Deposition of highly-oriented PTFE films and uses therefor
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsPaul Smith, Jean C. Wittmann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Broadly the invention is a method for forming a highly-oriented crystal structure on a substrate in a known orientation comprising the steps of forming a film of highly-oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) with an orientation angle of less than 20.degree. on a surface of the substrate with its nominal orientation director along a desired orientation director and then depositing a crystal-forming material on the highly-oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) to form the structure. Specific examples include a method for growing a highly-oriented crystal on filament substrates, a method for producing extruded polymer articles (fibers, tapes, and solids) containing oriented crystal growth to improve the characteristics thereof, and a method for storing and retrieving data.
Claims23
A process for controlling the growth of crystal-forming or liquid crystalline material to provide ordered crystalline films comprising the steps of:
- forming a highly-oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) substrate in which the poly(tetrafluoroethylene) macromolecules are oriented substantially parallel to one another;
- contacting said oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) substrate with a crystal-forming or liquid crystalline material;
- solidifying said crystal-forming or liquid crystalline material to yield an oriented crystalline solid on said poly(tetrafluoroethylene) substrate in which one of the crystallographic axes of said crystalline solid is oriented substantially parallel to the poly(tetrafluoroethylene) macromolecules.
A method for forming a highly-oriented crystal structure comprising the steps of:
- a) preparing a substrate having at least a portion of its surface covered with a highly-oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) film with an orientation angle of less than 20.degree. as measured by wide-angle X-ray diffraction;
- and,
- b) depositing a crystal-forming or liquid crystalline material on the highly-oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) film to form a highly-oriented crystal structure, with orientation corresponding to the orientation of said poly(tetrafluoroethylene) film.
A method for growing a highly-oriented crystal on filament substrate comprising the steps of:
- a) rubbing the filament longitudinally along non-oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) to form a film of highly-oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) thereon with an orientation angle of less than 20.degree. as measured by wide-angle X-ray diffraction and oriented longitudinally on an outer surface of the filament;
- and,
- b) depositing a crystal-forming or liquid crystalline material on the highly-oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) film to form a highly oriented crystal structure with orientation corresponding to the orientation of said poly(tetrafluoroethylene) film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.