Methods for sealing microcell containers with phenethylamine mixtures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10087344-B2
Application number	US-201615336841-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A method for sealing a container having an opening by contacting the opening with a mixture including a phenethylamine and a first polymer, adding a fluid to be contained to the container, and then adding a second mixture, comprising a second polymer, whereupon an interaction between the first and second polymer mixtures result in a seal being formed over the opening, thereby containing the fluid. The first polymer is typically a water-swellable polymer and the second polymer is typically a hydrophilic polymer that will form an interpenetrating network with the swellable polymer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of sealing a fluid within a container, comprising:
providing a container having an opening;
contacting the opening with a first mixture comprising a phenethylamine and a first polymer, thereby creating a coating at the opening;
adding a fluid to the container;
contacting the opening with a second mixture, comprising a second polymer, wherein the first and second polymers interact to seal the container.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phenethylamine is dopamine, epinephrine, phenylephrine, norepinephrine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, or 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first polymer is swellable.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the swellable polymer is selected from the group consisting of pyrrolidones, polysaccharides, collagen, polyamides, polyesters, acrylates, polyurethanes, polyethers, and polyvinyl alcohols.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mixture has a pH of greater than 7.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second polymer is hydrophilic.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second polymer is selected from cellulose, methylcellulose, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohols, acrylics, polyurethanes, and acrylamides.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container is constructed from acrylates, (meth)acrylates, vinylethers, esters, epoxides, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or cellulose.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container is a microcell, a delayed release drug formulation, a chemical sensor, or a blister pack.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising contacting the opening with a covering having a coating comprising the phenethylamine and the first polymer.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a hydrophobic mixture.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the hydrophobic mixture comprises charged pigments.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second mixture contacts the fluid.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising pretreating the container with a process selected from chemical cleaning, chemical etching, electron beam irradiation, ion beam irradiation, or plasma etching.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising drying the first and second mixtures.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein drying comprises heating or exposing to a dessicant.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising laminating a release sheet to the sealed container.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising attaching an electrode to the container after the container is sealed.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phenethylamine is of Formula I:

Wherein n is 1 or 2, provided that if n is 2, the hydroxyl groups coupled to the aromatic ring are ortho to each other, and wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 is independently selected from the group consisting of a thiol, a primary amine, a secondary amine, a nitrile, an aldehyde, an imidazole, an anazide, a halide, a hydrogen, a hydroxyl, a carboxylic acid, an aldehyde, a carboxylic ester or a carboxamide.

Assignees

• E Ink Corp

Inventors

• Moran Isaac W

Classifications

• C09J2400/22

  Presence of unspecified polymer · CPC title

• C09J165/00

  Adhesives based on macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming a carbon-to-carbon link in the main chain (C09J107/00 - C09J157/00, C09J161/00 take precedence); Adhesives based on derivatives of such polymers · CPC title

• G02F2001/1678

  characterised by the composition or particle type · CPC title

• G02F2202/022

  polymeric · CPC title

• C08G2261/3221

  containing one or more nitrogen atoms as the only heteroatom, e.g. pyrrole, pyridine or triazole · CPC title