Method of coating liquid penetrable articles with polymeric dispersions

A method of coating a liquid-penetrable material with a liquid dispersion of a polymer, comprising:

• preheating said liquid-penetrable material to a temperature sufficient to prevent any substantial penetration of liquid into said material when said material, at said preheated temperature, is contacted with a liquid dispersion of a polymer;
• maintaining said preheated material at a temperature sufficient to prevent any substantial penetration of liquid into said material when said material is contacted with a liquid dispersion of a polymer, until immediately prior to coating said material with a liquid dispersion of a polymer;
• coating said preheated material with a liquid dispersion of a curable polymer in an amount sufficient to form a fluid impermeable barrier over said material after curing said coating;
• supporting said coated material on a plurality of gasket suspension members through a drying station said suspension members having a material contact area sufficiently small that any depressions made in the polymer coating are healed over during curing;
• drying said coated material at said drying station in an amount sufficient to provide a tack-free polymer coating on said material;
• and
• curing said polymer coating.

A method of coating a liquid-penetrable material with a liquid dispersion of a polymer, comprising:

• preheating said liquid-penetrable material to a temperature sufficient to prevent any substantial penetration of liquid into said material when said material, at said preheated temperature, is contacted with a liquid dispersion of a polymer;
• coating a major surface said preheated material while at said temperature with a liquid dispersion of a curable polymer;
• supporting the coated, liquid-penetrable material on a plurality of support members while said coating is dried to a substantially tack-free condition;
• and
• curing said coating to form a polymer-coated article.

A method of coating a liquid-penetrable material with a liquid dispersion of a polymer, comprising:

• preheating said liquid-penetrable material to a temperature sufficient to prevent any substantial penetration of liquid into said material when said material, at said preheated temperature, is contacted with a liquid dispersion of a polymer;
• maintaining said preheated material at a temperature sufficient to prevent any substantial penetration of liquid into said material when said material is contacted with a liquid dispersion of a polymer, until immediately prior to coating said material with a liquid dispersion of a polymer;
• coating a major surface of said preheated material with a liquid dispersion of a curable polymer in an amount sufficient to form a fluid impermeable barrier over said material after curing said coating;
• supporting said coated material on a plurality of suspension members through a drying station said suspension members having a material contact area sufficiently small that any depressions made in the polymer coating are healed over during curing;
• drying said coated material at said drying station in an amount sufficient to provide a tack-free polymer coating on said material;
• and
• curing said polymer coating.

A method of coating a water-penetrable gasket material of the type comprising particulate material bound by an elastomer with a water dispersion of a polymer comprising:

• pre-heating said water-penetrable material to a temperature sufficient to prevent any substantial penetration of water into said material when said material, at said pre-heated temperature, is contacted with a water dispersion of a polymer;
• contacting a major surface of said pre-heated material while at said temperature with a water dispersion of a curable polymer;
• conveying said polymer contacted material to a drying station immediately after said polymer contact to prevent prolonged contact with said water so that said water does not substantially penetrable said pre-heated material;
• drying said coating;
• and
• curing said coating to form a polymer-coated article.

A method of coating a water-penetrable gasket material of the type comprising particulate material bound by an elastomer with a water dispersion of a polymer, comprising:

• preheating said water-penetrable material to a temperature sufficient to prevent any substantial penetration of water into said material when said material, at said preheated temperature, is contacted with a water dispersion of a polymer;
• maintaining said preheated material at a temperature sufficient to prevent any substantial penetration of water into said material when said material is contacted with a water dispersion of a polymer, until immediately prior to coating said material with a water dispersion of a polymer;
• contacting a major surface of said preheated material with a water dispersion of a curable polymer in an amount sufficient to form a fluid impermeable barrier coating over said material after curing said coating;
• conveying said coated material to a drying station immediately after contacting said material with said water dispersed polymer so that the water portion of the water dispersed polymer does not substantially penetrate the preheated material and to permit the water to be driven away from said preheated material as a result of the preheating;
• supporting said coated material on a plurality of raised gasket suspension members through the drying station in an amount sufficient to provide a tack-free polymer coating on said material, said suspension members having a material contact area sufficiently small that any depressions made in the polymer coating are healed over during curing;
• and
• curing said polymer coating.

A method of fabricating gaskets and the like which comprises the steps of

• die cutting liquid penetrable compactible elastomeric material to a desired shape;
• heating said die cut material to a temperature of about 130.degree. to 250.degree. F. to substantially dehydrate the material;
• coating said material while at said temperature with a curable polymer dissolved or dispersed in a liquid which vaporizes within said 130.degree. to 250.degree. F. range, whereby the liquid is unable to substantially penetrate the material and the material is left with the polymer coating;
• and
• curing the coating.