Bonding method for micro-structured polymers

• US 20050208271A1
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Inventors: Ryu, WonHyoung, Prinz, Friedrich B., Fasching, Rainer J.
• Application Number:
  US11/083,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20050208271A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/156
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/023 having a plurality of grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/00 Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor by liberation of internal stresses B29C61/006
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/021 characterised by the shape of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4895 Solvent bonding, i.e. the surfaces of the parts to be joined being treated with solvents, swelling or softening agents, without adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/52 characterised by the way of applying the adhesive B29C65/50 takes precedence; apparatus for applying liquids in general B05C; processes for applying liquids in general B05D
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/528 by CVD or by PVD, i.e. by chemical vapour deposition or by physical vapour deposition
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7814 in the form of inter-cooperating positioning features holding or clamping means cooperating with specially formed features of at least one of the parts to be joined B29C65/7844, e.g. tenons and mortises tenon and mortise joints B29C66/126; tongue and groove joints B29C66/124
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91411 of the parts to be joined, e.g. the joining process taking the temperature of the parts to be joined into account
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/06 PS, i.e. polystyrene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/18 PTFE, i.e. polytetrafluorethene , e.g. ePTFE, i.e. expanded polytetrafluorethene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2029/04 PVOH, i.e. polyvinyl alcohol B29K2031/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/12 Polymers of methacrylic acid esters, e.g. PMMA, i.e. polymethylmethacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/043 PGA, i.e. polyglycolic acid or polyglycolide
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/046 PLA, i.e. polylactic acid or polylactide
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 : Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 : Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/756 : Microarticles, nanoarticles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2535/00 : Medical equipment, e.g. bandage, prostheses, catheter medical patches B32B2556/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 : of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 : characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/04 : Interconnection of layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 : using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 : including variation in thickness

Abstract

Solvent bonding by exposure to a solvent vapor is provided. Vapor phase solvent bonding provides accurate and precise control of the amount of solvent provided to the polymer bodies or objects being bonded. Such precision control of solvent quantity enables solvent bonding to be performed in a manner that does not damage or destroy micro-patterns present in the polymer bodies being bonded. Vapor solvent bonding can be performed in two regimes: saturated and linear. In the saturated regime, the temperature of a polymer body surface is less than the condensation temperature of a polymer vapor. Thus, a liquid condensate will tend to form in this regime. In the linear regime, the temperature of a polymer body surface is greater than the condensation temperature of the polymer vapor. Although a liquid condensate will not form, bonding can still be performed.

Claims

1. A method for polymer bonding, the method comprising:

a) providing a first polymer body having a first surface;

b) providing a second polymer body having a second surface;

c) exposing at least one of said first and second surfaces to a solvent vapor; and

d) pressing said first and second surfaces together after said exposing;

whereby said first and second polymer bodies are solvent bonded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said exposing comprises forming a liquid condensate of said solvent vapor on at least one of said first and second surfaces.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said exposing comprises softening at least one of said first and second surfaces without forming a liquid condensate of said solvent vapor on said softened surface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said solvent vapor is a saturated vapor at a temperature of one of said first and second surfaces.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said solvent vapor is an unsaturated vapor at a temperature of one of said first and second surfaces.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second surfaces are at substantially the same temperature during said exposing.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second surfaces are at different temperatures during said exposing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said solvent vapor comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of:

1,4-Dioxane (C₄H₈O₂);

1,1,1,3,3,3-Hexafluoroisopropanol (C₃H₂F₆O);

formic acids;

ethyl formate;

acetic acid;

Hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP);

cyclic ethers (such as THF, DMF, and PDO);

acetone;

acetates of C2 to C5 alcohol (such as ethyl acetate and t-butylacetate);

glyme;

methyl ethyl ketone;

dipropyleneglycol methyl ether;

lactones;

1,3-diocilane;

1,3-dioxolane2-one;

ethyl carbonate;

dimethlycarbonate;

benzene;

toluene;

benzyl alcohol;

p-xylene;

naphthalene;

tetrahydrofuran;

N-methyl pyrrolidone;

dimethylformamide;

chloroform;

1,2-dichloromethane;

morpholine;

dimethylsulfoxide;

hexafluoroacetone sesquihydrate (HFAS);

anisole; and

mixtures thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising aligning features on said first polymer body to features on said second polymer body.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing said solvent bonded first and second polymer bodies to vacuum, whereby excess solvent is removed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said exposing comprises one or more control steps selected from the group consisting of controlling a temperature of said first surface, controlling a temperature of said second surface, controlling a time of said exposing, controlling a time of said pressing, controlling a pressure of said pressing, controlling a flow rate of said solvent vapor, and controlling a partial pressure of said solvent vapor.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a vapor chamber is disposed around said first and second polymer bodies.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said exposing comprises controlling a temperature of said vapor chamber.

14. A polymer structure comprising a first polymer body having a first surface and a second polymer body having a second surface, wherein said first and second polymer bodies are bonded to each other according to the method of claim 1 to provide a solvent bond.

15. The polymer structure of claim 14, wherein a depth of said solvent bond is between about 10 nm and about 1 μ

m in each of said first and second polymer bodies.

16. The polymer structure of claim 14, wherein said first and second polymer bodies are micro-patterned.

17. The polymer structure of claim 14, wherein at least one of said first and second polymer bodies includes features having dimensions in a range from about 10 nm to about 400 μ

m.

18. The polymer structure of claim 14, wherein at least one of said first and second polymer bodies comprise a polymer selected from the group consisting of:

poly methyl methacrylates;

polyethylene;

polystyrene;

nylons;

polyester;

polyurethane;

polyterafluoroethylene;

poly vinyl chloride;

poly carbonate;

polypropylene;

poly vinyl alcohol;

poly-lactide;

poly-glycolide;

poly-dioxanone;

aliphatic poly-ester;

poly-caprolactone;

poly-anhydrides;

poly ortho esters;

alkali derivatives of trimethylenecarbonate;

δ

-valerolactone;

β

-butyrolactone;

γ

-butyrolactone;

ε

-decalactone;

hydrocybutyrate;

hydroxyvalerate;

1,4-dioxepan-2-one;

1,5,8,12-tetraoxacyclotetradecane-7,14-dione;

1,5-dioxepan-2-one;

6,6-dimethyl-1,4-diocan-2-one; and

mixtures or co-polymers thereof.

19. The polymer structure of claim 14, wherein at least one of said first and second polymer bodies comprise a micro-pattern having inclusions in features of said micro-pattern

20. The polymer structure of claim 19, wherein said inclusions comprise a bio-active material, a non bio-active material, one or more bio-active devices, or one or more non bio-active devices.

21. An apparatus for bonding a first polymer body having a first surface to a second polymer body having a second surface, the apparatus comprising:

a) a vapor chamber around said first and second polymer bodies;

b) a vapor source providing a solvent vapor to said vapor chamber, wherein at least one of said first and second surfaces is exposed to said solvent vapor;

c) a press operatively connected to said first and second polymer bodies;

wherein said first and second surfaces are pressed together after exposure to said solvent vapor;

whereby said first and second polymer bodies are solvent bonded.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said vapor source comprises a solvent evaporation chamber providing flow rate and partial pressure control of said solvent vapor in said vapor chamber.