Patent US3254904A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US4447565A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US4447565A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method and composition for molding low density desiccant syntactic foam articles

Assignee: United States Department of Energy
•
Filing: 1981-12-07
•
Granted: 1984-05-08
•
Expires: 2001-12-07
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A method and a composition are provided for molding low density desiccant syntactic foam articles. A low density molded desiccant article may be made as a syntactic foam by blending a thermosetting resin, microspheres and molecular sieve desiccant powder, molding and curing. Such articles have densities of 0.2-0.9 g/cc, moisture capacities of 1-12% by weight, and can serve as light weight structural supports.

Inventors

  • 👤 James W. Lula
  • 👤 James R. Schicker

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 13:25
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08J; C08J9/00; C08J9/0066; C08J9/32; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S264/00; Y10S264/06; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/249921; Y10T428/249953; Y10T428/249971; Y10T428/249974

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim 153 words
A process for molding to size a desiccant syntactic foam article having a density of 0.2-0.9 g/cc and a moisture capacity of 1-12% by weight, comprising the steps of: (a) charging a mold with a powdery mixture of an activated molecular sieve desiccant, microspheres and a thermosetting resin, the amount of the desiccant being sufficient to provide the required moisture capacity, and the amounts of the microspheres and resin being such that the microspheres/desiccant volume fraction exceeds the packing factor by an amount sufficient to substantially avoid shrinkage without causing excessively high molding pressures; (b) covering the mold and heating the covered mold to a temperature and for an amount of time sufficient to melt the resin; and (c) tightly closing the mold and heating the closed mold to a temperature and for an amount of time sufficient to cure the resin, and removing the resultant desiccant syntactic foam article from the mold.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 153 words
A process for molding to size a desiccant syntactic foam article having a density of 0.2-0.9 g/cc and a moisture capacity of 1-12% by weight, comprising the steps of: (a) charging a mold with a powdery mixture of an activated molecular sieve desiccant, microspheres and a thermosetting resin, the amount of the desiccant being sufficient to provide the required moisture capacity, and the amounts of the microspheres and resin being such that the microspheres/desiccant volume fraction exceeds the packing factor by an amount sufficient to substantially avoid shrinkage without causing excessively high molding pressures; (b) covering the mold and heating the covered mold to a temperature and for an amount of time sufficient to melt the resin; and (c) tightly closing the mold and heating the closed mold to a temperature and for an amount of time sufficient to cure the resin, and removing the resultant desiccant syntactic foam article from the mold.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 11 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the microspheres are glass microbubbles.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
The process of claim 2, wherein the glass microbubbles have diameters of 10-150 μm and a bulk density of 0.16-0.38 g/cc.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 16 words
The process of claim 3, wherein the glass microbubbles have a bulk density of 0.18-0.22 g/cc.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 23 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the thermosetting resin is a polybenzimidazole resin, a polyphenylene resin, a phenolic resin or a polyimide resin.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 12 words
The process of claim 5, wherein the resin is a polyimide resin.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 23 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the desiccant is Type 3 A molecular sieve having a nominal pore size of about 0.3 nm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 19 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the microspheres/desiccant volume fraction exceeds the packing factor by up to about 25%.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 17 words
The process of claim 8, wherein the microspheres/desiccant volume fraction exceeds the packing factor by about 5-15%.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 26 words
A desiccant syntactic foam article having a density of 0.2-0.9 g/cc and a moisture capacity of 1-12% by weight, produced by the process of claim 1.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 18 words
The desiccant syntactic foam article of claim 10, having a compressive strength of at least about 750 psi.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 18 words
A desiccant syntactic foam article of claim 11, wherein the compression strength is at least about 1000 psi.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 47 words
A desiccant syntactic foam article according to claim 1, having a density of 0.2-0.9 g/cc, a moisture capacity of 1-12% by weight, and a compressive strength of at least about 750 psi, comprising a filler of molecular sieve desiccant and microspheres, and a cured thermoset resin binder.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 17 words
The desiccant syntactic foam article of claim 13, wherein the compressive strength is at least 1000 psi.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3230184A Cited
US3545622A Cited
US3855160A Cited
US3786004A Cited
US3704806A Cited
US3873475A Cited
US3928254A Cited
US4077922A Cited
US3960583A Cited
US4085937A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1987-05-08 1987-11-07 1988-05-08 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1991-05-08 1991-11-07 1992-05-08 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1995-05-08 1995-11-07 1996-05-08 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag