Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Composite – Of silicon containing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-01
2003-08-12
Dawson, Robert (Department: 1712)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Composite
Of silicon containing
C428S446000, C427S387000, C427S162000, C427S164000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06605361
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a coating composition for lenses, a method of producing the same, and a coated lens.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is a present need to manufacture plastic articles that are scratch resistant and have an aesthetic appearance. Scratch resistance is typically provided by applying a coating composition to a surface of the plastic article, followed by curing the coating composition.
Curing catalysts are typically used in the coating composition to facilitate the curing process. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 33868/1986 discloses amine compounds, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 11727/1985 discloses aluminum or iron acetylacetonates curing catalysts.
However, the acetylacetonates can be problematic, in that they tend to reduce the shelf life of coating compositions. Because coating compositions can be expensive, an improvement of their storage stability, that is, an increase of their shelf life is desired. Also, coating compositions with improved storage stability are desired because the quality of the coated lens can be related to the shelf life of the coating composition. Coating compositions with a relatively long shelf life tend provide a relatively strong adhesive bond between the lens and the cured coating. The present invention overcomes prior coating compositions by providing a coating composition for lenses with a relatively long shelf life.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One embodiment of this invention is a method for producing a coating composition for a lens comprising providing a mixture comprising metal oxide colloid particles and an organosilicon compound; and adding an acetylacetonate metal salt and an aliphatic amine to the mixture. The organosilicon compound could be selected from compounds of the general formula (I):
(R
1
)
a
(R
3
)
b
Si(OR
2
)
4−(a+b)
(I)
wherein R
1
and R
3
are independently a hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms and optionally having a functional group; R
2
is selected from an alkyl group having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, an aryl group having from 6 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having from 7 to 10 carbon atoms that includes an aryl group, an acyl group having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms or the combinations thereof; and a and b are 0 or 1; and (OR
2
)'s may be the same or different, or compounds of the general formula (II):
wherein R
4
and R
5
are a hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms and optionally having a functional group; X
1
and X
2
independently comprise a group selected from an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an acyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, the hydrolyzate products thereof, or the combinations thereof; Y represents a hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms; and x and y is 0 or 1.
In a preferred embodiment, the coating composition comprises between 1 and 500 parts by weight of the metal oxide colloid particles, and between 0.001 and 10 parts by weight of the aliphatic amine, relative to 100 parts by weight of the organosilicon compound. In another preferred embodiment, the metal oxide colloid particles are selected from aluminum oxide, iron oxide, tin oxide, zirconium oxide, silicon oxide, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, antimony oxide, or their composite oxides. In yet another preferred embodiment, the aliphatic amine and the acetylacetonate metal salt are added to the mixture after a portion of the metal particles and the organosilicon compound react.
Another embodiment of this invention is a coating composition for lenses produced by the process comprising providing a mixture comprising metal oxide colloid particles and an organosilicon compound; and adding an acetylacetonate metal salt and an aliphatic amine to the mixture.
Another embodiment of this invention is a method for producing a coated lens, comprising producing a coating composition, applying the coating composition to a surface of a lens, and curing the coating composition; wherein the coating composition is produced by providing a mixture comprising metal oxide colloid particles and an organosilicon compound, and adding an acetylacetonate metal salt and an aliphatic amine to the mixture.
Yet another embodiment of this invention is a coated lens comprising a lens; and a cured coating disposed on a surface of the lens, wherein the cured coating results from curing a coating composition applied to the lens, the coating composition produced by the process comprising providing a mixture comprising metal oxide colloid particles and an organosilicon compound; and adding an acetylacetonate metal salt and an aliphatic amine to the mixture.
Still another embodiment is a coating composition for lenses comprising a mixture, the mixture comprising metal oxide colloid particles, an organosilicon compound, an acetylacetonate metal salt and an aliphatic amine, or a product of a reaction of the mixture.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a coating composition for lenses. The coating composition with a relatively high shelf life comprises adding an acetylacetonate metal salt that serves as a curing agent and an aliphatic amine to a mixture comprising metal oxide colloid particles and an organosilicon compound.
The metal oxide colloid particles are not specifically limited. Examples of the metal oxide colloid particles are particles, desirably fine particles, of single metal oxides such as aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, antimony oxide, tin oxide, zirconium oxide, silicon oxide, cerium oxide, iron oxide, etc., disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 113760/1996. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 217230/1991 discloses titanium oxide, cerium oxide and silicon oxide. Particles of metal composite oxides, for example, particles of tin oxide-zirconium oxide-tungsten oxide disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 25603/1994, and tin oxide-tungsten oxide disclosed in, titanium oxide-zirconium oxide-tin oxide disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 306258/1998, titanium oxide-zirconium oxide-silicon oxide, and those of a composite, stannic oxide-zirconium oxide-tungsten oxide disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 21901/1997, etc. The mean particle size of the metal oxide colloid particles may fall generally between 1 and 500 nm. One or a combination of different metal oxide colloid particles may be used.
The amount of metal oxide particles in the composition can be between 1 and 500 parts by weight, preferably between 10 and 200 parts by weight, and more preferably between 50 and 150 parts by weight, relative to 100 parts by weight of the organosilicon compound therein.
The organosilicon compound is selected from compounds of the general formula (I):
(R
1
)
a
(R
3
)
b
Si(OR
2
)
4−(a+b)
(I)
wherein R
1
and R
3
are independently a hydrocarbon group selected from an alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having from 2 to 10 carbon atoms, an aryl group having from 6 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having from 7 to 10 carbon atoms that includes an aryl group, or an acyl group having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms; R
2
is selected from an alkyl group having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, an aryl group having from 6 to 10 carbon atoms, a alkyl group having from 7 to 10 carbon atoms including an aryl group, or an acyl group having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms; and a and b are 0 or 1; and (OR
2
)'s may be the same or different, or compounds of the general formula (II):
wherein R
4
and R
5
are a hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms; X
1
and X
2
independently comprise a group selected from an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an acyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, the hydrolyzate products thereof, or the mixtures thereof; Y represents a hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms; and x and y is 0 or 1.
In formula (I), if R
1
and R
3
are alkyl and/or alkenyl groups, these groups can independently be linear, branched or cyclic. Examples of the alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms are methyl, ethyl, n
Itoh Takanobu
Watanabe Jun
Dawson Robert
Feely Michael J
Hoya Corporation
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
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