Transparent composite articles

• US 7,632,563 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Original Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Inventors: Trette, Victoria A., Rakavina, Thomas G., Ragunathan, Kaliappa G., Hellring, Stuart D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gulakowski; Randy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baumstein; Kyle
• Application Number:
  US11/610,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20080145638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 428/297, 977/778, 977/779
• US Class Current: 428/297.4
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3206 aliphatic
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/758 containing two or more cycloaliphatic rings
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2375/04 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/005 Reinforced macromolecular compounds with nanosized materials, e.g. nanoparticles, nanofibres, nanotubes, nanowires, nanorods or nanolayered materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/04 Reinforcing macromolecular compounds with loose or coherent fibrous material
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/046 with synthetic macromolecular fibrous material
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/24 Impregnating materials with prepolymers which can be polymerised in situ, e.g. manufacture of prepregs
• 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 43/04 Homopolymers or copolymers of monomers containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24994 Fiber embedded in or on the surface of a polymeric matrix

Abstract

A transparent composite article comprising a polyurethane matrix and incorporated within the matrix nanofibers having a diameter up to 5000 nanometers.

Claims

1. A transparent composite article having a maximum haze value less than 10% comprising:

(a) a polyurethane matrix and incorporated within the matrix

(b) nanofibers having a diameter of 50 to 5000 nanometers, the nanofibers being a crosslinked (meth)acrylic polymer containing silane groups that have reacted with moisture.

2. The article of claim 1 in which the polyurethane is a thermoset.

3. The article of claim 1 in which the polyurethane is aliphatic polyurethane.

4. The article of claim 2 in which the polyurethane is prepared from reacting:

(a) a diisocyanate with

(b) a polyol having an average functionality greater than 2.

5. The article of claim 4 in which the polyol is a mixture of polyols comprising:

(a) a polyol having a functionality of at least 3,

(b) a polyol having a functionality of 2.

6. The article of claim 5 in which

(a) is a branched aliphatic polyol having from 4 to 12 carbon atoms, and

(b) is a diol having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms.

7. The article of claim 2 in which the polyurethane is prepared from reacting

(a) a polyisocyanate having a functionality greater than 2 with

(b) a polyol having an average functionality of 2 or more.

8. The article of claim 7 in which the polyisocyanate has a functionality of 3 or more.

9. The article of claim 7 in which

(a) is an aliphatic triisocyanate,

(b) is an aliphatic polyol comprising a diol having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms and a branched aliphatic polyol having a functionality of at least 3 and containing from 4 to 12 carbon atoms.

10. The article of claim 1 in which the fibers are prepared by an electrospinning process.

11. The article of claim 1 in which the crosslinked polymer is derived from a polymer, containing silane groups, and groups selected from carboxyl and hydroxyl.

12. The article of claim 1 in which the crosslinked polymer is derived from a polymer that contains silane groups, carboxyl groups, hydroxyl groups and nitrogen-containing groups.

13. The article of claim 11 in which the silane groups are present in the polymer in amounts of 0.2 to 20 percent by weight silicon based on total polymer weight.

14. The article of claim 12 in which the polymer contains from

(a) 0.2 to 20 percent by weight silane groups, measured as silicon,

(b) 1 to 45 percent by weight carboxyl groups,

(c) 0.5 to 6.5 percent by weight hydroxyl groups, and

(d) 0.2 to 5.0 percent by weight nitrogen-containing groups;

the percentages by weight being based on total polymer weight.

15. The article of claim 10 in which the polymer undergoes a crosslinking reaction during the electrospinning process.

16. The article of claim 1 in the form of a transparency for aircraft, trains, buses or tanks.

17. The article of claim 1 in the form of a transparency for ophthalmic applications.

18. The article of claim 16 in the form of a transparency for an aircraft cockpit.