Article with lubricated surface and method

• US 7,431,989 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2004
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TriboFilm Research Inc.
• Original Assignee: TriboFilm Research Inc.
• Inventors: Williams, Joel L., Vernon, Paul M. Jr., Tomasino, Charles, Sakhrani, Vinay G.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZACHARIA, RAMSEY E
• Application Number:
  US10/791,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20040231926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 428/411.1, 428/421, 428/422, 428/447, 568/677, 427/535, 427/539
• US Class Current: 428/411.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3131 specially adapted for improving sealing or sliding
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0222 Materials for reducing friction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0238 the material being a coating or protective layer
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/144 of polymeric substrates
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/145 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/08 to obtain an anti-friction or anti-adhesive surface rendering particulate materials free-flowing in general, e.g. making them hydrophobic B01J2/30
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/083 involving the use of fluoropolymers
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/02 to macromolecular substances, e.g. rubber treatment or coating of shaped articles made of macromolecular substances C08J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/22 to internal surfaces, e.g. of tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/085 using gamma-ray
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0877 using electron radiation, e.g. beta-rays
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2059/145 Atmospheric plasma
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/14 by plasma treatment plasma tubes per se H01J
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/142 of profiled articles, e.g. hollow or tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/16 by wave energy or particle radiation , e.g. infrared heating B29C59/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/165 of profiled articles, e.g. hollow or tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/005 coated
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7544 Injection needles, syringes
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/0427 with only one layer of a composition containing a polymer binder with more layers C08J7/042
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/046 Forming abrasion-resistant coatings; Forming surface-hardening coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/18 : using wave energy or particle radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 107/38 : containing halogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 107/50 : containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2213/043 : used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2213/0606 : used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/0415 : used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2050/00 : Form in which the lubricant is applied to the material being lubricated
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2070/00 : Specific manufacturing methods for lubricant compositions
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 15/00 : Lubrication with substances other than oil or grease; Lubrication characterised by the use of particular lubricants in particular apparatus or conditions F16N17/00 takes precedence; lubricating compositions, selection of particular substances as lubricants in general C10M
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1393 : Multilayer [continuous layer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 : Composite [nonstructural laminate]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31544 : Addition polymer is perhalogenated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31612 : As silicone, silane or siloxane
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 : As siloxane, silicone or silane
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31667 : Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers, or aldehyde or ketone condensation product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31938 : Polymer of monoethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon

Abstract

A method for preparing one or more lubricated surfaces of an article to reduce the break-out force and sliding frictional force. A lubricant is applied to one or more surfaces, and the lubricant-coated surface is treated by exposing the surface to an energy source, wherein the energy source is an ionizing gas plasma at about atmospheric pressure, gamma radiation, or electron beam radiation. One or more of the surfaces may be exposed to the ionizing gas plasma at about atmospheric pressure prior to application of the lubricant. Another aspect of the invention is articles produced using one or more methods of the invention.

Claims

1. An article having reduced break-out force and reduced sliding frictional force comprising one or more surfaces and a lubricant applied to at least one of the surfaces, the lubricant including a fluorochemical compound selected from the group consisting of a perfluoropolyether, a functionalized perfluoropolyether, and mixtures thereof, the lubricant-coated surface subsequently exposed to an energy source at about atmospheric pressure, wherein the energy source is ionizing radiation.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein the lubricant is mixed with a solvent to form a lubricant-solvent solution prior to applying the lubricant to the surface.

3. The article of claim 2 wherein the coated surface is heated, the heating step occurring after applying the lubricant-solvent solution to the surface and prior to exposing the coated surface to the energy source.

4. The article of claim 1 wherein the lubricant contains additives selected from one or more groups comprising free radical initiators, viscosity modifiers, surfactants, wetting agents, anticorrosive agents, antioxidants, antiwear agents, buffering agents, dyes and mixtures thereof.

5. The article of claim 1 wherein the energy source is an ionizing gas plasma at about atmospheric pressure.

6. The article of claim 5 wherein the gas is selected from one or more groups comprising helium, neon, argon, krypton, air, oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water vapor, nitrogen, hydrogen and mixtures thereof.

7. The article of claim 5, wherein the surface is additionally exposed to the ionizing gas plasma prior to applying the lubricant.

8. The article of claim 5, wherein the article is a syringe barrel, the syringe barrel including an inner surface coated with a perfluoropolyether and exposed to the ionizing gas plasma at about atmospheric pressure after being coated with the perfluoropolyether.

9. The article of claim 8, wherein the inner surface is additionally exposed to the ionizing gas plasma prior to applying the perfluoropolyether.

10. The article of claim 9, wherein the syringe barrel is a polypropylene syringe barrel.

11. The article of claim 9, wherein the syringe barrel is a glass syringe barrel.

12. The article of claim 1 wherein the ionizing radiation is gamma radiation.

13. An article having reduced break-out force and reduced sliding frictional force comprising one or more surfaces, at least one of the surfaces exposed to an ionizing gas plasma at about atmospheric pressure and a lubricant applied to the plasma-treated surface to form a coated surface, the lubricant including a fluorochemical compound selected from the group consisting of a perfluoropolyether, a functionalized perfluoropolyether, and mixtures thereof.

14. The article of claim 13 wherein the gas is selected from one or more groups comprising helium, neon, argon, krypton, air, oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water vapor, nitrogen, hydrogen and mixtures thereof.

15. The article of claim 13 wherein the lubricant is mixed with a solvent to form a lubricant-solvent solution prior to applying the lubricant to the surface.

16. The article of claim 13 wherein the coated surface is heated, the heating step occurring after applying the lubricant to the surface.

17. The article of claim 13 wherein the lubricant contains additives selected from one or more groups comprising free radical initiators, viscosity modifiers, surfactants, wetting agents, anticorrosive agents, antioxidants, antiwear agents, buffering agents, dyes and mixtures thereof.

18. The article of claim 13, wherein the article is a syringe barrel, and the coated surface is an inner surface of the syringe barrel.

19. The article of claim 13, wherein the article is a glass syringe barrel, and the coated surface is an inner surface of the glass syringe barrel.

20. An article having reduced break-out force and reduced sliding frictional force comprising one or more surfaces, at least one of the surfaces exposed to a first ionizing gas plasma at about atmospheric pressure and a lubricant applied to the plasma-treated surface to form a coated surface, the lubricant including a fluorochemical compound selected from the group consisting of a perfluoropolyether, a functionalized perfluoropolyether, and mixtures thereof, wherein the coated surface is subsequently exposed to a second ionizing gas plasma at about atmospheric pressure.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein the first and second ionizing gas plasmas are essentially the same.