Acrylate composite barrier coating process

A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic substrate comprising the steps of:

• heating the surface of the substrate above its melting point and cooling the surface of the substrate below its melting point;
• evaporating a blend comprising at least one acrylate monomer having a molecular weight in the range of from 150 to 400 and a second acrylate having a molecular weight more than 600;
• depositing the evaporated acrylate on the cooled surface of the substrate;
• polymerizing the acrylate for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer;
• and
• depositing an oxygen barrier material over the cross-linked acrylate layer.

A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic substrate comprising the steps of:

• evaporating at least one polyfunctional acrylate;
• condensing the acrylate on the surface of the substrate;
• polymerizing the acrylate for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer;
• and
• plasma treating the cross-linked acrylate surface immediately before depositing an oxygen barrier material over the cross-linked acrylate layer.

A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic substrate comprising the steps of:

• heating the surface of the substrate above its melting point and cooling the surface of the substrate below its melting point;
• chilling the substrate to a temperature below ambient temperature;
• placing the chilled substrate in a vacuum chamber;
• condensing at least one liquid polyfunctional acrylate monomer on the substrate while the substrate is still at a temperature below ambient temperature;
• polymerizing the acrylate for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer;
• and
• depositing an oxygen barrier material over the cross-linked acrylate layer.

A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic substrate comprising the steps of:

• heating the surface of the substrate above its melting, point and cooling the heated surface of the substrate below its melting point;
• preheating a polyfunctional acrylate prepolymer to a temperature above ambient temperature and lower than a temperature where the acrylate polymerizes;
• atomizing the preheated acrylate prepolymer into a heated vaporization chamber in a vacuum system;
• vaporizing the acrylate prepolymer in the vaporization chamber and discharging the vaporized prepolymer into the vacuum system;
• depositing the prepolymer on the substrate;
• polymerizing the acrylate prepolymer for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer;
• and
• depositing an oxygen barrier material over the cross-linked acrylate layer.

A method for making a container with low oxygen permeability comprising the steps of:

• flame treating the outside surface of a thermoplastic container;
• depositing a polyfunctional acrylate on the flame treated surface of the container;
• polymerizing the acrylate to form a cross-linked acrylate layer;
• depositing a layer of oxygen barrier material selected from the group of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide and metal on the outside surface of the container;
• depositing a polyfunctional acrylate on the layer of oxygen barrier material;
• and
• polymerizing the acrylate to form a cross-linked acrylate layer over the oxygen barrier material.

A method for forming an adherent barrier layer on a thermoplastic sheet substrate comprising the steps of:

• depositing a metal layer on a thermoplastic sheet substrate;
• vapor depositing a polyfunctional acrylate on the metal layer before the exposed surface of the metal layer contacts any solid surface;
• and
• polymerizing the acrylate for forming a cross-linked acrylate layer before the exposed surface of the acrylate layer contacts any solid surface.

A method for forming an acrylate polymer layer comprising the steps of:

• preheating a polyfunctional acrylate prepolymer to a temperature above ambient temperature and lower than a temperature where the prepolymer polymerizes;
• atomizing the preheated prepolymer into a heated vaporization chamber in a vacuum system;
• vaporizing the prepolymer in the vaporization chamber and discharging the vaporized prepolymer into the vacuum system;
• depositing the prepolymer on a substrate;
• and
• polymerizing the acrylate prepolymer for forming a crosslinked acrylate layer.