Treated membrane for fragrance delivery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10842902-B2
Application number	US-201715809255-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2017
Priority date	Sep 1, 2017
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A treated vapor permeable microporous membrane includes: a microporous membrane having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The membrane includes a thermoplastic organic polymer having a polyolefin. The membrane defines a network of interconnecting pores communicating substantially throughout the membrane. The treated membrane further includes finely divided, particulate filler distributed throughout the membrane and a first hydrophobic/oleophobic material over at least a portion of the first side. A method of preparing the treated vapor permeable microporous membrane is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A treated vapor permeable microporous membrane, comprising:
a microporous membrane comprising a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the membrane comprising a thermoplastic organic polymer comprising a polyolefin, the membrane defining a network of interconnecting pores communicating substantially throughout the membrane;
substantially water-insoluble particulate filler distributed throughout the membrane and constituting 10 to 90 weight percent of the membrane, based on the total weight of the membrane and the particulate filler, wherein at least 90 weight percent of the particulate filler has a particle size of from 0.5-200 micrometers;
a first hydrophobic/oleophobic material over at least a portion of the first side, wherein the first hydrophobic/oleophobic material forms a continuous layer over at least a portion of the first side; and
a hydrophilic coating over at least a portion of the second side,
wherein the polyolefin comprises at least 2 weight percent of the membrane, based on the total weight of the membrane and the particulate filler,
wherein the untreated microporous membrane has a volume average diameter of the pores ranging from 0.02 to 0.075 micrometers, wherein the treated vapor permeable microporous membrane has substantially the same volume average diameter of the pores compared to the untreated membrane and wherein the pores of the microporous membrane are not occluded by the first hydrophobic/oleophobic material and the hydrophilic coating,
wherein the first hydrophobic/oleophobic material comprises a fluoro-alkyl group containing co-polymer.

2. The treated membrane of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first side demonstrates an oil rating of at least 6 based on AATCC test method 118-2007.

3. The treated membrane of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first side demonstrates a water contact angle of at least 105°.

4. The treated membrane of claim 1 , wherein the particulate filler comprises siliceous particles comprising particulate silica.

5. The treated membrane of claim 4 , wherein the particulate filler further comprises calcium carbonate.

6. The treated membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane has a density between 0.4 g/cm 3 and 1.0 g/cm 3 .

7. The treated membrane of claim 1 , further comprising a second hydrophobic/oleophobic material over at least a portion of the hydrophilic coating.

8. The treated membrane of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophilic coating comprises one or more of a polyoxazoline, triblock copolymers based on poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(propylene glycol)-poly(ethylene glycol), polyamide, oxidized polyethylene or its derivatives, polyethyleneoxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly(meth)acrylic acid, polyethylene glycol or its derivatives, polypropylene oxide or its derivatives, a copolymer of poly(ethylene glycol) and polyethyleneoxide, polyvinyl alcohol, cellulose or its derivatives, collagen, polypeptides, guar, pectin, polyimide, poly(meth)acrylamide, polysaccharides, zwitterionic polymers, polyampholytes, and polyethylenimine.

9. The treated membrane of claim 1 , wherein the first side or the second side comprises a volatile material contact surface and the other of the first side and the second side comprises a vapor release surface, wherein the treated membrane is configured to release odorous vapor from the vapor release surface of a fragrance delivery device and to contact a volatile material of the fragrance delivery device on the volatile material contact surface.

10. The treated membrane of claim 1 , wherein the first hydrophobic/oleophobic material comprises an alkoxysilane compound having at least one fluoro-alkyl group.

11. The treated membrane of claim 1 , wherein the treated vapor permeable microporous membrane has a volume average diameter of the pores ranging from 0.03 to 0.05 micrometers.

12. The treated membrane of claim 1 , wherein the substantially the same volume average diameter of the pores comprise the volume average diameter of the pores of the treated membrane being within 0.01 micrometers of the volume average diameter of the pores of the untreated membrane.

13. The treated membrane of claim 1 , comprising a hydrophilic coating over at least a portion of the first side, wherein at least a portion of the hydrophilic coating is interposed between the first side of the membrane and the first hydrophobic/oleophobic material.

14. The treated membrane of claim 1 , comprising a second hydrophobic/oleophobic material over at least a portion of the hydrophilic coating.

15. A method of preparing a treated vapor permeable microporous membrane comprising:
providing a microporous membrane comprising a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the membrane comprising a thermoplastic organic polymer comprising a polyolefin, the membrane defining a network of interconnecting pores communicating substantially throughout the membrane, the membrane having particulate filler distributed throughout the membrane, wherein at least 90 weight percent of the particulate filler has a particle size of from 0.5-200 micrometers, and wherein the untreated microporous membrane has a volume average diameter of the pores ranging from 0.02 to 0.075 micrometers;
applying a first hydrophobic/oleophobic material over at least a portion of the first side to form a continuous layer over at least a portion of the first side; and
applying a hydrophilic coating over at least a portion of the second side,
wherein the treated vapor permeable microporous membrane has substantially the same volume average diameter of the pores compared to the untreated membrane and wherein the pores of the microporous membrane are not occluded by the first hydrophobic/oleophobic material and the hydrophilic coating,
wherein the first hydrophobic/oleophobic material comprises a fluoro-alkyl group containing co-polymer.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, prior to applying the first hydrophobic/oleophobic material over at least a portion of the first side, applying a first hydrophilic coating over at least a portion of the first side.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first hydrophilic coating comprises at least one of a polyoxazoline, triblock copolymers based on poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(propylene glycol)-poly(ethylene glycol), polyamide, oxidized polyethylene or its derivatives, polyethyleneoxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly(meth)acrylic acid, polyethylene glycol or its derivatives, polypropylene oxide or its derivatives, a copolymer of poly(ethylene glycol) and polyethyleneoxide, polyvinyl alcohol, cellulose or its derivatives, collagen, polypeptides, guar, pectin, polyimide, poly(meth)acrylamide, polysaccharides, zwitterionic polymers, polyampholytes, and polyethylenimine.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, drying the membrane comprising the first hydrophilic coating prior to applying the first hydrophobic/oleophobic material over at least a portion of the first side.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first hydrophobic/oleophobic material is applied over the portion of the first side using a drawdown method.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising applying a second hydrophobic/oleophobic material over at least a portion of the hydrophilic coating on the second side of the membrane.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first hydrophobic/oleophobic material comprises at least one alkoxysilane compound having at least one fluoro-alkyl group.

22. Th

Assignees

• Ppg Ind Ohio Inc

Inventors

• Parrinello Luciano M
• Guo Qunhui

Classifications

• B01D71/26

  Polyalkenes · CPC title

• C08L23/06

  Polyethylene · CPC title

• B32B27/32

  comprising polyolefins {(comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30)} · CPC title

• B01D69/06

  Flat membranes · CPC title

• A61L9/048

  air treating gels · CPC title