Polyester resin-cured laminate and method of preparing

• US 6,277,939 B1
• Filed: 06/07/1999
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HEHR International Incorporated (LCI Industries)
• Original Assignee: HEHR International Incorporated (LCI Industries)
• Inventors: Smith, Stuart B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, David W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZALUKAEVA, TATYANA
• Application Number:
  US09/326,314
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 428/423, 525/440, 525/21, 525/36, 525/38, 525/39, 522/24, 522/96, 522/93, 522/107, 522/81, 526/301, 526/320, 526/82, 526/347
• US Class Current: 526/301
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 283/006 on to polymers provided for in C08G18/00 C08F283/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 283/01 on to unsaturated polyesters C08F283/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 290/067 Polyurethanes; Polyureas
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/10 Prepolymer processes involving reaction of isocyanates or isothiocyanates with compounds having active hydrogen in a first reaction step
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3821 Carboxylic acids; Esters thereof with monohydroxyl compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4615 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/50 having heteroatoms other than oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/5024 containing primary and/or secondary amino groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/6705 Unsaturated polymers not provided for in the groups C08G18/671, C08G18/6795, C08G18/68 or C08G18/69
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/673 containing two or more acrylate or alkylacrylate ester groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/678 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/68 Unsaturated polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/765 alpha, alpha, alpha', alpha', -tetraalkylxylylene diisocyanate or homologues substituted on the aromatic ring
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/797 containing carbodiimide and/or uretone-imine groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2115/06 to carbodiimide or uretone-imine groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/06 Unsaturated polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/14 Polyurethanes having carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 175/16 having terminal carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2933 Coated or with bond, impregnation or core

Abstract

A method of preparing a polyester resin composition laminate, which method comprises spraying an unsaturated polyester resin composition with an acrylic-urethane prepolymer onto a substrate, like a glass fiber, and curing the sprayed composition by radiant light.

Claims

1. A method of preparing a cured, unsaturated, polyester resin composition substrate, which method comprises:

a) providing an unsaturated polyester resin composition prepared by the reaction of a dicarboxylic acid and a dihydroxy alcohol, and which polyester resin composition includes a cross-linking amount of a cross-linking monomer in an amount of less than 40% by weight of the composition and a photoinitiating amount of a photoinitiator;

b) adding an additive amount of a liquid acrylate-urethane prepolymer to the polyester resin composition, the prepolymer prepared by the reaction of free NCO groups of a polyisocyanate or polyisocyanate prepolymer with a hydroxy-functional acrylic monomer;

c) applying the polyester resin composition onto a substrate; and

d) exposing the applied polyester resin composition to photo radiation to promote curing of the polyester resin composition.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid prepolymer is prepared by the reaction of a polyisocyanate selected from the group consisting of:

methylene di-p-phenylene isocyanate (MDI);

hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI); and

isophenyl diisocyanate (IPDI) with the acrylic monomer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the acrylic monomer comprises a polyerythritol acrylate.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the cross-linking monomer is styrene or diallyl phthalate in an amount of less than about 30% by weight of the composition.

5. The method of claim 1 which includes adding a peroxide catalyst to the composition and dual curing the composition with the peroxide catalyst and the photoinitiator.

6. The method of claim 1 which includes adding the liquid prepolymer to the composition in an amount of 5 to 30 percent by weight of the composition.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the acrylic monomer comprises an ethoxylated or propoxylated acrylate.

8. The method of claim 1 which includes spraying the composition onto the surface of a gel-coated substrate.

9. The method of claim 1 which includes spraying the composition with glass fibers onto the substrate.

10. The method of claim 1 which includes exposing the applied composition to radiant energy in the range of about 250 to 450 nanometers.

11. The method of claim 1 which includes applying the composition to a glass cloth substrate.

12. The method of claim 1 which includes:

a) applying an unsaturated, polyester resin composition gel coating onto a mold surface;

b) spraying the composition with glass fibers onto the gel coating in the mold; and

c) recovering the coated substrate from the mold.

13. The method of claim 1 which includes applying the composition on a coating layer of about 50 to 120 mils, and wherein substantial curing occurs in less than about 3 minutes.

14. The photo radiation-cured composition-laminate prepared by claim 1.

15. The photo radiation-cured composition-laminate prepared by claim 12.

16. The method claim 1 wherein the photoinitiator comprises from about 0.01 to 5.0 percent by weight of the polyester resin composition.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the polyester resin composition includes a viscosity modifying amount of 0.01 to 5 percent by weight of the composition of silica.

18. The method of claim 1 which includes an inhibitor to provide storage stability to the polyester resin composition.

19. The method of claim 1 which includes applying the polyester resin composition onto a fiberglass-containing substrate in a mold.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the polyisocyanate is a diisocyanate, the acrylic monomer is a pentaerythritol triacrylate, and the cross-linking monomer is styrene.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a glass fiber mat on a mold to prepare a fiberglass tray.

22. The method of claim 1 which includes preparing the prepolymer by reacting a stoichiometric or excess amount of the polyisocyanate with the acrylic monomer.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the acrylic monomer is selected from the group consisting of:

2-hydroxy ethyl acrylate;

hydroxy propyl acrylate;

2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate;

2-hydroxy ethyl propyl methacrylate; and

acrylic urethane prepolymers.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the polyester resin composition comprises about 1 to 20 percent by weight of light-reflective materials.