Method for bonding elastomers to metals

• US 4,396,450 A
• Filed: 06/22/1981
• Issued: 08/02/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lord Corporation (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lord Corporation (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Inventors: Blenner, Donald R., Boenig, Herman V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kimlin, Edward C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wine, F. K.
• Application Number:
  US06/276,211
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 156/272, 156/307.5, 156/307.7, 156/315, 156/110 A, 156/272.6, 204/164, 204/165, 204/152 E, 204/192 EC, 428/408, 428/469, 428/419, 428/420, 428/457, 428/494, 428/521, 427/39, 427/327, 427/388.1, 427/399, 427/409, 148/6.3, 148/6.35
• US Class Current: 156/272.6
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/62 Plasma-deposition of organic layers plasma deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2059/147 Low pressure plasma; Glow discharge plasma
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/10 by electric discharge treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/14 by plasma treatment plasma tubes per se H01J
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2021/00 Use of unspecified rubbers as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2321/00 Characterised by the use of unspecified rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/124 using adhesives based on a macromolecular component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 156/91 Bonding tire cord and elastomer: improved adhesive system

Abstract

Environmental resistance of rubber-metal bonded assemblies is significantly improved by a process comprising treating such substrates in a "low temperature" plasma comprising at least one sulfur-containing reactive monomer.

Claims

1. A method for bonding vulcanizable natural and synthetic rubbers to metal substrates comprising:

(a) exposing at least one metal element to a plasma of at least one sulfur-containing reactive monomer selected from the group consisting of thiophene, 2-ethylthiophene and tetrahydrothiophene;

(b) applying to at least one plasma-exposed surface of said metal element an adhesive composition suitable for bonding natural and synthetic rubber to metal;

(c) contacting such adhesively-coated metal element with a vulcanizable rubber composition; and

(d) subjecting the resultant assembly to conditions sufficient to vulcanize said rubber and cure said adhesive.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said sulfur-containing reactive monomer is thiophene.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said sulfur-containing reactive monomer is 2-ethylthiophene.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said sulfur-containing reactive monomer is tetrahydrothiophene.

5. A method for bonding vulcanizable natural and synthetic rubbers to metal substrates comprising:

(a) exposing at least one metal substrate to a plasma of at least one non-reactive gas;

(b) exposing at least one of such non-reactive gas plasma-exposed substrates to a plasma of at least one sulfur-containing reactive monomer selected from a group consisting of thiophene, 2-ethylthiophene and tetrahydrothiophene;

(c) applying to at least one reactive monomer plasma-exposed surface of said metal element an adhesive composition suitable for bonding natural and synthetic rubber to metal;

(d) contacting such adhesively-coated metal element with a vulcanizable rubber composition; and

(e) subjecting the resultant assembly to conditions sufficient to vulcanize said rubber composition and cure said adhesive.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said sulfur-containing reactive monomer comprises thiophene.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein said sulfur-containing reactive monomer comprises 2-ethylthiophene.

8. A method according to claim 5 wherein said sulfur-containing reactive monomer comprises tetrahydrothiophene.

9. A method according to claim 5 wherein said non-reactive gas is selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, neon, argon, krypton and xenon.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein said sulfur-containing reactive monomer comprises thiophene.

11. A method according to claim 9 wherein said sulfur-containing reactive monomer comprises 2-ethylthiophene.

12. A method according to claim 9 wherein said sulfur-containing reactive monomer comprises tetrahydrothiophene.

13. A method according to claim 9 wherein said non-reactive gas is argon and said sulfur-containing monomer is selected from the group consisting of thiophene, 2-ethylthiophene and tetrahydrothiophene.