Active and elastic foamed materials

Yamamoto, Keiichi;

Active and elastic foamed materials useful for heating elements and medical materials comprising a foamed matrix of natural rubber, synthetic rubber or synthetic resin and an active substance contained therein, the active substance being zircon or zirconium complex compound and the content of said substance being 20-150 wt % to the foamed matrix.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention:

This invention relates to active and elastic foamed materials comprising a foamed matrix and active substances contained therein and more particularly to provide novel foamed materials having unique properties as compared with conventional ones.

2. Prior Art:

Conventionally, these kind of materials have been applied to wet suits used on or in the sea. Under cold weather, it is required to provide such wet suits with heating elements. For such purposes, wet suits have been usually provided with heating wires embedded therein or constructed so as to retain any other suitable heating elements. On the other hand, when applied to medical or sanitary materials, elastic foamed materials have been included radioactive substances and used for paddings of bedclothes or blankets to serve medical treatment or used for cleaning potable water by virtue of the properties of the substances. However, there was the possibility of causing injury to human body depending upon the amount or the kind of radiation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide novel foamed materials useful for heating elements or medical and sanitary materials without including radioactive substances.

In order to attain the above object, the present invention has developed novel elastic foamed materials including novel substances which radiate invisible electromagnetic radiation, whereby a body temperature can be increased without using heating wires or any other heating elements and also medical functions can be performed without using radioactive substances.

More precisely, my consecutive researches have revealed that the vibration of atoms and ions in a human body is stimulated by giving the vibration of waves equivalent to waves radiating from a human body, whereby a body temperature as well as physical strength are increased. Accordingly, particular substances radiating such waves are contained in the elastic foamed materials in accordance with the present invention. Main components of the foamed materials are natural rubbers, synthetic rubbers or synthetic resins which form a foamed matrix of the foamed materials. The active substances to be contained in the foamed matrix which radiate the waves are zircon and/or zirconium complex compounds. The amount of said substances are 20-150 wt% to the foamed matrix.

Namely, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a novel active elastic foamed material comprising a foamed matrix of natural rubber, synthetic rubber or synthetic resin and an active substance contained therein comprising zircon or zirconium complex compounds of 20-150 wt% to the foamed matrix.

Said elastic foamed materials thus obtained may be cut into any desired shapes so as to apply to clothes or to use as medical pads for diseased parts or to form wet suits. When applied to wet suits, said elastic foamed materials are cut into pieces of desired shapes and coated on both sides with fabrics or synthetic resin sheets, whereafter wet suits are formed. Such wet suits increase a body temperature as well as physical strength, whereby long time working on or in the sea under cold weather is made possible. Furthermore, when used as medical pads for diseases parts, the circulation of the blood are promoted and the stiffness of the shoulders, for example, can be cured.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following examples are given for the purpose of illustrating the present invention.

In the tables, Zirconium complex compounds are such as potassium hexafluorozirconate (K.sub.4 ZrF.sub.6), potassium octafluorozirconate (K.sub.4 ZrF.sub.8) and so forth, Zircon is zirconium silicate (ZrSiO.sub.4). Foaming agent (OBSH) is P,P'-oxybis(benzene sulfonyl hydrazide). The vulcanization accelerator DM is dibenzothiazyldisulfide. The hardness was determined by using a spring type hardness tester C in coformity to JIS K 6301(Japanese Industrial Standard).

______________________________________ EMBODIMENT I (parts by weight) ______________________________________ Natural rubber 100 Polyisobutylene 20 Lead oxide 5 Magnesium oxide 3 Foaming agent (OBSH) 10 Zirconium complex compound 20 Carbon black 25 Process oil 30 Sulfur 3 Vulcanizing accelerator DM 2 Silicon oxide 12 Condition of vulcanization Primary 130.degree. C. .times. 10 minutes Secondary 160.degree. C. .times. 10 minutes Apparent specific gravity 0.16 Hardness 7 ______________________________________

______________________________________ EMBODIMENT II (parts by weight) ______________________________________ Chloroprene rubber 100 Polyisobutylene 20 Lead oxide 5 Magnesium oxide 3 Foaming agent (OBSH) 10 Zirconium complex compound 70 Carbon black 20 Process oil 40 Zircon 2 Condition of cross-linking Primary 132.degree. C. .times. 10 minutes Secondary 160.degree. C. .times.0 10 minutes Apparent specific gravity 0.35 Hardenss 12 ______________________________________

______________________________________ EMBODIMENT III (parts by weight) ______________________________________ Chlorosulfonated polyethylene 100 Polyisobutylene 20 Lead oxide 5 Magnesium oxide 3 Foaming agent (OBSH) 10 Zircon 100 Carbon black 20 Process oil 55 Zirconium complex compound 7 Condition of cross-linking Primary 120.degree. C. .times. 8 minutes Secondary 150.degree. C. .times. 8 minutes Apparent specific gravity 0.50 Hardness 20 ______________________________________

______________________________________ EMBODIMENT IV (parts bv weight) ______________________________________ PVC (Polyvinylchloride resin) 100 Polyisobutylene 20 Stabilization agent 3 Foaming agent (OBSH) 10 Zirconium complex compound 40 Plasticizer (DOP) 25 Silicon oxide 12 Condition of foaming Primary 160.degree. C. .times. 5 minutes Cooling 100.degree. C. .times. 5 minutes Apparent specific gravity 0.30 Hardness 10 ______________________________________

______________________________________ EMBODIMENT V (parts by weight) ______________________________________ Chloroprene rubber 100 Polyisobutylene 20 Lead oxide 5 Magnesium oxide 3 Foaming agent (OBSH) 10 Zircon 50 Carbon black 20 Process oil 30 Zirconium complex compound 20 Condition of cross-linking Primary 100.degree. C. .times. 10 minutes Secondary 160.degree. C. .times. 10 minutes Apparent specific gravity 0.35 Hardenss 12 ______________________________________

______________________________________ EMBODIMENT VI (parts by weight) ______________________________________ NBR (Acrylonitrile butadiene rubber) 100 Liquid nitrile rubber 30 Lead oxide 5 Stearic acid 3 Zircon 150 Plasticizer (DOP) 70 Silicon oxide 20 Sulfur 20 Vulcanizing accelerator DM 3 Condition of vulcanization Primary 130.degree. C. .times. 10 minutes Secondary 160.degree. C. .times. 10 minutes Apparent specific gravity 0.38 Hardness 20 ______________________________________