Activatable material for sealing, baffling or reinforcing and method of forming same

1. A method of sealing, baffling or reinforcing a portion of an automotive vehicle, the method comprising:

providing an activatable material, the activatable material including:

i) 30% to about 80% by weight epoxy resin;

ii) 5% to about 25% by weight thermoplastic polyether selected from a polyetheramine and a polyamino ether; and

iii) a curing agent;

applying the activatable material to a surface of a carrier member;

inserting the carrier member with the activatable material disposed thereon into a cavity that is at least partially defined by a structural member of the automotive vehicle; and

exposing the activatable material to heat thereby activating the activatable material to bond to surfaces of the structural member;

wherein the thermoplastic polyether has a melt index between about 25 and about 75 per 10 minutes under a load of 2.16 Kg at a temperature of 190° C.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the step of exposing the activatable material occurs in an automotive e-coat or painting operation and the activating of the activatable material includes foaming and curing of the activatable material.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic polyether includes a polymer backbone and includes aromatic ether/amine repeating units in the backbone.

4. A method as in claim 1 further comprising, forming the thermoplastic polyether by reacting a difunctional amine with a glycidyl ether.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein the activatable material includes a blowing agent.

6. A method as in claim 5 wherein the blowing agent is selected from an azodicarbonamide, a dinitrosopentamethylenetetramine, a 4,4 i -oxy-bis-(benzenesulphonylhydrazide), a trihydrazinotriazine and a N,N i -dimethyl-N,N i -dinitrosoterephthalamide.

7. A method as in claim 5 wherein the activatable material includes an ingredient selected from a filler, a clay, a blowing agent accelerator, a curing agent accelerator, and a flexiblizer.

8. A method as in claim 1 wherein the activatable material further includes a polymeric material selected from an elastomer-containing adduct, a halogenated polymer, a polycarbonate, a polyketone, a urethane, a polyester, a silane, a sulfone, an allyl, an olefin, a styrene, an acrylate, a silicone, a phenolic, a polyphenylene oxide, a terphthalate and an acetate.

9. A method as in claim 1 wherein applying the activatable material includes extruding the activatable material onto the surface of the carrier member.

10. A method as in claim 1 wherein the activatable material is substantially tack free.

11. A method as in claim 1 wherein the step of applying the activatable material to a surface of a carrier member forms a reinforcement member wherein the carrier member is skeletal and includes a plurality of ribs.

12. A method of sealing, baffling or reinforcing a portion of an automotive vehicle, the method comprising:

providing an activatable material, the activatable material including:

i) between about 40% and about 60% by weight epoxy resin;

ii) between about 5% and about 25% by weight thermoplastic polyether selected from a polyetheramine and a polyamino ether; and

iii) a curing agent;

locating the activatable material within a cavity or upon a surface of a structure of the automotive vehicle; and

exposing the activatable material to heat thereby activating the activatable material to bond to surfaces of the structure;

wherein the thermoplastic polyether has a melt index between about 25 and about 75 per 10 minutes under load of 2.16 Kg at a temperature of 190° C.

13. A method as in claim 12 wherein the step of exposing the activatable material occurs in an automotive e-coat or painting operation and the activating of the activatable material includes foaming and curing of the activatable material.

14. A method as in claim 12 wherein the activatable material includes a blowing agent.

15. A method as in claim 12 wherein the thermoplastic polyether includes a polymer backbone and includes aromatic ether/amine repeating units in the backbone.

16. A method as in claim 12 further comprising, forming the thermoplastic polyether by reacting a difunctional amine with a glycidyl ether.

17. A method as in claim 12 wherein the thermoplastic polyether is a copolymer of monoethanolamine and diglycidyl ether.

18. A method as in claim 12 wherein the thermoplastic polyether is formed by reacting an amine with an average functionality of 2 or less with a glycidyl ether.

19. A method as in claim 12 wherein the activatable material is substantially tack free.

20. A method of sealing, baffling or reinforcing a portion of an automotive vehicle, the method comprising:

providing an activatable material, the activatable material including:

i) 30% to about 80% by weight epoxy resin;

ii) 5% to about 25% by weight thermoplastic polyether selected from a polyetheramine and a polyamino ether;

iii) a curing agent; and

iv) a blowing agent;

locating the activatable material within a cavity or upon a surface of a structure of the automotive vehicle; and

exposing the activatable material to heat in an automotive e-coat or paint operation thereby activating the activatable material to foam, cure and bond to surfaces of the structure;

wherein the thermoplastic polyether is formed by reacting an amine with an average functionality of 2 or less with a glycidyl ether; and

wherein the thermoplastic polyether has a melt index between about 25 and about 75 per 10 minutes under load of 2.16 Kg at a temperature of about 190° C.

21. A method as in claim 20 wherein the thermoplastic polyether is a copolymer of monoethanolamine and diglycidyl ether.

22. A method as in claim 21 wherein the blowing agent is selected from an azodicarbonamide, a dinitrosopentamethylenetetramine, a 4,4 i -oxy-bis-(benzenesulphonylhydrazide), a trihydrazinotriazine and a N,N i -dimethyl-N,N i -dinitrosoterephthalamide.

23. A method as in claim 22 wherein the activatable material includes an ingredient selected from a filler, a clay, a blowing agent accelerator, a curing agent accelerator, and a flexiblizer.

24. A method as in claim 23 wherein the activatable material further includes a polymeric material selected from an elastomer-containing adduct, a halogenated polymer, a polycarbonate, a polyketone, a urethane, a polyester, a silane, a sulfone, an allyl, an olefin, a styrene, an acrylate, a silicone, a phenolic, a polyphenylene oxide, a terphthalate and an acetate.

25. A method as in claim 24 wherein locating of the activatable material within a cavity or upon a surface of a structure of the automotive vehicle includes applying the activatable material to a carrier and inserting the carrier and the activatable material into the cavity of the structure of the automotive vehicle.

26. A method as in claim 24 wherein locating the activatable material includes extruding the activatable material onto the surface of the carrier member.

27. A method as in claim 26 wherein the activatable material is substantially tack free.