What Is Impact Gel Made Out Of?
- While advertised as a soy-based product, Impact Gel may contain a combination of soybean and linseed oil, which forms more than 50 percent of the gel by weight. This vegetable oil undergoes a process called epoxidation, in which the portion of the unsaturated fatty acids in the oil, called triglycerides, are exposed to a peracid (an acid containing a peroxy group as part of its chemistry). The peracid chemically alters the olefin in the triglycerides to form a long, flexible, folded molecule that absorbs and dissipates energy by sliding back and forth.
- Between 5 and 20 percent of Impact Gel is made up of a prepolymer, usually an isocyanate. Isocyanate is better known as a component of polyurethane and Spandex, in which it performs the same function as a molecular chain of intermediate length. Impact Gel may contain any one of several forms of isocyanate that behave similarly in combination with the other ingredients and do not interfere with the shock-absorbing properties of the finished elastomer gel.
- Thermoplastic polymers make up between 20 and 40 percent of the gel by weight. These thermoplastic compounds generally include polydienes (polymers with double bonds in their chains), but do not include polyurethane, which tends to reduce the elasticity of the finished product. A mixture of thermoplastic and epoxidized vegetable oil is combined with a mixture of epoxidized vegetable oil and the prepolymer in the presence of a catalyst to make the finished product.
- A metal catalyst, usually containing tin, activates the other ingredients in the gel. Very little is needed -- between 0.001 and 5 percent by weight. Depending on the application, Impact Gel may also contain fillers like carbon, silicone hydroxide, nut shells or cork. Pigment may be used to color the gel, and it may have UV stabilizers and products to reduce fungal and bacterial growth added. If the gel is to be made into a foam, substances that produce carbon dioxide are added.
