Method of making a coated substrate having a water swellable coating layer

• US 6,270,845 B1
• Filed: 01/22/1998
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fiber-Line, Inc. (Avient Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fiber-Line, Inc. (Avient Corp.)
• Inventors: Vitola, Louis A., Detwiler, Vernon Z., Pappas, Vincent J.
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDICK, MARIE L
• Application Number:
  US09/010,636
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 427/385.5, 427/355, 427/389.9, 427/430.1, 427/513, 427/557
• US Class Current: 427/385.5
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/225 Mixtures of macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/60 Liquid-swellable gel-forming materials, e.g. super-absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/04 Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 27/06 Homopolymers or copolymers of vinyl chloride
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/02 Homopolymers or copolymers of acids; Metal or ammonium salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 127/06 Homopolymers or copolymers of vinyl chloride
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/248 containing chlorine
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/263 of unsaturated carboxylic acids; Salts or esters thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 23/00 Treatment of fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics or fibrous goods made from such materials, characterised by the process
• 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: D06N 3/0056 characterised by the compounding ingredients of the macro-molecular coating D06N3/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 3/06 with polyvinylchloride or its copolymerisation products surface treatment or foaming for floor coverings D06N7/0007
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44384 the means comprising water blocking or hydrophobic materials G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/141 Feedstock
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249958 Void-containing component is synthetic resin or natural rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2927 including structurally defined particulate matter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2929 Bicomponent, conjugate, composite or collateral fibers or filaments [i.e., coextruded sheath-core or side-by-side type]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2933 Coated or with bond, impregnation or core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2938 Coating on discrete and individual rods, strands or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2964 : Artificial fiber or filament
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2967 : Synthetic resin or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2969 : Polyamide, polyimide or polyester
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2971 : Impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2975 : Tubular or cellular
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31797 : Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31909 : Next to second addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31928 : Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer

Abstract

A method for forming a water swellable coating and a water swellable coating for forming a coated substrate are provided. The water swellable coatings are semi-gel dispersions of particulate superabsorbent polymer in a polyvinyl chloride plastisol. A dispersion is formed from the polymer and plastisol, then contacted with a substrate and heat cured to a semi-gel state. The coatings are capable of swelling in the presence of water to protect the substrates from water penetration, block water from penetrating the coatings to reach other substrates or to retain water to prevent leakage.

Claims

1. A method for making a coated substrate, comprising:

(a) preparing a dispersion comprising a particulate superabsorbent polymer and a liquid plastisol, the liquid plastisol comprising a polyvinyl chloride resin and a plasticizer;

(b) contacting a substrate with the dispersion to form a coating layer of the dispersion on the substrate; and

(c) heat curing the coating layer without fully fusing the coating layer for a period of time sufficient to form a water swellable, semi-gel coating layer.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising continuously agitating the dispersion in a feed tank prior to contacting the dispersion with the substrate.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises voids and step (b) further comprises at least partially impregnating the substrate by filling the voids with the dispersion.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is a continuous synthetic fiber material and step (b) further comprises continuously drawing the fiber material through a bath of the dispersion to form the coating layer on the fiber material.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the fiber material is selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyaramid, polyester, fiberglass, carbon, polyolefin, polyacrylic, and rayon.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising allowing the dispersion in the bath to continuously overflow the bath into a holding tank, recycling the dispersion from the holding tank to the feed tank, and continuously providing the plastisol to the feed tank to provide a substantially constant concentration of the plastisol in the feed tank.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising monitoring the absorption capacity of the dispersion in the holding tank to determine a rate of depletion of the plastisol from the bath, and providing the plastisol to the feed tank at a rate substantially equivalent to the rate of depletion of the plastisol from the bath.

8. The method according to claim 4, further comprising continuously agitating the dispersion in the bath.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the substrate is a synthetic fabric, and step (b) further comprises continuously providing the coating layer to the fabric and smoothing the coating layer.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein the coating layer is heat cured in an infrared oven.