Water swellable compositions

Details Water swellable compositions Water swellable compositions

1998-02-10

2000-08-15

Anthony, Joseph D.

Coating processes

Direct application of electrical, magnetic, wave, or...

Polymerization of coating utilizing direct application of...

427508, 427513, 427118, 427516, 174107, 174119C, 174121A, 745025, 106 1441, 106 1405, 252184, 252174, C08J 704, B05D 306, B05D 720, C09K 310

Patent

active

061033170

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to water swellable materials and radiation cure processes for their preparation. In particular it is concerned with the use of such materials and processes for the preparation of water absorbent or water blocking coatings in a rapid continuous process. A particular application for such materials and processes is in cables to apply water absorbent or blocking coatings to cable components (wires, rods, tubes, strength members, reinforcements etc) in order to block water migration along the cables. Other applications requiring water blocking or absorption can also be amenable to this technology.
Many types of water absorbent or water swellable polymers are known (J. Macromol. Sci. Rev. Macromol. Chem. Phys. C34(4) 1994 pp 607-662). Commercial `superabsorbent polymers` are available and they have the ability to absorb water or aqueous salt solutions, often in an amount several times their own weight. They are commonly supplied as powders, or as fibres or films. The most common form is powders which are usually incompressible and infusible and so are not ideally suited to application as a direct coating.
Films or fibres may also be prepared in-situ via common coating or spinning techniques which usually involve polymerising hydrophilic monomers in solvents such as water. Similarly they can be applied as coatings to fabrics or other articles by many of the usual water or solvent based coating techniques.
When such coatings or films are prepared in-situ, thermal reaction and/or drying, or removal of water (or other solvent), is required prior to use of such coatings. In addition they are usually very thin. This makes such known technologies unsuitable for producing a coating which is immediately functional via a rapid low cost continuous process and also unsuitable for producing relatively thick coatings which can exhibit greater swelling behaviour.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,175 discloses a water absorptive fabric including a layer of a water absorptive polymer whose major components consist of a cross-liked poly (metal salt of acrylic acid) and a water soluble resin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,217 discloses a water absorptive composition comprising a thermoplastic elastomer as a first component, a water absorbent resin as a second component, and a third component which consists of a water soluble resin. This composition is suitably used for producing a water absorptive member for protecting optical fibre elements of an optical cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,611 discloses an optical fibre cable comprising a water absorptive member claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,217.
Japan unexamined patent application H2-149808 discloses a water blocking cable having a central tension member covered with a layer of water absorbent thermoplastic material, whereon loose tube type wave guides are mounted twistedly. The water absorbent thermoplastic comprises polyacrylic acid type.
Japan unexamined patent application H2-162307 discloses a water blocking cable having a non-metallic central tension member covered with a layer of water absorbent thermoplastic material, whereon loose tube type wave guides are mounted, whereon tape of water absorbent material is wrapped.
Japan unexamined patent application H3-137607 discloses that, to block water migration in a cable with one or more optical fibres, the outside layer of fibres comprise UV polymerised polymer that swells when exposed to water. Acrylic type, polyethylene oxide UV resin, polyvinyl alcohol type UV resin are preferably used as UV polymerisable resin, but no further details are given.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,167,464 and 4,486,489 describe the use of photopolymerisation methods to prepare water absorbent films or fibres in situ from aqueous formulations comprising pre-formed acrylic acid salts as the main component. Since large amounts of water are present in the formulations the speed of the acrylate polymerisation is reduced and this can leave films which are very soft and/or which have a high level of residual tack if the systems are under-cured by insufficient exposure to the

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