Process for producing thin coatings on film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11453799-B2
Application number	US-201716349474-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2017
Priority date	Nov 16, 2016
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

Conventional atomic layer deposition technology is modified to increase its cost-effective viability for use in producing thinly coated flexible packaging film. In one embodiment a thinly coated flexible substrate, e.g., a polyolefin film, is made by a process comprising the steps of: (A) Dissolving a self-limiting precursor in a solvent to form a solution of dissolved self-limiting precursor in the solvent, (B) Applying the solution to a facial surface of a flexible polymer film so that at least a portion of the dissolved self-limiting precursor attaches to the facial surface of the film and the solution is at least partially depleted of self-limiting precursor, and (C) Curing the attached self-limiting precursor by contact with oxygen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for producing a flexible packaging film, the process comprising the steps of:
(A) Dissolving a self-limiting precursor in a solvent to form a solution of dissolved self-limiting precursor in the solvent,
(B) Applying the solution to a facial surface of a flexible polymer film so that at least a portion of the dissolved self-limiting precursor attaches to the facial surface of the film and the solution is at least partially depleted of self-limiting precursor, and
(C) Curing the attached self-limiting precursor by contact with oxygen.

2. The process of claim 1 in which the polymer film comprises a polyolefin.

3. The process of claim 2 in which the polymer film comprises a polyethylene.

4. The process of claim 1 in which the solution is applied to the facial surface of the substrate by a process of dip coating, spin coating, blade coating or slot die coating.

5. The process of claim 1 in which the depleted solution of self-limiting precursor is removed from the facial surface of the substrate before contacting the attached self-limiting precursor with oxygen by rinsing the surface with the solvent used to form the solution of precursor.

6. The process of claim 1 in which the depleted solution of self-limiting precursor is not removed from the facial surface of the substrate before contacting the attached self-limiting precursor with oxygen.

7. The process of claim 1 in which the attached self-limiting precursor is cured by contact with at least one of gaseous oxygen, air and water vapor.

8. The process of claim 1 in which the self-limiting precursor is at least one of a metal alkyl, metal halide, a metal alkoxide, a cyclopentadienyl compound, a metal alkyl amide, a metal amidinate, and an alkylamido compound.

9. A process for producing a high an oxygen barrier and high moisture barrier, flexible packaging film, the process comprising the steps of:
(A) Dissolving a self-limiting precursor in a solvent to form a solution of dissolved self-limiting precursor in the solvent,
(B) Applying the solution to a facial surface of a flexible polymer film so that at least a portion of the dissolved self-limiting precursor attaches to the facial surface of the film and the solution is at least partially depleted of self-limiting precursor,
(C) Removing the self-limiting precursor depleted solution from the facial surface of the film, and
(D) Curing the attached self-limiting precursor by contact with oxygen.

10. The process of claim 9 in which steps (B), (C) and (D) are repeated at least once.

Assignees

• Dow Global Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Alaboson Justice
• Murphy Jaclyn
• Rao Yuanqiao
• Serrat Cristina

Classifications

• C09D123/06 Primary

  Polyethylene · CPC title

• C08J7/06

  with compositions not containing macromolecular substances · CPC title

• C08J2323/06

  Polyethene · CPC title

• C08J7/048 Primary

  Forming gas barrier coatings · CPC title

• B05D7/26

  synthetic lacquers or varnishes (B05D7/08, B05D7/16 take precedence) · CPC title