Patents

up with an interpolymer and slip agents. These concern. It was found effective because the
contain enhanced polyethylenes produced by moulded parts allow oil to bleed on their
the direct polymerisation of various surface. The bleed oils used previously are
combinations of novel elastic, substantially often silicone oils containing phenyl groups
This issue’s sealing patent coverage includes linear olefin polymers in multiple reactors and with a viscosity of 100-500 centistokes.
sealing inventions with several themes. Given using either single or multiple catalysts. Moulded parts of such oil-bleeding silicone
that materials often make a significant Importantly, the nature of these and the rubber can be produced by moulding a silicone
difference to the success of a sealing product, associated slip agents make them particularly composition into the desired shape b)
the main theme is materials-related - with useful for sealing food and liquid containers by conventional rubber moulding techniques such
particular emphasis on moulding - and not contributing to taste and/or odour of as compression, transfer or injection moulding,
considers how materials can be improved or packaged products. followed by vulcanisation and curing in a
adapted for new applications. Coincidentally, The final patent relates to gas-lubricated conventional manner. Many moulded parts are
there have been several interesting new non-contacting seals and, more particularly, to small and complex in shape.
patents filed by Japanese companies, three of a gas-lubricated seal with radial coplanar pad Also, in most cases, several tens to several
which are featured here. faces. This seal has various applications, and is hundreds of parts are made in one moulding
In the first patent, automotive parts in particularly well suited for sealing between a operation. To increase productivity under the
silicone rubber, such as oil seals, connector rotating drive shaft sleeve and a pump housing, circumstances, it is vital that moulded parts
packings and plugs, O-rings, diaphragms and so that the double gas seal reliably seals process can be readily removed from the mould. For
distributor grommets, are considered. A new fluid within the pump housing. quick removal, automatic ejection relying on
patent from Shin-Etsu Chemical in Japan
describes an oil-bleeding silicone rubber
generally
because
with lower
oil bleeds out to the mould
resistance to separation
surface on
Oil-bleeding silicone
vulcanisation and curing. The inventors found rubber seal
that by using as the bleed oil silicone oil with
methyl and phenyl groups attached to all of the
silicon atoms along with a conventional Title: Oil-bleeding silicone rubber
silicone bleed oil, a silicone rubber compositions
composition can be minimised in mould Patent number: US 6232379
conramination and improved in mould release. Date: 15 May 2001
A new patent from another Japanese Inventor: K. Takita
company, Denso Corporation, relates to Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co Ltd, Tokyo,
compressors, in particular an improved gasket Japan.
for sealing between compression and suction
chambers in a compressor. A rotary shaft has a This invention describes an oil-bleeding silicone
lip seal and the effectiveness of this is rubber composition which comprises:
improved. Such mechanisms suffer from
reduced contact area between the inner seal
l An alkenyl-containing organopolysiloxane.
and the valve plate, which lowers the sealing. In
this patent, protrusions are formed on the l Finely divided silica.

inner seal to improve the rigidity in the radial l A silicone bleed oil with methyl and phenyl
direction of the parts of the inner seal with the groups attached to substantially all of the
protrusions. silicon atoms.
In our third patent, completing the trio
l Another silicone bleed oil
of Japanese patents, we return to moulding
compositions - in this case, for sealing
carbon dioxide. The composition is claimed By being processed in a mould, the O-ring
to provide excellent sealing between movable composition is claimed not only to satisfy
parts. The invention also relates to a sealing requirements for low mould contamination, but
device to provide a seal between movable also smooth mould release.
devices. The patent is topical owing to the Because of its heat resistance, weather
necessity for environmentally friendly alterna- resistance, durability and electrical properties,
tives to older refrigerants such as Freon. In silicone rubber has been widely employed in a
turn, new sealing materials and methods are variety of fields such as building materials,
required, a subject which is preoccupying electrical and electronic parts, automotive parts
many manufacturers - not least those wishing and business machine parts. Oil-bleeding
ro install carbon dioxide based cooling systems silicone rubber has been used as grommets in
in vehicles. connectors and distributors where ease of
The fourth patent relates to olefin-based assembly, tight seal when mounted, water-
gaskets. Dow Chemical’s scientists have come proofing and insulation are of particular

@I Sealing Technology No. 91

mechanical forces by ejectors or pneumatic satisfy either requirement of smooth separation
pressure is often used. and least contamination.
In some cases, removal by mechanical forces In essence, the invention is a bleed oil with
is impossible and parts must be taken out methyl and phenyl groups attached to
manually. This method is time-consuming and substantially all of the silicon atoms. The patent
brings with it the risk of damaging the part or describes at some length the chemistry of these
the mould, or both. Ease of removal is compounds. In particular, a mould
particularly important for unmanned contamination test is described. Using a
operation of an injection moulding machine. compression mould, the composition was
In a single mould capable of simultaneously moulded to form discs with a diameter of 5 cm
moulding many parts in one operation, if any and a thickness of 2 mm. This moulding
is left affixed in the mould, the machine must operation was repeated 50 times before the
be shut down and that part must be taken out mould cavity surface was observed for staining.
manually. This represents a substantial The parts were subjected to secondary
hindrance to productivity. vulcanisation at 200°C for 4 h, and were
At the same time. several techniques for inspected to see how oil was bled on the part
applying an abherent to the surface of a surface.
mould, coating the surface of a mould and It is shown that when oil-bleeding silicone
adding an abherent to a silicone rubber rubber compositions within the scope of the
composition are used to reduce the resrstance invention are moulded in a mould, there is little
to separation. The oil-bleeding silicone rubber or no contamination to the mould and the
generally has less resistance to separation moulded parts are effectively removed from the
because oil bleeds out to the mould surface on mould.
vulcanisation and curing. However, in the case
of automatic removal of moulded parts by
means
part’s
of an ejector,
surface, depending
the ejector can slip on the
on the degree of oil
Gasket with a bulkhead
bleeding, or penetrate into a recess or aperture seal portion
in the part, resulting in a failure of removal.
The oil-bleeding silicone rubber has another
problem. After the completion of curing, some Tide: Compressor having a valve plate and a
of the bleed oil is left on the mould surface. As gasket
the moulding operation is repeated, such oil Patent num6er: US 6231315
deposition contaminates the mould surface. If Date: 15 May 2001
the moulding step is further repeated without Inventors: H. Ikeda et al.
cleaning, stains will transfer to moulded Assignee: Denso Corporation, Kariya, Japan.
parts or the removal of parts from the mould
is interfered with, eventually resulting in such A compressor includes a cylinder block and a
problems as inhibited removal due to adhesion housing connected to the ends of the cylinder
of tnoulded parts to the mould, damage to block. A valve is provided for selectively
moulded parts, detrimental influence on opening and closing the discharge port. A
curing and corrosion of the mould. To prevent gasket is positioned between the housing and
inconveniences of this kind, the tnould the valve plate, and the gasket is held to the
must be cleaned periodically. To clean the bulkhead. The gasket has a bulkhead seal
mould which is used on-line, the mould must portion, which is between the bulkhead and
be detached from the moulding machine, the valve plate for sealing between the
cooled to room remperature, cleaned with discharge chamber and the suction chamber,
chemical agents and solvents, mounted again and a protruding portion, which protrudes A rotary shaft (17) is rotatably supported in
in the moulding machine and allowed ro stand radially beyond the bulkhead, extending along the centre of the cylinder blocks and the front
until the mould temperature rises and and contacting the valve plate. housing with a pair of radial bearings (18). A lip
stabilises at the moulding temperature This A swash plate type compressor with double- seal (19) is located between the shaft and the
also interferes with efficient production. headed pistons according to this invention is front housing. The shaft is connected to and
As has been mentioned, the bleed oils described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. A rotated by an external power source such as an
commonly used are silicone oils containing pair of cylinder blocks (11) are secured to each engine (not shown).
about 15-40 mol% of phenyl groups and with a other at their ends. A front housing (12) is A suction valve mechanism (29) is formed
viscosity of 100-500 centistokes. Those silicone secured to the front end face of the front on the cylinder block side of each valve plate.
oils which are likely to bleed out and facilitate cylinder block with a valve plate (13) in The mechanism (29) allows the reciprocation
removal of rubber parts from the mould - i.e. between. A rear housing (14) is secured to the of each piston (21) to draw refrigerant gas from
low-viscosity high phenyl content silicone oils - rear end face of the rear block with a valve plate the suction chamber (27) into each
cause more mould contamination. They do not in between. compression chamber (22). A discharge valve

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