Enhancement of color on surfaces

• US 6,872,444 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2002
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Rohrbaugh, Robert Henry, Carter, John David, McDonald, Michael Ray, Liddle, Heather Anne
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Vivian
• Application Number:
  US10/060,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20020160159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 428/195, 428/201, 428/204, 428/205, 428/206, 428/207, 428/323, 428/328, 428/329, 428/330, 428/331, 428/334, 427/170, 427/180, 427/197, 427/199, 442/59, 442/148, 106/31.01, 106/31.6, 106/31.35, 106/31.9, 106/287.1, 106/287.7, 106/400, 106/401, 106/415, 106/461, 106/481
• US Class Current: 428/206
• 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 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 color-enhanced soft surface comprising at least some color regions, wherein at least some of said color regions having a strippable nanoparticle coating comprising a plurality of nanoparticles thereon, and said nanoparticles have a particle size distribution of less than or equal to about 750 nanometers and a refracticve index of greater than or equal to about 1.3, and wherein said soft surface is selected from the group consisting of fabrics, garments, textiles, leather, plastic, films, paper, books, upholstery and carpet.

2. The color-enhanced soft surface of claim 1 wherein at least some of said nanoparticles comprise non-photoactive nanoparticles, passified photoactive nanoparticles, or combinations thereof.

3. The color-enhanced soft surface of claim 1 wherein at least some of said nanopartictes are selected from the group comprising:

boehmite alumina, aluminum oxide, silicalite, and nanolatexes.

4. The color-enhanced soft surface of claim 1 wherein at least some of said nanoparticles are selected from the group comprising:

layered hydrous silicate, layered hydrous aluminum silicate, fluorosilicate, mica-montmorillonite, bydrotalcite, sodium magnesium lithium fluorosilicate, lithium magnesium silicate, lithium magnesium fluorosilicate, synthetic hectorite, and mixtures thereof.

5. The color-enhanced soft surface of claim 1 wherein at least some of said nanoparticles are selected from lithium magnesium silicate having the general structure

[Mg_wLi_xSi₈O₂₀OH₄₋

yF_y]^z−

wherein w=3 to 6, x=0 to 3, y=0 to 4, z=12−

2w−

x , and the overall negative lattice charge is balanced by counter-ions; and

wherein the counter-ions are selected from the group consisting of selected Na⁺, K⁺, NH₄⁺, Cs⁺, Li⁺, Mg⁺⁺, Ca⁺⁺, Ba⁺⁺, N(CH₃)₄⁺ and mixtures thereof.

6. The color-enhanced soft surface of claim 1 wherein as least some of said nanoparticles comprise an aspect ratio of greater than or equal to about 15.

7. A method of enhancing the color of a soft surface comprising at least some color regions, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a soft surface comprising at least some color regions, wherein said soft surface is selected from the group consisting of fabrics, garments, textiles, leather, plastic, films, paper, books, upholstery and carpet; and

(b) depositing a strippable nanoparticle coating comprising a plurality of nanoparticles on at least a portion of at least some of said color regions, said nanoparticles having a particle size distribution of less than or equal to about 750 nanometers and a refractive index of greater than or equal to about 1.3.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step (b) is carried out in one or more of the following manners:

by direct application;

through the wash;

or, through the rinse.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said nanoparticles provide a change in the Hunter Miniscan L value of the portion of said at least some of said color regions to which they are applied in comparison to an untreated color region that is greater than or equal to the absolute value of about 0.25.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said nanoparticics provide a change in the Hunter Miniscan “

a”

value of the portion of said at least some of said color regions to which they are applied in comparison to an untreated color region that is greater than or equal to the absolute value of about 0.25.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said nanoparticles provide a change in the Hunter Miniscan b value of the portion of said at least some of said color regions to which they are applied in comparison to an untreated color region that is greater than or equal to the absolute value of about 0.25.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said at least a portion of at least some of said color regions has nanoparticles having a mean particle size of greater than or equal to about 100 nanometers deposited thereon in an amount covering less than or equal to about 100% of said portion.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein said at least a portion of at least some of said color regions has nanoparticles having a mean particle size of less than about 100 nanometers deposited thereon in an amount covering greater than or equal to about 25% of said portion.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein said at least a portion of at least some of said color regions has said nanoparticles deposited thereon in a thickness of greater than or equal to about 10 nanometers.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein the nanoparticles reduce the total reflectance relative to an untreated sample by 1% for any wavelengths between 380 nanometers and 700 nanometers.

16. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of applying high energy surface treatment to at least some of said color regions prior to or concurrent with depositing said plurality of nanoparticles.

17. The method of claim 7 wherein said plurality of nanoparticles is selected from the group consisting of boehmite alumina, aluminum oxide, silicalite, nanolatexes and combinations thereof.

18. A color enhanced soft surface prepared according to the method of claim 7.

19. The method of claim 7 wherein said plurality of nanoparticles is selected from the group consisting of layered hydrous silicate, layered hydrous aluminum silicate, fluorosilicate, mica-montmorillonite, hydrotalcite, sodium magnesium lithium fluorosilicate, lithium magnesium silicate, lithium magnesium fluorosilicate, synthetic hectorite, and mixtures thereof.

20. The method of claim 7 wherein said plurality of nanoparticles is selected from lithium magnesium silicate having the general structure

[Mg_wLi_xSi₈O₂₀OH₄₋

yF_y]^z−

wherein w=3 to 6, x=0 to 3, y=0 to 4, z=12−

2w−

x, and the overall negative lattice charge is balanced by counter-ions; and

wherein the counter-ions are selected from the group consisting of selected Na⁺, K⁺, NH₄⁺, Cs⁺, Li⁺, Mg⁺⁺, Ca⁺⁺, Ba⁺⁺, N(CH₃)₄⁺ and mixtures thereof.

21. The method of claim 7 wherein at least some of said nanoparticles comprise an aspect ratio of greater than or equal to about 15.