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Patent Searching and Data


Title:
METHOD TO REDUCE THE VOC-EMISSION FROM AN AUTOMOTIVE INTERIOR COMPONENT
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2015/031424
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method to reduce the VOC-emission from an automotive interior component.

Inventors:
FENG LU (US)
FABRIZIO EVE F (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2014/052812
Publication Date:
March 05, 2015
Filing Date:
August 27, 2014
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
JOHNSON CONTROLS TECH CO (US)
International Classes:
B29C44/56; C08F6/28; B29L31/30
Foreign References:
DE19950290A12001-06-28
US20040097609A12004-05-20
US6576174B12003-06-10
DE19817445A11999-10-21
US3395746A1968-08-06
JP2010137517A2010-06-24
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
PURSLEY, Kristen et al. (PC28 W. Lawrence Street, Suite 21, Pontiac MI, US)
Download PDF:
Claims:
Claims:

1. Method to reduce the VOC-emission from a automotive interior component, wherein:

the component is provided,

the temperature of the component Is raised and

the component is subsequently washed.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the component is foamed.

3. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the component is heated to an elevated

temperature between 160 "F and 400 *F.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the component is maintained at the elevated temperature for 1 - 100 minutes.

5. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the component is placed in an oven.

6. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the component is washed with water and/or a water-based liquid substance.

7. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the component is dried.

8. Method according to claim 1 , further comprising crushing of the component

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the crushing is carried out at least one of before, after or during the washing of the component.

10. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the component is washed by rinsing the

component and/or by squeezing and releasing the component.

Description:
Method to reduce the VOC-emission from an automotive interior component

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a method to reduce the VOC-emission from an automotive interior component.

The emission of volatile organic components compounds (VOC) from an automotive interior component is undesired, because it is potentially irritating and/or a may be a potential health hazard, it is for example known that people may exhibit unspecific symptoms such as fatigue, depressions or sickness after using a new car, a phenomenon known as the sick car syndrome, which is attributed to the emission of VOC. It is therefore an ongoing desire in the automotive industry to reduce theses VOC-emissions.

From the patent application WO 20107033999 A1, a method of manufacturing a foam product is known. After molding, a foam product is de-molded, post-cured, heated and then cooled rapidly.

WO 98/04365 A1 discloses a method of cleaning a polyurethane-foam recovered from a foam containing waste stream. However, this method aims at decontaminating automobile shredder residues from non-volatiie oils and dirt. Furthermore, the method comprises multiple complex and time-consuming steps.

JP 2008274198 A discloses a method to reduce the VOC-emission from an automotive interior component made from polyurethane foam by subjecting the foam to a steam.

However, this method can damage the automotive interior component.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the present invention is to provide a method to reduce the VOC-emission from an automotive interior component.

This objective is attained with a method to reduce the VOC-emission from an automotive interior component, wherein:

the component is provided,

the temperature of the component is raised and the component is subsequently washed.

The present invention relates to a method to reduce the VOC-emission from an automotive interior component. Preferably, the interior component is or comprises foam, particularly potyurethane foam. The polyurethane foam may comprise at least one of a closed cell and an open cell structure.

Although there are diverse definitions for VOC available, in the context of the present invention VOC preferably denotes any organic compounds that have an initial boiKng point at less than or equal to 462 *F when measured at a standard atmospheric pressure of 101.3 kPa. More preferably, in the context of the present application VOC are defined in accordance with at least one of the standards DIN EN IS0 16000-6, DIN EN IS0 13999-2, VDI 300-6 and the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 40, Part 51.100(s).

In a first step, the automotive interior component is provided, preferably molded. More preferably, the automotive interior component is molded using a so-called one-shot process, wherein most preferably two streams, an isocyanate stream and a polyol steam, are injected into a mold, the mold is closed and the products are allowed to react.

Preferably, the two streams substantially comprise a base polyol resin material, a copolymer polyol resin material, a catalyst, an isocyanate such as toluene diisocyanate (TDI), methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) or a mixture of TDI and MDI, a surfactant and water. The molding process may comprise applying heat, preferably in a range between 150 and 170 e F.

Preferably, the first step comprises a de-molding of the automotive interior component. The de-molding may comprise at least one of opening the mold and removing the automotive interior component from the mold.

According to the present invention, in a second step, the temperature of the automotive interior component is then raised. This takes, for example, place in an oven, in particular an industrial oven, or the like. . Alternatively or additionally, the temperature of the component may be raised by means of induction heating, dielectric heating, in particular in a microwave oven, gas-fired infrared radiant heating, ultraviolet (UV) heating, plasma heating, electron- beam heating or a combination thereof. Preferably, the temperature of the automotive interior component, in particular the core temperature of the automotive interior component, is raised up to a temperature range between 160 and 400 *F. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the automotive interior component is subjected to this elevated temperature for 1 - 100 minutes, more preferably 2 to < 30 min. During the heating-up of the automotive interior component, the VOC-components, which evaporate and/or desorb from the automotive interior component, are preferably continuously or intermittently removed.

Preferably, the temperature of the automotive interior component is varied during the second step. More preferably, the temperature of the automotive interior component is at least lowered and raised again once during the second step. For example, the core temperature of the automotive interior component may be varied between 140 and 180 *F in such a way that the temperature may firstly be raised to about 180 "F, then lowered for a predetermined period of times to about 1 0 "F and then raised to about 180 'F again. Even more preferably, the temperature of the component may be lowered and raised at least twice or thrice.

Preferably, the temperature of the automotive interior component is kept at the raised temperature for a predetermined period of time, e.g. between 1 min and 100 min, more preferably between 2 min and 30 min.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the temperature during the second step is at least initially kept close to the temperature of the automotive interior component directly after molding. More preferably, the second step is carried out as soon as possible after molding or de-molding respectively. For example, the second step is carried out between approximately 3 s and 3 min after molding or de-molding.

As a third step, the automotive interior component is washed with, for example, water and/or a water-based liquid substance. The washing further reduces the VOC-contents of the automotive interior component by removing water-soluble and/or hydrophilic substances from the automotive interior component This washing can take place by rinsing the automotive interior component and/or by squeezing and releasing the automotive interior component, for example in a bath. Preferably, the automotive interior component is squeezed and released repeatedly, for example between 2 and 100 times, more preferably between 20 and 60 times. The cleaning liquid is preferably cleaned continuously or intermittently and is, more preferably, recycled. The temperature of the cleaning liquid is preferably between 5 - 100 *F. The cleaning Bquid may comprise additives to further improve the removal of the VOCs. After the cleaning with a liquid substance, the automotive interior component is preferably dried, preferably with an airstream.

Preferably, the method comprises at fourth step, wherein the fourth step comprises crushing of the automotive interior component. More preferably, the crushing comprises a mechanical crushing, in particular a repeated compression of the automotive interior component. Most preferably, the mechanical crushing comprises at least one of a first stage, during which the automotive interior component is preferably subjected to a 50 % compression, a second stage, during which the automotive interior component is preferably subjected to a 90 % compression, and a third stage, during which the automotive interior component is preferably subjected to another 90 % compression. The person skilled in the art acknowledges that the times during which the automotive interior component is subjected to the compressions may be the same or different for each or at least some of the above described stages.

Preferably, the crushing is carried out at least one of before, after or during washing or drying of the automotive interior component.

The resulting automotive interior component has a significantly reduced emission of VOCs measured according to the measuring procedure VDA 278 (Car Interior Material Testing).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a histogram depicting the VOC-e mission of an untreated reference sample and of an exemplary sample after being treated according to the method of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The invention is now explained according to the following example and referring to FIG. 1.

The temperature of an automotive interior component, here a polyurethane-foam part, was first raised in an oven up to 500 "F and maintained at this temperature for 90 minutes. After removal of the automotive interior component from the oven, the foam part was manually washed by rinsing and squeezing the foam part in water. The water temperature was 46 °F. After this process, the foam sample was analyzed according to VDA 278 together with an untreated reference sample resulting from the same production as the treated foam part and it turned out that the VOC-emission was reduced by 82 %, as can be seen in FIG. 1.

Here, the VOC-emission of the untreated reference sample was approximately 1800 pg/g, while the VOC-emission of the sample which has been treated according to the method of the present invention was measured to be approximately 310 pg/g, yielding a decrease in the VOC-emission of about 82 %. The measurements were performed according to VDA 278.