Thin-wall polymer coated articles and gloves and a method therefor

A process for making a polymer coated article, comprising the steps of:

• 1) providing an article;
• 2) optionally applying said article to a form member heated to a temperature of from ambient temperature to 90° C.;
• 3) optionally applying a preliminary treatment of an electrolyte to said article and allowing said article to dry;
• 4) coating said article in a polyurethane dispersion comprising the reaction product of:
• (a) an isocyanate functional prepolymer comprising the reaction of:
• said polyol is selected from the group consisting of:
• polyether glycols, polyester glycols, hydrogenated polybutadiene polyols, fluorinated polyethers and polysiloxane polyols;
• (ii) an isocyanate selected from the group consisting of:
• 1,3 bis(1-isocynato-1-methyl)cyclohexane, diphenylmethane 4,4-diisocynate, diphenylmethane 2,4-diisocynate, 1-isocyanato-4-[(4-isocyanatophenyl)methyl]benzene, isophorone diisocyanate, 1,1′-methylenebis(4-isocyanatocyclohexane), toluene diisocyanate, hexamethyl diisocyanate, and dodecamethylene diisocyanate;
• and,
• (iii) a stabilizing ingredient selected from the group consisting of:
• i) an ionic compound having at least one active hydrogen and that is soluble in the bulk phase of the dispersion and which contains an ionic group or group containing a moiety capable of forming an ionic group, ii) a non-ionic compound containing polyester, polyether or polycarbonate groups with a ratio of 4 or less carbon atoms per oxygen atom, and iii) mixtures thereof;
• (b) a chain extender selected from the group consisting of:
• ethylene diamine, 1,3-diaminocyclohexane, 1,2-diaminopropane, 1,3-diaminopropane, metaxylylene diamine, ethylene glycol, 1,3-trimethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propylene diol, and mixtures thereof;
• and,
• (c) a chain terminator selected from the group consisting of:
• diethylamine, mono-alcohols, and compounds having single reactive end groups that can bond with an isocyanate group and terminate polymerization;
• 5) allowing said article to rest until the polyurethane dispersion coating said article no longer drips from said article;
• 6) applying a final treatment of an electrolyte to said article;
• 7) soaking said article for 1 minute to 60 minutes in water at a temperature from ambient temperature to 85° C.;
• and,
• 8) drying said article for up to 40 minutes in a drier at a temperature from about 50° C. to 90° C.

A polymer coating comprising a polyurethane dispersion comprising the reaction product of:

• (a) an isocyanate functional prepolymer comprising the reaction product of:
• (i) said polyol is selected from the group consisting of:
• polyether glycols, polyester glycols, hydrogenated polybutadiene polyols, fluorinated polyethers and polysiloxane polyols;
• (ii) an isocyanate selected from the group consisting of:
• 1,3 bis(1-isocynato-1-methyl)cyclohexane, diphenylmethane 4,4-diisocynate, diphenylmethane 2,4-diisocynate, 1-isocyanato-4-[(4-isocyanatophenyl)methyl]benzene, isophorone diisocyanate, 1,1′-methylenebis(4-isocyanatocyclohexane), toluene diisocyanate, hexamethyl diisocyanate, and dodecamethylene diisocyanate;
• and,
• (iii) a stabilizing ingredient selected from the group consisting of:
• i) an ionic compound having at least one active hydrogen and that is soluble in the bulk phase of the dispersion and which contains an ionic group or group containing a moiety capable of forming an ionic group, ii) a non-ionic compound containing polyester, polyether or polycarbonate groups with a ratio of 4 or less carbon atoms per oxygen atom, and iii) mixtures thereof;
• (b) a chain extender selected from the group consisting of:
• ethylene diamine, 1,3-diaminocyclohexane, 1,2-diaminopropane, 1,3-diaminopropane, metaxylylene diamine, ethylene glycol, 1,3-trimethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propylene diol, and mixtures thereof;
• and,
• (c) a chain terminator selected from the group consisting of:
• diethylamine, mono-alcohols, and compounds having single reactive end groups that can bond with an isocyanate group and thereby terminate polymerization.