Electron beam irradiating process for rendering rough or topographically irregular surface substrates smooth; and coated substrates produced thereby
AssigneeEnergy Sciences Inc.
InventorSam V. Nablo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure involves a novel process for instantaneous electron-beam curing of very thin low viscosity, solventless coatings upon rough, irregular or textured surfaces of a substrate, such as paper or the like, that, through rather critical timing and energy adjustment procedures, causes the coating firmly to adhere to the surface before the coating can conform to the roughness or texture contour, and thereby providing a solidified very smooth outer surface for the substrate that is particularly useful for metalization and other finished layerings.
Claims50
A process for providing a substrate with an adhered coating of controlled penetration and predetermined external surface texture, that comprises, applying an electron-beam-curable, thin, low viscosity, solid coating to a surface of the substrate;
- subjecting the coated substrate to electron-beam energy after a dwell time following the applying of the coating adjusted to be sufficiently short to prevent the coating from relaxing into conformity with the substrate surface and from substantial penetration into the substrate, said dwell time being within the range of the order of one second down to fractions thereof;
- and adjusting the electron beam energy to sufficient value, dose, coverage and penetration thereupon rapidly to cure the coating uniformly throughout its thickness and extent in adhering engagement with the substrate, and with an external coating surface of controlled defect-free texture.
A coated substrate product having, in combination, a substrate of relatively rough texture;
- a thin electron-beam-cured coating adhered to, but not substantially penetrating and contouring to the rough texture of the substrate;
- said coating having its external surface cured into glass-like smoothness and its inner surface separated with voids between portions of the substrate and the inner surface of the coating.
A process for providing a relatively rough substrate with an adhered coating of controlled penetration and predetermined relatively smooth external surface texture, that comprises, applying an electron-beam-curable, thin, low viscosity, solid coating carried by a thin layer, to a surface of the substrate;
- subjecting the coated substrate to electron-beam energy after a dwell time following the applying of the layer-carried coating adjusted to be sufficiently short to prevent the coating from conforming with the relatively rough substrate surface and from substantial penetration into the substrate, said dwell time being within the range of the order of one second down to fractions thereof;
- and adjusting the electron beam energy to sufficient value, dose, coverage and penetration thereupon rapidly to cure the coating uniformly throughout its thickness and extent in adhering equipment with the substrate, and with an external coating surface of controlled defect-free relatively smooth texture;
- and peeling off the said layer.
The process of metallizing paper comprising the steps of:
- coating a surface of a paper substrate with a solventless thin film consisting essentially of a radiation curable resin precursor;
- immediately contacting said film with electron radiation sufficient to cure said precursor before said precursor has penetrated into said paper substrate a distance sufficient to cause detrimental stiffening thereof;
- and
- metallizing the exposed surface of said film.
The process of applying a layer to a modified paper substrate comprising the steps of:
- coating a surface of a paper substrate with a thin film consisting essentially of a radiation curable resin precursor;
- immediately contacting said film with electron radiation sufficient to cure said precursor before said precursor has penetrated into said paper substrate a distance sufficient to cause detrimental stiffening thereof;
- and
- applying said layer on the exposed surface of said film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.