Dry Silicone Gels and Their Methods of Making

• US 20120322942A1
• Filed: 06/20/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commscope Connectivity Belgium BVBA (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Commscope Connectivity Belgium BVBA (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Berghmans, Stephane J.G., Oar, Michael A., Adams, Gary W., Prins, Anne-Marie, Hendrickx, Nathalie, Morales, Miguel A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,556,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 524/783
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 77/12 containing silicon bound to hydrogen C08G77/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 77/20 containing silicon bound to unsaturated aliphatic groups C08G77/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/04 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/387 Connector plugs comprising two complementary members, e.g. shells, caps, covers, locked together
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44775 Cable seals e.g. feed-through cable seals integrated to the box seals G02B6/4444; pulling eyes G02B6/44465
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5213 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/013 Sealing means for cable inlets inlets for cables filled with, or surrounded by, gas or oil H02G15/32

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for a dry silicone gel. The dry silicone gel comprises a base polymer having a vinyl-silicone group, a crosslinker, and a chain extender. The dry silicone gel may be made by reacting (a) a first set of components comprising a base polymer having a vinyl-silicone group and an addition cure catalyst with (b) a second set of components comprising a crosslinker, a chain extender, and additional base polymer. In certain circumstances, the base polymer and additional base polymer are vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane.

Claims

1. A method of making a dry silicone gel comprising:

providing a first set of components comprising;

(1) a base polymer having a vinyl-silicone group, and (2) an addition cure catalyst;

providing a second set of components comprising;

(1) a crosslinker, (2) a chain extender, and (3) additional base polymer having a vinyl-silicone group; and

mixing the first and second set of components together to form the dry silicone gel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of components further comprises an inhibitor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the inhibitor is 3,5-dimethyl-1-hexyn-3-ol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and/or second set of components further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of:

flame retardants, coloring agents, adhesion promoters, stabilizers, fillers, dispersants, flow improvers, plasticizers, slip agents, toughening agents, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the dry silicone gel comprises between 0.1 wt % and 25 wt % of a flame retardant additive.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the flame retardant additive is zinc oxide.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the base polymer and additional base polymer are each a vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the base polymer and additional base polymer each have one or more of the following properties:

(a) a molecular weight between 28,000 g/mol and 70,000 g/mol;

(b) a viscosity between 500 mm²/s and 165,000 mm²/s; and

(c) a vinyl content between 0.01 mmol/g and 0.1 mmol/g.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the dry silicone gel comprises one or more of the following properties:

(a) a hardness between 100 g and 300 g;

(b) a stress relaxation between 40% and 60% when the gel is subjected to a deformation of 50% of its original size;

(c) a compression set between 4% and 20% after 50% strain has applied to the gel for 1000 hours at 70°

C.; and

(d) less than 10% oil bleed out after being under compression of 1.2 atm for 60 days at 60°

C.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the crosslinker is selected from the group consisting of tetrakis(dimethylsiloxy)silane, methyltris(dimethylsiloxy)silane, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the chain extender is selected from the group consisting of hydride containing polydimethylsiloxane, dihydride containing siloxane, hydride terminated polydimethylsiloxane, hydride terminated polyphenylmethylsiloxane, hydride terminated polydiphenylsiloxane, functionalized terminated silicone, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the dry silicone gel has a mole fraction of hydride present as crosslinker between 0.2 and 0.5.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydride to vinyl ratio in the dry silicone gel is between 0.8 and 1.0.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of platinum complexed with divinyltetramethyldisiloxane and rhodium chloride complex.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the weight percent ratio between the first set of components and the second set of components is 1:

1.

16. A method of making a dry silicone gel comprising:

providing a first set of components comprising;

(1) a vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane having a molecular weight between 28,000 g/mol and 70,000 g/mol, a viscosity between 3,000 mm²/s and 7,000 mm²/s, and a vinyl content between 0.01 mmol/g and 0.1 mmol/g, and

(2) an addition cure catalyst, wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of platinum complexed with divinyltetramethyldisiloxane and rhodium chloride complex;

providing a second set of components comprising;

(1) a crosslinker selected from the group consisting of tetrakis(dimethylsiloxy)silane, methyltris(dimethylsiloxy)silane, and combinations thereof,

(2) a chain extender selected from the group consisting of hydride containing polydimethylsiloxane, dihydride containing siloxane, hydride terminated polydimethylsiloxane, hydride terminated polyphenylmethylsiloxane, hydride terminated polydiphenylsiloxane, functionalized terminated silicone, and combinations thereof,

(3) an inhibitor, and

(4) additional vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane having a vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane having a molecular weight between 28,000 g/mol and 70,000 g/mol, a viscosity between 3,000 mm²/s and 7,000 mm²/s, and a vinyl content between 0.01 mmol/g and 0.1 mmol/g; and

mixing the first and second set of components together to form the dry silicone gel,

wherein the dry silicone gel has a mole fraction of hydride present as crosslinker between 0.2 and 0.5, wherein the hydride to vinyl ratio in the dry silicone gel is between 0.8 and 1.0, and wherein the weight percent ratio between the first set of components and the second set of components is 1;

1.

17. A dry silicone gel comprising:

a base polymer having a vinyl-silicone group;

a crosslinker; and

a chain extender.

18. The dry silicone gel of claim 17 further comprising at least one additive selected from the group consisting of:

flame retardants, coloring agents, adhesion promoters, stabilizers, fillers, dispersants, flow improvers, plasticizers, slip agents, toughening agents, and combinations thereof.

19. The dry silicone gel of claim 17, wherein the base polymer is a vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane.

20. The dry silicone gel of claim 17, wherein the crosslinker is selected from the group consisting of tetrakis(dimethylsiloxy)silane, methyltris(dimethylsiloxy)silane, and combinations thereof.

21. The dry silicone gel of claim 17, wherein the chain extender is selected from the group consisting of hydride containing polydimethylsiloxane, dihydride containing siloxane, hydride terminated polydimethylsiloxane, hydride terminated polyphenylmethylsiloxane, hydride terminated polydiphenylsiloxane, functionalized terminated silicone, and combinations thereof.

22. The dry silicone gel of claim 17 having a mole fraction of hydride present as crosslinker between 0.2 and 0.5, and a hydride to vinyl ratio between 0.8 and 1.0.

23. The dry silicone gel of claim 17, wherein the dry silicone gel comprises between 0.1 wt % and 25 wt % of a flame retardant additive.

24. The dry silicone gel of claim 19, wherein the flame retardant additive is zinc oxide.

25. The dry silicone gel of claim 17, wherein the base polymer has one or more of the following properties:

(a) a molecular weight between 28,000 g/mol and 70,000 g/mol;

(b) a viscosity between 500 mm²/s and 165,000 mm²/s; and

(c) a vinyl content between 0.01 mmol/g and 0.1 mmol/g.

26. The dry silicone gel of claim 17, wherein the gel comprises one or more of the following properties:

(a) a hardness between 100 g and 300 g;

(b) a stress relaxation between 40% and 60% when the gel is subjected to a deformation of 50% of its original size;

(c) a compression set between 4% and 20% after 50% strain has applied to the gel for 1000 hours at 70°

C.; and

(d) less than 10% oil bleed out after being under compression of 1.2 atm for 60 days at 60°

C.