FOAMED HOLLOW CHAMBER PROFILES

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a foamed profile including one or more longitudinal hollow chambers having a closed section, including (a) extruding a first polymer composition, in the presence of one or more first foaming agents, into a foamed base profile having a polygonal section, preferably a rectangular section, the first polymer composition including one or more (co)polyesters, (b) cooling the foamed base profile, (c) creating a trench along the length of the foamed base profile by removing material, preferably by means of milling, cutting, laser or thermofusion, the trench forming two parallel branches in the foamed base profile, each of the branches including an outer surface opposite the trench and an inner surface facing the trench, and (d) extruding, inside the trench, a second polymer composition which may or may not be identical to the first polymer composition, preferably in the presence of one or more second foaming agents, into a spacer at at least one location between the two inner surfaces of the two branches of the trench, so as to form at least one closed hollow chamber inside the trench. The disclosure also related to foamed profiles including one or more longitudinal hollow chambers having a closed section, in particular insulators for reducing the thermal bridge effect between two connected building elements.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a foamed profile comprising one or more longitudinal cavities of closed section, the method comprising the steps of (a) extruding a first polymer composition in the presence of one or more first foaming agents to yield a foamed base profile of polygonal section, the first polymer composition comprising one or more (co)polyesters, (b) cooling the foamed base profile, (c) creating a channel along the length of the foamed base profile by removing material, the channel forming two parallel branches in the foamed base profile, each of the branches comprising an outer surface facing away from the channel and an inner surface facing towards the channel, and (d) extruding inside the channel a second polymer composition, which may or may not be identical to the first polymer composition, to yield a cross strut at at least one location between the two inner surfaces of the two branches of the channel, so as to form at least one closed cavity within the channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, after step (b), a step (c′) of creating an external contour element on at least one of the sides of the foamed base profile by removing material.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step (x) of extruding a third polymer composition, to yield a number of fins on one or more sides of the base profile, wherein step (x) may be carried out during step (a) by coextrusion or by separate extrusion after one of the subsequent steps, before, during or after step (d).

4. The method according to claim 1, in which the first polymer composition comprises at least one (co)polyester selected from polyglycolide or poly(glycolic acid), poly(lactic acid), polycaprolactone, polyhydroxyalkanoate, polyethylene adipate, polybutylene succinate, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, optionally blended with one or more (co)polymers selected from thermoplastic elastomers, including thermoplastic polyester elastomers, unvulcanized thermoplastic olefinic elastomers, thermoplastic urethane elastomers, thermoplastic styrenic elastomers, thermoplastic polyamide elastomers, ethylene copolymers, including ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymers or ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymers, modified or unmodified by groups including maleic anhydride or alternatively glycidyl methacrylate to compatibilize them with the (co)polyester(s), poly carbonate, polystyrene or polyamide.

5. The method according to claim 4, in which the content of (co)polyester(s) in the first polymer composition is greater than 60% by weight.

6. The method according to claim 1, in which the second polymer composition comprises at least one (co)polymer selected from thermoplastic elastomers, comprising thermoplastic polyester elastomers, unvulcanized thermoplastic olefinic elastomers, thermoplastic urethane elastomers, thermoplastic styrenic elastomers, thermoplastic polyamide elastomers, ethylene copolymers, including ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymers, modified or unmodified to compatibilize them, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyamide or (co)poly esters selected from polyglycolide or poly(glycolic acid), poly(lactic acid), polycaprolactone, polyhydroxyalkanoate, polyethylene adipate, polybutylene succinate, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, or blends thereof, and thermoplastic elastomers and ethylene copolymers, grafted with maleic anhydride.

7. The method according to claim 3, in which the third polymer composition comprises at least one polymer selected from thermoplastic elastomers, comprising thermoplastic polyester elastomers, unvulcanized thermoplastic olefinic elastomers, thermoplastic urethane elastomers, thermoplastic styrenic elastomers, thermoplastic polyamide elastomers, ethylene copolymers, including ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymers, modified or unmodified by groups including maleic anhydride or alternatively glycidyl methacrylate to compatibilize them, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyamide, or (co)polyesters selected from polyglycolide or poly(glycolic acid), poly(lactic acid), polycaprolactone, polyhydroxyalkanoate, polyethylene adipate, polybutylene succinate, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, or blends thereof.

8. The method according to claim 2, in which the first, second and/or third foaming agent(s) is/are independently selected from isobutane, cyclopentane and/or carbon dioxide.

9. The method according to claim 3, in which the first, second and/or third polymer compositions independently comprise other additives, comprising nucleating additives including talcum, calcium stearate or silica, chemical agents which accelerate the decomposition of the chemical foaming agents including zinc oxide and/or zinc stearate, fire-retardant agents, UV-stabilizers, antioxidants, crystallization nucleating agents, branching agents and/or lubricants.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the foamed profile comprising one or more longitudinal cavities of closed section obtained at an end of the method is a thermal insulator for reducing thermal bridging between two connected structural elements, the method comprising a step (c′) in which the external contour element on one of the sides of the foamed base profile is an insulator head of narrower section than the foamed base profile arranged on the opposite side of the channel.

11. A foamed profile comprising one or more longitudinal cavities of closed section, the foamed profile comprising a foamed base profile of polygonal section, the first polymer composition comprising one or more polyesters, the foamed base profile comprising a channel formed by removing material, said channel being compartmented into one or more closed cavities, parallel to a length of the foamed base profile, by a number of cross struts, extruded from a second polymer composition.

12. The foamed profile according to claim 11, further comprising part of the external contour modified by removing material.

13. The foamed profile according to claim 11, further comprising part of the external contour modified by by (co)extrusion or adhesive bonding of a number of fins onto one or more sides of the base profile.

14. The foamed profile according to claim 11, in which the first polymer composition comprises at least one (co)polyester selected from polyglycolide or poly(glycolic acid), poly(lactic acid), polycaprolactone, polyhydroxyalkanoate, polyethylene adipate, polybutylene succinate, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, and polyethylene terephthalate, optionally blended with one or more (co)polymers selected from thermoplastic elastomers, including thermoplastic polyester elastomers, unvulcanized thermoplastic olefinic elastomers, thermoplastic urethane elastomers, thermoplastic styrenic elastomers, thermoplastic polyamide elastomers, ethylene copolymers, including ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymers or ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymers, modified or unmodified by groups including maleic anhydride or alternatively glycidyl methacrylate to compatibilize them with the (co)polyester(s), poly carbonate, polystyrene or polyamide.

15. The foamed profile according to claim 14, in which the content of (co)polyester(s) in the first polymer composition is greater than 60% by weight.

16. The foamed profile according to claim 11, in which the second polymer composition comprises at least one polymer selected from thermoplastic elastomers, including thermoplastic polyester elastomers, unvulcanized thermoplastic olefinic elastomers, thermoplastic urethane elastomers, thermoplastic styrenic elastomers, thermoplastic polyamide elastomers, ethylene copolymers, including ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymers, modified or unmodified by groups including maleic anhydride or alternatively glycidyl methacrylate to compatibilize them, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyamide or (co)polyesters selected from polyglycolide or poly(glycolic acid), poly(lactic acid), polycaprolactone, polyhydroxyalkanoate, polyethylene adipate, polybutylene succinate, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, or blends thereof, and thermoplastic elastomers and ethylene copolymers, grafted with maleic anhydride.

17. The foamed profile according to claim 11, in which the third polymer composition comprises at least one polymer selected from thermoplastic elastomers, including thermoplastic polyester elastomers, unvulcanized thermoplastic olefinic elastomers, thermoplastic urethane elastomers, thermoplastic styrenic elastomers, thermoplastic polyamide elastomers, ethylene copolymers, including ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymers, modified or unmodified by groups including maleic anhydride or alternatively glycidyl methacrylate to compatibilize them, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyamide, or (co)polyesters selected from polyglycolide or poly(glycolic acid), poly(lactic acid), polycaprolactone, polyhydroxyalkanoate, polyethylene adipate, polybutylene succinate, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, or blends thereof.

18. The foamed profile according to claim 11, in which the first, second and/or third polymer compositions independently comprise other additives, including nucleating additives comprising talcum, calcium stearate or silica, chemical agents which accelerate the decomposition of the chemical foaming agents comprising zinc oxide and/or zinc stearate, fire-retardant agents, UV-stabilizers, antioxidants, crystallization nucleating agents, branching agents and/or lubricants.

19. The foamed profile according to claim 11, which is an insulator for reducing thermal bridging between two connected structural elements, the insulator comprising an external contour element on one of the sides of the foamed base profile which is an insulator head of narrower section than the foamed base profile and which is arranged on the opposite side of the channel.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (d) of extruding the second polymer composition is done in the presence of one or more second foaming agents.

21. The method according to claim 3, wherein step (x) of extruding the third polymer composition is done in the presence of one or more third foaming agents.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Other distinctive features and characteristics of the disclosure will be revealed by the detailed description of some advantageous embodiments given below by way of example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0030] FIGS. 1a) to e): are cross-sections of a variant of a foamed profile comprising a plurality of closed cavities, in particular an insulator, according to the disclosure and showing the development of the base profile over the course of the various steps of the method.

[0031] FIG. 2: is a cross-section of a structure using a foamed profile comprising a plurality of closed cavities, in particular an insulator according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] FIGS. 1a) to e) schematically illustrate the development of the base profile over the course of the various steps of the method to obtain the foamed profile comprising one or more longitudinal cavities of closed section. In FIGS. 1a) to e), reference numeral 10 denotes the profile at the respective stage it has reached. FIG. 1a) shows a base profile as may be obtained at the end of step (b), for example a base profile 15 of rectangular section. During step (c) (FIG. 1b)), a channel 20 is machined into the base profile 15. The depth of this cavity 20 will depend on the requirements of the intended application. In general, the channel will have a depth P representing 30 to 90% of the corresponding dimension of the base profile 15. Step (c′), which may be performed at the same time as step (c), removes a part of each side of the base profile at the opposite end to (the opening of) the channel 20 (FIG. 1c)) so as to form a head which may be inserted, for example, into the groove of a profile 105 as shown in FIG. 2. One important step of the present disclosure is step (d) of forming one or more cross struts 25 in the interior of the channel 20 and parallel to the bottom thereof located at a depth P (FIG. 1d)). As illustrated in FIG. 1e) and FIG. 2, it may be advantageous to add fins 40 during a step (x) in order to improve the insulation performance of a foamed profile according to the disclosure in certain applications. Step (x) may be performed at the same time as step (a) or after step (b), in particular before, during or after step (d); the order of FIGS. 1a) to e) is illustrative and therefore does not impose a single possible order in which the steps of the method have to be carried out.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a section through an example structure using a foamed profile comprising a plurality of closed cavities, in particular an insulator 10 according to the disclosure, comprising (see FIG. 1e)) a base profile 15 with a channel 20 in which a plurality of cavities 30 have been formed by insertion of cross struts 25, the channel with the cross struts being crossed in places by fastening screws 110. The view shows the arrangement comprising a support profile 105 with lower gaskets 130 on which the glazing or panels 100, 100′ are placed. The insulator is introduced so as to fasten the head thereof into a groove of the support profile 105 between the panels or glazing 100, 100′. A fastening screw 110 crosses the insulator 10 and connects a façade profile 115 (which may be equipped with a cover) and upper gaskets 120 to the support profile 105. In the case illustrated in FIG. 2, the ends of the fins 40 are preferably located at a distance of between 0 and 2 mm from the structural elements, such as the glazing or panels 100, 100′ and therefore likewise compartment this space in order to reduce convective losses.