Electron beam irradiating process for rendering rough or topographically irregular surface substrates smooth; and coated substrates produced thereby

Claim 2

A process for providing a substrate with an adhered coating of controlled penetration and predetermined external surface texture, that comprises, applying an electron-beam-curable, thin, low viscosity, solid coating to a surface of the substrate; subjecting the coated substrate to electron-beam energy after a dwell time following the applying of the coating adjusted to be sufficiently short to prevent the coating from relaxing into conformity with the substrate surface and from substantial penetration into the substrate, said dwell time being within the range of the order of one second down to fractions thereof; and adjusting the electron beam energy to sufficient value, dose, coverage and penetration thereupon rapidly to cure the coating uniformly throughout its thickness and extent in adhering engagement with the substrate, and with an external coating surface of controlled defect-free texture.

Claim 3

A process as claimed in claim 1 and in which the substrate is fed along a line from coating to applying the electron beam, and the electron-beam adjusting step is effected within a value range of about 150 to 250 keV with a dose range of about 0.25 to 5 megarads.

Claim 4

A process as claimed in claim 2 and in which the coating applying step is effected by offset gravure followed by smoothing of the coating.

Claim 5

A process as claimed in claim 2 and in which the said low viscosity is of the order of about several hundred to two thousand cp.

Claim 6

A process as claimed in claim 2 and in which the coating applying step is controlled to effect a coating of thickness of the order of microns.

Claim 7

A process as claimed in claim 5 and in which said thickness is controlled to lie within the range of from about 1-25 microns.

Claim 8

A process as claimed in claim 5 and in which the thinness of the coating and shortness of said dwell time are adjusted to produce an external defect-free coating surface of smooth, glass-like texture.

Claim 9

A process as claimed in claim 7 and in which a further surface requiring a smooth base is applied upon the said smooth, glass-like external coating surface.

Claim 10

A process as claimed in claim 8 and in which said further surface comprises a water vapor and gas barrier film.

Claim 11

A process as claimed in claim 9 and in which said barrier film comprises a gas-impermeable plastic layer.

Claim 12

A process as claimed in claim 10 and in which said barrier film comprises a metalized layer.

Claim 13

A process as claimed in claim 10 and in which said substrate is selected from the group consisting of paper, clay-coated paper, cellulosic surfaces, nonwoven and plastic fabrics, and polymer films.

Claim 14

A process as claimed in claim 2 and in which said substrate is of rough or porous surface texture, and said electron-beam-curable coating is adhered to the rough surface with the external cured coating surface being of glass-like smoothness.

Claim 15

A process as claimed in claim 13 and in which the dwell time and electron-beam adjusting are effected so as to adhere the coating to the substrate with voids therebetween.

Claim 16

A process as claimed in claim 13 and in which said substrate is of paper, and said coating is of electron-beam-curable plastic material cured into said external coating surface of glass-like smoothness.

Claim 17

A process as claimed in claim 15 and in which a gas-impermeable barrier film is applied upon said glass-like external coating surface.

Claim 18

A process as claimed in claim 16 and in which said barrier film is a metalizing layer.

Claim 19

A process as claimed in claim 17 and in which the metalizing layer is aluminum deposited by vacuum deposition.

Claim 20

A coated substrate product having, in combination, a substrate of relatively rough texture; a thin electron-beam-cured coating adhered to, but not substantially penetrating and contouring to the rough texture of the substrate; said coating having its external surface cured into glass-like smoothness and its inner surface separated with voids between portions of the substrate and the inner surface of the coating.

Claim 21

A coated substrate product having, in combination, a substrate of relatively rough texture; a thin electron-beam-cured coating adhered to, but not substantially penetrating and contouring to the rough texture of the substrate; said coating having its external surface cured into glass-like smoothness and its inner surface separated with voids between portions of the substrate and the inner surface of the coating.

Claim 22

A coated substrate product as claimed in claim 19 and in which the substrate is selected from the group consisting of paper, clay-coated paper, cellulosic surfaces, nonwoven and plastic fabrics, and polymer films; and the thin coating is formed from a low viscosity, electron-beam-curable, solid, solventless material in a thickness of the order of microns.

Claim 23

A coated substrate product as claimed in claim 20 and in which a gas-impermeable barrier is applied to said glass-like external coating surface.

Claim 24

A coated substrate product as claimed in claim 21 and in which said barrier is selected from the group consisting of plastic sheet, plastic film and metalized layer.

Claim 25

A coated substrate product as claimed in claim 20 and in which the coating material is of electron-curable polymer material, as of vinyl and acrylate, of viscosity in the range between hundreds and two thousand cp.

Claim 26

A coated substrate product formed by the process of claim 1.

Claim 27

A process as claimed in claim 1 and in which an electron-permeable layer is applied to the coating to assist in laying the same flat, and said layer is removed after the electron-beam curing of the coating through said layer.

Claim 28

A process for providing a relatively rough substrate with an adhered coating of controlled penetration and predetermined relatively smooth external surface texture, that comprises, applying an electron-beam-curable, thin, low viscosity, solid coating carried by a thin layer, to a surface of the substrate; subjecting the coated substrate to electron-beam energy after a dwell time following the applying of the layer-carried coating adjusted to be sufficiently short to prevent the coating from conforming with the relatively rough substrate surface and from substantial penetration into the substrate, said dwell time being within the range of the order of one second down to fractions thereof; and adjusting the electron beam energy to sufficient value, dose, coverage and penetration thereupon rapidly to cure the coating uniformly throughout its thickness and extent in adhering equipment with the substrate, and with an external coating surface of controlled defect-free relatively smooth texture; and peeling off the said layer.

Claim 29

A process for providing a relatively rough substrate with an adhered coating of controlled penetration and predetermined relatively smooth external surface texture, that comprises, applying an electron-beam-curable, thin, low viscosity, solid coating carried by a thin layer, to a surface of the substrate; subjecting the coated substrate to electron-beam energy after a dwell time following the applying of the layer-carried coating adjusted to be sufficiently short to prevent the coating from conforming with the relatively rough substrate surface and from substantial penetration into the substrate, said dwell time being within the range of the order of one second down to fractions thereof; and adjusting the electron beam energy to sufficient value, dose, coverage and penetration thereupon rapidly to cure the coating uniformly throughout its thickness and extent in adhering equipment with the substrate, and with an external coating surface of controlled defect-free relatively smooth texture; and peeling off the said layer.

Claim 30

A process as claimed in claim 26 and in which said substrate is paper and the said coating on said thin layer has a thickness of the order of microns.

Claim 31

The process of metallizing paper comprising the steps of: coating a surface of a paper substrate with a solventless thin film consisting essentially of a radiation curable resin precursor; immediately contacting said film with electron radiation sufficient to cure said precursor before said precursor has penetrated into said paper substrate a distance sufficient to cause detrimental stiffening thereof; and metallizing the exposed surface of said film.

Claim 32

The process of metallizing paper comprising the steps of: coating a surface of a paper substrate with a solventless thin film consisting essentially of a radiation curable resin precursor; immediately contacting said film with electron radiation sufficient to cure said precursor before said precursor has penetrated into said paper substrate a distance sufficient to cause detrimental stiffening thereof; and metallizing the exposed surface of said film.

Claim 33

The process of claim 28 wherein said film is sufficient thick to cover substantially all fibrous paper material projecting from said surface.

Claim 34

The process of claim 29 wherein said film has a thickness after curing of from about 1 to about 25 microns.

Claim 35

The process of claim 30 wherein said film is cured before penetrating into said paper substrate more than a quarter of the thickness of said paper substrate.

Claim 36

The process of claim 31 wherein said film has imbedded therein from about 5% to about 25% of paper fibers.

Claim 37

The process of claim 32 wherein said resin precursor has a viscosity of from about 500 to about 5,000 centipoise.

Claim 38

The process of claim 33 wherein said viscosity is from about 2,000 to about 3,000 centipoise.

Claim 39

The process of claim 34 wherein said viscosity is from about 2,600 to about 2,700 centipoise.

Claim 40

The process of claim 33 wherein said metallizing step is carried out by a vacuum metallizing technique.

Claim 41

The process of claim 36 wherein said paper substrate is flexible and has a thickness of about 125 microns.

Claim 42

The process of claim 37 wherein said metallizing step provides a metal layer on said film which is less than 1/100th the thickness of said film.

Claim 43

The process of claim 38 wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of aluminum and other metals.

Claim 44

The process of claim 39 wherein said metal is aluminum.

Claim 45

The process of applying a layer to a modified paper substrate comprising the steps of: coating a surface of a paper substrate with a thin film consisting essentially of a radiation curable resin precursor; immediately contacting said film with electron radiation sufficient to cure said precursor before said precursor has penetrated into said paper substrate a distance sufficient to cause detrimental stiffening thereof; and applying said layer on the exposed surface of said film.

Claim 46

The process of applying a layer to a modified paper substrate comprising the steps of: coating a surface of a paper substrate with a thin film consisting essentially of a radiation curable resin precursor; immediately contacting said film with electron radiation sufficient to cure said precursor before said precursor has penetrated into said paper substrate a distance sufficient to cause detrimental stiffening thereof; and applying said layer on the exposed surface of said film.

Claim 47

The process of claim 41 wherein said film is sufficiently thick to cover substantially all fibrous paper material projecting from said surface.

Claim 48

The process of claim 42 wherein said film has a thickness after curing of from about 1 to about 25 microns.

Claim 49

The process of claim 43 wherein said film is cured before penetrating into said paper substrate more than a quarter of the thickness of said paper substrate.

Claim 50

The process of claim 44 wherein said film has imbedded therein from about 5% to about 25% of paper fibers.

Claim 51

The process of claim 45 wherein said resin precursor has a viscosity of from about 500 to about 5,000 centipoise.

Claim 52

The process of claim 46 wherein said viscosity is from about 2,000 to about 3,000 centipoise.

Claim 53

The process of claim 47 wherein said viscosity is from about 2,600 to about 2,700 centipoise.

Claim 54

The process of claim 46 wherein said applying step is carried out with material selected from the group consisting of plastic or metal.

Claim 55

The process of claim 49 wherein said paper substrate has a thickness of about 125 microns.