Process for preparing a polyethylene dispersion and method of applying same to a polyethylene surface

Claim 1

A METHOD OF COATING A SOLID POLYETHYLENE SURFACE WHICH COMPRISES APPLYING TO SAID POLYETHYLENE SURFACES A STABLE, FLOWABLE DISPERSION OF 10% TO 35% BY WEIGHT OF FINELY-DIVIDED POLYETHYLENE HAVING A MEAN AVERAGE PARTICLE SIZE OF 0.5 TO 40 MICRONS AND A LOWER MOLECULAR WEIGHT THAN THE POLYETHYLENE OF SAID SURFACE; SAID FINELYDIVIDED POLYETHYLENE BEING DISPERSED IN AN ORGANIC LIQUID MEDIUM CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 30% TO 90% BY WEIGHT OF AN ORGANIC POLYETHYLENE SOLVENT HAVING A BOILING POINT IN THE RANGE OF 80* C. TO 300* C., AND 70% TO 10% BY WEIGHT OF AN ORGANIC POLYETHYLENE NONSOLVENT HAVING A BOILING POINT IN THE RANGE OF 25* C. TO 300* C.; AND THEREAFTER HEATING SAID POLYETHYLENE SURFACE TO WHICH SAID DISPERSION HAS BEEN APPLIED TO AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 80* C. TO ABOUT 5* C. BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF SAID SURFACE TO VOLATILIZE SAID MEDIUM AND CONVERT THE FINELY-DIVIDED POLYETHYLENE OF THE DISPERSION INTO A HOMOGENEOUS FILM FIRMLY BONDED TO SAID SURFACE; SAID ORGANIC NONSOLVENT BEING AN ORGANIC LIQUID WHICH WILL NOT DISSOLVE SOLID POLYETHYLENE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF POLYETHYLENE TO FORM A CLEAT SOLUTION.