Injection molding process and compositions with improved sealing characteristics for mold-in-place gaskets

1. A method for producing a gasket comprising:

providing an actinic radiation curable composition with improved tensile modulus, said composition comprising an actinic radiation curable acrylic component; (meth)acrylate-functionalized silica; and a photoinitiator;

providing an injection mold assembly defining a gasket-forming cavity and an injection port communicating with the cavity, the mold assembly comprising an actinic radiation transmissible portion for permitting actinic radiation transmission therethrough;

injecting the composition into the cavity at a pressure of about 1,030 kPa (150 psig) or less to fill the cavity;

transmitting actinic radiation through the radiation transmissible portion in a sufficient amount cure the composition in the mold assembly to form a gasket.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the curable composition further comprises a hydrophobic fumed silica.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the curable composition further comprises a hydrophobic fumed silica and the ratio of (meth)acrylate-functionalized silica to hydrophobic fumed silica is between 3:1 to 1:3.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the curable composition has a glass transition temperature of between about −20° C. to about −50° C.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of injecting the curable composition into the mold cavity is performed at approximately room temperature.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the curable composition includes at least one monofunctional monomer present in a combined amount of about 5% to about 25% by weight of the total composition.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mold assembly comprises an article of manufacture and the curable composition is cured-in-place on the article of manufacture to provide an integral gasket thereon eliminating the need to separately form a gasket and subsequently place the gasket on the article of manufacture.

8. A method for producing a gasket comprising:

providing an actinic radiation curable composition prepared from at least about 30% to 90% actinic radiation curable acrylic component, from about 5% to about 30% of (meth)acrylate functionalized silica, from about 1% to about 90% non-(meth)acrylate functionalized fumed silica, from about 0.5% to about 50% reactive diluent, and from about 0.01% to about 5% photoinitiator, wherein the percentages are based on weight percent of the total composition;

providing an injection mold assembly defining a gasket-forming cavity, an injection port fluidly communicating with the cavity, and an actinic radiation transmitting portion for transmitting actinic radiation through the mold assembly to the gasket-forming cavity;

injecting the composition into the gasket-forming cavity;

transmitting actinic radiation through the radiation transmitting portion in a sufficient amount cure the composition in the gasket-forming cavity to form a gasket.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of injecting at a pressure of about 1,030 kPa (150 psig) or less.

10. A method for producing an integral gasket bonded to an article of manufacture, comprising:

providing a first, actinic radiation opaque article of manufacture having a gasket surface;

providing a mold member having a surface, an injection port, an actinic radiation transmitting portion for transmitting actinic radiation transmission through the mold member, and a polymer liner abuttingly disposed on the mold surface;

contacting the article of manufacture and the mold member to form a gasket-forming cavity adjacent to the gasket surface, the gasket-forming cavity fluidly connected to the injection port;

injecting an actinic radiation curable composition prepared from at least an actinic radiation curable acrylic component; (meth)acrylate-functionalized silica; and a photoinitiator through the injection port and into the gasket-forming cavity;

transmitting actinic radiation through the radiation transmitting portion in a sufficient amount to cure the composition in the gasket-forming cavity to form a gasket integrally bonded to the gasket surface of the article of manufacture.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising removing the second mold member from contact with the first mold member wherein the cured gasket remains bonded to the article gasket surface.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising removing the second mold member from contact with the first mold member;

providing a second, actinic radiation opaque article of manufacture having a gasket surface;

contacting the second article of manufacture and the mold member to form a gasket-forming cavity adjacent to the gasket surface, the gasket-forming cavity fluidly connected to the injection port;

injecting the actinic radiation curable composition through the injection port and into the gasket-forming cavity;

transmitting actinic radiation through the radiation transmitting portion in a sufficient amount to cure the composition in the gasket-forming cavity to form a gasket integrally bonded to the gasket surface of the second article of manufacture.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the article of manufacture comprises a portion of a vehicle.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the article of manufacture comprises a power train component.