Wear-resistant polymeric articles and methods of making the same
First Claim
1. A substantially optically transparent article having a wear-resistant surface, comprising:
- a substantially optically transparent polymeric substrate having a hardened surface portion;
a hard antiabrasive interconnecting layer formed on said surface portion by the process of vacuum deposition of feed compounds and comprising (i) an SiOxHy layer formed on said surface portion and (ii) an SiOxCyHz layer formed on said SiOxHy layer; and
a lubricious fluoropolyether coating layer bonded to said interconnecting layer by the process of heating or subjecting said article to ultraviolet radiation;
with said hard antiabrasive interconnecting layer and said lubricious fluoropolyether coating layer together forming said wear-resistant surface;
said wear-resistant surface having a Bayer Index of at least about 20; and
said wear-resistant surface having a contact angle after isopropanol wash at room temperature for ten minutes of at least about 45 degrees.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A substantially optically transparent article such as a lens having a wear-resistant surface comprises a substantially optically transparent polymeric substrate (e.g., a polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate substrate), and having a surface portion. A hard antiabrasive interconnecting layer is formed on the surface portion (typically by vacuum deposition and preferably by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition), and a lubricious hydrophobic coating layer is bonded to the interconnecting layer. The lubricious hydrophobic coating layer, together with the hard antiabrasive interconnecting layer, form a wear-resistant surface on the substrate. The lubricious coating layer is formed from a hydrophobic organic lubricant such as a perfluoropolyether, a fatty acid, or a fatty acid esters. Methods of making such articles are also disclosed.
129 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A substantially optically transparent article having a wear-resistant surface, comprising:
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a substantially optically transparent polymeric substrate having a hardened surface portion;
a hard antiabrasive interconnecting layer formed on said surface portion by the process of vacuum deposition of feed compounds and comprising (i) an SiOxHy layer formed on said surface portion and (ii) an SiOxCyHz layer formed on said SiOxHy layer; and
a lubricious fluoropolyether coating layer bonded to said interconnecting layer by the process of heating or subjecting said article to ultraviolet radiation;
with said hard antiabrasive interconnecting layer and said lubricious fluoropolyether coating layer together forming said wear-resistant surface;
said wear-resistant surface having a Bayer Index of at least about 20; and
said wear-resistant surface having a contact angle after isopropanol wash at room temperature for ten minutes of at least about 45 degrees. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
(a) said substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, poly (2,2′
-dihydroxyphenylpropane)carbonate, polydiethyleneglycol bis(allyl carbonate), polyacrylate, and polystyrene;
(b) said lubricious fluoropolyether coating layer is from about 1 to about 500 Angstroms thick;
(c) said lubricous fluoropolyether coating layer comprises a perfluoropolyether.
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11. An article according to claim 1, wherein said article is a lens.
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12. An article according to claim 1, wherein said article is a visor or display screen.
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13. An article according to claim 1, wherein said article is a window.
Specification