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FLEXIBLE COATINGS FOR ELASTOMER SUBSTRATES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to weatherable coatings applied on exterior

surfaces of flexible substrate articles, particularly elastomeric or rubbery articles or
substrates containing such materials. In addition to providing protective film
properties, the coatings reduce heat buildup by directing heat away from the article
(emissive). The coatings can be applied to an elastomeric substrate either before or
after the substrate has been vulcanized.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Engineered elastomeric products are designed to flex and bend, distort and
recover, and/or dampen forces including absorbing torque or vibration repeatedly
during their service life and are utilized in numerous industrial applications. For
example, elastomeric materials are utilized in the manufacture of tires, hoses, seals,
mountings such as engine mounts, dampers and insulating devices, and are
designed to exhibit hysteretic losses, and withstand heat, to name a few design
aspects. These and other articles shaped into myriad articles have many established
uses such as industrial machines and parts for vehicles. Many elastomer products
come into contact with heat from a variety of sources, such as from internal
combustion engines. Recent increases in operating temperatures, and reduction of
the size of vehicular engine compartments give rise to closer proximity between heat
sources and such molded parts as rubber hoses, plastic housings, belts, various
mounts, shrouds, seals, grommets, washers, spacers, covers, and housings, etc..
Some of these articles are heat vulcanized, others are room temperature vulcanized
and still others are cured in a different manner and exhibit characteristic flexing,
elongation, rubbery elasticity, as thermoplastics or thermoset materials.

[0003] All polymeric materials degrade on account of exposure to heat, light, oxygen,
ozone solvents, oils, and/or fuels. Elastomeric materials, and especially natural
and/or synthetic vulcanized rubbers are particularly known to degrade when

Teste para tradutor (química) – Dannemann, Siemsen, Bigler & Ipanema Moreira
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 is a plot of internal temperature versus time for a coated versus
uncoated rubber block exposed to an infrared heat source over 120 minutes.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a graphical representation of the effect of a 0.001’ (0.00040 cm)

thermal conductive coating applied to natural rubber on internal heat build under
radiant heat at 0, 10 and 20 phr of a thermal conducting pigment.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a graphical representation of the effect of a 0.001’ (0.00040 cm)

thermal conductive coating applied to natural rubber on internal heat build under
radiant heat at 0, 10 and 20 phr of a thermal conducting pigment.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a graphical representation of the effect of a 0.001’ (0.00040 cm)

thermal conductive coating applied to natural rubber on internal heat build under
radiant heat at 0, 20 and 50 phr thermal conducting pigment.

[0027] FIG. 5 is a graphical representation of the effect of a 0.001’ (0.00040 cm)

thermal conductive coating applied to natural rubber on internal heat build under
radiant heat at 0, 20 and 50 phr thermal conducting pigment.

[0028] FIG. 6 is a graphical representation of the effect on the internal temperature

of natural rubber blocks coated using three different thermal conductive coatings
versus an uncoated block under radiant heat after 10 minutes.

Teste para tradutor (química) – Dannemann, Siemsen, Bigler & Ipanema Moreira
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What is claimed is:

1. An ambient temperature curable, 2-part liquid coating composition

comprising in one part (a) a flexible film-forming polymer exhibiting a T g of less
than 0C and incorporated therein a functional group which is reactive to an active
hydrogen containing curing agent, or said functional group is an active hydrogen-
bearing group, said polymer containing less than 10% ethylenic unsaturation, and
in another of said 2-parts, a curing component containing either an active
hydrogen bearing group and a crosslinking group, or said curing agent contains a
group reactive with active hydrogen and a crosslinking group, a carrier liquid.

2. The composition of claim 1 further comprising and (a) from 10 to 100 parts
by weight per 100 parts by weight of film forming polymer of thermally conductive
metal particles having a particle size average of from 2 to 10 m or (b) from 20 to
150 parts by weight of thermal conductive particles having an average particle
size of 20 to 60 microns.

3. The coating of claim 1 wherein said film former is a hydrogenated random

or block diene copolymer having a molecular weight of about 20,000 to 200,000.

4. The coating of claim 1 wherein said film forming polymer is carboxylated

HNBR.

5. The coating of claim 1 wherein the film forming polymer is a functionalized

acrylic rubber.

6. The coating of claim 1 wherein said film former is derived from an

ethylenically-unsaturated monomer and an ,-unsaturated carboxylic acid.

The coating of claim 1 wherein said functional group on said film forming polymer is
selected from the group consisting of sulfonic acid, sulfonic acid derivatives,
chlorosulfonic acid, vinyl ethers, vinyl esters, primary amines, secondary amines,
tertiary amines, mono-carboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids,

Teste para tradutor (química) – Dannemann, Siemsen, Bigler & Ipanema Moreira