the uncured porous polymeric composition until its uppermost surface is level with a surrounding area and allowing the composition to set.
  3. 3. A method according to Claim 2, including the further step of excavating an area at the base of the tree or sign prior to the application of the uncured porous polymeric composition.
  4. 4. A method according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the liquid polymer is polyurethane-based or epoxy-based or any other suitable liquid polymer.
  5. 5. A method according to any of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the particle size of the rubber granules is 1mm to 50mm or any mixture thereof.
  6. 6. A method according to any of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the pigmented polyurethane incorporates a UV stabilizer.
  7. 7. A method according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein the cured pigmented polymer is coated with a catalytically active medium to accelerate curing.
    -11 -
  8. 8. A method according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein the pigmented polyurethane contains a surplus of catalyst such that it is available in the cure phase to accelerate the curing of the uncured mixture.
  9. 9. A method according to any of Claims 2 to 8, wherein the porous elastomeric infill is applied to an existing tree well in a paved area.
  10. 10. A method according to any of Claims 2 to 8, wherein the porous elastomeric infill is applied to excavated areas around the bases of trees in a grassed area.
  11. 11. A method according to any of Claims 2 to 8, wherein the porous elastomeric mull is applied between the members of an existing metal tree-well grid.
  12. 12. A method of forming a porous elastomenc infill for use at the base of trees and signs substantially as herein described.-12 -
  13. 13. A porous elastomeric composition for use as an infill at the base of trees and signs substantially as herein described.Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows:-CLAIMS: 1. A porous elastomeric tree-well or sign infihl, the method and materials comprising mixing moisture curing prepolymer with particles of re-cycled rubber encapsulated with cured pigmented polyurethane to form an uncured porous polymeric composition, pouring the uncured polymeric composition around a prepared base area of a tree or sign and then allowing the said mixture to set.2. Method and materials according to Claim 1, wherein the liquid polymer is polyurethane or epoxy based or any other polymer suited to the intended application.3. Method and materials according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the particle size of the rubber granules is 1mm to 50mm or any mixture thereof.4. Method and materials according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the pigmented polyurethane incorporates a UV stabilizer.5. Method and materials according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein the surface of the cured pigmented polymer is coated with a catalytically active medium to accelerate curing.6. Method and materials according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein the pigmented polyurethane contains a surplus of catalyst such that it is available in the cure phase to accelerate the curing of the uncured mixture.7. Method and materials according to any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the porous elastomeric infill is applied to an existing tree well or sign in a paved area.8. Method and materials according to any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the porous elastomeric infihl is applied to excavated areas around the base of trees or signs in a grassed area.9. Method and materials according to any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the porous elastomeric infill is applied between the members of an existing metal tree well grid.
GB0918240A 2009-02-21 2009-10-19 Porous elastomeric infills Expired - Fee Related GB2467992B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0902961A GB0902961D0 (en) 2009-02-21 2009-02-21 Porous elastomeric tree ring/well composition

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0918240D0 GB0918240D0 (en) 2009-12-02
GB2467992A true GB2467992A (en) 2010-08-25
GB2467992B GB2467992B (en) 2011-08-31

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GB0902961A Ceased GB0902961D0 (en) 2009-02-21 2009-02-21 Porous elastomeric tree ring/well composition
GB0918240A Expired - Fee Related GB2467992B (en) 2009-02-21 2009-10-19 Porous elastomeric infills

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0902961A Ceased GB0902961D0 (en) 2009-02-21 2009-02-21 Porous elastomeric tree ring/well composition

Country Status (1)

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Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5993897A (en) * 1997-03-18 1999-11-30 Bowers; Frank Pre-mixed polymer compositions

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5993897A (en) * 1997-03-18 1999-11-30 Bowers; Frank Pre-mixed polymer compositions

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0918240D0 (en) 2009-12-02
GB0902961D0 (en) 2009-04-08
GB2467992B (en) 2011-08-31

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PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20161019