Polymer-coated metal composites by dip autopolymerization

A polymer-coated metal composite produced by:

• providing an acidic starting solution consisting essentially of
• at least one electron acceptor monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylamides, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, and aralkyl acrylates, methacrylamide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, and aralkyl methacrylates, acrolein, methacrolein, thiocarboxamides, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, and aralkyl thiocarboxylates, and alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, and aralkyl esters of dithiocarboxylic acids;
• at least one electron donor monomer selected from the group consisting of 1-alkenes, alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aralkyl-substituted 1-alkenes, internal olefins, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, or aralkyl-substituted internal olefins, conjugated dienes, and alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, and aralkyl-substituted conjugated dienes;
• and
• at least one solvent which dissolves or forms an emulsion of the monomers, wherein the at least one electron acceptor monomer and the at least one electron donor monomer are polymerizable at a metal substrate upon contact with the metal substrate in the absence of other catalyst or catalysts;
• dipping the metal substrate into the starting solution, wherein the metal substrate is a metal which will initiate polymerization of the at least two monomers on the surface of the metal substrate in the absence of other catalyst or catalysts;
• and
• leaving the metal substrate in the starting solution for a time effective to form a polymeric coating by polymerization which occurs at the metal substrate and upon contact with the metal substrate in the absence of other catalyst or catalysts.

A polymer-coated metal composite produced by:

• providing an acidic starting solution consisting essentially of
• at least one electron acceptor monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylic acids, acrylamides, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, and aralkyl acrylates, methacrylic acid, methacrylamide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, and aralkyl methacrylates, acrolein, methacrolein, thiocarboxylic acids, thiocarboxamides, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, and aralkyl thiocarboxylates, dithioacrylic acids, dithiomethacrylic acids, and alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, and aralkyl esters of dithiocarboxylic acids;
• at least one electron donor monomer selected from the group consisting of, alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aralkyl-substituted 1-alkenes, internal olefins, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, or aralkyl-substituted internal olefins, conjugated dienes, and alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, and aralkyl-substituted conjugated dienes;
• and
• at least one solvent which dissolves or forms an emulsion of the monomers, wherein the at least one electron acceptor monomer and the at least one electron donor monomer are polymerizable at a metal substrate upon contact with the metal substrate in the absence of other catalyst or catalysts;
• dipping the metal substrate into the starting solution, wherein the metal substrate is a metal which will initiate polymerization of the at least two monomers on the surface of the metal substrate in the absence of other catalyst or catalysts;
• and
• leaving the metal substrate in the starting solution for a time effective to form a polymeric coating by polymerization which occurs at the metal substrate and upon contact with the metal substrate in the absence of other catalyst or catalysts.