Expandable material

Abstract

An expandable material and articles incorporating the same are disclosed. The material includes a polymeric admixture; a blowing agent; a curing agent; a tackifier; and optionally, a filler or fiber.

1 - 24 . (canceled)  
     
     
         25 . A method of providing baffling or sealing to an article of manufacture, comprising: 
 intermixing ingredients to form an expandable material, the ingredients including a curing, a blowing agent and an acetate, an acrylate or both;    applying the expandable material to a structure of the article of manufacture; and    activating the expandable material to expand and form a foam, the foam having a volume that is at least 1500% greater than the volume of the expandable material in an unexpanded state;    wherein the foam provides sealing, baffling or both to the structure of the article of manufacture.    
     
     
         26 . A method as in  claim 25  wherein the expandable material is activated upon exposure to an elevated temperature and the expandable material expands to a volume that is at least 2000% greater than the volume of the expandable material in an unexpanded state.  
     
     
         27 . A method as in  claim 25  wherein the curing agent includes a peroxide curing agent having an activation temperature between about 60° C. and about 110° C.  
     
     
         28 . A method as in  claim 25  wherein the expandable material include one or more fillers and the one or more fillers include a fibrous filler material.  
     
     
         29 . A method as in  claim 25  wherein the acrylate, the acetate or both are part of a polymeric admixture that is at least about 40% by weight of the expandable material and wherein the acrylate comprises about 20% to about 95% of the polymeric admixture and the acetate comprises about 5% to about 50% of the polymeric admixture.  
     
     
         30 . A method as in  claim 25  wherein the expandable material includes EVA and oxide and the blowing agent includes 4,4 i -oxy-bis-(benzenesulphonylhydrazide), azodicarbonamide or both.  
     
     
         31 . A method as in  claim 30  wherein the oxide includes a metal oxide.  
     
     
         32 . A method as in  claim 25  wherein the expandable material includes up to about 20% by weight epoxy resin.  
     
     
         33 . A method as in  claim 25  wherein the blowing agent, blowing agent accelerator or both are at least 5.5% by weight of the expandable material.  
     
     
         34 . A method as in  claim 25  wherein the blowing agent, blowing agent accelerator or both are at least 8.0% by weight of the expandable material.  
     
     
         35 . A method of providing baffling to an automotive vehicle, comprising: 
 intermixing ingredients to form an expandable material, the ingredients including curing agent, blowing agent and an acetate, an acrylate or both;    applying the expandable material to a structure of the article of manufacture such that the material is within a cavity defined by the automotive vehicle; and    activating the expandable material to expand and form a foam, the foam having a volume that is at least 2000% greater than the volume of the expandable material in an unexpanded state;    wherein:    i. the foam provides baffling or both to the structure of the automotive vehicle;    ii. the expandable material is activated upon exposure to temperatures encountered in a coating operation of automotive assembly.    
     
     
         36 . A method as in  claim 35  wherein the expandable material expands to a volume that is at least 3000% greater than the volume of the expandable material in an unexpanded state.  
     
     
         37 . A method as in  claim 35  wherein the curing agent includes at least one curing agent having an activation temperature between about 60° C. and about 110° C.  
     
     
         38 . A method as in  claim 35  wherein the expandable material includes one or more fillers and the one or more fillers include a fibrous filler material.  
     
     
         39 . A method as in  claim 35  wherein the acrylate, the acetate or both are part of a polymeric admixture that is at least about 40% by weight of the expandable material and wherein the acrylate comprises about 20% to about 95% of the polymeric admixture and the acetate comprises about 5% to about 50% of the polymeric admixture.  
     
     
         40 . A method as in  claim 35  wherein the expandable material includes up to about 20% by weight epoxy resin.  
     
     
         41 . A method as in  claim 35  wherein the blowing agent, blowing agent accelerator or both are at least 5.5% by weight of the expandable material.  
     
     
         42 . A method as in  claim 35  wherein the blowing agent, blowing agent accelerator or both are at least 8.0% by weight of the expandable material.  
     
     
         43 . A method of providing baffling to an automotive vehicle, comprising: 
 intermixing ingredients to form an expandable material, the ingredients including curing agent, blowing agent, fiber and EMA, EVA or both wherein the curing agent includes a peroxide wherein the blowing agent, blowing agent accelerator or both are at least 5.5% by weight of the expandable material;    applying the expandable material to a structure of the article of manufacture such that the material is within a cavity defined by the automotive vehicle; and    activating the expandable material to expand and form a foam, the foam having a volume that is at least 2000% greater than the volume of the expandable material in an unexpanded state;    wherein:    i. the foam provides baffling or both to the structure of the automotive vehicle;    ii. the expandable material is activated at temperatures encountered in a coating operation during automotive assembly; and    iii. the expandable material includes up to about 20% by weight epoxy resin.    
     
     
         44 . A method as in  claim 43  wherein the expandable material includes a fibrous filler material.