Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Composite – Of polycarbonate
Reexamination Certificate
1997-08-01
2002-02-12
Kiliman, Leszek (Department: 1773)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Composite
Of polycarbonate
C428S457000, C428S461000, C428S463000, C428S480000, C428S475500, C428S520000, C428S522000, C428S558000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06346327
ABSTRACT:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1
is a cross-sectional view, not to scale of a portion of the substrate having the multi-layer coating on its surface.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The article or substrate
18
can be comprised of any suitable material such as plastic, ceramic, metal or metal alloy. The metals include nickel, aluminum, copper, steel and zinc. The metal alloys include nickel alloys and brass. The plastics forming the substrate include polycarbonates, nylon, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyesters, polyvinylchlorides, and the like. In one embodiment the article is part of a vehicle, such as for example, a wheel cover.
Over the surface of the substrate
18
is deposited a polymeric or resinous layer
20
. The polymeric or resinous layer or basecoat
20
may be comprised of both thermoplastic and thermoset polymeric or resinous material. These polymeric or resinous materials include the well known, conventional and commercially available polycarbonates, polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, nylons, polyesters, polypropylenes, polyepoxies, alkyds and styrene containing polymers such as polystyrene, styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN), styrene-butadiene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), and blends and copolymers thereof.
The polycarbonates are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,579,910 and 4,513,037, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Nylons are polyamides which can be prepared by the reaction of diamines with dicarboxylic acids. The diamines and dicarboxylic acids which are generally utilized in preparing nylons generally contain from two to about 12 carbon atoms. Nylons can also be prepared by additional polymerization. They are described in “Polyamide Resins”, D. E. Floyd, Reinhold Publishing Corp., New York, 1958, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The polyepoxies are disclosed in “Epoxy Resins”, by H. Lee and K. Neville, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1957, and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,633,458; 4,988,572; 4,680,076; 4,933,429 and 4,999,388, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The polyesters are polycondensation products of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and a dihydric alcohol. The aromatic dicarboxylic acids include terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, 4,4′-diphenyl-dicarboxylic acid, 2,6-naphthalenedi-carboxylic acid, and the like. Dihydric alcohols include the lower alkane diols with from two to about 10 carbon atoms such as, for example, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, cyclohexanedimethanol, and the like. Some illustrative non-limiting examples of polyesters include polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene isophthalate, and poly(1,4-cyclohexanedimethylene terephthalate). They are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,465,319; 2,901,466 and 3,047,539, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The polyacrylates and polymethacrylates are polymers or resins resulting from the polymerization of one or more acrylates such as, for example, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, etc., as well as the methacrylates such as, for instance, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, hexyl methacrylate, etc. Copolymers of the above acrylate and methacrylate monomers are also included within the term “polyacrylates or polymethacrylates” as it appears herein. The polymerization of the monomeric acrylates and methacrylates to provide the polyacrylate resins useful in the practice of the invention may be accomplished by any of the well known polymerization techniques.
The styrene-acrylonitrile and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resins and their preparation are disclosed, inter alia, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,769,804; 2,989,517; 2,739,142; 3,991,136 and 4,387,179, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The alkyd resins are disclosed in “Alkyd Resin Technology”, Patton, Interscience Publishers, N.Y., N.Y., 1962, and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,102,866; 3,228,787 and 4,511,692, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
These polymeric materials may optionally contain the conventional and well known fillers and reinforcing materials such as mica, talc and glass fibers.
The polymeric layer or basecoat
20
may be applied onto the surface of the substrate by any of the well known and conventional methods such as dipping, spraying, brushing and in chamber plasma process.
The polymeric layer
20
functions, inter alia, to level the surface of the substrate, cover any scratches or imperfections in the surface and provide a smooth and even surface for the deposition of the chrome layer.
The polymeric layer
20
has a thickness at least effective to level out the surface of the substrate. Generally, this thickness is from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils, preferably from about 0.2 mil to about 5 mils, and more preferably from about 0.3 mil to about 1.5 mils.
The chrome layer
21
may be deposited on the plastic layer
20
by any of the conventional and well known chrome deposition techniques including vapor deposition such as physical vapor deposition and electroplating techniques. The electroplating techniques along with various chrome plating baths are disclosed in Brassard, “Decorative Electroplating—A Process in Transition”, Metal Finishing, pp. 105-108, June 1988; Zaki, “Chromium Plating”, PF Directory, pp. 146-160; and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,460,438, 4,234,396 and 4,093,522, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Chrome plating baths are well known and commercially available. A typical chrome plating bath contains chromic acid or salts thereof, and catalyst ion such as sulfate or fluoride. The catalyst ions can be provided by sulfuric acid or its salts and fluosilicic acid. The baths may be operated at a temperature of about 112°-116° F. Typically in chrome plating a current density of about 150 amps per square foot, at about five to nine volts is utilized.
Generally, the plating of trivalent chrome is preferred because of environmental considerations.
The vapor deposition of the chrome is conventional and well known in the art and includes techniques such as cathodic arc evaporation (CAE) or sputtering. Sputtering techniques and equipment are disclosed, inter alia, in J. Vossen and W. Kern “Thin film Processes II”, Academic Press, 1991; R. Boxman et al, “Handbook of Vacuum Arc Science and Technology”, Noyes Pub., 1995; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,162,954 and 4,591,418, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Briefly, in the sputtering deposition process a metal (i.e., chrome) target, which is the cathode, and the substrate are placed in a vacuum chamber. The air in the chamber is evacuated to produce vacuum conditions in the chamber. An inert gas, such as Argon, is introduced into the chamber. The gas particles are ionized and are accelerated to the target to dislodge titanium or zirconium atoms. The dislodged target material is then typically deposited as a coating film on the substrate.
In cathodic arc evaporation, an electric arc of typically several hundred amperes is struck on the surface of a metal cathode such as chrome. The arc vaporizes the cathode material, which then condenses on the substrates forming a coating.
The chrome
ickel alloy layer may be deposited on the plastic layer
20
by any of the conventional and well known chrome deposition techniques including vapor deposition such as physical vapor deposition and electroplating techniques. The electroplating techniques along with various chrome
ickel plating baths are disclosed in Brassard, “Decorative Electroplating—A Process in Transition”, Metal Finishing, June 1988; Zaki, “Chromium Plating”, PF Directory; and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,460,438, 4,234,396 and 4,093,522, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Chrome
ickel plating baths are well known, conventional and commercially available. A typical chrome
ickel plating bath contains chromic acid or salts thereof, and catalyst ion such as sulfate or fluoride. The catalyst ions can be provided by sulfuric acid or its salts and fluosilicic acid. The baths also may contain nickel sulfate, nickel chloride and bori
Doigan Lloyd D.
Kapustij Myron B.
Kiliman Leszek
MascoTech Coatings, Inc.
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