US5725909A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Acrylate composite barrier coating process
Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Co
•
Filing: 1996-02-09
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Granted: 1998-03-10
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Expires: 2016-02-09
Abstract
Abstract A thermoplastic container or packaging material is given low oxygen permeability by coating with a crosslinked acrylate layer and a layer of oxygen barrier material deposited over the acrylate layer. Another acrylate layer may be deposited over the oxygen barrier. The oxygen barrier is selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide and metal. The acrylate layer may be formed from a photopolymerizable polyfunctional acrylate that is sufficiently low viscosity to be sprayed on the substrate or applied by dipping. Alternatively, the acrylate layer is a polymerization product of an acrylate monomer which is evaporated in a vacuum, condensed on the substrate and polymerized by irradiation by ultraviolet or an electron beam. The surface of the thermoplastic substrate is prepared for deposition of the acrylate by either flame treating the surface of the substrate to heat it above its melting point without deforming the substrate to thereby smooth the surface, or by plasma treating the surface for enhancing adhesion of the acrylate. Chilling the substrate enhances deposition efficiency.
Inventors
- 👤 David G. Shaw
- 👤 Eric Dawson
- 👤 Daniel Cline
- 👤 Marc Langlois
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 16:06
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01G; H01G4/00; H01G4/002; H01G4/018; H01G4/06; H01G4/14; H01G4/18; B; B05; B05D; B05D1/00; B05D1/60; B05D3/00; B05D3/14; B05D3/141; B05D3/142; B05D3/144; B65; B65D; B65D1/00; B65D1/02; B65D1/0207; B65D1/0215; C; C08; C08J; C08J7/00; C08J7/04; H01G2/00; H01G2/12; H01G4/20; H01G4/206; H01G4/32; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/13; Y10T428/1334; Y10T428/1338; Y10T428/1352; Y10T428/1355; Y10T428/1359; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24942; Y10T428/2495; Y10T428/24967; Y10T428/24975; Y10T428/26; Y10T428/263; Y10T428/264; Y10T428/265; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31652; Y10T428/31667; Y10T428/31678; Y10T428/31692; Y10T428/31699; Y10T428/31725; Y10T428/31739; Y10T428/31743; Y10T428/3175; Y10T428/31786; Y10T428/31797; Y10T428/31855; Y10T428/31909; Y10T428/31928; Y10T428/31935
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
85 words
A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic substrate comprising the steps of: heating the surface of the substrate above its melting point and cooling the surface of the substrate below its melting point; evaporating acrylate monomer having a molecular weight in the range of from 150 to 600; depositing the evaporated acrylate on the cooled surface of the substrate; polymerizing the acrylate for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer; and depositing a layer of oxygen barrier material over the cross-linked acrylate layer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
85 words
A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic substrate comprising the steps of: heating the surface of the substrate above its melting point and cooling the surface of the substrate below its melting point; evaporating acrylate monomer having a molecular weight in the range of from 150 to 600; depositing the evaporated acrylate on the cooled surface of the substrate; polymerizing the acrylate for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer; and depositing a layer of oxygen barrier material over the cross-linked acrylate layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the heating step comprises exposing the substrate to a flame for a sufficient time to melt the surface of the thermoplastic material without deforming the substrate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of depositing a layer of an oxygen barrier material comprises depositing a material selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide and metal to the substrate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of depositing a layer of an oxygen barrier material comprises depositing a material selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide and aluminum oxide.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
100 words
A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic substrate comprising the steps of: heating the surface of the substrate above its melting point and cooling the surface of the substrate below its melting point; evaporating a blend comprising at least one acrylate monomer having a molecular weight in the range of from 150 to 400 and a second acrylate having a molecular weight more than 600; depositing the evaporated acrylate on the cooled surface of the substrate; polymerizing the acrylate for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer; and depositing an oxygen barrier material over the cross-linked acrylate layer.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
100 words
A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic substrate comprising the steps of: heating the surface of the substrate above its melting point and cooling the surface of the substrate below its melting point; evaporating a blend comprising at least one acrylate monomer having a molecular weight in the range of from 150 to 400 and a second acrylate having a molecular weight more than 600; depositing the evaporated acrylate on the cooled surface of the substrate; polymerizing the acrylate for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer; and depositing an oxygen barrier material over the cross-linked acrylate layer.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
59 words
A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic substrate comprising the steps of: evaporating at least one polyfunctional acrylate; condensing the acrylate on the surface of the substrate; polymerizing the acrylate for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer; and plasma treating the cross-linked acrylate surface immediately before depositing an oxygen barrier material over the cross-linked acrylate layer.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
59 words
A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic substrate comprising the steps of: evaporating at least one polyfunctional acrylate; condensing the acrylate on the surface of the substrate; polymerizing the acrylate for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer; and plasma treating the cross-linked acrylate surface immediately before depositing an oxygen barrier material over the cross-linked acrylate layer.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
96 words
A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic substrate comprising the steps of: heating the surface of the substrate above its melting point and cooling the surface of the substrate below its melting point; chilling the substrate to a temperature below ambient temperature; placing the chilled substrate in a vacuum chamber; condensing at least one liquid polyfunctional acrylate monomer on the substrate while the substrate is still at a temperature below ambient temperature; polymerizing the acrylate for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer; and depositing an oxygen barrier material over the cross-linked acrylate layer.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
96 words
A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic substrate comprising the steps of: heating the surface of the substrate above its melting point and cooling the surface of the substrate below its melting point; chilling the substrate to a temperature below ambient temperature; placing the chilled substrate in a vacuum chamber; condensing at least one liquid polyfunctional acrylate monomer on the substrate while the substrate is still at a temperature below ambient temperature; polymerizing the acrylate for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer; and depositing an oxygen barrier material over the cross-linked acrylate layer.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
116 words
A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic substrate comprising the steps of: heating the surface of the substrate above its melting, point and cooling the heated surface of the substrate below its melting point; preheating a polyfunctional acrylate prepolymer to a temperature above ambient temperature and lower than a temperature where the acrylate polymerizes; atomizing the preheated acrylate prepolymer into a heated vaporization chamber in a vacuum system; vaporizing the acrylate prepolymer in the vaporization chamber and discharging the vaporized prepolymer into the vacuum system; depositing the prepolymer on the substrate; polymerizing the acrylate prepolymer for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer; and depositing an oxygen barrier material over the cross-linked acrylate layer.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
116 words
A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic substrate comprising the steps of: heating the surface of the substrate above its melting, point and cooling the heated surface of the substrate below its melting point; preheating a polyfunctional acrylate prepolymer to a temperature above ambient temperature and lower than a temperature where the acrylate polymerizes; atomizing the preheated acrylate prepolymer into a heated vaporization chamber in a vacuum system; vaporizing the acrylate prepolymer in the vaporization chamber and discharging the vaporized prepolymer into the vacuum system; depositing the prepolymer on the substrate; polymerizing the acrylate prepolymer for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer; and depositing an oxygen barrier material over the cross-linked acrylate layer.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
95 words
A method for making a container with low oxygen permeability comprising the steps of: flame treating the outside surface of a thermoplastic container; depositing a polyfunctional acrylate on the flame treated surface of the container; polymerizing the acrylate to form a cross-linked acrylate layer; depositing a layer of oxygen barrier material selected from the group of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide and metal on the outside surface of the container; depositing a polyfunctional acrylate on the layer of oxygen barrier material; and polymerizing the acrylate to form a cross-linked acrylate layer over the oxygen barrier material.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
95 words
A method for making a container with low oxygen permeability comprising the steps of: flame treating the outside surface of a thermoplastic container; depositing a polyfunctional acrylate on the flame treated surface of the container; polymerizing the acrylate to form a cross-linked acrylate layer; depositing a layer of oxygen barrier material selected from the group of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide and metal on the outside surface of the container; depositing a polyfunctional acrylate on the layer of oxygen barrier material; and polymerizing the acrylate to form a cross-linked acrylate layer over the oxygen barrier material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method as recited in claim 9 wherein at least one step of depositing an acrylate comprises depositing a blend comprising at least one acrylate monomer having a molecular weight in the range of from 150 to 400 and a second acrylate having a molecular weight more than 600.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising the steps of: chilling the container to a temperature below ambient temperature; and placing the chilled container in a vacuum chamber; and wherein the depositing step comprises condensing the acrylate monomer on the container while the container is still at a temperature below ambient temperature.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic sheet substrate comprising the steps of: depositing a metal layer on a thermoplastic sheet substrate; vapor depositing a polyfunctional acrylate on the metal layer before the exposed surface of the metal layer contacts any solid surface; and polymerizing the acrylate for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer before the exposed surface of the acrylate layer contacts any solid surface.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic sheet substrate comprising the steps of: depositing a metal layer on a thermoplastic sheet substrate; vapor depositing a polyfunctional acrylate on the metal layer before the exposed surface of the metal layer contacts any solid surface; and polymerizing the acrylate for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer before the exposed surface of the acrylate layer contacts any solid surface.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
78 words
A method for forming an acrylate polymer layer comprising the steps of: preheating a polyfunctional acrylate prepolymer to a temperature above ambient temperature and lower than a temperature where the prepolymer polymerizes; atomizing the preheated prepolymer into a heated vaporization chamber in a vacuum system; vaporizing the prepolymer in the vaporization chamber and discharging the vaporized prepolymer into the vacuum system; depositing the prepolymer on a substrate; and polymerizing the acrylate prepolymer for forming a crosslinked acrylate layer.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
78 words
A method for forming an acrylate polymer layer comprising the steps of: preheating a polyfunctional acrylate prepolymer to a temperature above ambient temperature and lower than a temperature where the prepolymer polymerizes; atomizing the preheated prepolymer into a heated vaporization chamber in a vacuum system; vaporizing the prepolymer in the vaporization chamber and discharging the vaporized prepolymer into the vacuum system; depositing the prepolymer on a substrate; and polymerizing the acrylate prepolymer for forming a crosslinked acrylate layer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as recited in claim 13 comprising preheating the prepolymer to a temperature of up to 100° C.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as recited in claim 13 comprising preheating the prepolymer to a temperature of about 100° C.
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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) | 2001-03-09 | 2001-09-08 | 2002-03-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-03-09 | 2005-09-08 | 2006-03-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-03-09 | 2009-09-08 | 2010-03-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |