Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
WO 96/11085 ~2~ PCTIUSg5/12924
ABRASIVE ARTICLES WITH ENCAPSULATED LUBRICANT
The present invention relates to abrasive articles. In particular, the present
invention relates to abrasive articles cont~ining an encapsulated lubricant therein.
The treatment of surfaces in surface fini~hing operations, for example, can
be accomplished using any of a variety of surface treating articles to accomplish
the desired treatment. The use of nonwoven articles in such applications is known.
When nonwovens are used in the treatment (e.g., fini.ching) of metallic surfaces, a
liquid or solid lubricant is applied to the nonwoven to improve the abrasive power
of the article and to prevent "abrasive burning" or discoloration of the treatedsurface caused by the heat generated during the surface treating operation. The
application of lubricant to the nonwoven or to the surface can be accomplished in
several ways. For example, a lubricant can be applied directly to the nonwoven or
to the surface being treated at various intervals during the fini.ching operation.
Such an application of the lubricant, however, is llm~ti~f~ctory because the
lubricant can splatter during the operation, especially under the operation of high
speed surface treating equipment. Additionally, the lubricant must be applied
frequently to m ~int~in a desired level of lubrication.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide an article which can be used in the
surface treatment of metallic surfaces and the like wherein the article can be used
without the separate application of lubricant. Preferably, it is desirable to provide a
surface treating article comprising a nonwoven substrate having a source of
lubricant incorporated within the substrate so that the lubricant will automatically
become available during the use of the article in surface treating operations.
The literature describes a variety of surface treating articles which include
encapsulated lubricants and the like. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
Sho 62-152679 discloses abrasive materials including a lubricant encapsulated inan envelope made of inorganic substances. The disclosed envelope is porous with
pore sizes of several tens to several hundred angstrom, so that a liquid lubricant
may not be completely sealed in the capsule ("Recent Microcapsulation
Technology" p. 131, edited by Integrated Technology Center).
WO 96/1108S 2 2 0 ~ 2 1 7 PCT/US95/12924
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication Nos. Sho 63-32761 and
63-32762 disclose nonwoven abrasive materials including a lubricant encapsulatedin an envelope of acrylic resin. The acrylic resin has a low glass transition
telllpt;l~ re, requiring the use of a cros~linking and shows poor solvent and heat
resistance because of a low cros~linking density. Consequently, the acrylic resin
envelope may easily be dissolved by an organic solvent or melted by heat normally
used in the m~nnf~cture of the nonwoven abrasive materials.
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 63-32763 discloses
nonwoven abrasive materials with a lubricant encapsulated in glass capsules. Theglass capsules are produced by heat-fusing a glass at a temperature higher than its
melting point, potentially causing the lubricant to decompose during the
plel)al~lion of the capsules. Additionally, the use of glass presents a potential
safety hazard.
United States Patent No. 3,502,453 (Baratto) discloses a resin bonded
wheel comprising thermosetting resin capsules cont~ining a lubricant to reduce
grinding friction. The wheel, however, is not suitable for precision abrasion
operations because of its relative inflexibility. Additionally, the lubricant
cont~ining capsules may not break in a uniform manner, thereby lowering the
efficacy of the lubricant in various applications.
Accordingly it is desirable to provide a deformable surface treating article
having an encapsulated lubricant which provides satisfactory lubricity during
surface treating operations without the need for additional lubricants and without
exhibiting the aforementioned problems inherent in the various prior art articles.
Preferably, such a deformable surface treating article comprises a nonwoven
2~ substrate with the aforementioned encapsulated lubricant affixed thereto wherein
the lubricant is effective in preventing abrasive burning during use and wherein the
article exhibits excellent abrasive power.
The present invention provides an abrasive article with an encapsulated
lubricant. The articles of the invention exhibit excellent abrasive power while
avoiding abrasive burning during surface treating operations.
In one aspect, the invention provides an abrasive article, characterized by:
WO96/11085 ~021 7 PCT/US95/12924
a base substrate comprising a plurality of polymeric fibers adhered
to one another at mutual contact points, said substrate having a base weight
within the range from 20 to 10,000 g/m2;
abrasive grains adhered to said substrate, and
S a plurality of lubricant capsules comprising a continuous shell
adhered to said substrate and cont~ining lubricant therein, said shell
comprising a cured thermosetting resin.
The fibers of the substrate preferably are staple fibers having a plerelled
length of about 10 to 50 mm and a denier within the range of 5 to 30. The fibersmay comprise any of a variety elastic, conformable and durable m~tçri~
Preferred fibers comprise nylon 6,6. The substrate is preferably a nonwoven
substrate with a void volume within the range of about 40 to 99%. As mentioned,
the articles include an encapsulated lubricant wherein the lubricant is contained
within a shell comprising a cured thermosetting resin. The plefelled resin is highly
resistant to degradation by heat and by solvents and suitable resins may be selected
from epoxy resins, urea resins, melamine resins, phenol resins and polyamide
resins. Preferably, the resin is a urea or a melamine resin. The capsules may also
comprise an additional film layer surrounding the thermosetting resin to furtherenhance solvent and/or heat resistance. The film comprises a metal or an oxide
thereof wherein the metal may be copper, nickel, zinc, silver, lead or tin.
As used herein, certain terms and phrases will be understood to have the
meaning set forth herein. "Void volurne" means the volume of open space within
an article (expressed as a pelcel~ge) and determined according to the following
equation:
Void Volume (%) = [1 - (density of nonwoven/density of underlying fibers)] x 100
"Thermosetting resin" means a polymeric resin capable of cros~linking. "Fibers"
refers to threadlike structures comprising the m~t~ri~l~ as set forth herein. "Staple
fibers" means fibers of a discrete length as further described herein. "Lubricant
capsule" refers to an encapsulated lubricant comprising a continuous shell of one
WO96/11085 22~021 7 PCT/US95/12924
or more polymeric materials as described herein and Cont~ining a volume of
lubricant therewithin. "Glass transition point" or "Tg" means the temperature atwhich a material changes from a vitreous state to a plastic state as measured on a
model "DSC 4" differential sc~nning calorimeter available from the Perkin-Elmer
S Corporation. "Nominal Density" of a nonwoven article means the basic weight of a nonwoven article per its thickness according to the formula
Nominal density (g/cm3) = [basic weight (g/m2) x 10~ /thickness (cm)].
In another aspect, the invention provides a composite abrasive article
comprising at least two layers of the nonwoven abrasive article as described above
compressed together and adhered by a binder, the composite article having a
flexural modulus of not more than 100 kgf/cm2.
The further details of the invention will be more fully appreciated by those
15 skilled in the art upon consideration of the remainder of the disclosure.
The articles of the invention include a base substrate onto which the
additional components of the article are adhered. The plefelled base substrate is a
nonwoven fabric comprising a plurality of polymeric fibers. The preferred
substrate is one which is readily conformable to the surface of a desired workpiece
20 and wherein the abrasive grains easily adhered to its fibrous surface. Preferably,
such a substrate is inexpensive and lightweight. Although continuous filaments
may be used in the manufacture of the substrate, the preferred substrate comprises
a plurality of staple fibers having a length within the range of 10 to 50 mm andlinear density within the range of 5 to 30 denier.
The fibers of the substrate may comprise any of a variety of materials
suitable for the manufacture of fibers. Exemplary materials are polymeric
materials such as, for example, polyamide, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene,
polysulfone, acrylic and poly (vinyl chloride) and the like. The fibers of the
substrate may be a blend of fibers comprising any one or more of the foregoing
materials. Additionally, substrates made with fibers comprising copolymers of the
220~1 7
WO 96tllO85 PCTIUS9~/12924
foregoing m~teri~l~ may be incorporated within the substrate, and blends of fiber
deniers and fiber lengths are also contemplated within the scope of the invention.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that preferred materials for the
substrate may vary depending on the properties desired. Polyester fibers, for
example, are preferred because of their excellent mechanical strength as well astheir heat and wear resistance. Polyamide fibers (e.g., nylon 6,6) are most
pre~ d because of their heat resistance, elasticity and conformability. Moreover,
conventional resins employed in the manufacture of nonwoven abrasives,
especially phenolic resins, adhere well to nylon 6,6 fibers.
The nonwoven base substrate preferably has a void volume within the range
of 40% to 99%. At void volumes less than 40%, it becomes difficult to achieve
effective penetration of abrasive grain and binder into the substrate during themanufacture of the article. At a void volume greater than 99%, the mechanical
strength and wear resistance of the resulting abrasive materials may be
unacceptable for certain applications. The void volume of the nonwoven substrateis expressed as a percentage according to the following equation:
Void Volume (%) = [1 - (density of nonwoven/density of underlying fibers)] x 100
Preferably, the thickness of the nonwoven fabric is within a range of 1 to 50
mm. If the thickness of the substrate is less than 1 mm, the mechanical strength of
the resulting article may be poor. If the thickness is greater than 50 mm, it
becomes increasingly more difficult to apply abrasive grains and resin binders
inside the nonwoven substrate. Because of ease of preparation and the resulting
uniformity of the finished articles, a nonwoven substrate having a thickness of 2 to
10 mm is most ~lefelled.
A binder is employed to adhere the fibers of the nonwoven base substrate to
one another at their mutual contact points and to adhere abrasive grain and
encapsulated lubricant, discussed below, to the fibers of the substrate. Any of a
variety of binders can be used in the manufacture of the articles of the invention.
Epoxy resins are useful in the manufacture of the articles of the invention because
WO 96/11085 22 0 02 1 7 PCT/US95/12924
of their high reactivity and mechanical strength. Commercially available epoxy
resins include those available under the trade dçsi~n~tions "DER-331" and "DER-
332" from Dow Chemical Co. Urethane resins, because of their high reactivity andbonding strength, are also suitable for use in the articles of the invention. Suitable
5 commercial urethanes include those available under the trade design~tions "UP-310" and "UP-340" available from Asahi Denka K.K.of Japan. Additionally,
water-soluble urethane resins and a water-soluble epoxy resin may be used such as
those disclosed by Krishnan et al. in U.S. Patent No. 5,306,319.
Most preferably, the finished articles of the invention will have a flexural
10 modulus of not more than 100 kgf/cm2, and the preferred binders are those capable
which can provide such articles. In this regard, phenolic resins are most pr~felled.
Additionally, phenolic resins exhibit excellent heat resistance, abrasion resistance
and mechanical strength. Commercially available phenolic resins suitable for usein the invention include those available under the trade designations "Shonol BRL-
105" and "Shonol BRL-107" available from Showa Kobunshi K.K. of Japan.
Abrasive grains may be used in the articles of the invention. The grains
used herein may be selected from any of a variety of grains available to those in the
art. If the article is to be used in more aggressive abrasive applications, grains
comprised of harder materials may be used such as conventional whetstone grains
including silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, chromium oxide, emery and flint either
alone or in combination with one another. Of the foregoing materials, those having
a JIS No. of 36 to 10000 (an average grain size of 500-0.6 ~m) are particularly
preferred for precision abrasion applications. Of course, the invention is not
limited to the use of the foregoing grains, and those skilled in the art will
appreciated that other materials can be used in the articles described herein
including those comprised of softer materials for less aggressive grinding.
Additionally, the articles of the invention may be made without abrasive grain for
applications wherein the binder coated substrate may have the required hardness
such as in polishing applications, for example.
Abrasive grains may be employed in an amount within the range of 10 to
1000 parts by weight~ and preferably 30 to 500 parts by weight based on 100 parts
WO 96/1108~ PCTIUS95/12924
by weight of the base substrate. Although the weight of the grains used may alsobe outside of the foregoing ranges, the use of grain in an amount less than 10 parts
by weight will typically decrease the abrasive power of the article below acceptable
limits for some applications. Similarly, if the amount of grain in the article is
5 greater than 1000 parts by weight, the abrasive grains may not bond properly to the
fibers of the substrate, resulting in the loss of a significant portion of the grains
durmg use.
The articles of the invention include a lubricant capsule bonded to the fibers
of the substrate by the aforementioned binder. The lubricant capsule comprises an
10 envelope in the form of a continuous shell and a core substance comprising a
lubricant contained within the envelope. The ~ r~ d lubricant capsule for use inthe invention is prepared to have solvent resistance as well as heat resistance. The
envelope of the lubricant capsules of the present invention preferably will have a
glass transition point (Tg) sufficiently high to avoid softening during the
15 m~nllf~cture of the nonwoven abrasive materials while allowing a softening of the
capsule during an abrasive application of the finished article to thereby release the
ene~rslllat.o~l lubricant during use. In general, a glass transition point of at least
1 60~C is preferred because of the temperatures employed in the drying step used in
the preparation of nonwoven abrasive. Materials having a glass transition point of
20 more than 1 80~C are pl~relled for abrasive materials to be used in high speed.
Preferably, the lubricant capsule comprises a crosslinked polymer because
of the ability of such materials to satisfy the aforementioned solvent resistance
requirements. Examples of suitable crosslinked polymers include: epoxy resin, urea
resin (e.g., urea-formaldehyde resin, urea-acetaldehyde resin, urea-propionaldehyde
25 resin, and urea-butylaldehyde resin), melamine resin (e.g., melamine-formaldehyde
resin, melamine-acetaldehyde resin, melamine-propionaldehyde resin and
melamine-butylaldehyde resin), phenol resin (e.g., phenol-formaldehyde resin,
phenol-acetaldehyde resin, phenol-propionaldehyde resin, phenol-butylaldehyde
resin, xylenol-formaldehyde resin, xylenol-acetaldehyde resin, xylenol-
30 propionaldehyde resin and xylenol-butylaldehyde resin), and polyamide resin.
W O 96/11085 ~200~ 1 7 PCTAUS95/12924
The pler~l.ed materials for the m~nnf~cture of the continuous shell of the
lubricant capsule comprises a polymeric component and a suitable crosslinking
material. Preferably, the mole ratio between the polymeric component such as
urea, melamine and phenol and the like and the cros.~linking component (e.g.,
formaldehyde) is within the range from 1:1.2 to 1:1.7. Ratios within this range will
provide a satisfactory reactivity and low amount of residual unreacted crosslinking
material. Among the above exemplified resins, a urea resin and a melamine resin
are particularly plef~..ed due to their excellent solvent resistance. The most
preferred resin in making the capsules is a urea resin.
Suitable lubricants for inclusion in the lubricant capsules include
petroleum-derived lubricants (e.g., ~dlarfill wax), synthetic resin lubricants (e.g.,
silicone oil, olefin polymerized oil, diester oil, polyoxyalkylene glycol, and
halogenated hydrocarbon oil, etc.), and fatty acids (e.g., stearic acid and myristic
acid, etc.).
Lubricant capsules may be included in the nonwoven articles of the
invention in an amount of 1 to 100 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of
nonwoven fabric. If the amount of lubricant capsules is less than 1 part by weight,
satisfactory lubricity may not be provided. If the amount of lubricant capsules
exceeds 100 parts by weight, the amount of abrasive grain which is able to adhere
to the base substrate may decrease with a corresponding decrease in the abrasivepower of the finished article. To balance the abrasive power and lubricity, the
amount of lubricant capsules in the finished article is preferably within the range of
5 to 50 parts by weight and more preferably within the range of 10 to 30 parts.
The lubricant capsules employed in the present invention may be prepared
by the following procedure:
A suitable lubricant is fed into an aqueous solution of a resin. The
temperature and the stirring speed of the mixture is controlled in a known manner
so that the lubricant may form droplets of ~propl;ate size. Thereafter, the
cros.~linkin~ reaction of the resin is initiated to yield capsules cont~ining lubricant
therein. In a plefelled lubricant capsule, formalin, urea and a pH adjuster are
placed in a suitable reaction vessel and the tempel~lulc of the mixture is controlled
~2 ~ 1 7
WO 96111085 PCT/US9~112924
within the range 25 to 90~C. The mixture is stirred for 1 to 24 hours to give a
water-soluble urea-formaldehyde resin. The temperature of the resin solution is
then adjusted to exceed the melting point of the lubricant (e.g., 60 to 90~C), and the
lubricant is added with stirring and thereby melted. Acid having pH of 3 to 6 (e.g.,
citric acid) is added to catalyze the polymerization reaction, followed by constant
stirring for 1 to 10 hours at a stirring rate of 300 to 5000 rpm to thereby formlubricant capsules suitable for use in the articles of the present invention.
A preferred curing catalyst for use in the above reactive procedure is a weak
acid, preferably those having a pH within the range of 3 to 6. In the foregoing pH
range, the condensation reaction will proceed faster than the addition reaction of
formalin to urea, so that croc.clinking reaction is carried out most efficiently. As a
result, the envelope of the capsules will have a high crosclinking density and
improved solvent and heat resistance Additionally, a weak acid can be handled
more safely than a strong acid, and any weak acid rem~ining on the lubricant
capsule will present less of a hazard to the workpiece than the stronger acids might.
Citric acid, boric acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid and the like are suitable for use
as the curing catalyst.
In another aspect of the invention, the outer surfaces of the lubricant
capsules are optionally coated with a thin metal or metallic oxide film to further
improve the solvent resistance and abrasive power ofthe finiched abrasive articles.
The metallic coatings useful in the present invention comprise thin coatings of
metals or metallic oxides of nickel, copper, zinc, silver, lead or tin. The coatings
may be applied to the lubricant capsules in a known manner by conventional
vacuum evaporation, sputtering or by chemical plating, for example.
Lubricant capsules of a size less than the space between fibers of the base
substrate may be used. In metal fini~hing applications, the linear density of the
fibers used in the nonwoven base substrate will preferably be within the range of 5
to 30 denier. In these articles, a preferred grain size for the lubricant capsules is 5
to 300 ~m. When the grain size of the capsules is less than 5 ~m, the capsules will
be more difficult to rupture during an abrasive application. When the grain size of
the lubricant capsules is greater than 300 ~m, the capsules may interfere with the
WO96/11085 ~0~21 7 PCT/US95/12924
ability of the abrasive grains and the binder to effectively enter the inner areas of
the nonwoven base substrate. In order to allow for the homogeneous dispersion ofthe lubricant capsules into the nonwoven fabric, a grain size of 20 to 150 ,um is
preferred, and in order to allow for the uniform destruction of the lubricant
5 capsules during an application of the finished articles, a grain size within the range
of 10 to 20 ~lm is more pl~rel,~d.
The continuous shell or envelope of the lubricant capsules preferably has a
thickness within the range from 0.5 to 20 ~m. At a thickness less than 0.5 ~m,
heat and solvent resistance may be poor. If the thickness is beyond 20 ~lm, the
10 capsules may be too hard to break during an abrasive application. To allow for the
uniform destruction of capsules during use, a thickness within the range of 1 to 10
m is pler~lled, and a thickness in the range of 2 to 7 ~lm is more ~lefelled.
The abrasive articles of the invention can be prepared in the following
procedure.
A prebonded nonwoven base substrate comprising polyamide fibers and the
like is treated with a mixture cont~ining abrasive grain, binder (e.g., phenolicresin), solvents (e.g., ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate) and lubricant
capsules. The foregoing mixture may be applied in a known manner using an
immersion method, a two-roll coater or by spraying. Since the mixture will
20 contain an organic solvent, lubricant capsules which are solvent resistant are
preferred. Alternatively, commercially available nonwoven abrasive materials maybe used, and a mixture of lubricant capsules in a suitable binder may be applied to
the nonwoven. Suitable commercial abrasive materials include those made of
conventional nonwoven materials comprising polyamide fibers or polyester fibers
25 with abrasive grains adhered to the fibers with a suitable binder. Preferred are
those article having abrasive particles of JIS No. 36 to 10000 such as silicon
carbide, aluminum oxide, chromium oxide, emery and flint. Exemplary of this
kind of nonwoven abrasive material is are those available under the trade
designation "Scotch-Brite" from the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing
30 Company of St. Paul, Minnesota, USA After applying the lubricant capsule and
-10-
wo 96111085 2 20 0 ~ 1 7 PCTIUS~5/12924
binder, the article is heated in an oven at about 1 60~C for about 15 minutes to dry
the organic solvent and to solidify a binder.
The thus obtained open, lofty nonwoven abrasive article will preferably
have a basic weight within the range of 20 to 10,000 g/m2 with enough flexibility
5 to conform to the contours along the surface of a workpiece. Preferably, the basic
weight of the article will be within the range of 40 to 6000 g/m2 and more
preferably 100 to 5000 g/m2. The article of the invention will have a nominal
density within the range of about 0.01 to 1.00 g/cm3, preferably 0.02 to 0.60 gicm3,
more preferably 0.05 to 0.50 g/cm3.
In another aspect of the invention, the above described articles may be
further processed into bonded wheels in a known marmer. Convolute wheels, for
example, may be provided by taking a single continuous sheet of the above
described nonwoven article and shaping it into a roll or disk by coiling the article
over a core. Alternatively, unitized wheels can be provided by cutting the above15 provided nonwoven abrasive articles into a plurality of individual pieces (e.g.,
squares). The individual pieces are stacked one upon another, compressed and
liqmin~ted together by the application of pressure and heat. In compressing the
sheets of nonwoven articles, the nonwoven abrasive materials are preferably
compressed to a density 1 to 20 times that of the density of the materials in its
20 uncompressed state and subjected to heat molding for 4 hours at an elevated
temperature usually at 135~C. The thus treated l~min~te~ can then be cooled and
cut into to provide a bonded wheel. Additionally, The nonwoven abrasive articlesof the invention can be used in the manufacture of flap brushes.
Alternatively, the aforementioned bonded wheel or brush can be prepared
25 by using a mixture cont~ining lubricant capsules, binders and organic solvents, in
place of the binders alone in the above stated procedure. In this procedure, thelubricant capsules must be made of a material having solvent resistance as well as
heat resistance.
The present nonwoven abrasive materials made according to the above-
30 mentioned procedure generally have a flexural modulus of not more than 1,000kgf/cm2, preferably 1 to 500 kgf/cm2, more preferably 10 to 500 kgf/cm2. The
WO 96/11085 ~ ~2 ~ 0 2 17 PCT/US95/12924
abrasive material having such a range of basic weight shows flexibility so as todeform readily along with the working surface of the workpiece to be abraded. Inthis manner, the articles of the invention allow for the precise and uniform abrasive
treatment of complex surfaces.
PREPARATIVE PROCEDURES
Plepd,dlion of Pre-Bonded Web
A raw nonwoven fabric having a basic weight of 100 g/m2 was prepared by
the use of a 15 denier nylon having a fiber length of 38 mm on a web forming
machine, followed by fiber fixation by the use of a phenolic resin ("Shonol BRL-107" from Showa Koubunshi K.K. of Japan). The web was then heated for 15
minutes at 140~C and cooled to a non-tacky condition to provide a pre-bonded
substrate having a basic weight of 150 g/m2.
Preparation of the Lubricant Capsules
32 parts of formalin and 12 parts of urea were heated in a reaction vessel at
70~C for 2.5 hours. 50 parts of distilled water was added to yield a water-soluble
urea resin. 4290 ml of thus obtained aqueous resin, 1420 ml of distilled water and
571 g sodium sulfate were mixed together and heated to 90~C with stirring. When
the temperature of the mixture reached 90~C, 1800 g of stearic acid was added
under constant stirring and the pH was adjusted to about 5Ø After stirring for 5
hours, the mixture was neutralized with aqueous sodium hydroxide, and the
resulting lubricant capsules were separated by filtration, rinsed with distilled water
and filtered a second time. The average size of the resulting capsules was 130 ~lm.
Preparation of metallized capsules
A portion of the capsules prepared according to the above described
preparative procedure was further coated with an aluminum using al~lminllm foil
and a metal evaporating m~t~hine (model "JEE-4X" manufactured by Nippon
Denshi K.K., Japan). The aluminum was applied to the capsules to have a
thickness of about 100 to 1000 angstroms. In the evaporating procedure, the
aluminum foil was heated to a temperature of 100~C under a pressure of 1 -2 x 105
Torr, and the resulting aluminum vapor was deposited onto a surface of the
capsules over a time of 10 to 30 seconds.
-12-
WOg6/11085 ~20~Z~ 7 PCT/US95/12924
Preparation of nonwoven abrasive materials
100 parts of ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, 150 parts of abrasive
grains of silicon carbide of JIS No. 2000, and 80 parts of the above prepared stearic
acid capsules, each based on 100 parts of phenol resin, were mixed together. The5 resulting mixture was spray coated to a pre-bonded web prepared as in the above
preparative procedure. The thus treated substrate was cured in a through-oven at160~C for 15 min~ltes to obtain open, lofty nonwoven abrasive materials having abasic weight of 600 g/m2, a thickness of 5 mm and a density of 0.12 g/cm3.
Preparation of Unitized Wheel
Nonwoven abrasive materials made according to the foregoing preparative
procedure were cut in a disk shape and the disks were l~min~ted together using apolyether urethane resin and compressed under a pressure of 1 kgf/cm2 and a
density of 12 sheets per inch (2.54 cm). The article was then cured in a batch oven
at a t~ peldl~lre of 135~C for 4 hours to provide an abrasive article in the form of a
bonded wheel. The flexural modulus of the resulting wheel was 200 kgf/cm2.
EXAMPLES
The invention is further illustrated in the following non-limiting Examples
wherein, all parts are by weight unless otherwise specified.
EXAMPLE 1
Lubricant capsules were prepared according to the above plep~dli~/e
procedure. The resulting capsules were evaluated to determine their solvent
resistance and heat resistance, as reported below.
EXAMPLE 2
Metalized capsules were prepared according to the above
preparative procedure. The capsules were evaluated to determine their solvent
resistance and heat resistance? as reported below.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE A
For use as a Colllpalali\~e Example, acrylic resin capsules were purchased
from Matsumoto-Yasui Co. Ltd. of Japan The capsules were evaluated to
determine their solvent resistance and heat resistance, as reported below.
220Q211
WO96/11085 PCT/US95/12924
Examples 1 and 2 and Co,u~dlive Example A
The solvent resistance of the capsules of Examples 1 and 2 and
Comparative Example A were tested by immersing a portion of the capsules in
ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate. The acrylic capsules dissolved
immediately, showing no resistance to the solvent. After a six month period in the
solvent, the capsules of Examples 1 and 2 were removed and ex~mined by
microscopy. Inspection of the inventive capsules indicated excellent solvent
resistance. In general, these capsules did not appear to be significantly eroded by
the long exposure to solvent. The metalized capsules of Example 2 were evaluatedas having slightly better solvent resistance than the capsules of Example 1.
To test the heat resistance of the capsules of Examples 1 and 2, another
portion of the capsules were heated to 1 60~C for 24 hours and examined at the end
of the 24 hour period. Ex~min~tion of these capsules revealed no damage by
exposure to high temperature. Additionally, a portion of the capsules of
Comparative Example A were heated to 130~C. These acrylic capsules melted
immediately, showing no heat resict~nce.
EXAMPT F 3
A bonded wheel was prepared according to the above preparative
procedure.
The wheel of Example 3 was examined by microscopy to inspect the
condition of the lubricant capsules contained within the wheel. No change was
observed in the lubricant capsules in the final product, indicating that the lubricant
capsules were able to withstand exposure to the solvents and the heat associatedwith the m~nllf~cture of a bonded wheel.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPT F B
A commercially available MG wheel 5S-2010 available from by Sumitomo
3M of Japan was selected as a control in the abrasion testing described below. The
MG wheel 5S-2010 comprises a nonwoven abrasive prepared by impregnating
nonwoven web made of a 15 denier nylon fiber having a length of 3 8 mm with a
slurry comprised of abrasive grains and a phenol resin, and pressing a stack made
of several sheets of the resulting web having a thickness of 5 mm under a pressure
-14-
WO 96/11085 2 2 0 u ~ ~ 7 PCTrUS95/12924
of 1 kgf/cm2 by the use of a polyether urethane resin. Colllpaldli~le Example B
included no lubricant capsules.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE C
A commercially available MG wheel 5S-2010 was obtained as in
5 Comparative Example B. The grinding surface of the wheel was coated with a
lubricating grease and the thus coated wheel was used in the comparative testingset forth below.
Example 3 and Colllpaldlive Examples B and C
(a) Evaluation of abrasive ability
A continuous abrasion test was conducted for the articles of Example 3 and
Comparative Examples B and C using a centerless abrasion machine (by Nisshinbo
Industries, Inc., Japan) under the conditions given below. A time dependent
determin~tion of the abrasive power was made for the tested articles. The amountof cut (mg) was determined from the weight difference between pre- and post-
15 abrasion of the steel rod used in the test, which difference was deterrninf (l at the
time intervals indicated in Table 1
The abrasion test conditions were:
Steel rodl l0mm dia x l 50mm length
Feed rate 2 m/min
Load 3 amp/25 mm/200 V
Abrasion time 45 sec
1. S45C carbon steel (0.43 to o.48 wt% carbon
TABLE 1
Cut (mg)
Time 0 min5 min 10 min 30 min 60 min 120 min 180 min
Ex. 3 143.7 150.1 158.3 149.9 147.8 160.9
C.Ex. B 35 4 -- 12.1 14.6 8,3 14.6 10.4
C.Ex.C 66.6 18.7 12.5 10.4 --
As shown in the data, the wheel of Example 3 was capable of providing an
improved initial lubricative effect compared to the wheels of the Comparative
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Wo 96/11085 PCT/US95/12924
Examples and also was able to m~int~in its improved abrasive power over the
duration of the testing procedure without the need for additional lubricant. Thewheels of the Co~ ive Examples did not perform as well as the wheel of
inventive Example 3 at any of the time intervals. The wheel of Comparative B
5 showed a decrease in abrasive power after the initial measurement with the cutleveling offto be fairly constant thereafter. The wheel of Conlpaldlive Example C
exhibited good initial cut which soon (limini~hed.
(b) Evaluation of abrasive burning
l O Using the same equipment as in the above evaluation of the abrasive ability
of the wheels, resistance to abrasive burning was evaluated for the wheels of
Example 3 and Colllpardlive Example B under the following conditions:
Steel rodl I Omm dia x 1 50mm len~,th
Feed rate O
Load 5 amp/25 mm/200 V
Abrasion time 30 sec
1. S45C carbon steel (0.43 to o.48 wt% carbon)
After the above time period, the rod was visually inspected for abrasive
15 burning. The steel rod used in the test of Comparative B showed significant
burning whereas no abrasive burning was observed on the surface of the steel rodabraded the wheel of Example 3, indicating that sufficient lubricative effect was
provided by the present invention.
As the above test results demonstrate, the lubricant capsules of the present
20 invention clearly provide sufficient solvent and heat resistance to endure the
solvent and heat employed in the ~lep~alion process for nonwoven abrasive
articles. When the articles of the invention are employed in abrasive applications
such as in metal finishin~ applications, for example, the uniform destruction of the
capsules during use provides continuous release of lubricant and continued
25 lubricity without the need for additional lubricant from other sources. Further, the
abrasive articles of the invention exhibit excellent abrasive power over the duration
of time during which the article is being used.
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Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, it
will be appreciated that changes and modifications to the described embodiment
may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the
scope of the invention, as defined in the claims.
