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

1. A method of adhesion, the method comprising:

extruding a mass of a tack-free activatable material, the activatable material including:

i) between about 10 and about 20% by weight of an epoxy resin;

ii) an epoxy/elastomer adduct in an amount at least approximately 20 to less than about 30% by weight of the activatable material, wherein the adduct is a solid at a temperature of 23° C.;

iii) between about 3 and about 7% by weight of one or more thermoplastic polyethers;

iv) between about 5 and about 10% by weight of the activatable material of a core/shell polymer impact modifier that includes a core of a first polymeric material and a shell of a second polymeric material, wherein second polymeric material is grafted onto and encapsulates the first polymeric material; and the first polymeric material has a glass translation temperature of at least about 10° C. below a glass transition temperature of the second polymeric material; and

v) between about 0.001 and about 7% by weight of a curing agent;

locating the activatable material adjacent a first surface and a second surface of an automotive vehicle, the first surface and second surface being part of a hem flange joint wherein the activatable material is located adjacent the first surface and the second surface as a substantially tack-free elongated strip; and

activating the activatable material to bond the activatable material to the first surface and second surface;

wherein the glass transition temperature of the first polymeric material is less than about 23° C. and the glass transition temperature of the second polymeric material is at least about 23° C.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the activatable material is activated in an e-coat or paint oven.

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

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein the blowing agent is selected from an azodicarbonamide, a dinitrosopentamethylenetetramine, a 4,4 i -oxy-bis-(benzenesulphonylhydrazide), a trihydrazinotriazine or a N,N i -dimethyl-N,N i -dinitrosoterephthalamide.

5. A method as in claim 4 wherein the activatable material includes at least 35% by weight filler material.

6. A method as in claim 1 wherein the first surface is part of a first member of the article of manufacture and the second surface is part of a second member of the article of manufacture.

7. A method as in claim 6 wherein the core/shell impact modifier has a polymethyl methacrylate shell and butadiene styrene core.

8. A method of adhesion, the method comprising:

extruding a mass of a tack-free activatable material, the activatable material including:

i) between about 10 and about 20% by weight of an epoxy resin;

ii) an epoxy/elastomer adduct in an amount that ranges from about 20 to about 30% by weight of the activatable material, wherein the adduct is a solid at a temperature of 23° C.;

iii) between about 3 and about 7% by weight of one or more thermoplastic polyethers;

iv) between about 5 and about 10% by weight of the activatable material of a core/shell polymer impact modifier that includes a core of a first polymeric material and a shell of a second polymeric material, wherein second polymeric material is grafted onto and encapsulates the first polymeric material; and the first polymeric material has a glass translation temperature of at least about 10° C. below a glass transition temperature of the second polymeric material; and

v) between about 0.001 and about 7% by weight of a curing agent;

vi) at least 35% by weight of a filler material;

locating the activatable material adjacent a first metal surface of a first member of an automotive vehicle and a second metal surface of a second member of the automotive vehicle wherein the activatable material is located adjacent the first surface and second surface as a substantially tack-free elongated strip; and

activating the activatable material to bond the activatable material to the first member and the second;

wherein the glass transition temperature of the first polymeric material is less than about 23° C. and the glass transition temperature of the second polymeric material is at least about 23° C.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein the first surface and second surface are part of a hem flange joint wherein the first member has an end portion that forms a cavity for receiving a free end of the second member.

10. A method as in claim 9 wherein the activatable material is located, during the locating step, within the cavity formed by the end portion of the first member as the substantially tack-free elongated strip.

11. A method as in claim 8 wherein the activatable material is activated in an e-coat or paint oven.

12. A method as in claim 8 wherein the activatable material includes a blowing agent.

13. A method as in claim 8 wherein the core/shell impact modifier has a polymethyl methacrylate shell and butadiene styrene core.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive material exhibits a T-peel strength according to ASTM D 1876-01 of at least about 2 N/mm.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the activatable material includes between about 20% and about 30% by weight of the epoxy/elastomer adduct;

the activatable material further comprises a blowing agent that is selected from an azodicarbonamide, a dinitrosopentamethylenetetramine, a 4,4 i -oxy-bis-(benzenesulphonylhydrazide), a trihydrazinotriazine or a N,N i -dimethyl-N,N i -dinitrosoterephthalamide;

the activatable material includes about 30 to about 50 % by weight of a filler material;

the one or more thermoplastic polyethers has a melt index that ranges from about 5 to about 100 g/10 min for under weight of 2.16 Kg at a temperature of about 190° C.; and

the core/shell impact modifier has a polymethyl methacrylate shell and butadiene styrene core.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyethers are formed by reacting an amine with an average functionality of 2 or less with a glycidyl ether.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyethers are polyetheramines, poly(amino ethers), copolymers of monoethanolamine and diglycidyl ether, or any combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyethers are polyetheramines.

19. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyethers are formed by reacting an amine with an average functionality of 2 or less with a glycidyl ether.

20. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyethers are polyetheramines, poly(amino ethers), copolymers of monoethanolamine and diglycidyl ether, or any combinations thereof.