Multi layer structure and process for making same

Claim 2

A high-speed process for forming a multi layered article comprising a plurality of substantially delamination free, pin hole free and void free layers, according to the following steps: (a) providing a vacuum chamber containing: i) a movable support, ii) at least one vapor outlet of a dielectric vaporizer mounted adjacent to an upstream portion of said support, iii) at least one curing means mounted adjacent to a downstream portion of said support, and, iv) means for maintaining said support at a temperature below that of said vaporizer; (b) evacuating gas from said chamber until the pressure within said chamber is less than about 1 X 10⁻⁴ Torr; (c) selecting a curable component having an average of about two or more olefinic groups per molecule, an average molecular weight between 150 and 1,000 and a vapor pressure in the range of 1 X 10⁻⁶ to 1 X 10⁻¹ Torr at standard temperature and pressure; (d) metering a quantity of said curable component into an inlet portion of said vaporizer; (e) vaporizing said component within said vaporizer; (f) moving said support relative to said vapor outlet and said curing means at a rate of between about 1 cm/sec and 1,000 cm/sec; (g) condensing a film of vaporized component dispensed from said vapor outlet onto the surface of said support, said film having a thickness of 4 microns or less; (h) activating said curing means whereby a substantially cross linked polymer film is formed on said support; and, (i) repeating steps (c) through (h) whereby a multi layer article is formed.

Claim 3

A high-speed process for forming a multi layered article comprising a plurality of substantially delamination free, pin hole free and void free layers, according to the following steps: (a) providing a vacuum chamber containing: i) a movable support, ii) at least one vapor outlet of a vaporizer mounted adjacent to an upstream portion of said support, iii) at least one curing means mounted adjacent to a downstream portion of said support, and, iv) means for maintaining said support at a temperature below that of said vaporizer; (b) evacuating gas from said chamber until the pressure within said chamber is less than about 1 X 10⁻⁴ Torr; (c) selecting a curable component having an average of about two or more olefinic groups per molecule, an average molecular weight between 150 and 1,000 and a vapor pressure in the range of 1 X 10⁻⁶ to 1 X 10⁻¹ Torr at standard temperature and pressure; (d) metering a quantity of said curable component into an inlet portion of said vaporizer; (e) vaporizing said component within said vaporizer; (f) moving said support relative to said vapor outlet and said curing means at a rate of between about 1 cm/sec and 1,000 cm/sec; (g) condensing a film of vaporized component dispensed from said vapor outlet onto the surface of said support, said film having a thickness of 4 microns or less; (h) repeating steps (c) through (g) whereby a plurality of films of said component are deposited; and, (i) activating said curing means whereby said films are cured to form a substantially cross linked polymer film on said support.

Claim 4

A high-speed process for forming a multi layered article comprising a plurality of substantially delamination free, pin hole free and void free layers, according to the following steps: (a) providing a vacuum chamber containing: i) a movable support, ii) at least one vapor outlet of a vaporizer mounted adjacent to an upstream portion of said support, iii) at least one curing means mounted adjacent to a downstream portion of said support, and, iv) means for maintaining said support at a temperature below that of said vaporizer; (b) evacuating gas from said chamber until the pressure within said chamber is less than about 1 X 10⁻⁴ Torr; (c) selecting a curable component having an average of about two or more olefinic groups per molecule, an average molecular weight between 150 and 1,000 and a vapor pressure in the range of 1 X 10⁻⁶ to 1 X 10⁻¹ Torr at standard temperature and pressure; (d) metering a quantity of said curable component into an inlet portion of said vaporizer; (e) vaporizing said component within said vaporizer; (f) moving said support relative to said vapor outlet and said curing means at a rate of between about 1 cm/sec and 1,000 cm/sec; (g) condensing a film of vaporized component dispensed from said vapor outlet onto the surface of said support, said film having a thickness of 4 microns or less; (h) repeating steps (c) through (g) whereby a plurality of films of said component are deposited; and, (i) activating said curing means whereby said films are cured to form a substantially cross linked polymer film on said support.

Claim 5

A high-speed process for forming a multi layered article comprising a plurality of substantially delamination free, pin hole free and void free layers, according to the following steps: (a) providing a vacuum chamber containing: i) a movable support, ii) at least one vapor outlet of a vaporizer mounted adjacent to an upstream portion of said support, iii) at least one curing means mounted adjacent to a downstream portion of said support, iv) means for maintaining said support at a temperature below that of said vaporizer; and v) means for depositing an inorganic material; (b) evacuating gas from said chamber until the pressure within said chamber is less than about 1 X 10⁻⁴ Torr; (c) selecting a curable component having an average of about two or more olefinic groups per molecule, an average molecular weight between 150 and 1,000 and a vapor pressure in the range of 1 X 10⁻⁶ to 1 X 10⁻¹ Torr at standard temperature and pressure; (d) metering a quantity of said curable component into an inlet portion of said vaporizer; (e) vaporizing said component within said vaporizer; (f) moving said support relative to said vapor outlet and said curing means at a rate of between about 1 cm/sec and 1,000 cm/sec; (g) condensing a film of vaporized component dispensed from said vapor outlet onto the surface of said support, said film having a thickness of 4 microns or less; (h) activating said curing means whereby a substantially cross linked polymer film is formed on said support; and (i) repeating steps (c) through (h) and, (j) depositing a layer of inorganic material on one or more substantially cured polymer films whereby a multi layered article comprising a plurality of polymer layers and at least one inorganic material layer is formed.

Claim 6

A high-speed process for forming a multi layered article comprising a plurality of substantially delamination free, pin hole free and void free layers, according to the following steps: (a) providing a vacuum chamber containing: i) a movable support, ii) at least one vapor outlet of a vaporizer mounted adjacent to an upstream portion of said support, iii) at least one curing means mounted adjacent to a downstream portion of said support, iv) means for maintaining said support at a temperature below that of said vaporizer; and v) means for depositing an inorganic material; (b) evacuating gas from said chamber until the pressure within said chamber is less than about 1 X 10⁻⁴ Torr; (c) selecting a curable component having an average of about two or more olefinic groups per molecule, an average molecular weight between 150 and 1,000 and a vapor pressure in the range of 1 X 10⁻⁶ to 1 X 10⁻¹ Torr at standard temperature and pressure; (d) metering a quantity of said curable component into an inlet portion of said vaporizer; (e) vaporizing said component within said vaporizer; (f) moving said support relative to said vapor outlet and said curing means at a rate of between about 1 cm/sec and 1,000 cm/sec; (g) condensing a film of vaporized component dispensed from said vapor outlet onto the surface of said support, said film having a thickness of 4 microns or less; (h) activating said curing means whereby a substantially cross linked polymer film is formed on said support; and (i) repeating steps (c) through (h) and, (j) depositing a layer of inorganic material on one or more substantially cured polymer films whereby a multi layered article comprising a plurality of polymer layers and at least one inorganic material layer is formed.

Claim 7

A process in accordance with claim 3 wherein a plurality of inorganic material layers are interleaved between said polymer layers.

Claim 8

A process in accordance with claims 1, 2 or 3 and further including providing a plurality of vapor outlets of vaporizers in said air tight chamber; selecting curable components from the group consisting of polyacrylates and mixtures of monoacrylates and polyacrylates, said components having an average molecular weight of less than 1,000, and a vapor pressure in the range of 1 x 10⁻⁶ to 1 x 10⁻¹ Torr at standard temperature and pressure; metering a quantity of said curable components into the inlet portions of at least two of said vaporizers; vaporizing the components in each vaporizer; moving said support relative to said vapor outlets and said curing means at a speed of between about 1 cm/sec. and 1,000 cm/sec. condensing one or more films of vaporized curable components dispensed from said vapor outlets on to the surface of said support, each film having a thickness of 4 microns or less; activating said curing means whereby substantially cross linked films are formed on said support.

Claim 9

A process in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said curable component is a diacrylate.

Claim 10

A process in accordance with claims 1, 2 or 3 in which said movable support comprises a rotatable drum, disk or continuous belt.

Claim 11

A process in accordance with claims 1, 2 or 3 in which said curing is by means of electron beam.

Claim 12

A multi layered article made in accordance with the process of claims 1, 2 or 3.

Claim 13

A multi layered article made in accordance with the process of claim 3 wherein said product comprises at least 1,000 layers of cured component.

Claim 14

A multi layer article comprising a plurality of substantially delamination free, pin hole free and void free polymeric layers, each polymeric layer being 4 microns or less thick and comprising a substantially cross linked component selected from the group consisting of polyacrylates and mixtures of monoacrylates and polyacrylates, said component having an average molecular weight of less than 1,000 and a vapor pressure in the range of 1 x 10⁻⁶ to 1 x 10⁻¹ Torr at standard temperature and pressures.

Claim 15

A multi layer article comprising a plurality of substantially delamination free, pin hole free and void free polymeric layers, each polymeric layer being 4 microns or less thick and comprising a substantially cross linked component selected from the group consisting of polyacrylates and mixtures of monoacrylates and polyacrylates, said component having an average molecular weight of less than 1,000 and a vapor pressure in the range of 1 x 10⁻⁶ to 1 x 10⁻¹ Torr at standard temperature and pressures.

Claim 16

A multi layer article in accordance with claim 11 in which the article is self-supporting.

Claim 17

A multi layer article in accordance with claim 11 or 12 wherein the thickness along the length of one or more layers is varied.

Claim 18

A process in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3 in which said component is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylate and mixtures of monoacrylates and polyacrylates.

Claim 19

A process in accordance with claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said polyacrylate has the formula: wherein: R¹ is an aliphatic, alicyclic or mixed aliphatic-­alicyclic radical derived from a compound of the formula R¹(OH) m ; R² is a hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl or pentyl; n is from 2 to 4; m is 2 or more.

Claim 20

A process in accordance with claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said polyacrylate comprises a diacrylate of the formula: wherein: r and s are each 7 or 8 and the sum of r and s is 15.

Claim 21

A process in accordance with claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said polyacrylate is selected from the group comprising: (i) 1,6-hexane diol diacrylate; (ii) alkoxylated cyclohexane dimethanol diacrylates; wherein the alkoxy group contains 1 to 4 carbon atoms and (iii)