Method of hydrophilizing materials

• US 20020192366A1
• Filed: 01/30/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Schmidt, Mattias, Cramer, Ronald Dean, Ponomarenko, Ekaterina Anatolyevna, Rohrbaugh, Robert Henry, Carter, John David, Thuemmler, Karl Edward
• Granted Patent: US 6,863,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/180
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/006 Patterns of chemical products used for a specific purpose, e.g. pesticides, perfumes, adhesive patterns; use of microencapsulated material; Printing on smoking articles
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0047 by ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0058 on metals and oxidised metal surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0064 on plastics, horn, rubber, or other organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/007 on glass, ceramic, tiles, concrete, stones, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0076 on wooden surfaces, leather, linoleum, skin, or flowers
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 1/00 Coating compositions, e.g. paints, varnishes or lacquers, based on inorganic substances
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/00 Coating compositions, e.g. paints, varnishes or lacquers, characterised by their physical nature or the effects produced electrically insulating plastics, resins or waxes H01B3/30; Filling pastes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 11/0017 "Soft" surfaces, e.g. textiles
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 11/007 involving applying energy, e.g. irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/0043 For use with aerosol devices
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/12 Soft surfaces, e.g. textile
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/46 applying energy, e.g. irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/001 Softening compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/1213 Oxides or hydroxides, e.g. Al2O3, TiO2, CaO or Ca(OH)2
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/1253 Layer silicates, e.g. talcum, kaolin, clay, bentonite, smectite, montmorillonite, hectorite or attapulgite
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/128 Aluminium silicates, e.g. zeolites C11D3/1253 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 10/00 Physical treatment of fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics, or fibrous goods made from such materials, e.g. ultrasonic, corona discharge, irradiation, electric currents, or magnetic fields; Physical treatment combined with treatment with chemical compounds or elements
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 10/06 Inorganic compounds or elements
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/44 Oxides or hydroxides of elements of Groups 2 or 12 of the Periodic Table; Zincates; Cadmates
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/45 : Oxides or hydroxides of elements of Groups 3 or 13 of the Periodic Table; Aluminates
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/46 : Oxides or hydroxides of elements of Groups 4 or 14 of the Periodic Table; Titanates; Zirconates; Stannates; Plumbates
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/77 : with silicon or compounds thereof with silanes or disilanes D06M11/01
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/78 : with silicon; with halides or oxyhalides of silicon; with fluorosilicates
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/79 : with silicon dioxide, silicic acids or their salts
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 23/08 : Processes in which the treating agent is applied in powder or granular form adhesives for multi-layer textile fabrics D06M17/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/02 : After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/20 : Physical treatments affecting dyeing, e.g. ultrasonic or electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 : Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 : Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24876 : Intermediate layer contains particulate material [e.g., pigment, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24884 : Translucent layer comprises natural oil, wax, resin, gum, glue, gelatin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24893 : including particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24901 : including coloring matter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/256 : Heavy metal or aluminum or compound thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/257 : Iron oxide or aluminum oxide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/258 : Alkali metal or alkaline earth metal or compound thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/259 : Silicic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/263 : Coating layer not in excess of 5 mils thick or equivalent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 : Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/20 : Coated or impregnated woven, knit, or nonwoven fabric which is not [a] associated with another preformed layer or fiber layer or, [b] with respect to woven and knit, characterized, respectively, by a particular or differential weave or knit, wherein the coating or impregnation is neither a foamed material nor a free metal or alloy layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/273 : Coating or impregnation provides wear or abrasion resistance

Abstract

Coating compositions, methods and articles of manufacture comprising a nanoparticle system employing same to impart surface modifying benefits for all types of soft surfaces, and in some cases, hard surfaces, are disclosed. In some embodiments, dispersement of nanoparticles in a suitable carrier medium allows for the creation of coating compositions, methods and articles of manufacture that create multi-use benefits to the modified surfaces. These surface modifications can produce long lasting or semi-permanent multi-use benefits that, in some embodiments, may include at least one of the following improved surface properties: cleaning, wettability, liquid strike-through, comfort, stain resistance, soil removal, malodor control, modification of surface friction, reduced damage to abrasion and color enhancement, relative to the surfaces unmodified with such nanoparticle systems.

Claims

1. A method of rendering a material hydrophilic, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a material comprised of hydrophobic or borderline hydrophilic components;

(b) applying a high energy surface treatment to said material to form a treated material; and

(c) applying a plurality of nanoparticles to said treated material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said material comprises a textile such as a nonwoven material comprised of hydrophobic or borderline hydrophilic structural components.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein at least some of the structural components of said nonwoven material are at least partially comprised of a polyolefin.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein at least some of the structural components of said nonwoven material are at least partially comprised of polyethylene.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein at least some of the structural components of said nonwoven material are at least partially comprised of polypropylene.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the high energy surface treatment applied in step (b) comprises a treatment selected from the group consisting of:

corona discharge treatment;

plasma treatment;

UV radiation;

ion beam treatment; and

electron beam treatment.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least some of said nanoparticles comprise on or more of the following:

non-photoactive, photoactive, and passified photoactive.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein after step (c), the surface of the treated nonwoven material becomes hydrophilic having an advancing contact angle with water of less than 90°

after 30 seconds of spreading.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the liquid strike-through time of said treated nonwoven material with said nanoparticles applied thereto is less than or equal to about 10 seconds after 3 gushes of test liquid according to the Strike Through Test.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the liquid strike-through time of said treated nonwoven material with said nanoparticles applied thereto is less than or equal to about 6 seconds after 3 gushes of test liquid according to the Strike Through Test.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the liquid strike-through time of said treated nonwoven material with said nanoparticles applied thereto is less than or equal to about 3 seconds after 3 gushes of test liquid according to the Strike Through Test.