Modification of porous materials
AssigneeThe Victoria University of Manchester
InventorsAlan Tallentire, Colin S. Sinclair
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Abstract
A method of treating a porous material comprising establishing a pressure differential across the material and treating the higher pressure side with a suspension dispersion or aerosol of droplets of a liquid. The droplets enter at least some of the pores, with the treatment conditions being such that the aerodynamic forces within the pores exceed the surface tension forces maintaining the integrity of the droplets. The droplets thus spread to provide a surface coating within the pores.
Claims32
A method of treating a porous material comprising establishing a pressure differential across the material and treating the higher pressure side with a suspension, dispersion or aerosol of droplets of a liquid so that said droplets enter at least some of the pores, wherein the treatment conditions are such that the aerodynamic forces within the pores exceed the surface tension forces maintaining integrity of the droplets which therefore spread to provide a surface coating within the pores.
A method of treating a porous material to apply a surface coating within the pores, thereby to impart a desired property thereto comprising establishing a pressure differential across the material and treating the higher pressure side with a suspension, dispersion or aerosol of droplets of a liquid comprising a treatment agent so that said droplets enter at least some of the pores wherein the pressure differential is sufficiently high that the air permeance of the treated material is not substantially changed relative to that of the untreated material.
A method of treating a porous material to impart a desired property thereto comprising establishing a pressure differential across the material and treating the higher pressure side with a suspension, dispersion or aerosol of droplets of a liquid comprising a treatment agent so that said droplets enter at least some of the pores wherein the material is one which below a particular threshold pressure differential displays an increase in opacity by treatment with said aerosol and wherein the method is effected using a pressure differential above said threshold differential.
A porous material having a surface coating located selectively within the pores, as producible by a method comprising establishing a pressure differential across the material and treating the higher pressure side with a suspension, dispersion or aerosol of droplets of a liquid so that said droplets enter at least some of the pores, wherein the treatment conditions are such that the aerodynamic forces within the pores exceed the surface tension forces maintaining integrity of the droplets which therefore spread to provide a surface coating within the pores.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.