Method and apparatus for the formation of hydrophobic surfaces

• US 10,029,278 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2010
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SSW Advanced Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Surface Innovations Limited (P2I Limited)
• Inventors: Badyal, Jas Pal Singh, Woodward, Iain Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): RUMMEL, IAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/835,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20100330347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,932 Days
• Field of Search: 4281951
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/62 Plasma-deposition of organic layers plasma deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/0272 with ovens
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/065 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/148 affecting the surface properties of the coating
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/083 involving the use of fluoropolymers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

The invention relates to the application of a coating to a substrate in which the coating includes a polymer material and the coating is selectively fluorinated and/or cured to improve the liquid repellance of the same. The invention also provides for the selective fluorination and/or curing of selected areas of the coating thus, when completed, providing a coating which has regions of improved liquid repellance with respect to the remaining regions and which remaining regions may be utilized as liquid collection areas.

Claims

1. A coated substrate, comprising:

a coating applied to at least one surface of the substrate, said coating having at least an outer layer of polymer material and at least a portion of said polymer material is cured and fluorinated to provide the same with improved liquid repellent and durability characteristics, wherein a portion of the coating having the cured and fluorinated portion of the polymer material is lower in height than a remaining portion of the coating.

2. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the selective portions of the polymer material which are not fluorinated and/or cured can act as collecting areas for liquid.

3. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the substrate has defined therein a number of spaced liquid collection areas, each separated by areas of increased liquid repellence.

4. The substrate of claim 3, wherein the spaced liquid collection areas are surrounded by the areas of increased liquid repellence.

5. The substrate of claim 3, wherein the areas of increased liquid repellence form a grid pattern surrounding the spaced liquid collection areas such that adjacent liquid collection areas are separated by a portion of the grid pattern.

6. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the fluorinated and/or cured polymer material is hydrophobic and/or oleophobic.

7. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the polymer material is cured, wherein the fluorinated and cured polymer material has a water contract angle greater than about 157°

.

8. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface is a horizontal surface.

9. The coated substrate of claim 1, wherein the coating further comprises an intermediate layer disposed between the outer layer and the substrate.