Conformal coating of polymer fibers on nonwoven substrates
AssigneesPathogen Removal and Diagnostic Technologies, Inc., North Carolina State University
InventorsYong Zheng, Sumana Roy Chowdhury, Patrick Vasconcelos Gurgel, Haiyan Liu, Ruben G. Carbonell
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Abstract
The present invention describes a novel process for the conformal coating of polymer fibers on nonwoven substrates. This process is based on the modification of polymer fiber surfaces by controlling the degree of etching and oxidation, which improves adhesion of initiators to the surface and facilitates subsequent conformal polymer grafting. The modified fiber surfaces render new functionalities to the surface, such as increasing hydrophilicity, attaching ligands or changing surface energy. The invention includes the modified polymer fibers produced by the process described herein.
Claims21
(canceled)
A modified polymer nonwoven substrate comprising a polymer nonwoven substrate having a fiber surface and a conformal coating on said fiber surface.
A modified polymer nonwoven substrate produced by a process to modify a fiber surface of a polymer nonwoven substrate to obtain a conformal coating, comprising the steps of:
- 1) increasing roughness of a fiber surface and increasing the hydroxyl, carbonyl and any other oxygen containing group through exposure to UV in air at a wavelength between 150-300 nm, wherein said exposure to UV in air generates ozone;
- 2) soaking the substrate with a solution containing both a monomer and an initiator;
- 3) sandwiching the soaked substrate obtained from step 2 between two glasses;
- 4) exposing the substrate to UV or heat for grafting to form the conformal coating;
- and
- 5) washing and drying the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.