Automobile fuel tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9393764-B2
Application number	US-201214238446-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 25, 2012
Priority date	Dec 27, 2011
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

An automobile fuel tank includes an outer wall including a main body of a multiple-layered synthetic resin, in which the outer wall includes at least an outer body layer, an outer adhesive layer, a barrier layer, an inner adhesive layer, and an inner body layer. The outer body layer and the inner body layer include a high density polyethylene (HDPE) as a main ingredient. Each of the outer adhesive layer and the inner adhesive layer includes a synthetic resin having adhesiveness against both the high density polyethylene (HDPE) and the barrier layer. The barrier layer includes a synthetic resin.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automobile fuel tank including an outer wall comprising a main body of a multiple-layered synthetic resin,
wherein said outer wall includes at least an outer body layer, an outer adhesive layer, a barrier layer, an inner adhesive layer, and an inner body layer, said outer body layer and said inner body layer comprising a high density polyethylene (HDPE) as a main ingredient, which has physical properties:
(1) a modulus of elasticity of 1100 MPa to 1400 MPa at 23° C.;
(2) a modulus of elasticity of 340 MPa to 430 MPa at 65° C.;
(3) a modulus of elasticity of 400 MPa to 510 MPa at 23° C. after being immersed in Fuel D for 200 hours at 65° C. wherein Fuel D is prepared by composing isooctane and toluene in the ratio of 40 to 60, and Fuel D includes copper ion in an amount of 0.1 PPM and has a peroxide valence of 200 mg/kg;
(4) a Charpy impact strength of 7 kJ/m 2 to 14 kJ/m 2 at −40° C.;
(5) a full-notch creep test (FNCT) result of 50 hours to 300 hours at 80 ° C.;
(6) a melt flow rate (MFR) result of 4 (g/10 minutes) to 6 (g/10 minutes) at 190° C. and a load of 21.6 kg; and
(7) a melt tension of 18 g to 25 g when a sample that has been melted at 210° C. is extruded from a nozzle with a diameter of 2.095 mm and a length of 8 mm at an extrusion rate of 15 mm/min, and drawn at a take-up speed of 7.5 m/minute,
wherein each of said outer adhesive layer and said inner adhesive layer comprises a synthetic resin having adhesiveness against both said high density polyethylene (HDPE) and said barrier layer, and
wherein said barrier layer comprises a synthetic resin.

2. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said outer wall includes a skin layer comprising said high-density polyethylene (HDPE) on an exterior side of said outer body layer.

3. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an entire thickness of said outer wall of said fuel tank ranges from 3.0 mm to 5.0 mm.

4. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said barrier layer comprises an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH).

5. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said outer body layer comprises one of a modified polyethylene and a low density polyethylene.

6. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said main body of said fuel tank is formed by blow molding.

7. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 2 , wherein an entire thickness of said outer wall of said fuel tank ranges from 3.0 mm to 5.0 mm.

8. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said barrier layer comprises an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH).

9. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said barrier layer comprises an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH).

10. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said outer body layer comprises one of a modified polyethylene and a low density polyethylene.

11. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said outer body layer comprises one of a modified polyethylene and a low density polyethylene.

12. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said outer body layer comprises one of a modified polyethylene and a low density polyethylene.

13. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said main body of said fuel tank is formed by blow molding.

14. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said main body of said fuel tank is formed by blow molding.

15. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said main body of said fuel tank is formed by blow molding.

16. The automobile fuel tank as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said main body of said fuel tank is fanned by blow molding.

17. An automobile fuel tank, including:
an outer wall comprising a main body of a multiple-layered synthetic resin,
wherein said outer wall includes at least an outer body layer, an outer adhesive layer, a barrier layer, an inner adhesive layer, and an inner body layer, said outer body layer and said inner body layer comprising a high density polyethylene (HDPE) as a main ingredient,
wherein each of said outer adhesive layer and said inner adhesive layer comprises a synthetic resin having adhesiveness against both said high density polyethylene (HDPE) and said barrier layer, and
wherein said barrier layer comprises and an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH)
wherein said high density polyethylene (HDPE) has physical properties of:
(1) a modulus of elasticity of 1100 to 1400 MPa at 23° C.;
(2) a modulus of elasticity of 340 to 430 MPa at 65° C.;
(3) a modulus of elasticity of 400 to 510 MPa at 23° C. after being immersed in Fuel D for 200 hours at 65° C. after being immersed in Fuel D for 200 hours at 65° C., wherein Fuel D is prepared by composing isooctane and toluene in the ratio of 40 to 60, and Fuel D includes copper ion in an amount of 0.1 PPM and has a peroxide valence of 200 mg/kg;
(4) a Charpy impact strength of 7 to 14 kJ/m.sup.2 at −40° C.;
(5) a full-notch creep test (FNCT) result of 50 to 300 hours at 80° C.;
(6) a melt flow rate (MFR) result of 4 (g/10 minutes) to 6 (g/10 minutes) at 190° C. and a load of 21.6 kg.

18. An automobile fuel tank, including:
an outer wall comprising a main body of a multiple-layered synthetic resin,
wherein said outer wall includes at least an outer body layer, an outer adhesive layer, a barrier layer, an inner adhesive layer, and an inner body layer, said outer body layer and said inner body layer comprising a high density polyethylene (HDPE) as a main ingredient,
wherein each of said outer adhesive layer and said inner adhesive layer comprises a synthetic resin having adhesiveness against both said high density polyethylene (HDPE) and said barrier layer,
wherein said barrier layer comprises a synthetic resin,
wherein said outer wall includes a skin layer comprising said high-density polyethylene (HDPE) on an exterior side of said outer body layer, and
wherein said outer body layer comprises one of a modified polyethylene and polyethylene,
wherein said high density polyethylene (HDPE) has physical properties of:
(1) a modulus of elasticity of 1100 to 1400 MPa at 23° C.;
(2) a modulus of elasticity of 340 to 430 MPa at 65° C.;
(3) a modulus of elasticity of 400 to 510 MPa at 23° C. after being immersed in Fuel D for 200 hours at 65° C. after being immersed in Fuel D for 200 hours at 65° C., wherein Fuel D is prepared by composing isooctane and toluene in the ratio of 40 to 60, and Fuel D includes copper ion in an amount of 0.1 PPM and has a peroxide valence of 200 mg/kg;
(4) a Charpy impact strength of 7 to 14 kJ/m.sup.2 at −40° C.;
(5) a full-notch creep test (FNCT) result of 50 to 300 hours at 80° C.;
(6) a melt flow rate (MFR) result of 4 (g/10 minutes) to 6 (g/10 minutes) at 190° C. and a load of 21.6 kg.

Assignees

• Fts Co Ltd
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Aoe Ryuta
• Tanaka Hiroyuki
• Naito Kazuaki
• Kato Hisamitsu
• Iwai Hisayuki
• Umemoto Yoshiro
• Kajikawa Katsuhiro

Classifications

• B32B27/308

  comprising acrylic (co)polymers · CPC title

• C08F2500/12

  Melt flow index or melt flow ratio · CPC title

• B32B2307/72

  Density · CPC title

• C08F210/02

  Ethene · CPC title

• C08F2500/07

  High density, i.e. > 0.95 g/cm3 · CPC title