Surface fluorinated hydrogen containing material and process for making

Abstract

Abstract A MANUFACTURED MATERIAL AND A PROCESS FOR MAKING THE MATERIAL IS DISCLOSED. THE MANUFACTURED MATERIAL I A HYDROGEN CONTAINING SUBSTANCE HAVING A FUORINATED SURFACE AND IN WHICH HYDROGEN ATOMS, WHICH MAY BE PRESENT IN HYDROXYL RADICALS ATTACHED TO A CARBON ATOM CHAIN, HAVE BEEN REPLACED IN THE SURFACE OF THE MATERIAL BY FLUORINE ATOMS OR RADICALS, AND WITH SUCH FUORINATED SURFACE OF THE MATERIAL CONTAINING AT LEAST ABOUT 2 MICROGRAMS OF SUCH FLUORINE PER CM.2 OF SURFACE AREA. THE PROCESS FOR MAKING SUCH A MATERIAL INCLUDES THE STEPS OF SELECTING A SUBSTRATE CONTAINING HYDROGEN ATOMS WHICH MAY BE PRESENT IN HYDROXYL RADICALS ATTACHED TO A CARBON ATOM CHAIN, SELECTING A GAS CONTAINING FLUORINE ATOMS OR RADICALS, PLLACING THE SELECTED SUBSTRATE BETWEEN ELECTRODES IN A FLOWING ATMOSPHERE OF THE SELECTED GAS AT SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, AND SUBJECTING THE SUBSTRATE TO AN ELECTRODELESS DISCHARGE OF AT LEAST ABOUT 0.2 K.W.H/YARD 2 TO CHEMICALLY ACTIVATE BOTH THE SURFACE OF THE SUBSTRATE AND THE GAS, AND EXCHANGE THE FLUORINE ATOMS OR RADICALS FOR SURFAE HYDROGEN ATOMS OR RADICALS TO PRODUCE A MATERIAL WITH A SURFACE. WHICH COMPARED T THE SUBSTRATE BEFORE THIS PROCESS TREATMENT, IS MORE WATER REPELLENT (WITHOUT SEALING PORES), IS MORE CORROSION AND SOIL RESISTANT, MORE CHEMICALLY INERT, MORE LIKE THE RELATVELY EXPESIVE POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE. WHEN THE SUBSTRATE IS A MATERIAL HAVING A RELATVELY INERT SURFACE, SUCH AS POLYETHYLENE, THE PROCESS IS DISCLOSED AS INCLUDING AN INITIAL TREATMENT STEP THAT INVOLVES ION BOM-BARDMENT OF THE SUBSTRATE IN HELIUM GAS TO ACTIVATE THE SURFACE BEFORE THE SURFACE IS TREATED IN THE FLUORINE CONTAINING GAS.

Inventors

• 👤 J Manion
• 👤 D Davies

Bibliographic Details