Method of sealing an interface Number:7,521,093 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent A method of sealing an interface, the method comprising: providing a sealant material, locating the sealant material adjacent to the interface, exposing the sealant material to an elevated temperature such that the sealant material flows adjacent the interface, and curing the sealant material to seal the interface.<H interface, sealing, Method, of, seali, 7521093.html, Patent, pto, 7521093

Title: Method of sealing an interface

Abstract: A method of sealing an interface, the method comprising: providing a sealant material, locating the sealant material adjacent to the interface, exposing the sealant material to an elevated temperature such that the sealant material flows adjacent the interface, and curing the sealant material to seal the interface.

Patent Number: 7,521,093 Issued on 04/21/2009 to Finerman, et al.

Inventors: Finerman; Terry (Rochester Hills, MI), Carlson; David (Rochester Hills, MI), Harthcock; Matthew (Oakland Township, MI), Knepper; Craig (Shelby Township, MI), Chmielewski; Craig (Shelby Township, MI), Ferng; William B. (Novi, MI), Hable; Christopher (Romeo, MI), Kassa; Abraham (Shelby Township, MI), Jensen; Blair (New Baltimore, MI)
Assignee: Zephyros, Inc. (Romeo, MI)

Appl. No.: 11/188,010

Filed: July 18, 2005

Related U.S. Patent Documents


Application Number	Filing Date	Patent Number	Issue Date
60589701	Jul., 2004

Current U.S. Class: 427/375 ; 427/301; 427/407.1; 427/409; 427/410

Current International Class: B05D 3/02 (20060101)

Field of Search: 427/301,375,407.1,409,410

References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents


3868796	March 1975	Bush
4378395	March 1983	Ashoshina et al.
4427481	January 1984	Smith et al.
4444818	April 1984	Tominaga et al.
4538380	September 1985	Colliander
4605460	August 1986	Schirmer
4693775	September 1987	Harrison et al.
4724243	February 1988	Harrison
4749434	June 1988	Harrison
4769166	September 1988	Harrison
4898630	February 1990	Kitoh et al.
4922596	May 1990	Wycech
4923902	May 1990	Wycech
4978562	December 1990	Wycech
4995545	February 1991	Wycech
5124186	June 1992	Wycech
5266133	November 1993	Hanley et al.
5274006	December 1993	Kagoshima et al.
5470886	November 1995	Makhlouf et al.
5577784	November 1996	Nelson
5648401	July 1997	Czaplicki
5712317	January 1998	Makhlouf et al.
5783272	July 1998	Wong
5806919	September 1998	Davies
5851626	December 1998	McCorry et al.
5884960	March 1999	Wycech
5894071	April 1999	Merz et al.
5931474	August 1999	Chang et al.
5932680	August 1999	Heider
5948508	September 1999	Pastore et al.
5964979	October 1999	George et al.
5985435	November 1999	Czaplicki et al.
5994422	November 1999	Born et al.
6004425	December 1999	Born et al.
6030701	February 2000	Johnson et al.
6040350	March 2000	Fukui
6056526	May 2000	Sato
6057382	May 2000	Karim et al.
6077884	June 2000	Hess et al.
6096791	August 2000	Born et al.
6103784	August 2000	Hilborn et al.
6133335	October 2000	Mahoney et al.
6136398	October 2000	Willett et al.
6136944	October 2000	Stewart et al.
6153302	November 2000	Karim et al.
6162504	December 2000	Hubert et al.
6174932	January 2001	Pachl et al.
6197403	March 2001	Brown et al.
6218442	April 2001	Hilborn et al.
6228449	May 2001	Meyer
6232433	May 2001	Narayan
6235842	May 2001	Kuwano et al.
6244601	June 2001	Buchholz et al.
6263635	July 2001	Czaplicki
6277898	August 2001	Pachl et al.
6287669	September 2001	George et al.
6291059	September 2001	Mahoney et al.
6296298	October 2001	Barz et al.
6303672	October 2001	Papalos et al.
6312668	November 2001	Mitra et al.
6319964	November 2001	Blank et al.
6348513	February 2002	Hilborn et al.
6350791	February 2002	Feichtmeier et al.
6376564	April 2002	Harrison
6419305	July 2002	Larsen
6429244	August 2002	Rinka et al.
6432475	August 2002	Yamamoto et al.
6437055	August 2002	Moriarity et al.
6440257	August 2002	Zhou et al.
6441075	August 2002	Hirata et al.
6441081	August 2002	Sadatoshi et al.
H2047	September 2002	Harrison et al.
6444149	September 2002	Valentinsson
6444713	September 2002	Pachl et al.
6448338	September 2002	Born et al.
6451231	September 2002	Harrison et al.
6451876	September 2002	Koshy
6455146	September 2002	Fitzgerald
6455150	September 2002	Sheppard et al.
6455476	September 2002	Imai et al.
6467834	October 2002	Barz et al.
6471285	October 2002	Czaplicki et al.
6479560	November 2002	Freitag et al.
6482486	November 2002	Czaplicki et al.
6482496	November 2002	Wycech
6485589	November 2002	Johnson et al.
6486256	November 2002	Tarbutton et al.
6489023	December 2002	Shinozaki et al.
6506494	January 2003	Brandys et al.
6561571	May 2003	Brennecke
6573309	June 2003	Reitenbach et al.
6607831	August 2003	Ho et al.
6620501	September 2003	Kassa et al.
6634698	October 2003	Kleino
6668457	December 2003	Czaplicki
6682818	January 2004	Czaplicki et al.
6706772	March 2004	Czaplicki et al.
6720387	April 2004	Stark et al.
6740379	May 2004	Congard et al.
6740399	May 2004	George et al.
6742258	June 2004	Tarbutton et al.
6747074	June 2004	Buckingham et al.
6753379	June 2004	Kawate et al.
6774171	August 2004	Kassa et al.
6787605	September 2004	Clough et al.
6797371	September 2004	Gehlsen et al.
6811864	November 2004	Czaplicki et al.
6894082	May 2005	Branti et al.
6991237	January 2006	Kassa et al.
7169467	January 2007	Wilson et al.
2002/0009582	January 2002	Golden
2002/0013389	January 2002	Taylor et al.
2002/0120064	August 2002	Khandpur et al.
2002/0123575	September 2002	Kato et al.
2002/0136891	September 2002	Khandpur et al.
2002/0137808	September 2002	Gehlsen et al.
2002/0187305	December 2002	Czaplicki et al.
2003/0187129	October 2003	Bell et al.
2004/0016564	January 2004	Lambert, Jr.
2004/0033324	February 2004	Meyer
2004/0048078	March 2004	Czaplicki et al.
2004/0197545	October 2004	Gehlsen et al.
2004/0229000	November 2004	Khandpur et al.
2005/0003222	January 2005	Everaerts et al.

Foreign Patent Documents


0 061 131	Sep., 1982	EP
0 236 291	Feb., 1986	EP
0 442 178	Aug., 1991	EP
0 775 721	May., 1997	EP
1 022 320	Jul., 2000	EP
0 703 931	Oct., 2003	EP
0 742 814	Jan., 2004	EP
1 240 266	Feb., 2004	EP
0 820 493	Aug., 2004	EP
1 185 595	Aug., 2004	EP
0820491	Aug., 2004	EP
1 471 105	Oct., 2004	EP
1 001 893	Nov., 2004	EP
1 187 888	Nov., 2004	EP
2 061 196	May., 1981	GB
4059820	Feb., 1992	JP
WO 95/33785	Dec., 1995	WO
WO 97/12929	Apr., 1997	WO
WO 97/19124	May., 1997	WO
WO 98/52997	Nov., 1998	WO
WO 99/02578	Jan., 1999	WO
WO 99/08854	Feb., 1999	WO
WO 99/36243	Jul., 1999	WO
WO 99/50057	Oct., 1999	WO
WO 99/61216	Dec., 1999	WO
WO 99/61281	Dec., 1999	WO
WO 00/12595	Mar., 2000	WO
WO 00/13876	Mar., 2000	WO
WO 00/13958	Mar., 2000	WO
WO 00/20483	Apr., 2000	WO
WO 00/27920	May., 2000	WO
WO 00/37243	Jun., 2000	WO
WO 00/37554	Jun., 2000	WO
WO 00/39232	Jul., 2000	WO
WO 00/40629	Jul., 2000	WO
WO 00/46461	Aug., 2000	WO
WO 00/52086	Sep., 2000	WO
WO 00/68041	Nov., 2000	WO
WO 01/57130	Aug., 2001	WO
WO 01/88033	Nov., 2001	WO
WO 02/086003	Oct., 2002	WO
WO 03/011954	Feb., 2003	WO
WO 03/040251	May., 2003	WO
WO 03/072677	Sep., 2003	WO
WO 03/078163	Sep., 2003	WO
WO 03/010392	Dec., 2003	WO
WO 03/103921	Dec., 2003	WO
WO 2004/037509	May., 2004	WO
WO 2004/037509	May., 2004	WO

Other References

"The Epoxy Book", A System Three Resins Publication, pp. 1-41, System Three Resins, Inc., Seattle, Washington. cited by other .
"Epoxy Resins", Second Edition Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, vol. 6, pp. 322-382, 1985. cited by other .
International Search Report dated Oct. 9, 2002. cited by other .
Born et al. "Structural Bonding in Automotive Applications", 2004. cited by other .
Dvorko. "One-Part Epoxy Compounds and Derived Foam Plastics", published Apr. 13, 2004. cited by other .
Weber et al., "Requirements for Improved Performance of Specialty Sealing and Bonding Materials for Automotive Applications", SAE 2000 World Congress, Mar. 6-9, 2000. cited by other .
Co-pending U.S. Appl. No. 11/686,487, filed Mar. 15, 2007. cited by other .
Co-pending U.S. Appl. No. 12/048,684, filed Mar. 14, 2008. cited by other.

Primary Examiner: Fletcher, III; William Phillip
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Dobrusin & Thennisch PC

Parent Case Text

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

To the extent applicable, the present invention claims the benefit of the priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/589,701, filed Jul. 21, 2004, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of sealing an interface, the method comprising: providing a sealant material; locating the sealant material adjacent to the interface; exposing the sealant material to an elevated temperature such that the sealant material flows adjacent the interface; and curing the sealant material to seal the interface; wherein the interface is created by two panels of an automotive vehicle; and wherein prior to exposing the sealant material to an elevated temperature, coating a surface of the sealant material with a curing agent or curing agent accelerator for hardening the surface of the sealant material.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the sealant material includes: i. an epoxy resin; ii. an epoxy/elastomer adduct; iii. a rheology modifier selected from an olefinic, a styrenic, an acrylic, an unsaturated carboxylic acid or an ester of a carboxylic ester; iv. a curing agent; and v. a filler.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the exposing step and the curing step are at least partially simultaneous and the sealant material is thermoset upon curing.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein the sealant material includes an ingredient such that the sealant material, during the exposing step, maintains a surface energy that is no more than 25% greater or less than the surface energy of the panels at the interface.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein the sealant material is configured to, during the exposing step, maintain a viscosity of below about 5000 centipoise for between about 15seconds and about 5minutes, the sealant material includes an encapsulated curing agent or curing agent accelerator, or a combination of both.

6. A method as in claim 1 wherein the sealant material is located upon a surface of one of the panels, but spaced away from the interface, and, during the exposing step flows to cover the interface.

7. A method as in claim 1 wherein: (i) the sealant material has a U-shaped cross-section; (ii) the sealant material, upon placement adjacent the interface, has a cantilevered portion; (iii) the sealant material has braided configuration; or (iv) any combination thereof.

8. A method as in claim 1 wherein: (i) the sealant material is attached to a trim piece during locating of the sealant material adjacent the interface; (ii) the sealant material includes magnetic particles for assisting in locating the sealant material adjacent the interface; or (iii) a combination of both.

9. A method of sealing an interface, the method comprising: providing a sealant material; locating the sealant material adjacent to the interface; exposing the sealant material to an elevated temperature such that the sealant material flows adjacent the interface; and curing the sealant material to seal the interface; wherein the interface is created by two panels of an automotive vehicle; and wherein the step of providing the sealant material includes coextruding a layer of first material with a mass of the sealant material and wherein the layer of first material is configured to maintain a higher viscosity during the exposing step or the layer of first material is configured to cure faster than the sealant material during the curing step.

10. A method as in claim 9 wherein the sealant material includes: (i) an epoxy resin; (ii) an epoxy/elastomer adduct; (iii) a rheology modifier selected from an olefinic, a styrenic, an acrylic, an unsaturated carboxylic acid or an ester of a carboxylic ester; (iv) a curing agent; and (v) a filler.

11. A method as in claim 9 wherein the exposing step and the curing step are at least partially simultaneous and the sealant material is thermoset upon curing.

12. A method as in claim 9 wherein the sealant material includes an ingredient such that the sealant material, during the exposing step, maintains a surface energy that is no more than 25% greater or less than the surface energy of the panels at the interface.

13. A method as in claim 9 wherein the sealant material is configured to, during the exposing step, maintain a viscosity of below about 5000centipoise for between about 15seconds and about 5minutes, the sealant material includes an encapsulated curing agent or curing agent accelerator, or a combination of both.

14. A method as in claim 9 wherein the sealant material is located upon a surface of one of the panels, but spaced away from the interface, and, during the exposing step flows to cover the interface.

15. A method as in claim 9 wherein: (i) the sealant material is attached to a trim piece during locating of the sealant material adjacent the interface; (ii) the sealant material includes magnetic particles for assisting in locating the sealant material adjacent the interface; (iii) the sealant material has a U-shaped cross-section; (iv) the sealant material, upon placement adjacent the interface, has a cantilevered portion; (v) the sealant material has braided configuration; or (vi) any combination thereof.

16. A method of sealing an interface, the method comprising: providing a sealant material; locating the sealant material adjacent to the interface, the sealant material including pieces of blocking material; exposing the sealant material to an elevated temperature such that the sealant material flows adjacent the interface wherein the pieces of blocking material prevent bubbles from penetrating through the sealant material to an outwardly facing surface of the sealant material; and curing the sealant material to seal the interface.

17. A method as in claim 16 wherein the pieces are selected from flakes or platelets.

18. A method as in claim 16 wherein the pieces are formed at least partially of PET, polyamide, glass or ceramic.

19. A method as in claim 16, wherein the pieces are formed at least partially of PET.

20. A method as in claim 16, wherein the interface forms a portion of a roof ditch of the automotive vehicle.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a sealant material for sealing a component of an article of manufacture such as an automotive vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sealant materials are often applied to a surface for sealing or for otherwise covering the surface, including any joints associated therewith. There presently exist a vast number of sealant materials that serve these purposes for different articles of manufacture. However, in certain circumstances, it may be desirable for sealant materials to serve other additional purposes depending on the components or articles of manufacture to which the sealant materials are applied.

For example, in some industries, such as the furniture, appliance or automotive industries, joints are often part of a show surface, and are thus visible to a user or consumer. Accordingly, one desirable characteristic for a sealant material covering a joint is to provide a generally smooth or continuously or controlled patterned surface that is cosmetically pleasing. If colorant is not already included in the sealant, but a color is desirable, preferably the sealant material is paintable or otherwise coatable.

As another example, it may be desirable for a sealant material to be compatible with other components of an article of manufacture. For instance, it may be desirable for a sealant material to provide a relatively smooth and consistent surface such that a component of an article of manufacture may be contacted with that sealant material without surface inconsistencies of the sealant material showing or reading through the component.

Certain assembly operations in the aforenoted industries and others, require that a sealant material be heated along with the article to which it is applied. For instance, some priming or painting operations are conducted at elevated temperatures. Thus, another desirable trait for certain sealants is that they exhibit attractive temperature response characteristics for a desired application (e.g., a sealant material preferably does not exhibit random oozing, bubbling, rippling, or the like).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A sealant material and method of using the sealant material are disclosed. The sealant material is typically activatable to flow, cure, expand or a combination thereof upon exposure to a condition such as heat. Preferably, the sealant material includes an ingredient, shape, configuration or otherwise for inhibiting the flow of bubbles through the sealant material during activation thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and inventive aspects of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description, claims, and drawings, of which the following is a brief description:

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary sealant material formed according to the present invention and disposed upon an exemplary substrate;

FIG. 1B illustrates a sectional view of the exemplary sealant material and substrate of FIG. 1A after activation of the sealant material;

FIG. 2 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a graph of an exemplary response to heat exhibited by an exemplary sealant material;

FIG. 9 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 11 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 12 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 13 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 14 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 15 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 16 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIGS. 16A-16C illustrates a variety of exemplary sealant materials according to the present invention; and

FIG. 17 illustrates a sectional view of another exemplary sealant material disposed upon an exemplary substrate in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is predicated upon the provision of an improved sealant material and articles incorporating the same. The sealant material may include any combination of formulation improvements or design improvements disclosed herein. For example, and without limitation, the sealant material may include: a hardened surface; a tailored surface energy; a layer of blocking material; two or more portions of different material; one or more waxes; a tailored curing rate; particular positioning of the sealant material; masses for blocking bubbles; a coating, combinations thereof, the like or others. As another example, the sealant material may be part of an assembly that is to be assembled to an article of manufacture.

Examples of other sealant materials including physical designs of sealant materials and formulations of sealant materials, both of which may be used in conjunction with or as part of the sealant material of the present invention, are disclosed in the following references: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,350,791; 6,489,023; 6,720,387; 6,742,258; 6,747,074; 2004/0033324; 2004/0016564; WO 02/086003; WO 03/103921; WO 03/072677; WO 03/011954; WO 2004/037509; EP 0 742 814 B1; EP 1 240 266 B1; copending U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/558,594, filed Apr. 1, 2004, titled "Sealant Material" and copending U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/577,027, filed Jun. 4, 2004, titled "Sealant Material", all of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated one exemplary basic design of a sealant material 10 that may have an improved formulation according to the present invention. Of course, it should be understood that the formulations disclosed herein may be used in any of the physical designs of any sealant material disclosed herein or any other sealant material.

It is generally contemplated that, the sealant material may be formed in a variety of shapes or configurations. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the sealant material 10 is an elongated strip that extends along a length (L) and has a rectangular cross-section perpendicular to that length (L).

The sealant material may be used to cover, seal, reinforce, provide acoustic damping or the like to a variety of members or components of a variety of articles of manufacture. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the sealant material 10 is placed within an opening 30 (e.g., a cavity, ditch or recess) that is formed by panels 14, 16. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the opening 30 is a roof ditch of an automotive vehicle that is typically formed from body panels of the vehicle. As shown, the overlapping ends 24 of the panels 14, 16 at least partially define the opening 30 and the overlapping ends 24 form an interface 34 between the two panels 14, 16. Typically, the interface 34 will define one or more gaps 36 between the overlapping ends 24 of the panels 14, 16, even though effort is typically expended to minimize such gaps 36 for articles of manufacture such as automotive vehicles. In the embodiment shown, the sealant material 10 overlays the interface 34.

The expandable material is typically configured to activate upon exposure to a stimulus such as heat or others as discussed below. Upon activation, the sealant material typically softens, melts, cures, possibly expands, a combination thereof or the like. In FIG. 1B, the expandable material 10 has been activated to soften and/or melt such that it flows and whets the substrate or the panels 14, 16 about the interface 34 thereby sealing the interface 34, the gap 36 or both formed by the panels 14, 16.

Generally, it is contemplated that a variety of materials can be employed in the sealant material. Thus, the preferred materials discussed herein should not be considered limiting unless otherwise stated.

Epoxy Materials

Epoxy materials can be particularly suitable for the sealant material of the present invention. Epoxy resin is used herein to mean any of the conventional dimeric, oligomeric or polymeric epoxy materials containing at least one epoxy functional group. The polymer based materials may be epoxy containing materials having one or more oxirane rings polymerizable by a ring opening reaction. In preferred embodiments, the sealant material includes up to about 80% of an epoxy resin. More preferably, the sealant includes between about 10% and 50% by weight of epoxy containing materials.

The epoxy containing materials may be aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic or the like. The epoxy may be supplied as a solid (e.g., as pellets, chunks, pieces or the like) or a liquid (e.g., an epoxy resin) or both. The epoxy may be blended with one or more ethylene copolymers or terpolymers that may possess an alpha-olefin. As a copolymer or terpolymer, the polymer is composed of two or more different monomers, i.e., small chemically reactive molecules that are capable of linking up with each other or similar molecules. Preferably, an epoxy resin is added to the sealant material to increase the flow properties of the material. One exemplary epoxy resin may be a phenolic resin, which may be a novalac type or other type resin. Other preferred epoxy containing materials may include a bisphenol-A epichlorohydrin ether polymer, or a bisphenol-A epoxy resin which may be modified with butadiene or another polymeric additive.

Epoxy/Elastomer

One or more of the epoxy containing materials may be provided to the sealant material as an epoxy/elastomer hybrid, e.g., a blend, copolymer or adduct that has been previously fabricated. The epoxy/elastomer hybrid, if included, may be included in an amount of up to about 90% by weight of the sealant material. Typically, the epoxy/elastomer hybrid is approximately 1 to 50% and more typically is approximately 5 to 20% by weight of the sealant material.

In turn, the hybrid itself generally includes about 1:5 to 5:1 parts of epoxy to elastomer, and more preferably about 1:3 to 3:1 parts or epoxy to elastomer. In one preferred embodiment, the epoxy/elastomer hybrid preferably includes approximately 40 to 80% of an epoxy resin (such as disclosed in the above), and about 20 to 60% of an elastomer compound. The elastomer compound may be any suitable art disclosed thermoplastic elastomer, thermosetting elastomer or a mixture thereof. Exemplary elastomers include, without limitation natural rubber, styrenebutadiene rubber, polyisoprene, polyisobutylene, polybutadiene, isoprene-butadiene copolymer, neoprene, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, polysulfide elastomer, acrylic elastomer, acrylonitrile elastomers, silicone rubber, polysiloxanes, polyester rubber, diisocyanate-linked condensation elastomer, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubbers), chlorosulphonated polyethylene, fluorinated hydrocarbons and the like. In one embodiment, recycled tire rubber is employed.

The epoxy/elastomer hybrid, when added to the sealant material, preferably is added to modify structural properties of the sealant material such as strength, toughness, stiffness, flexural modulus, or the like. Additionally, the epoxy/elastomer hybrid may be selected to render the sealant material more compatible with coatings such as water-borne paint or primer system or other conventional coatings.

Rheology Modifier

The sealant material can also include one or more materials for controlling the rheological characteristics of the sealant material over a range of temperatures (e.g., up to about 250.degree. C. or greater).

In one embodiment, any suitable art-disclosed rheology modifier may be used, and thus the rheology modifier may be organic or inorganic, liquid or solid, or otherwise. In one preferred embodiment, the rheology modifier is a polymer, and more preferably one based upon an olefinic (e.g., an ethylene, a butylenes, a propylene or the like), a styrenic (e.g., a styrene-butadiene-containing rubber), an acrylic or an unsaturated carboxylic acid or its ester (such as acrylates, methacrylates or mixtures thereof; e.g., ethylene methyl acrylate (EMA) polymer) or acetates (e.g., EVA). The rheology modifier may be provided in a generally homogeneous state or suitable compounded with other ingredients. It is also contemplated that the various clays, minerals or other materials discussed in relation to fillers below can be employed to modify rheology of the sealant material.

Blowing Agent

Optionally, one or more blowing agents may be added to the sealant material, although for some applications the sealant material will be substantially or entirely devoid of blowing agent or blowing agent accelerator. When used, the blowing agent typically produces inert gasses that form as desired an open and/or closed cellular structure within the sealant material. In this manner, it may be possible to lower the density of articles fabricated from the material. In addition, the material