METHOD FOR CURING ORGANOPOLYSILOXANE COMPOSITIONS AND THE COMPOSITIONS

Abstract: A method of curing certain organopolysiloxane com­ positions by a combination of heat and exposure to ultra­ violet radiation or electron beam provides the ability to use lower temperatures than heat cures alone and shorter cure times than ultraviolet radiation or electron beam alone. The organopolysiloxane compositions are addition-curable and are made up of alkenyl-containing organopolysiloxane, organohydrogensiloxane, a platinum-type catalyst, an addi­ tion-reaction inhibitor selected from alkynol, 3-methyl-3-­ pentene-1-yne, 3,5-dimethyl-3-hexene-1-yne, methylvinylsi­ loxane cyclics, benzotriazole, and mixtures thereof, and a photosensitizer.

Description: The present invention provides a method for curing organopolysiloxane compositions. More specifically, the present invention provides a method for curing organopolysiloxane compositions which consist of a photosensitizer and an addition-curable organopolysiloxane containing a platinum-type catalyst by heating and by exposure to ultraviolet radiation or to an electron beam. Background Information It is known in the prior art that organopolysiloxane compositions can generally be cured by heating; refer to Japanese Patents 35-13709 (60-13709), 36-1397 (61-1397) and 46-76798 (71-76798). However, all of these methods require elevated temperatures and heating for long periods of time with the resulting drawback of low productivity. On the other hand, organopolysiloxane compositions which can be cured at room temperature or low temperatures by exposure to ultraviolet radiation or an electron beam; (refer to Japanese Kokai [Laid-Open] Patents 50-61386 (75-61386) (United Kingdom patent Specification No. 1,433,461, published April 28, 1976), 50-61486 (75-61486) (U.S. Patent No. 4,064,027, issued December 20, 1977), and 55-125123 (80-125123) have been developed due to recent demands for increased productivity and the increasing diversity of applications. However, these compositions have certain drawbacks including one or more of the following: a strong mercaptan odor, quite poor pot stability at room temperature, slow curing rates inappropriate for practical applications, and nonuniform curing in interior sections. Various methods were examined by the present inventors in order to eliminate the preceding drawbacks with the resulting development of a method for curing organopolysiloxane compositions, including uniform curing in interior sections, by heating and by exposure to ultraviolet radiation or an electron beam for a short period of time at low temperatures. Summary of the Invention This invention relates to a method for curing organopolysiloxane compositions characterized by concurrently heating and exposing to ultraviolet radiation or an electron beam a photosensitizer-containing organopolysiloxane composition which consists of (A) 100 parts by weight of addition-curable organopolysiloxane composition which consists of (1) a polydiorganosiloxane consisting of diorganosiloxane units selected from the group consisting of dimethylsiloxane units, methylphenylsiloxane units, methylvinylsiloxane units, and mixtures thereof, said polydiorganosiloxane is endblocked with dimethylvinylsiloxy units, trimethylsiloxy units, or silicon-bonded hydroxyl groups, and has a vinyl content of from 0.5 to 3 weight percent; (2) a trimethylsilyl endblocked polysiloxane containing methylhydrogensiloxane units and optionally dimethylsiloxane units, which has a viscosity of from 0.005 to 0.05 Pa.s at 25°C, and is present in an amount of from 2 to 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of (1); (3) a platinum catalyst selected from the group consisting of alcohol-modified chloroplatinic acid, chloroplatinic acid-olefin complexes and chloroplatinic acid-vinylsiloxane coordination compounds, which is present in an amount of from 50 to 200 parts by weight of platinum element per million parts by weight of (1); and (4) an addition-reaction retarder, which is an alkynol or 3-methyl-3-pentene-1-yne and which is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 1.0 part by weight per 100 parts by weight of (1); and (B) 0.1 to 5 parts by weight of a photosensitizer selected from the group consisting of 4-allylacetophenone, benzophenone, benzoin ethyl ether, and benzil dimethyl ketal. If any of the above mentioned components (A), (1) to (4) and (B) is omitted or changed, no sufficient curing within short time can be obtained. From the above follows that the selection of the components (A), (1) to (4) and (B) of the composition is critical for obtaining very short cure times. DE-A 27 36 499 discloses a process for producing adhesive compositions consisting essentially of (1) an organopolysiloxane containing vinyl groups; (2) an organohydrogen polysiloxane having at least three hydrogen atoms bonded to Si per molecule; (3) a platinum-type catalyst such as platinum-olefin-complexes, platinum-alcohol-complexes and platinum-vinylsiloxane-complexes; (4) an addition-reaction retarder such as benzotriazole, and organic or silico-organic compounds having at least an aliphatic triple bond like ethynyl cyclohexanol and 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol; and (5) a photosensitizer such as 4-allyl-acetophenone, benzoinethylether and benzil. However, there is no disclosure for the special combination of the components (A), (1) to (4) and (B) of the composition according to the invention. All the examples of the cited reference use either a reaction product of H₂PtCl₆.6H₂O and cyclohexanol or a platinum-vinylsiloxane complex. As these platinum complexes involve already a photosensitizer, it is not necessary according to the cited reference to use a separate photosensitizer, which is, however, obligatory in the composition according to the invention. So all the examples of the cited reference do not include a separate photosensitizer as claimed. As shown in tables 1 to 4 of the cited reference, the curing time can be as low as 15 seconds at 45°C, but normally the curing time is up to 60 seconds. As shown by a test with an adhesive tape, there remains a residual adhesive power which shows that at least at 45°C no complete adhesion occurs. Only at 90°C the compositions can be cured sufficiently, so that the desired anti-adhesive properties are obtained. In comparison to the cited reference, the examples according to the invention show a dramatic difference in cure time, namely a much shorter time of exposure to ultraviolet radiation, and a much shorter heating time in order to obtain a completely cured product. In the cited reference, there is no hint how to select the components (A), (1) to (4) and (B) in order to shorten the curing rates appropriate for practical applications. FR-A 1 267 705 discloses a process for vulcanisation of organopolysiloxanes having the polymer unit wherein R is a monovalent hydrocarbon radical or a halogenated monovalent hydrocarbon radical, by concurrent exposure to heat and ionic radiation. In this prior art, however, there is no disclosure for a composition having the components (A), (1) to (4) of the composition according to the invention. Further, the shown composition is not cross-linked in presence of a photosensitizer. Therefore, also a combination of the cited references does not give any suggestion with respect to the composition according to the invention and the method for curing the same. Detailed Description The addition-curable organopolysiloxane compositon (A) may contain organic solvents, extender fillers, thermal stabilizers, flame retardants, etc., as optional components. The addition-reaction retarder component (A), (4) is an essential component which has the effect of inhibiting the reaction at room temperature in order to impart pot stability to the composition. Examples of alkynyl alcohols which can be used as retarders (4) are 3-methyl-1-butyne-3-ol, 3,5-dimethyl-1-hexyne-3-ol, 3-methyl-1-pentyne-3-ol, and phenylbutynol. The retarder compounds can be used as reaction inhibitors singly or as mixtures of two or more compounds. The quantity of addition-reaction retarder is determined by the condition that a practical pot life be imparted to the present composition. Although the reaction-inhibiting effect will depend on molecular structure, this quantity is 0.1 to 1.0 part by weight per 100 parts by weight polydiorganosiloxane (1) and may be adjusted up or down depending on the purpose. The photosensitizer comprising component (B) accelerates the curing reaction of the present composition upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation or an electron beam. In the method of the present invention, the photosensitizer-containing organopolysiloxane composition consisting of the preceding components (A) and (B) is converted into a rubbery elastomer or cured resin by heating and by exposure to ultraviolet radiation or an electron beam. The heating conditions depend on the type of preceding organopolysiloxane, the quantity of addition of platinum-type catalyst and the thickness of the coated film; however, the heating conditions are determined by the requirement that the present composition be semi-cured by the heat treatment alone. The ultraviolet-generating source is any such source known in the prior art and examples thereof are hydrogen discharge tubes, xenon discharge tubes, and low-pressure, medium-pressure, and high-pressure mercury lamps. The electron beam source is any such source known in the prior art and examples thereof are scanning electron beam generators and curtain electron beam generators. The conditions of exposure to the ultraviolet radiation or electron beam are arbitrary as long as exposure alone can semi-cure the present composition. With regard to the order of treatment, ultraviolet or electron beam exposure can be executed after the heat treatment, the heat treatment can be executed after ultraviolet or electron beam exposure, or the heat treatment and ultraviolet or electron beam exposure can be executed simultaneously. However, when the composition of the present invention is dissolved or dispersed in organic solvent, it is preferably exposed to ultraviolet radiation or an electron beam after the heat treatment. According to the method of the present invention, the composition is completely cured by a combination of heating at low temperatures for a brief period with ultraviolet or electron beam exposure for a brief period. The composition is cured at temperatures much lower than in a prior-art heat treatment alone and is cured in times much shorter than in prior-art ultraviolet or electron beam exposure alone. Process productivity is thus increased and the mild heating conditions are appropriate for applications such as in the electronic materials industry, in coating synthetic resins and in the use of release agents. The present invention will be explained using demonstrational examples. Parts in the examples are parts by weight, % denotes wt%, and the viscosity was measured at 25°C. Example 1 100 parts dimethylvinylsilyl-terminated dimethylsiloxane-methylvinylsiloxane copolymer with a 1.0 Pa . s viscosity and a 2.0% vinyl group content were mixed with 8 parts trimethylsilyl-terminated methylhydrogenpolysiloxane with a 0.006 Pa . s viscosity, 0.3 part 3-methyl-1-butyne-3-ol as the addition-reaction retarder, and 2 parts benzophenone as photosensitizer and this was then combined with a vinylsiloxane-chloroplatinic acid complex (100 ppm as platinum based on the total weight) and mixed to homogeneity. The resulting composition, denoted as Sample 1, had a viscosity of 0.81 Pa . s. To provide Comparison Example 1, a composition was produced by the same method as for Sample 1 with the exception that the benzophenone was omitted. The resulting composition had a viscosity of 0.816 Pa . s. In addition, compositions for Comparison Examples 2 and 3 were prepared by the same method as for the preceding Sample 1 by omitting the 3-methyl-1-butyne-3-ol or the platinum catalyst, respectively. The composition of Comparison Example 3 had a viscosity of 0.808 Pa . s while the composition of Comparison Example 2 gels in mixing and its viscosity could not be measured. When the preceding compositions was allowed to stand at 25°C, Sample 1 and the compositions of Comparison Examples 1 and 3 did not exhibit an increase in viscosity over 1 day and thus were quite stable. Sample 1 and the compositions of Comparison Examples 1 and 3 were each coated at 1.0 g/m² on polypropylene film, heated in a hot air-circulation oven at 70°C for 5 minutes, and then immediately irradiated with a 160 W/cm high-pressure mercury lamp at a distance of 5 cm for 0.1 second. Sample 1 was completely cured while the compositions of Comparison Examples 1 and 3 were not cured. Sample 1 was not cured only by heating at 70°C for 120 seconds or only by exposure to ultraviolet radiation under the same conditions as above. Example 2 100 parts dimethylvinylsilyl-terminated dimethylsiloxane-methylphenylsiloxane-methylvinylsiloxane copolymer with a 3.0 Pa . s viscosity (containing 1.8% vinyl groups and 3.0% phenyl groups) were mixed with 8 parts trimethylsilyl-terminated dimethylsiloxane-methylhydrogensiloxane copolymer with a viscosity of 0.02 Pa . s (Si-bonded H:methyl molar ratio=1:3), 0.6 part 3-methyl-3-pentene-1-yne addition-reaction retarder and 1.5 parts benzil dimethyl ketal as photosensitizer, and this was then combined with a vinylsiloxane-chloroplatinic acid complex (180 ppm as platinum based on the total weight) followed by mixing to homogeneity. The resulting composition, denoted as Sample 2, had a viscosity of 2.36 Pa . s. Compositions for Comparison Examples 4, 5, and 6 were prepared by the same method as for the preceding Sample 2 with the respective omission of the preceding dimethylsiloxane-methylhydrogensiloxane copolymer, the benzil dimethyl ketal photosensitizer, or the vinylsiloxane-chloroplatinic acid complex. The viscosities of the samples were 2.92 Pa . s for Comparison Example 4, 2.48 Pa . s for Comparison Example 5, and 2.39 Pa . s for Comparison Example 6. When the preceding compositions were allowed to stand at 25°C for 1 day, they did not present an increase in viscosity and were thus stable. Sample 2 and the compositions of Comparison Examples 4, 5, and 6 were each coated at 1.5 g/m² on a polyethylene-laminated kraft paper, irradiated with a 160 W/cm high-pressure mercury lamp from a distance of 5 cm for 0.1 second and then immediately heated in a hot air-circulation oven at 80°C for 5 seconds. Sample 2 was completely cured while the compositions for Comparison Examples 4, 5, and 6 were not cured. Sample 2 was not cured only by heating at 80°C for 120 seconds or only by ultraviolet exposure under the above-mentioned conditions. Example 3 100 parts hydroxyl-terminated dimethylsiloxane-methylvinylsiloxane copolymer gum with a 1.0% vinyl group content were dissolved in 1,000 parts toluene and this was combined with 4 parts trimethylsilyl-terminated methylhydrogenpolysiloxane with a 0.02 Pa . s viscosity, 0.2 part phenylbutynol as addition-reaction retarder, and 4 parts benzoin ethyl ether as photosensitizer and this was then stirred to give a homogeneous solution. An alcohol solution of chloroplatinic acid (60 ppm based on the total polysiloxane weight) was homogeneously dissolved in the preceding polysiloxane solution. The resulting composition, denoted as Sample 3, had a viscosity of 0.48 Pa . s. Compositions for Comparison Examples 7, 8, and 9 were prepared by the same method as for the preceding Sample 3 with the respective omission of benzoin ethyl ether, the alcohol solution of chloroplatinic acid, or phenylbutynol. The preceding compositions were allowed to stand at 25°C for 1 day. Sample 3 and the compositions of Comparison Examples 7 and 8 did not present an increase in viscosity. The composition of Comparison Example 9 undervent an increase in viscosity and completely gelled in 2 minutes after combination with the alcoholic chloroplatinic acid and the attempt to stir to homogeneity. Sample 3 and the compositions of Comparison Examples 7 and 8 were each coated at 1.2 g/m² as solids on aluminum plates. The toluene was evaporated at room temperature and the compositions were then heated in a hot air-circulation oven at 70°C for 5 seconds and then immediately irradiated with a 160 W/cm high-pressure mercury lamp from a distance of 5 cm for 0.07 seconds. Sample 3 was completely cured while the compositions of Comparison Examples 7 and 8 were not cured. The compositions of Comparison Examples 7 and 8 were not cured by irradiation with the mercury lamp for 5 seconds under the above conditions. Sample 3 was not cured only by heating at 70°C for 120 seconds or only by irradiation with ultraviolet radiation under the above conditions. Example 4 100 parts trimethylsilyl-terminated dimethylsiloxane-methylvinylsiloxane copolymer 10 Pa . s viscosity, 1.7% vinyl group content) were combined with 10 parts fumed silica and heated at 160°C for 2 hours. This mixture was then dissolved in 200 parts toluene and then combined and mixed with 5 parts trimethylsilyl-terminated methylhydrogenpolysiloxane with a 0.04 Pa . s viscosity, 0.4 part 3-methyl-1-butyne-3-ol, and 4 parts benzophenone as photosensitizer to give a homogeneous solution. The resulting mixture was then combined with vinylsiloxane-chloroplatinic acid complex (180 ppm as platinum based on the entire quantity of polysiloxane) and mixed to homogeneity. The resulting composition, denoted as Sample 4, had a viscosity of 0.29 Pa . s. For Comparison Example 10, a composition was prepared by the same method as above with the use of a trimethylsilyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane with a 10 Pa . s viscosity instead of the dimethylsiloxane-methylvinylsiloxane copolymer used for Sample 4. Sample 4 and the composition of Comparison Example 10 were allowed to stand at 25°C for 2 days; however, they did not present an increase in viscosity. These compositions were each coated at 1.1 g/m² as solids on polyester film, heated in a hot air-circulation oven at 70°C for 5 seconds and then immediately irradiated with a 160 W/cm high-pressure mercury lamp from a distance of 5 cm for 0.1 second. Sample 4 was completely cured while the composition of Comparison Example 10 was not cured. In addition, Sample 4 was not cured only by heating at 70°C for 120 seconds or only by ultraviolet irradiation under the above conditions. Example 5 100 parts dimethylvinylsilyl-terminated dimethylsiloxane-methylvinylsiloxane copolymer with a viscosity of 1.5 Pa . s and containing 2.0% vinyl groups were combined with 5 parts trimethylsilyl-terminated methylhydrogenpolysiloxane with a viscosity of 0.01 Pa . s, 0.3 part, 3,5-dimethyl-1-hexyne-3-ol, and 0.5 part 4-allylacetophenone as photosensitizer and mixed to give a solution. The resulting solution was combined with vinylsiloxane-chloroplatinic acid complex (120 ppm as platinum based on the total weight) and this was mixed to homogeneity. The resulting composition, denoted as Sample 5, had a viscosity of 1.31 Pa . s. For Comparison Example 11, a composition was prepared by the same method as used for Sample 5 with the exception that the vinylsiloxane-chloroplatinic acid complex was omitted. Sample 5 and the composition of Comparison Example 11 were both allowed to stand at 25°C for 2 days; however, they did not exhibit an increase in viscosity. These compositions were each coated at 0.8 g/m² on polyester film, heated in a hot air-circulation oven at 70°C for 4 seconds and then immediately irradiated with a 1 Mrad electron beam does from a curtain electron beam generator. Sample 5 was completely cured while the composition of Comparison Example 11 was not completely cured. In addition, the cured product of Sample 5 did not have an undesirable odor.

Claims: A method for curing organopolysiloxane compositions characterized by concurrently heating and exposing to ultraviolet radiation or an electron beam a photosensitizer-containing organopolysiloxane composition which consists of (A) 100 parts by weight of addition-curable organopolysiloxane composition which consists of (1) a polydiorganosiloxane consisting of diorganosiloxane units selected from the group consisting of dimethylsiloxane units, methylphenylsiloxane units, methylvinylsiloxane units, and mixtures thereof, said polydiorganosiloxane is endblocked with dimethylvinylsiloxy units, trimethylsiloxy units, or silicon-bonded hydroxyl groups, and has a vinyl content of from 0.5 to 3 weight percent; (2) a trimethylsilyl endblocked polysiloxane containing methylhydrogensiloxane units and optionally dimethylsiloxane units, which has a viscosity of from 0.005 to 0.05 Pa.s at 25°C, and is present in an amount of from 2 to 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of (1); (3) a platinum catalyst selected from the group consisting of alcohol-modified chloroplatinic acid, chloroplatinic acid-olefin complexes and chloroplatinic acid-vinylsiloxane coordination compounds, which is present in an amount of from 50 to 200 parts by weight of platinum element per million parts by weight of (1); and (4) an addition-reaction retarder, which is an alkynol or 3-methyl-3-pentene-1-yne and which is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 1.0 part by weight per 100 parts by weight of (1); and (B) 0.1 to 5 parts by weight of a photosensitizer selected from the group consisting of 4-allylacetophenone, benzophenone, benzoin ethyl ether, and benzil dimethyl ketal. The method according to claim 1 in which the heating is at a temperature of from 50 to 100°C. A composition consisting of (A) 100 parts by weight of addition-curable organopolysiloxane composition which consists of (1) a polydiorganosiloxane consisting of diorganosiloxane units selected from the group consisting of dimethylsiloxane units, methylphenylsiloxane units, methylvinylsiloxane units, and mixtures thereof, said polydiorganosiloxane is endblocked with dimethylvinylsiloxy units, trimethylsiloxy units, or silicon-bonded hydroxyl groups, and has a vinyl content of from 0.5 to 3 weight percent; (2) a trimethylsilyl endblocked polysiloxane containing methylhydrogensiloxane units and optionally dimethylsiloxane units, which has a viscosity of from 0.005 to 0.05 Pa.s at 25°C, and is present in an amount of from 2 to 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of (1); (3) a platinum catalyst selected from the group consisting of alcohol-modified chloroplatinic acid, chloroplatinic acid-olefin complexes, and chloroplatinic acid-vinylsiloxane coordination compounds, which is present in an amount of from 50 to 200 parts by weight platinum element per million parts by weight of (1); and (4) an addition-reaction retarder, which is an alkynol or 3-methyl-3-pentene-1-yne and which is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 1.0 part by weight per 100 parts by weight of (1); and (B) 0.1 to 5 parts by weight of a photosensitizer selected from the group consisting of 4-allylacetophenone, benzophenone, benzoin ethyl ether, and benzil dimethyl ketal. The composition according to claim 3 in which (4) is an alkynol.

Inventors: HAMADA, YUJI, SASAKI, SHOSAKU
Applicants: TORAY SILICONE COMPANY LIMITED
Application year: 1985
Main classification: C08J3
IPC codes: C08J3, C08L83