# US 2021/0277522 A1 · Sanitary equipment part and method of producing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0277522 A1 - Document ID: US20210277522A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/212,537 - Filed: 2021-03-25 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-27 - Assignees: Toto Ltd. - Applicants: Toto Ltd. - Inventors: Saori Ukigai; Ryojiro Hijikata; Ryo Koga - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210277522A1 ## CPC - C23C 22/78: Pretreatment of the material to be coated - C23C 22/03: containing phosphorus compounds - C23C 22/73: characterised by the process - C23C 22/82: After-treatment - C23C 22/83: Chemical after-treatment - C23C 28/00: Coating for obtaining at least two superposed coatings either by methods not provided for in a single one of groups C23C2/00 - C23C26/00 or by combinations of methods provided for in subclasses C23C and C25C or C25D - C23C 28/32: {including at least one pure metallic layer} - C23C 28/34: {including at least one inorganic non-metallic material layer, e.g. metal carbide, nitride, boride, silicide layer and their mixtures, enamels, phosphates and sulphates} - C23C 28/345: {with at least one oxide layer} - C25D 3/04: of chromium - C25D 3/12: of nickel or cobalt - E03C 1/0412: {Constructional or functional features of the faucet handle (valve actuating members as such F16K31/60)} - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR - E03C: DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER (not connected to either water-supply main or to waste pipe A47K; devices of the kind used in the ground E03B, E03F); SINKS ## Abstract To provide a sanitary facility member having excellent ease of contamination removal and excellent persistence of ease of contamination removal. A sanitary facility member including: a base material, at least the surface of which includes a metal element; a metal oxide layer formed on the surface of the base material; and an organic layer provided on the metal oxide layer; wherein the metal element is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Cr, Zr, and Ti, the metal oxide layer includes at least the metal element and an oxygen element, and the organic layer is bonded to the metal oxide layer by bonding (M-O—P bonding) of the metal element (M) and a phosphorus atom (P) of at least one group (X) selected from a phosphonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, and a phosphinic acid group via an oxygen atom (O), the group X being bonded to a group R (where R is a hydrocarbon or a group having an atom other than carbon in 1 or 2 locations in a hydrocarbon group). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sanitary equipment part comprising: a base material having a metal element at least on a surface thereof; a layer of metal oxide formed on the surface of the base material; and a layer of organic compound provided on the layer of metal oxide, wherein the metal element is at least one selected from the group consisting of Cr, Zr, and Ti, the layer of metal oxide contains at least the metal element and an oxygen element, and the layer of organic compound binds to the layer of metal oxide by binding the metal element (M) via an oxygen atom (0) to a phosphorus atom (P) of at least one group (X) selected from a phosphonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, and a phosphinic acid group (M-O—P bond), and the group X is bonded to a group R, where R is a hydrocarbon group or a group having an atom other than carbon at one or two positions in the hydrocarbon group. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 1, wherein in the layer of organic compound, one end of R, which is an end that is not a bonding end with X, is made up of C and H. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 2, wherein R is a hydrocarbon group made up of C and H. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 1, wherein in the layer of organic compound, X is made up of phosphonic acid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 1, wherein the layer of organic compound is free of a fluorine atom. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 1, wherein the layer of organic compound is a monolayer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 6, wherein the layer of organic compound is a self-assembled monolayer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 1, wherein a phosphorus atom concentration on a surface of the sanitary equipment part, which is calculated from a peak area of a P2p spectrum measured according to condition 1 by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), is 1.0 at % or more and 10 at % or less. (Condition 1) X-ray condition: monochromatic AlKα ray (output 25 W) Photoelectron take-off angle: 45° Analysis area: 100 μmφ Scanning range: 15.5 to 1100 eV ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 8, wherein the phosphorus atom concentration is 1.5 at % or more. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 8, wherein an oxygen atom/metal atom concentration ratio (O/M ratio) on the surface of the sanitary equipment part, which is calculated from peak areas of an O1s spectrum and a metal spectrum measured according to condition 1 by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), is greater than 1.7. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 10, wherein the O/M ratio is 1.8 or more. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 1, wherein a carbon atom concentration on the surface of the sanitary equipment part, which is calculated based on a peak area of a C1s spectrum measured according to condition 1 by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), is 43 at % or more. (Condition 1) X-ray condition: monochromatic AlKα ray (output 25 W) Photoelectron take-off angle: 45° Analysis area: 100 μmφ Scanning range: 15.5 to 1100 eV ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 8, wherein a carbon atom concentration on the surface of the sanitary equipment part, which is calculated based on a peak area of a C1s spectrum measured according to condition 1 by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), is 43 at % or more. (Condition 1) X-ray condition: monochromatic AlKα ray (output 25 W) Photoelectron take-off angle: 45° Analysis area: 100 μmy Scanning range: 15.5 to 1100 eV ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 1, wherein the sanitary equipment is used in an environment exposed to water. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 1, wherein the sanitary equipment is indoor equipment. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 14, wherein the sanitary equipment part is a faucet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The sanitary equipment part according to claim 16, wherein the sanitary equipment part is a faucet that discharges warm water. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A method of producing the sanitary equipment part according to claim 1, the method comprising: preparing a base material; increasing a degree of oxidation of a surface of the base material; and applying a compound represented by a general formula R—X, where R is a hydrocarbon group, and X is at least one selected from a phosphonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, and a phosphinic acid group.