# US 5,352,736 A · Transparent liquid absorbent materials

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- Number: US 5,352,736 A
- Document ID: US5352736A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/048,456
- Filed: 1993-04-16
- Granted: 1994-10-04
- Earliest claimed: 1990-10-24
- Assignees: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
- Inventors: John J. Stofko, Jr.; Mohammad Iqbal
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5352736A

## CPC

- B41M 5/529: {characterised by the use of fluorine- or silicon-containing organic compounds}
- Y10S 525/903: Interpenetrating network
- Y10T 428/259: Silicic material
- Y10T 428/31663: As siloxane, silicone or silane
- B41M: PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING, (correction of typographical errors B41J; processes for applying transfer pictures or the like B44C1/16; fluid media for correction of typographical errors by coating C09D10/00; printing textiles D06P)
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A liquid-absorbent composition comprising (a) a polymeric matrix component comprising crosslinked silanol moieties, and (b) a liquid-absorbent component comprising a water-absorbent polymer, preferably a water-soluble polymer. This composition is capable of forming liquid-absorbent, semi-interpenetrating polymeric networks, which are capable of absorbing significant quantities of those liquids that are solvents for the uncrosslinked portion of the network without loss of physical integrity and without leaching or other forms of phase separation. The compositions of this invention provides polymeric matrices which result in transparent coatings capable of providing improved combinations of ink absorption and durability, while at the same time retaining transparency and being amenable to the types of processing commonly used in producing transparent graphical materials.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A transparent film comprising a transparent backing bearing on at least one major surface thereof a layer formed from a liquid-absorbent composition consisting essentially of:
(a) a polymeric matrix component comprising crosslinked silanol moieties said silanol moieties being in pendant groups of said matrix component and
(b) an uncrosslinked liquid-absorbent component comprising at least one water-absorbent polymer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The transparent film of claim 1, wherein said water-absorbent polymer is water-soluble.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The transparent film of claim 1, wherein said silanol moieties are located in pendant groups of said matrix component.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The transparent film of claim 2, wherein amide groups are present in said water-soluble polymer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The transparent film of claim 2, wherein said water-soluble polymer contains vinyl lactam groups.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The transparent film of claim 5, wherein said vinyl lactam is polyvinyl pyrrolidone.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The transparent film of claim 2, wherein said water-soluble polymer is polyvinyl alcohol.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The transparent film of claim 1, wherein said matrix polymer has the structure: ##STR4## wherein z represents a monomeric unit selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile, allyl acetate, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, methyl and higher alkyl vinyl ethers, stilbene, isostilbene, styrene, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, vinyl ethers have up to 18 carbon atoms, vinylpyrrolidone, divinylether, norbornene, chloroethylvinyl ether, and vinylidene chloride;
R.sup.1 represents a divalent alkyl group;
R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 independently represent alkoxy groups having up to 5 carbon atoms; and
R.sup.5 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The transparent film of claim 8, wherein ##STR5## represents a propyltriethoxysilane group.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The transparent film of claim 8, wherein R.sup.5 represents a methoxyethyl group.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The transparent film of claim 8, wherein R.sup.5 represents a methoxypropyl group.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The transparent film of claim 8, wherein R.sup.5 represents an ethoxyethyl group.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The transparent film of claim 8, wherein R.sup.5 represents a 6-caproic acid group.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The transparent film of claim 8, wherein R.sup.5 represents a polyoxyalkylene group.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The transparent film of claim 8, wherein R.sup.5 represents an isopropoxypropyl group.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The transparent film of claim 1, wherein said crosslinked polymer comprises at least 20% by weight of the composition.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

A film according to claim 1, wherein said layer is further overcoated with an ink-permeable anti-tack protective layer.

### Claim 18

A transparent film comprising a transparent backing bearing on at least one major surface thereof a layer from a liquid-absorbent composition consisting essentially of:
(a) a polymeric matrix component comprising crosslinked silanol moieties, said silanol moieties being in pendant groups of said matrix component, said polymeric matrix component having the structure ##STR6## wherein the symbol represents a polymeric backbone containing a plurality of unsubstituted or substituted --CH.sub.2 -- groups, and
(b) an uncrosslinked liquid-absorbent component comprising at least one water-absorbent polymer.