Glass-fiber-reinforced spacer for insulating glazing unit
10508486 ยท 2019-12-17
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
International classification
Abstract
A spacer for insulating glazing units is presented. The spacer has a polymeric main body with features that include two parallel side walls that are connected to one another by an inner wall and an outer wall. The side walls, the inner wall, and the outer wall surround a hollow chamber. According to one aspect, the polymeric main body has a glass fiber content of 0 wt.-% to 40 wt.-%, to which 0.5 wt.-% to 1.5 wt.-% of a foaming agent is added to form hollow spaces that provide a weight reduction of the polymeric main body of 10 wt.-% to 20 wt.-%.
Claims
1. A spacer for an insulating glazing unit, the spacer comprising: a polymeric main body comprising two parallel side walls that are connected to one another by an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the two parallel side walls, the inner wall, and the outer wall surround a hollow chamber, a thickness of the inner wall, the outer wall and the two parallel side walls is the same, the polymeric main body has a glass fiber content of 0 wt.-% to 40 wt.-%, the polymeric main body comprises hollow spaces obtained by addition of at least one foaming agent to the polymeric main body, the hollow spaces provide a weight reduction of 10 wt.-% to 20 wt.-% of the main body, and an amount of the foaming agent added is 0.5 wt.-% to 1.5 wt.-%.
2. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the weight reduction is from 11 wt.-% to 14 wt.-%.
3. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the foaming agent added is 0.7 wt.-% to 1.0 wt.-%.
4. The spacer according to one of claim 1, wherein the polymeric main body contains 1.0 wt.-% to 4.0 wt.-% color masterbatch.
5. The spacer according to claim 4, wherein the polymeric main body contains 1.3 wt.-% to 2.0 wt.-% color masterbatch.
6. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric main body is fracture-resistant up to an applied force of 1800 N to 2500 N.
7. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric main body contains one or more of polyethylene (PE), polycarbonates (PC), polystyrene, polybutadiene, polynitriles, polyesters, polyurethanes, polymethylmethacrylates, polyacrylates, polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or copolymers, derivatives and mixtures thereof.
8. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric main body contains one or more of polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), acrylonitrile styrene acrylester (ASA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene/polycarbonate (ABS/PC), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), polyethylene terephthalate/polycarbonate (PET/PC), polybutylene terephthalate/polycarbonate (PBT/PC), or copolymers, derivatives and mixtures thereof.
9. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric main body contains one or more of styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), polypropylene (PP), or copolymers, derivatives and mixtures thereof.
10. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein embedded in each side wall of the two parallel side walls is a reinforcing strip that contains at least a metal or a metallic alloy, and has a thickness of 0.05 mm to 1 mm, and a width of 1 mm to 5 mm.
11. The spacer according to claim 10, wherein the metal or metallic alloy comprises steel.
12. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein: the outer wall comprises an insulation film, the insulation film comprises a polymeric carrier film and at least one metallic or ceramic layer, a thickness of the polymeric carrier film is from 10 m to 100 m, a thickness of the metallic or ceramic layer is from 10 nm to 1500 nm, the insulation film contains at least one more polymeric layer with a thickness of 5 m to 100 m, the metallic or ceramic layer contains one or more of iron, aluminum, silver, copper, gold, chromium, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or alloys, mixtures and oxides thereof, and the polymeric carrier film contains one or more of polyethylene terephthalate, ethylene vinyl alcohol, polyvinylidene chloride, polyamides, polyethylene, polypropylene, silicones, acrylonitriles, polymethyl acrylates, or copolymers and mixtures thereof.
13. A method for producing a spacer for an insulating glazing unit, the spacer comprising a polymeric main body comprising two parallel side walls that are connected to one another by an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the two parallel side walls, the inner wall, and the outer wall surround a hollow chamber, a thickness of the inner wall, the outer wall and the two parallel side walls is the same, the polymeric main body has a glass fiber content of 0 wt.-% to 40 wt.-%, the polymeric main body comprises hollow spaces obtained by addition of at least one foaming agent to the polymeric main body, the hollow spaces provide a weight reduction of 10 wt.-% to 20 wt.-% of the main body, and an amount of the foaming agent added is 0.5 wt.-% to 1.5 wt.-%, the method comprising: preparing a mixture of at least one polymer, color masterbatch, and a foaming agent; melting the mixture in an extruder at a temperature of 170 C. to 230 C.; based on the melting, decomposing the foaming agent and foaming molten material with a gas; pressing the molten material by a mold, thereby obtaining the polymeric main body, stabilizing the polymeric main body; and cooling the polymeric main body.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the preparing of the mixture comprises preparing a granulate mixture at least containing: 95.0 wt.-% to 99.0 wt.-% polymer with 30.0 wt.-% to 40.0 wt.-% glass fibers, 1.0 wt.-% to 4.0 wt.-% color masterbatch, and 0.5 wt.-% to 1.5 wt.-% foaming agent.
15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the melting of the mixture comprises melting in the extruder at a temperature of 215 C. to 220 C.
16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the gas foaming the molten material comprises CO.sub.2.
17. A method, comprising using of the spacer according to claim 1 in multiple glazing units.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the multiple glazing units comprise insulating glazing units.
19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the insulating glazing units comprise window glazing units or faade glazing units of buildings.
Description
(1) In the following, the invention is explained in detail with reference to drawings and exemplary embodiments. The drawings are a schematic representation and not true to scale. The drawings in no way restrict the invention.
(2) They depict:
(3)
(4)
(5)
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(8) The main body I comprises two parallel side walls 1, 2 that are intended to be brought into contact with the panes of the insulating glazing. In each case, between one end of each side wall 1, 2, runs an inner wall 3 that is intended to face the interpane space of the insulating glazing. At the other ends of the side walls 1, 2, a connection section 7, 7 is connected in each case. Via the connecting sections 7, 7, the side walls 1, 2 are connected to an outer wall 4 that is implemented parallel to the inner wall 3. The angle between the connecting sections 7 (or 7) and the side wall 3 (or 4) is roughly 45. The result of this is that the angle between the outer wall 4 and the connecting sections 7, 7 is also roughly 45. The main body I surrounds a hollow chamber 5.
(9) The material thickness (thickness) of the side walls 1, 2, of the inner wall 3, of the outer wall 4, and of the connecting sections 7, 7 is roughly the same and is, for example, 1 mm. The main body has, for example, a height of 6.5 mm and a width of 15 mm.
(10) A reinforcing strip 6 is preferably embedded in each side wall 1, 2. The reinforcing strips 6, 6 are made of steel, which is not stainless steel, and they have a thickness (material thickness) of, for example, 0.3 mm and a width of, for example, 3 mm The length of the reinforcing strips 6, 6 corresponds to the length of the main body I.
(11) The reinforcing strips give the basic body I sufficient bendability and stability to be bent without prior heating and to durably retain the desired shape. In contrast to other solutions according to the prior art, the spacer here has very low thermal conductivity since the metallic reinforcing strips 6, 6 are embedded only in the side walls 1, 2, via which only a very small part of the heat exchange between the pane interior and the external environment occurs. The reinforcing strips 6, 6 do not act as thermal bridges. These are major advantages of the present invention.
(12) An insulation film 8 is preferably arranged on the outer surface of the outer wall 4 and of the connection sections 7, 7 as well as a section of the outer surface of each of the side walls 1, 2. The insulation film 8 reduces diffusion through the spacer. Thus, the entry of moisture into the interpane space of an insulating glazing unit or the loss of the inert gas filling of the interpane space can be reduced. Moreover, the insulation film 8 improves the thermal properties of the spacer, thus reduces thermal conductivity.
(13) The insulation film 8 comprises the following layer sequence: a polymeric carrier film (made of LLDPE (linear low density polyethylene), thickness: 24 m)/a metallic layer (made of aluminum, thickness: 50 nm)/a polymeric layer (PET, 12 m)/a metallic layer (Al, 50 nm)/a polymeric layer (PET, 12 82 m). The layer stack on the carrier film thus includes two polymeric layers and two metallic layers, with the polymeric layers and the metallic layers arranged alternatingly. The layer stack can also include other metallic layers and/or polymeric layers, with metallic and polymeric layers likewise preferably arranged alternatingly such that a polymeric layer is arranged between two adjacent metallic layers in each case and a polymeric layer is arranged above the uppermost metallic layer.
(14) By means of the assembly comprising a polymeric main body I, the reinforcing strips 6, 6, and the insulation film 8, the spacer according to the invention has advantageous properties with regard to stiffness, leakproofness, and thermal conductivity. Consequently, it is especially suitable for use in insulating glazings, in particular in the window or facade region of buildings.
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(16) The side walls 1, 2 of the spacer are bonded to the glass panes 10, 11 via, in each case, a sealing layer 13. The sealing layer 13 is made, for example, of butyl. In the edge space of the insulating glazing between the glass panes 10, 11 and the spacer, an outer sealing compound 9 is arranged peripherally. The sealing compound 9 is, for example, a silicone rubber.
(17) The hollow chamber 5 of the main body I is preferably filled with a desiccant 12. The desiccant 12 is, for example, a molecular sieve. The desiccant 12 absorbs residual moisture present between the glass panes and the spacer and thus prevents fogging of the panes 10, 11 in the interpane space. The action of the desiccant 12 is promoted by holes (not shown) in the inner wall 3 of the main body I.
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COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE
(20) Method for producing a foamed spacer
(21) A mixture of: 98.5 wt.-% styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) with 35 wt.-% glass fibers (A. Schulmann) and 1.5 wt.-% color masterbatch Sicoversal Black (BASF)
was added as granulate into an extruder and melted in the extruder at a temperature of 218 C. Using a melt pump, the molten material was shaped by a mold into a hollow profile (spacer). The still soft hollow profile with a temperature of roughly 170 C. was stabilized in a vacuum calibrator. This ensured the geometry of the hollow profile. Thereafter, the hollow profile was guided through a cooling bath and finally reached room temperature.
(22) The hollow profile had a wall thickness of 1.0 mm0.1 mm.
(23) The total width of the hollow profile was 15.5 mm0.1 mm.
(24) The total height of the hollow profile was 6.5 mm0.05 mm+0.25.
(25) The weight of the hollow profile was 52 g/m.
(26) The mechanical strength of the hollow profile was>600 N/cm.
EXAMPLE
(27) Method for producing a foamed spacer
(28) A mixture of: 97.7 wt.-% styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) with 35 wt.-% glass fibers (A. Schulmann) 1.5 wt.-% color masterbatch Sicoversal Black (BASE), and 0.8 wt.-% foaming agent Polybatch 8850 E (A. Schulmann)
was added as granulate into an extruder and melted in the extruder at a temperature of 218 C. At this time, the decomposition of the foaming agent with release of CO.sub.2 occurred. Using a melt pump, the molten material was shaped by a mold into a hollow profile (spacer). The still soft hollow profile with a temperature of roughly 170 C. was stabilized in a vacuum calibrator. This ensured the geometry of the hollow profile. Thereafter, the hollow profile was guided through a cooling bath and finally reached room temperature.
(29) The hollow profile had a wall thickness of 1.0 mm0.1 mm.
(30) The total width of the hollow profile was 15.5 mm0.1 mm.
(31) The total height of the hollow profile was 6.5 mm0.05 mm+0.25.
(32) The weight of the hollow profile was 45 g/m.
(33) The mechanical strength of the hollow profile is>600 N/cm.
(34) A comparison between the non-foamed hollow profile of Comparative Example 1 and the foamed hollow profile according to the invention of Example 1 is found in Table 1.
(35) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Comparative Example 1 Example 1 Wall thickness 1.0 mm 0.1 mm 1.0 mm 0.1 mm of the hollow profile Width of the 15.5 mm 0.1 m 15.5 mm 0.1 mm hollow profile Height of the 6.5 mm 0.05 mm + 0.25 6.5 mm 0.05 mm + 0.25 hollow profile Mechanical >600 N/cm >600 N/cm strength Weight of the 52 g/m 45 g/m hollow profile
(36) With the hollow profile according to the invention, a material savings of 7 grams per meter was achieved with the same mechanical strength. This means a material savings of 13.46% based on 52 grams per meter.
(37) A further comparison between the non-foamed hollow profile of Comparative Example 1 and the foamed hollow profile according to the invention of Example 1 is found in Table 2. For this, 12 specimens each of non-foamed and foamed hollow profiles were measured. Force/strain measurements were performed. For this, the maximum force F.sub.max (N) was applied to the specimen until the specimen breaks. Difference length, DL (mm) at F.sub.max (N) is the path that two test jaws must travel at maximum force before the hollow body breaks. In the table, X represents the mean; S, the scattering; and V, the standard deviation.
(38) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Un-Foamed Foamed Hollow Profile Hollow Profile Series DL (mm) DL (mm) N = 12 F.sub.max (N) at F.sub.max (N) F.sub.max (N) at F.sub.max (N) X 1150 0.4 2290 0.7 S 141 0.1 730 0.2
(39) From the comparison of the measured F.sub.max (N) value of the un-foamed hollow profile of 1150 N with that of the foamed hollow profile at 2290 N, it is clear that the foamed hollow profile according to the invention has substantially higher stress and fracture resistance,
(40) The comparison between the measured DL at F.sub.max (N) value of the un-foamed hollow profile at 0.4 mm with that of the foamed hollow profile at 0.7 mm shows that the foamed hollow profile has substantially higher elasticity.
(41) The advantages of the foamed hollow profile according to the invention were unexpected and very surprising.
(42) For the thermal properties of the hollow profile, an improvement of up to 45% was measured. The thermal properties are greatly improved by the gas entrapped in the hollow spaces. The in active gas entrapped in the hollow spaces acts as a very good insulator.
LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS
(43) (I) polymeric main body
(44) (1) side wall
(45) (2) side wall
(46) (3) inner wall
(47) (4) outer wall
(48) (5) hollow chamber
(49) (6,6) reinforcing strip
(50) (7,7) connecting section
(51) (8) insulation film
(52) (9) outer sealing compound
(53) (10) glass pane
(54) (11) glass pane
(55) (12) desiccant
(56) (13) sealing layer
(57) angle between side wall 1,2 and connecting section 7,7