JP4618584B2 - Fluid hose - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a general housing hose and a fluid hose used as various industrial hoses, and more particularly to a fluid hose connecting between a hot water supply device and a bathtub or between various devices.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a hot water supply device and a bathtub are connected to a bathtub installed in a general house or the like by a hose in order to perform hot water supply or reheating to the bathtub. For such a hose, two hoses are used independently, or two hoses joined in parallel in advance are used as a twin pipe. These hoses are manufactured using metal or cross-linked polyethylene, or an inner surface layer and an outer surface layer or an outer surface layer using a vinyl chloride thermoplastic elastomer (TPVC).

  Further, for example, as described in JP-A-11-336955, a water-resistant synthetic rubber is used for the inner surface layer, and a reinforcement formed in a net shape by synthetic fibers so that high-temperature hot water can pass therethrough. A twin hose having a four-layer structure of a layer, an intermediate rubber layer made of oil-resistant synthetic rubber, and an outer surface layer made of a thermoplastic resin is disclosed.

  However, in the case of the metal hose and the cross-linked polyethylene hose, the flexibility is inferior, and the workability is poor at the time of construction. On the other hand, a hose using a vinyl chloride thermoplastic elastomer (TPVC) for the inner surface layer and the outer surface layer or the outer surface layer may affect the environment, for example, halogen may be released during disposal.

  In addition, because the hose for hot water piping that uses vulcanized rubber on the inner surface has a vulcanized rubber layer on the inner surface, the odor of the hose itself is strong and the odor tends to shift to hot water when it passes through hot water. There is a problem that colored water (black water) is likely to be generated due to extraction of the mixed substances.

  Therefore, in the Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-18091, the applicant does not include halogen-containing materials such as vinyl chloride resin that solve the above problems and cause environmental problems. We proposed a fluid hose that does not generate (black water), and is excellent in weight reduction, flexibility, heat resistance, durability, and fitting ease.

That is, an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) made of polypropylene (PP) and ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) is used for the inner layer as the inner layer, and a reinforcing layer is provided by braiding or winding on the outer peripheral surface of the inner layer. The fluid hose is characterized in that an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) is used for the outer layer, and the inner layer and the outer layer are directly fused via a reinforcing layer.
JP 11-336955 A Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-18091

  However, the fluid hose proposed in the above Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-18091 is a conventional hose using a vinyl chloride thermoplastic elastomer (TPVC) as an outer layer by using an olefin thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) as an outer layer. It was found that there was a problem that it was not glossy and inferior in texture, and that dirt such as dust was easily attached during piping construction, and that it was difficult to wipe off.

  The fluid hose is made of an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) in the outer layer, so that the outer surface has a large frictional resistance and the workability is poor when the hose is passed through the sheath pipe or the heat insulation pipe. The problem was found to be difficult.

  The present invention has been made in view of the present situation, does not include halogen-containing materials such as vinyl chloride resin, which causes environmental problems, on the other hand, the outer surface is glossy, excellent in texture, and less contaminated, An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid hose that can easily wipe off adhered dirt. Another object of the present invention is to provide a fluid hose that has excellent heat resistance and flexibility, can be easily assembled to a sheath tube and a heat insulation tube, and has excellent piping workability.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows. That is, the fluid hose according to the present invention uses an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) made of polypropylene (PP) and ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) for the inner layer serving as the inner layer, and braided or formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner layer. A reinforcing layer was formed by wrapping, an outer layer of an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) was provided on the outer peripheral surface of the reinforcing layer, and a protective layer was formed on the outer peripheral surface by a modified polyolefin having a polar group introduced by a graft reaction. It is characterized by.

  The olefinic thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) of the inner layer is a dynamically cross-linked olefin in which ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) of 5 μm or less is completely dispersed in a polypropylene (PP) matrix (continuous layer). A thermoplastic elastomer (TPV) is preferred. The reinforcing layer preferably has an opening between the stitches so that the inner layer and the outer layer are directly fused. Therefore, the knitting angle or the winding angle is preferably 45 to 60 °.

  Since the protective layer does not impair the heat resistance and flexibility of the hose, it is required to have a buckling property when the hose is bent, and a peelability when separating and piping a plurality of tubes. The thickness is preferably 40 to 60, more preferably 0.05 mm or more, and more preferably 0.05 to 0.4 mm.

  The hose can be used alone, but can be used as a plurality of tubes in which two or more hose are arranged in parallel and at least a part of the protective layer is joined. The hose can be used as a fluid hose for ordinary houses through which water, warm water, or antifreeze liquid passes.

  The above configuration does not affect the environment because it does not contain a halogen-containing resin such as vinyl chloride resin that causes environmental problems. In addition, a protective layer was formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer layer using an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) with a modified polyolefin introduced with a polar group by a graft reaction, so that the outer surface is glossy, has excellent texture, and adheres to dirt. Thus, it was possible to obtain a fluid hose in which the attached dirt was easy to wipe off.

  Furthermore, since a protective layer is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer layer using an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) with a modified polyolefin introduced with a polar group by a graft reaction, it is excellent in flexibility and can be applied to a sheath tube or a heat insulation tube. A fluid hose excellent in piping workability that can be easily assembled can be obtained. In addition, since a protective layer is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer layer using an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) with a modified polyolefin having a polar group introduced by a graft reaction, weight reduction, flexibility, heat resistance, durability and Excellent assembling ability. In addition, by using a thermoplastic elastomer that does not generate odor instead of vulcanized rubber for the inner layer, a fluid hose that does not cause odor transfer to liquid and that does not generate colored water (black water) due to extraction of the mixture is obtained. I was able to.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the fluid hose according to the present invention will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 1, the hose H is a multilayer in which an inner layer 1 serving as an inner layer, an outer layer 3 is provided on the outer side thereof via a reinforcing layer 2, and a protective layer 4 is formed on the outer surface of the outer layer 3. Structure hose. The inner layer 1 is made of an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) made of polypropylene (PP) and ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), and a braided reinforcing layer 2 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner layer 1, and an outer layer 3 Is formed of an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer (TPO), and the protective layer 4 serving as the outer peripheral surface is formed of a modified polyolefin having a polar group introduced by a graft reaction. The inner layer 1 and the outer layer 3 are directly fused via the mesh of the reinforcing layer 2.

  The olefinic thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) used for the inner layer 1 is a dynamically crosslinked olefin in which ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) of 5 μm or less is dispersed in a polypropylene (PP) matrix (continuous layer). A thermoplastic elastomer (TPV) is preferred. In this way, by making the olefinic thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) a polypropylene (PP) matrix (continuous layer) having 5 μm or less completely or partially crosslinked ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) dispersed therein. , Extraction resistance can be improved.

  The reinforcing layer 2 can be formed into a hose by forming the inner layer 1 and then braiding it by an arbitrary method such as a blade or a spiral, preheating the tube and then extruding the outer layer. Moreover, you may shape | mold an inner layer, a reinforcement layer, and an outer layer in one metal mold | die. The stitches are preferably open so that the inner layer 1 and the outer layer 3 can be fused, and the knitting angle is 45 to 60 °. If the knitting angle is 60 ° or more, the mesh becomes small and the resin of the inner layer 1 and the outer layer 3 cannot be directly fused, and the adhesive force may be reduced. On the other hand, when the knitting angle is 45 ° or less, there is no problem at room temperature, but the pressure resistance may not be maintained in an atmosphere of 80 ° C., for example.

  The protective layer 4 may be arbitrarily formed of a resin or a general coating material such as urethane, silicone, or fluorine. As a result of various studies, it is usually used as an adhesive layer of nylon, EVOH, metal, or the like. The modified polyolefin was used for the protective layer 4 on the assumption that the modified polyolefin to be used could be used for the protective layer serving as the outermost surface layer of the hose. It has been discovered that when a modified polyolefin that is not normally used for the outer surface layer is used, it is glossy, resistant to dirt, and easy to wipe off dirt.

  The protective layer 4 preferably has a Shore D hardness of 40 to 60, a thickness of 0.05 mm or more, and more preferably a thickness of 0.05 to 0.4 mm. The protective layer 4 has a Shore D hardness of 40 to 60, a thickness of 0.05 mm or more, and more preferably a thickness of 0.05 to 0.4 mm, so that the heat resistance and flexibility of the hose are not impaired. A good hose can be obtained without peeling off the protective layer when the tube is bent and further pipes are separated from each other.

  The hose having the above-described configuration can be molded by extruding the protective layer 4 serving as the outer peripheral surface after molding a hose formed from the inner layer 1, the reinforcing layer 2, and the outer layer 3. Furthermore, when the outer layer 3 is molded, the outer layer 3 can be molded by an arbitrary method such as simultaneously extruding the protective layer 4 serving as the outer peripheral surface.

However, since the protective layer 4 serving as the outer peripheral surface is formed of the modified polyolefin, the protective layer 4 can be directly adhered to the outer layer 3, and a coating agent containing a volatile organic compound (VOC) is applied. Compared with the above, emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the process can be remarkably reduced.
Further, an arbitrary color can be easily applied to the hose by adding a pigment to the protective layer 4 or the outer layer 3 or selecting a material colored in the outer layer 3.

  In the hose having the above configuration, the inner layer 1 and the outer layer 3 are formed of an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, and the protective layer 4 is formed of a modified polyolefin. Therefore, the inner layer 1 and the outer layer 3, and the outer layer 3 and the protective layer 4 are fused. And a vulcanization step is not necessary. Further, since the stitches can be opened by setting the knitting angle to 45 to 60 °, the inner layer 1 and the outer layer 3 can be fused directly. Therefore, an adhesive layer and an intermediate layer are not necessary, and the process can be simplified and an inexpensive hose can be obtained.

  Of course, the hose H can be used as a single unit, but as shown in FIG. 2, two hoses of the same length are juxtaposed and a part of the protective layers 4 are joined together. It may be used as a multiple tube. In order to obtain a plurality of tubes, hot air of 100 to 400 ° C. is applied to the joint portion of the protective layer 4, and two or more hoses are crimped and then cooled. Moreover, it can be set as a multiple pipe | tube by arbitrary methods, such as applying a hot plate directly to a junction and welding.

The fluid hose according to the present invention is not shown in the figure, but is used with attachment fittings attached to both ends. Next, examples and comparative examples will be described.
(Examples 1 and 2)

  An outer layer serving as an outer layer is provided by using an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) made of polypropylene (PP) and ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) for the inner layer, and a reinforcing layer using polyester fibers (PET) on the outer peripheral surface of the inner layer. A hose with a protective layer 4 formed of various materials was prepared on a hose (comparative example) in which an inner layer and an outer layer were directly fused via a reinforcing layer using an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO). went.

  In Comparative Example 1, a product name “HANARL FZ-610C” manufactured by Kanto Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd., which is a fluorine-based coating agent, was used for the protective layer 4. In Comparative Example 2, a product name “Adekabon titer HUX-232” manufactured by Asahi Denka Kogyo Co., Ltd., which is a urethane coating agent, was used for the protective layer 4. In Comparative Example 3, a trade name “Hi-zex 7000F” manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, which is high-density polyethylene (HDPE), was used for the protective layer 4. In Comparative Example 4, a trade name “MIRASON 11P” manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, which is low density polyethylene (LDPE), was used for the protective layer 4.

  In Comparative Example 5, the product name “Santoprene 203-40” manufactured by AES, which is a high hardness type olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO), was used for the protective layer 4. In Example 1, trade name “ADMER NF468” manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, which is a modified polyolefin having a protective layer 4 based on polyethylene (PE) and having a polar group introduced by a graft reaction, was used. In Example 2, a trade name “ADMER QB550” manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, which is a modified polyolefin having a protective layer 4 based on polypropylene (PP) and having a polar group introduced by a graft reaction, was used.

  Comparative Examples 6 and 7 and Comparative Example 8 were hoses that did not form a protective layer and were actually used as hoses for hot water piping.

About the said Example 1 and 2, and Comparative Examples 1-8, the following evaluation was performed.
<Hose surface gloss>
The gloss of the hose surface was confirmed visually.
<Adhesiveness>
The degree of adhesion of the protective layer 4 to the outer layer 3 and the hose were rubbed against the floor surface, and the presence or absence of peeling of the protective layer 4 was confirmed.
<Stain adhesion>
The hose was rubbed against the floor, and the degree of dirt, dust, and other dirt was visually confirmed.
<Dirt wipeability>
In the dirt adhesion test, the attached dirt was wiped dry, wiped with water, and neutral detergent was used to confirm whether or not the dirt was wiped off. The evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

The evaluation results show that the modified polyolefin into which a polar group has been introduced by the graft reaction used in Examples 1 and 2 is suitable as a material used for the protective layer 4.
Examples 1 and 2 are excellent in hose surface gloss, adhesiveness, dirt adhesion, and dirt wiping properties, and the inventors have studied the various materials and modified polyolefins introduced with polar groups by graft reaction. It has been found that it has excellent surface gloss, dirt adhesion, and dirt wiping properties, and can be used as a protective layer on the outermost surface of a hot water piping hose.

Moreover, Examples 1 and 2 are compared with the hose (Comparative Examples 7 and 8) in which a vinyl chloride thermoplastic elastomer (TPVC) is used for the outer surface layer or the outer surface layer, which is conventionally used as a hot water piping hose. Furthermore, a hose that is excellent in dirt adhesion and dirt wiping properties and that does not contain halogen-containing materials such as vinyl chloride resin, which causes environmental problems, can be obtained, and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the production process can be obtained. Emission can be significantly reduced.
(Examples 3 to 8)

  Next, hoses with different hardness and thickness of the protective layer 4 were prepared and various evaluations were performed. As in Examples 1 and 2, the hose uses an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) made of polypropylene (PP) and ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) for the inner layer, and polyester fiber (PET) for the outer peripheral surface of the inner layer. A reinforcing layer is provided, and an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) is used for the outer layer serving as the outer layer. The inner layer and the outer layer are directly bonded to the hose (Comparative Example 1) via the reinforcing layer by a graft reaction. A hose in which the protective layer 4 was formed with a modified polyolefin into which was introduced.

  The hardness of the protective layer 4 is 38 in Shore D hardness in Comparative Example 9, 68 in Shore D hardness in Comparative Example 10, 42 in Shore D hardness in Example 3, and 51 in Shore D hardness in Example 4. Example 5 was set to 57 with Shore D hardness, and Comparative Example 11 and Examples 6 to 8 were set to 51 with Shore D hardness. The protective layer thickness was 0.03 mm for Comparative Example 11, 0.2 mm for Comparative Examples 9 to 10 and Examples 3 to 5, 0.05 mm for Example 6, 0.4 mm for Example 7, and Example 8 was 0.5 mm.

About the said Comparative Examples 9-11 and Examples 3-8, the following various evaluations were performed.
<Vicat softening point>
The softening point of the protective layer was measured according to ASTM D1525.
<Hose heat resistance>
After attaching the hose to the joint fitting and leaving it in an atmosphere at 80 ° C. for 168 hours, the presence or absence of abnormalities such as peeling of the protective layer and occurrence of cracks was confirmed.
<Hose flexibility>
The repulsive force when the hose was bent so that the ends of the 500 mm long hose overlapped each other was measured. Moreover, the presence or absence of generation | occurrence | production of a hose was confirmed when the edge parts were piled up.
<Twin tube peelability>
Two hoses are juxtaposed and the protective layers are joined together by welding to create a twin tube. After making a cut at the end, when the two hoses are peeled off, the protective layer is peeled off to check for abnormalities. confirmed.
The evaluation results are shown in Table 2.

  From the above results, by forming the protective layer 4 from the modified polyolefin introduced with a polar group by a graft reaction, a single hose for a hot water pipe and a plurality of pipes in which two or more hoses are arranged in parallel can be obtained.

  In recent years, considering the heat resistance requirement of the hose due to high temperature hot water or the like, the hose preferably has a heat resistance of 80 ° C. or higher. However, there is a correlation between the hardness and heat resistance of the modified polyolefin having a polar group introduced by the graft reaction. When the Shore D hardness is 40 or less, the protective layer 4 is peeled off from the outer layer 3 in the 80 ° C. heat test. Or a decrease in heat resistance was observed, such as cracks occurring in the protective layer 4.

  Further, when the protective layer 4 has a Shore D hardness of 60 or more, there is a risk that when the hose is bent, buckling occurs and the internal fluid cannot be passed. Furthermore, when the protective layer 4 has a Shore D hardness of 40 or less or a thickness of 0.05 mm or less, there is a problem that when the twin tube is peeled off, the protective layer 4 is peeled off due to insufficient strength of the protective layer.

In addition, when the protective layer 4 is 0.4 mm or more, it can be used as a hot water hose, but the flexibility, which is the greatest feature of a hose originally formed from rubber or elastomer, is reduced, and piping workability is reduced. Will fall. Therefore, as a hot water piping hose through which hot water of about 80 ° C. or higher flows, the protective layer 4 is preferably 40 to 60 in Shore D hardness, and preferably has a thickness of 0.05 mm or more. Considering a decrease in piping workability due to a decrease in flexibility, the thickness is more preferably 0.05 to 0.4 mm.
Example 9

  Next, the hose surface gloss, dirt adhesion, dirt wiping property, etc. were evaluated. In Example 9, as in Example 4, the protective layer 4 was a hose having a Shore D hardness of 51 and a protective layer thickness of 0.2 mm. Comparative Example 12 is the same as Comparative Example 6, Comparative Example 13 is the same as Comparative Example 7, and Comparative Example 14 is the same as Comparative Example 8.

Evaluation of Example 9 and Comparative Examples 12 to 14 was performed as follows.
<Hose surface gloss>
The gloss of the hose surface was confirmed visually.
<Stain adhesion>
The hose was rubbed against the floor, and the degree of dirt, dust, and other dirt was visually confirmed.
<Dirt wipeability>
In the dirt adhesion test, the attached dirt was wiped dry, wiped with water, and neutral detergent was used to confirm whether the dirt could be wiped off.
<Minimum bending radius>
The bending radius at which the rate of change in outer diameter was 10% when the hose was bent was determined as the minimum bending radius. The outer diameter change rate (%) was obtained by the following formula.
Rate of change in outer diameter (%) = (initial hose outer diameter−hose outer diameter after bending) / initial hose outer diameter × 100
<Acceleration test>
A fitting was assembled to the hose, and air was pressurized at 0.3 MPa with air in an atmosphere of 80 ° C. or 100 ° C., and the time during which an abnormality such as leakage occurred was determined.
<Saya tubeability>
A hose was passed through a 50 m Saya tube to confirm whether or not it could pass.
The evaluation results are shown in Table 3.

  Example 9 is used as a hot water piping hose, and the outer surface layer or the outer surface layer has a gloss equal to or higher than that of Comparative Examples 13 and 14, which are conventional hoses using a vinyl chloride thermoplastic elastomer (TPVC). In addition, it is excellent in dirt adhesion and dirt wiping properties, and also shows good results in the minimum bending radius and acceleration test, has excellent flexibility and heat resistance, and can be used sufficiently as a hose for hot water piping.

  In addition, from the above results, Example 9 has a low hose surface resistance and can be easily assembled (through work) to a sheath tube or a heat insulation tube, which was difficult with a conventional rubber or elastomer hose. is there.

It is the perspective view which notched a part of hose for fluids concerning this invention. It is a perspective view of the twin pipe concerning this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: Inner layer 2: Reinforcement yarn layer 3: Outer layer 4: Protective layer

Claims (4)

  Using an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) made of polypropylene (PP) and ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) for the inner layer that is the inner layer, a reinforcing layer by braiding or winding is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner layer, and the outer periphery of the reinforcing layer An outer layer made of an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) is provided on the surface, and a protective layer is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer layer by a modified polyolefin having a polar group introduced by a graft reaction.   The fluid hose according to claim 1, wherein the protective layer has a Shore D hardness of 40 to 60 and a thickness of 0.05 mm or more.   The fluid hose according to claim 1 or 2, wherein two or three or more hoses are arranged in parallel, and are a twin pipe or multiple pipes in which a part of a protective layer of each hose is joined.   The fluid hose according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fluid hose is piped to a general house for water, hot water, or antifreeze.

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