Methods of making shaped polymeric materials

• US 8,696,975 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Ylitalo, Caroline M., Wright, Robin E., Scholz, Matthew T., Stepanova, Narina Y., Buchholz, Jessica M.
• Primary Examiner(s): OCHYLSKI, RYAN M
• Application Number:
  US12/747,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20100295219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: 264/496, 264/343
• US Class Current: 264/496
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/34 Shaped forms, e.g. sheets, not provided for in any other sub-group of this main group
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 2/48 by ultraviolet or visible light
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 290/06 Polymers provided for in subclass C08G
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 290/061 Polyesters; Polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 290/062 Polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 299/00 Macromolecular compounds obtained by interreacting polymers involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bond reactions, in the absence of non-macromolecular monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1168 Gripping and pulling work apart during delaminating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/15 Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/16 Two dimensionally sectional layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24 Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2462 with partial filling of valleys on outer surface

Abstract

The present disclosure describes methods for making shaped polymeric materials. Methods are provided for making shaped polymeric materials from a precursor composition that contains a polar solvent and a polymerizable material that is miscible with the polar solvent. The precursor composition is at least partially polymerized in a mold.

Claims

1. A method of making a shaped polymeric material comprising:

providing a precursor composition comprising

(a) at least 10 weight percent polar solvent based on the total weight of the precursor composition; and

(b) no greater than 90 weight percent polymerizable material based on the total weight of the precursor composition, the polymerizable material being capable of free-radical polymerization and having an average number of ethylenically unsaturated groups per monomer molecule equal to at least 1.2, wherein the polymerizable material forms a single phase with the polar solvent and comprises a poly(alkylene oxide(meth)acrylate) having at least 2 (meth)acryloyl groups and having at least 5 alkylene oxide units, the poly(alkylene oxide(meth)acrylate) having a weight average molecular weight less than 2,000 g/mole;

providing a mold having at least two separate wells;

adding the precursor composition to the mold, the precursor composition being positioned in the at least two separate wells;

exposing the precursor composition positioned in the at least two separate wells to radiation to at least partially polymerize the polymerizable material and to form a first swollen shaped polymeric material; and

further comprising removing at least a portion of the polar solvent from the first swollen shaped polymeric material to form a dried shaped polymeric material, and contacting the dried shaped polymeric material with a sorbate for a time sufficient for the dried shaped polymeric material to sorb at least a portion of the sorbate to form a second swollen shaped polymeric material, wherein the sorbate comprises at least one active agent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymerizable material comprises a poly(alkylene oxide(meth)acrylate) having at least 3 (meth)acryloyl groups.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the precursor composition further comprises a photoinitiator and the radiation comprises actinic radiation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the first swollen shaped polymeric material from the mold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein removing comprises applying a polar solvent to the first swollen shaped polymeric material.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising drying the second swollen shaped polymeric material.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the precursor composition to the mold comprises overfilling at least two separate wells, wherein the precursor composition resides on a first surface of the mold between the wells.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the precursor composition further comprises an active agent.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the active agent comprises a bioactive agent.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one active agent comprises a bioactive agent.