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Patent US4618525A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4618525A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Coated glass microbubbles and article incorporating them
Assignee: 3M Co
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Filing: 1985-06-03
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Granted: 1986-10-21
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Expires: 2005-06-03
Abstract
Abstract The invention concerns glass microbubbles having an inorganic thin-film coating not exceeding about 10 nm in thickness, especially a coating of a metal, a metalloid, or an alloy thereof. When dispersed throughout a matrix such as a polymer, the coated glass microbubbles can afford surprisingly good hiding power while also imparting esthetically pleasing colors to otherwise transparent articles.
Inventors
- 👤 Craig S. Chamberlain
- 👤 George F. Vesley
- 👤 Patrick G. Zimmerman
- 👤 Jerome W. McAllister
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 04:15
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08J; C08J9/00; C08J9/32; C03; C03B; C03B19/00; C03B19/10; C03B19/108; C03C; C03C17/00; C03C17/06; C03C17/22; C03C17/225; C03C17/23; C04; C04B; C04B20/00; C04B20/10; C04B20/1055; C09; C09C; C09C1/00; C09C1/28; C09C1/40; C09C1/405; C01; C01P; C01P2004/00; C01P2004/60; C01P2004/61; C01P2004/80; C01P2006/00; C01P2006/10; C01P2006/12; C01P2006/22; C01P2006/60; C03C2217/00; C03C2217/20; C03C2217/21; C03C2217/211; C03C2217/214; C03C2217/25; C03C2217/251; C03C2217/257; C03C2217/26; C03C2217/28; C03C2217/281; C03C2217/282; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24802; Y10T428/24917; Y10T428/24926; Y10T428/25; Y10T428/252; Y10T428/26; Y10T428/261; Y10T428/263; Y10T428/264; Y10T428/265; Y10T428/29; Y10T428/2982; Y10T428/2991; Y10T428/2993; Y10T428/2996
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
39 words
Glass microbubbles having an average density not exceeding 1.0 g/cm 3 and an average diameter from 5 to 200 micrometers wherein the improvement comprises: the microbubbles have an inorganic thin-film coating having an average thickness not exceeding 10 nm.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
39 words
Glass microbubbles having an average density not exceeding 1.0 g/cm 3 and an average diameter from 5 to 200 micrometers wherein the improvement comprises: the microbubbles have an inorganic thin-film coating having an average thickness not exceeding 10 nm.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
Glass microbubbles as defined in claim 1 wherein the average thickness of the thin-film coating is at least 0.05 nm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
Glass microbubbles as defined in claim 2 wherein the average thickness of the thin-film coating is at least 1 nm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
Glass microbubbles as defined in claim 2 wherein the thin-film coating is a metal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
Glass microbubbles as defined in claim 2 wherein the metal is selected from aluminum, silver, tungsten, copper, and chromium.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
Glass microbubbles as defined in claim 2 wherein the thin-film coating is a metalloid selected from carbon and silicon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
Glass microbubbles as defined in claim 2 wherein the thin-film coating is titanium nitride.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
Glass microbubbles as defined in claim 2 wherein the thin-film coating is tin oxide or aluminum oxide.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
8 words
Crushed glass microbubbles as defined in claim 1.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A coherent article comprising a matrix filled with glass microbubbles of claim 1, said microbubbles comprising at least five volume percent of the article.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The article of claim 10 wherein the average thickness of the thin-film coating is at least one nm.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
A coherent article comprising a matrix filled with glass microbubbles comprising at least 5 volume percent of the article, wherein the improvement comprises: the microbubbles have an inorganic thin-film coating having an average thickness not exceeding 10 nm.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
A coherent article comprising a matrix filled with glass microbubbles comprising at least 5 volume percent of the article, wherein the improvement comprises: the microbubbles have an inorganic thin-film coating having an average thickness not exceeding 10 nm.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
An article as defined in claim 12 wherein the average thickness of the thin-film coating is at least 0.05 nm.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
An article as defined in claim 13 wherein the average density of the coated microbubbles is less than 0.4.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
An article as defined in claim 14 wherein the average diameter of the microbubbles is from 5 to 200 micrometers.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
An article as defined in claim 15 wherein the microbubbles comprise from 10 to 65 volume percent of the article.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
An article as defined in claim 12 wherein the matrix is polymeric.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
An article as defined in claim 17 wherein said thin-film coating is a metal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
An article as defined in claim 18 wherein said metal thin-film coating is discontinuous.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
14 words
An article as defined in claim 18 wherein said metal thin-film coating is continuous.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
14 words
An article as defined in claim 12 the glass microbubbles of which are crushed.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-10-20 | 1990-04-21 | 1990-10-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-10-20 | 1994-04-21 | 1994-10-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-10-20 | 1998-04-21 | 1998-10-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |