Physiologically compatible plastic contact lenses and a method for their production

Abstract

Abstract 1. THE PROCESS FOR LOWERING THE GLASS TRANSITION TEMPERATURE OF A SOLID, CROSS-LINKED POLYMER OBTAINED BY POLYMERIZING POLYMERIZABLE COMPONENTS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE MONOMER SELECTED FROM R1R2C=CR3CO2H AND R1R2C=CR3CO2Z WHEREIN R1 AND R2 ARE THE SAME OR DIFFERENT, AND THEY ARE EITHER ALKYL GROUPS HAVING A CARBON ATOM CONTENT LESS THAN 6 OR HYDROGEN; R3 IS HYDROGEN OR METHYL, AND Z IS AN ALKYL GROUP HAVING A CARBON ATOM CONTENT FROM 1-11, A HYDROXYALKYL GROUP HAVING A CARBON ATOM CONTENT OF FROM 2-11 OR AN ALKOXYALKYL GROUP HAVING A CARBON ATOM CONTENT FROM 3-11; SAID POLYMERIZABLE COMPONENTS CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 10 MOLS OF CROSS-LINKING AGENT PER 100 MOLS OF POLYMERIZABLE COMPONENTS AND SAID POLYMER CONTAINING AT LEAST 10 WEIGHT PERCENT, CALCULATED AS FREE CARBOXYL GROUPS, OF PENDANT CARBOXYLIC SUBSTITUENT GROUPS, SAID SUBSTITUENT GROUPS BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CARBOXYL, ALKYL CARBOXYLATE ESTER HAVING FROM 1-11 CARBON ATOMS, CARBOXYLIC ACID ANHYDRIDE GROUPS AND MIXTURES THEREOF WHICH COMPRISES TREATING THE RESULTANT SOLID, CROSS-LINKED POLYMER BY ONE OR MORE CHEMICAL CONVERSION REACTIONS OF THE GROUP: (A) DIRECT ESTERIFICATION OF SAID PENDANT CARBOXYL AND CARBOXYLIC ACID ANHYDRIDE GROUPS BY CONTACTING THE SOLID POLYMER WITH AN ALCOLHOL HAVING FROM 1-15 CARBON ATOMS FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT AND UNDER CONDITIONS TO EFFECT ESTERIFICATION; (B) INDIRECT ESTERIFICATION OF SAID CARBOXYL AND CARBOXYLIC ACID ANHYDRIDE GROUPS BY CONTACTING SAID CARBOXYL AND CARBOXYLIC ACID ANHYDRIDE GROUPS WITH AN ACID HALIDE FORMING REAGENT UNDER REACTION CONDITIONS AND SUBSEQUENTLY CONTACTING THE RESULTANT ACID HALIDE GROUPS WITH AN ALCOHOL HAVING FROM 1 TO 15 CARBON ATOMS AT REACTION CONDITIONS; AND (C) TRANSESTERIFYING SAID ALKYL CARBOXYLATE ESTER GROUPS TO HIGHER ALKYL CARBOXYLATE GROUPS BY CONTACTING SAID POLYMER WITH AN ALCOHOL HAVING FROM 2-15 CARBON ATOMS AND A GREATER NUMBER OF CARBON ATOMS THAN SAID ALKYL CARBOXYLATE ESTER GROUP AT REACTION CONDITIONS.

Inventors

• 👤 M Shen
• 👤 R Mandell
• 👤 L Stark

Bibliographic Details