Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Composite – Of silicon containing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-11
2001-02-27
Schwartz, Pamela R. (Department: 1774)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Composite
Of silicon containing
C428S195100, C428S478200, C428S478800, C428S480000, C428S500000, C428S522000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06194075
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a water-insoluble absorbent coating material prepared by a sol-gel process, and more particularly to a water-insoluble absorbent material suitable for use as an ink receptive coating for an ink jet film.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The sol-gel process is a condensation polymerization process, wherein metal alkoxides are hydrolyzed to generate intermediate species of metal hydroxides, and then the metal hydroxides undergo a stepwise polycondensation reaction to form a three dimensional network. The gelling compositions also can contain solvent and additional constituents such as metal alkoxides, polymers, and metal salts. The process has been used in the preparation of processable glasses, ceramics, optical materials and protective coatings on metals. For a further description of this process, see
Sol-Gel Science The Physics and Chemistry of Sol-Gel Processing,
by C. Jeffrey Brinker and George W. Scherer, 1990, Academic Press, Inc.
This disclosure describes the incorporation of suitable polymeric binders into the sol-gel process to produce a novel class of water insoluble absorbent coatings. This novel class of water insoluble absorbent coating materials comprises silica, solvent- and water-soluble polymers, and acid catalysts. The present inventive materials show unexpectedly advantageous properties for ink jet media and other applications.
No current art provides such a material. U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,928 discloses a liquid-absorbent composition that comprises cross-linked silanol moieties that are provided as part of the monomeric units used in the formation of a matrix component polymer or are grafted into the polymer after the formation of the polymeric backbone. The cross-links are limited to the matrix components that use cross-linkable polymers incorporating silanol groups therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel water insoluble absorbent coating material. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel water insoluble ink absorbent material that can be used in an ink-receptive coating layer in an ink jet film.
In accordance with the objects of the invention, there is provided a coating material comprising a water insoluble network prepared by combining at least one silicon-containing monomer, at least one water- and solvent-soluble polymer, and, optionally, at least one acidic catalytic component. The present inventive water insoluble absorbent coating material is an inorganic-organic hybrid of organic polymer and metal gel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following detailed description is provided as an aid to those desiring to practice the present invention as claimed. As such the Examples and embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limitative to the scope of the invention set forth in the claims appended hereto, or the equivalent embodiments thereof that are encompassed thereby.
The present invention provides a water insoluble absorbent coating material prepared by combining at least one silicon-containing monomer, at least one water- and and solvent-soluble polymer, and, optionally, at least one acidic catalytic component. The formed material is water insoluble and liquid absorbent, including ink absorbent, and forms a glassy solid. The water- and solvent-soluble polymer dissolves in the same solvent as is released from the silicon-containing monomer during the condensation polymerization of the organic polymer with the silicon-containing monomer in the sol-gel reaction, and as a result the prepared materials are quite stable.
As a silicon-containing monomer, the present inventors have cross-linked tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) along with an organic component, in the presence of an acid catalyst, using a sol-gel process, to form inorganic-organic composites. A poly(2-ethyl-oxazoline) (PEOX)-TEOS system was prepared which possesses ink receiving, water resistance, and good materials compatibility properties. Further, a PEOX-TEOS system is disclosed herein, which when combined with a dye fixing agent, such as a quaternary polymer (for example, Syntran HX31-44), results in a waterfast coating. In addition to ink jet media applications, the present inventive materials may be used in a variety of applications including the production of printing plates, opacifying layers, and conductive coatings.
As an organic water soluble polymer for use in the present invention, seven water soluble organic polymers are specifically noted and were investigated for use in forming the inorganic-organic composite through a sol-gel process. These were PEOX, poly(acrylic acid)(PAA), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)(PVP), poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVOH), poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG), vinyl alcohol/vinyl amine copolymer (VAVA), and gelatin. TEOS was used as the inorganic component, and p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) was used to catalyze the sol-gel process.
The investigative procedure for PEOX and PEG involved dissolving an appropriate amount of polymer in ethanol to make a 25% (by weight) solution, then adding a measured amount of water and TEOS, respectively, with stirring. The acidity of the solution was adjusted by adding a small amount of PTSA. The solution was mixed thoroughly and coated onto a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) film using a number 70 Mayer rod and dried in an oven at a certain temperature for 10 minutes. The investigative procedure for PVOH, PAA, VAVA, and gelatin involved first dissolving the polymer in water, and then adding ethanol, PTSA, and TEOS, respectively, with stirring. The solution was mixed thoroughly and coated onto a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) film using a number 70 Mayer rod and dried in an oven at a certain temperature for 10 minutes.
Table I, below, sets forth the investigated formulations.
TABLE I
System Formulations
TEOS
POLYMER
ETHANOL
WATER
PTSA
OVEN TEMP
System
(Concentration, % by weight)
PEOX-1
12.46
21.27
63.51
2.17
0.59
160° C.
PEOX-2
21.81
18.79
55.04
3.77
0.59
150° C.
PEOX-3
28.86
16.98
48.58
4.99
0.59
150° C.
PVOH-1
3.80
18.98
8.98
56.93
1.33
120° C.
PVOH-2
5.20
17.33
24.26
51.99
1.21
120° C.
PVOH-3
9.88
16.47
23.06
49.42
1.15
120° C.
PEG-1
0.45
22.27
75.72
0.00
1.56
150° C.
PEG-2
5.07
23.99
68.54
0.00
2.40
150° C.
PVP
22.47
15.12
60.48
0.87
1.06
150° C.
PAA
6.98
6.98
46.51
39.53
0.00
150° C.
From the investigation above, PEOX-2 was determined to be the most advantageous system, and as such the water resistance of the PEOX system was studied at ambient temperature (about 25° C.) on coated films that had been heated at the temperatures specified in Table II. These temperatures and the water resistance properties are set forth in Table II below. The water resistance of the coatings was tested by immersing a piece of the coated film in water overnight at ambient temperature.
TABLE II
Effect of Drying Temperature on Water Resistance of PEOX System
System
140° C.
150° C.
160° C.
180° C.
PEOX-1
dissolved
dissolved
good
swelled
PEOX-2
dissolved
good
swelled
swelled
PEOX-3
dissolved
swelled
swelled
swelled
An inverse relationship has been found between the percentage of TEOS in the system and the coating treatment temperature, which is the temperature at which a coating is well-formed in a time appropriate to production. When the coating liquid comprises a higher percentage of TEOS, a lower treatment temperature is used than when a lower percentage of TEOS is present. Thus, in the PEOX-1 system, which has 12.46% TEOS, the optimum treatment temperature is 160° C., while in PEOX-2, which has 21.81% TEOS, the optimum treatment temperature is 150° C. The coated film has been found to degrade at treatment temperatures that are significantly higher than 160° C. The coating-formation reactions do not form fast enough at 140° C. for this temperature to be useful in a manufacturing environment.
Infra-red spectral data were obtained for the PEOX-1 and PEOX-2 systems. This data is shown in Table III below. The spectrum of PEOX alone shows a strong, sharp C═O peak, and broad O—H stretching peaks in the 1635 cm
−1
and 3520
−1
regio
Chen Yang
Sargeant Steven J.
Yuan Shengmei
Arkwright Incorporated
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Schwartz Pamela R.
LandOfFree
Water insoluble absorbent coating materials does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Water insoluble absorbent coating materials, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Water insoluble absorbent coating materials will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2585939