Spill resistant surfaces having hydrophobic and oleophobic borders

• US 9,243,175 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SSW Advanced Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Ross Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Sikka, Vinod K., Jones, Andrew K., Ross, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): POLLEY, CHRISTOPHER M
• Application Number:
  US14/320,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20150097475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 15/00 Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by etching etching or surface-brightening compositions, in general C09K13/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/30 with silicon-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 19/00 Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by mechanical means sand-blasting, grinding, or polishing glass B24
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/20 Materials for coating a single layer on glass
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/76 Hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/11 from solutions or suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/17 from a solid phase
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/31 Pre-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/34 Masking
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/22 of metals
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/34 Silicon-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/40 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 9/08 Ingredients agglomerated by treatment with a binding agent
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/62 modified by treatment with other compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/67 Particle size smaller than 100 nm
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/68 Particle size between 100-1000 nm
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/69 Particle size larger than 1000 nm
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/70 characterised by shape, e.g. fibres, flakes or microspheres
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 3/18 for application to surfaces to minimize adherence of ice, mist or water thereto rendering particulate materials free flowing, in general, e.g. making them hydrophobic B01J2/30; Thawing or antifreeze materials for application to surfaces used in liquids for heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage or for the production of heat or cold other than by combustion, e.g. radiator liquids, C09K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/10 Oxides, borides, carbides, nitrides or silicides; Mixtures thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/12 : characterised by the method of spraying
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/126 : Detonation spraying
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/129 : Flame spraying
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/79 : with silicon dioxide, silicic acids or their salts
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/564 : Polyureas, polyurethanes or other polymers having ureide or urethane links; Precondensation products forming them
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 2200/11 : Oleophobic properties
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 2200/12 : Hydrophobic properties
• 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: F25D 23/00 : General constructional features F25D21/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2325/022 : Shelves made of glass or ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/22 : Cleaning means for refrigerating devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/02 : by shelves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 : Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2172 : Also specified as oil repellent

Abstract

Described herein are methods for creating spill-proof or spill-resistant surfaces through the use of hydrophobic or oleophobic (H—SH) edges, borders and/or boundaries that contain the water and other liquids within the inside edges, borders and/or boundaries. Also described herein are spill-proof/spill-resistant surfaces. Liquid (e.g., water and other aqueous solutions/suspensions) heights of 3-6 mm on a level planar surface can be sustained by such edges, borders and/or boundaries. The H—SH borders can be created on glass, metal, wood, plastic, and concrete surfaces.

Claims

1. A method for forming a spill-resistant border on a surface of a refrigerator shelf comprising:

(a) roughening a portion of the surface that will serve as the spill-resistant border on the shelf; and

(b) applying a silane or fluorosilane silanizing agent to the portion of the surface that will serve as the spill-resistant border on the shelf, thereby increasing the hydrophobicity and oleophobicity of said portion of the surface that will serve as the spill-resistant border,

wherein said spill-resistant border is visible and forms a perimeter around at least one area that has a lower hydrophobicity than the border, and

wherein, when the surface is level, the spill-resistant border retains up to 5.9 mm of water, up to 5.2 mm of an oil and water mixture, or up to 4.7 mm of milk.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating at least one part of said portion of said surface that will serve as a border prior to said applying the silane or fluorosilane, wherein the activating comprises etching with a chemical agent or abrading the surface.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising applying a mask to said surface before said activating, before said applying the silane or fluorosilane, or before both said activating and said applying the silane or fluorosilane.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said activating comprises etching the surface with a chemical agent or treating it with abrasive particles.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said surface is glass.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said spill-resistant border provides a retention of ≧

3.0 mm of water or an oil and water mixture.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said silane or fluorosilane silanizing agent comprises a fluoroalkyl group.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said silane is tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl trichlorosilane.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the roughening a portion of the surface is conducted by etching or sandblasting.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said silane is tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl trichlorosilane.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein said silane or fluorosilane is tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl trichlorosilane.

11. A method for forming a hydrophobic and oleophobic spill-resistant border on a surface of a refrigerator shelf comprising binding particles to regions on the refrigerator shelf that will serve as the border to form bound particles;

wherein the bound particles are treated with a silane or fluorosilane silanizing agent and said border forms a perimeter around at least one area of the surface that has a lower hydrophobicity and lower oleophobicity than the border; and

wherein the spill-resistant border is visible and retains up to 3.1 mm of water, up to 3.6 mm of an oil and water mixture, or up to 2.3 mm of milk when the surface is level.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the shelf is comprised of glass.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the particles of the hydrophobic and oleophobic regions comprise particles treated with a silanizing agent.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the particles bound to the hydrophobic and oleophobic regions comprise particles treated with a fluorosilane.

15. The method of claim 14, where the fluorosilane is tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl trichlorosilane.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the height of water retained by the border is at least 3.0 mm.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the height of water retained by the border is at least 3.0 mm.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said silane or fluorosilane is tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl trichlorosilane.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein said silane is tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl trichlorosilane.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein said silane is tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl trichlorosilane.