SELF-HEATING SEALANT OR ADHESIVE EMPLOYING MULTI-COMPARTMENT MICROCAPSULES

• US 20170130102A1
• Filed: 11/11/2015
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Campbell, Eric J., Kuczynski, Joseph, Splittstoesser, Kevin A., Tofil, Timothy J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,856,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/5094 Microcapsules containing magnetic carrier material, e.g. ferrite for drug targeting
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 13/02 Making microcapsules or microballoons for medical preparations A61K9/50
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 13/22 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 11/04 inorganic

Abstract

A self-heating sealant or adhesive may be formed using multi-compartment microcapsules dispersed within a sealant or adhesive. The multi-compartment microcapsules produce heat when subjected to a stimulus (e.g., a compressive force, a magnetic field, or combinations thereof). In some embodiments, the multi-compartment microcapsules have first and second compartments separated by an isolating structure adapted to rupture in response to the stimulus, wherein the first and second compartments contain reactants that come in contact and react to produce heat when the isolating structure ruptures. In some embodiments, the multi-compartment microcapsules are shell-in-shell microcapsules each having an inner shell contained within an outer shell, wherein the inner shell defines the isolating structure and the outer shell does not allow the heat-generating chemistry to escape the microcapsule upon rupture of the inner shell.

Claims

1. A method of producing a self-heating sealant or adhesive, the method comprising:

providing a sealant or adhesive;

providing multi-compartment microcapsules each having a first compartment and a second compartment separated from each other by an isolating structure adapted to rupture in response to a stimulus, wherein the first and second compartments of each multi-compartment microcapsule contain reactants that come in contact and react to produce heat when the isolating structure ruptures;

adding the multi-compartment microcapsules to the sealant or adhesive.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the stimulus is selected from a group consisting of a compressive force, a magnetic field, and combinations thereof.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the sealant or adhesive is selected from a group consisting of an epoxy-based sealant, an acrylic-based sealant, a silicone-based sealant, and combinations thereof.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the sealant or adhesive is selected from a group consisting of an epoxy-based adhesive, an acrylic-based adhesive, a silicone-based adhesive, and combinations thereof.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining an amount of the multi-compartment microcapsules sufficient to increase the temperature of an amount of the sealant or adhesive from a first temperature to a curing temperature, and wherein adding the multi-compartment microcapsules to the sealant or adhesive includes dispersing the amount of the multi-compartment microcapsules within the amount of the sealant or adhesive.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first compartment contains a metal and the second compartment contains an oxidizer.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multi-compartment microcapsules are shell-in-shell microcapsules each comprising an inner shell contained within an outer shell, wherein the inner shell encapsulates the first compartment, wherein the outer shell encapsulates the second compartment, and wherein the inner shell defines the isolating structure.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first compartment contains iron, and wherein the second compartment contains hydrogen peroxide.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first compartment contains iron and ferric nitrate, and wherein the second compartment contains hydrogen peroxide.

10. A self-heating sealant or adhesive, comprising:

a sealant or adhesive;

multi-compartment microcapsules distributed in the sealant or adhesive, wherein each multi-compartment microcapsule has a first compartment and a second compartment separated from each other by an isolating structure adapted to rupture in response to a stimulus, wherein the first and second compartments of each multi-compartment microcapsule contain reactants that come in contact and react to produce heat when the isolating structure ruptures.

11. The self-heating sealant or adhesive as recited in claim 10, wherein the stimulus is selected from a group consisting of a compressive force, a magnetic field, and combinations thereof.

12. The self-heating sealant or adhesive as recited in claim 10, wherein the sealant or adhesive is selected from a group consisting of an epoxy-based sealant, an acrylic-based sealant, a silicone-based sealant, and combinations thereof.

13. The self-heating sealant or adhesive as recited in claim 10, wherein the sealant or adhesive is selected from a group consisting of an epoxy-based adhesive, an acrylic-based adhesive, a silicone-based adhesive, and combinations thereof.

14. The self-heating sealant or adhesive as recited in claim 10, further comprising determining an amount of the multi-compartment microcapsules sufficient to increase the temperature of an amount of the sealant or adhesive from a first temperature to a curing temperature, and wherein adding the multi-compartment microcapsules to the sealant or adhesive includes dispersing the amount of the multi-compartment microcapsules within the amount of the sealant or adhesive.

15. The self-heating sealant or adhesive as recited in claim 10, wherein the first compartment contains a metal and the second compartment contains an oxidizer.

16. The self-heating sealant or adhesive as recited in claim 10, wherein the multi-compartment microcapsules are shell-in-shell microcapsules each comprising an inner shell contained within an outer shell, wherein the inner shell encapsulates the first compartment, wherein the outer shell encapsulates the second compartment, and wherein the inner shell defines the isolating structure.

17. The self-heating sealant or adhesive as recited in claim 16, wherein the first compartment contains iron, and wherein the second compartment contains hydrogen peroxide.

18. The self-heating sealant or adhesive as recited in claim 16, wherein the first compartment contains iron and ferric nitrate, and wherein the second compartment contains hydrogen peroxide.

19. A method of curing a self-heating sealant or adhesive, the method comprising:

providing a self-heating sealant or adhesive, wherein the self-heating sealant or adhesive comprises a sealant or adhesive and multi-compartment microcapsules distributed in the sealant or adhesive, wherein each multi-compartment microcapsule has a first compartment and a second compartment separated from each other by an isolating structure adapted to rupture in response to a stimulus, wherein the first and second compartments of each multi-compartment microcapsule contain reactants that come in contact and react to produce heat when the isolating structure ruptures;

activating the self-heating sealant or adhesive by applying the stimulus in an amount sufficient to rupture the isolating structure, thereby allowing the reactants to come in contact and react to produce heat.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the stimulus is selected from a group consisting of a compressive force, a magnetic field, and combinations thereof.