Low-wear fluoropolymer composites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9982209-B2
Application number	US-201314136672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2013
Priority date	May 14, 2012
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A low-wear fluoropolymer composite body comprises at least one fluoropolymer and additive particles dispersed therein. Also provided is a process for the fabrication of such a fluoropolymer composite body. The composite body exhibits a low wear rate for sliding motion against a hard counterface, and may be formulated with either melt-processible or non-melt-processible fluoropolymers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article having a surface, wherein the surface comprises a film layer, wherein the film layer comprises a composition of a fluoropolymer in admixture with a particulate filler material, wherein the fluoropolymer comprises carboxylic acid and/or carboxylate functionality, and wherein the particulate filler material, prior to combination with the fluoropolymer, are aggregated or agglomerated particles from about 2 μm to 10 μm, and have a BET determined surface area of about 22 m 2 /g or more, wherein an amount of particulate filler material present is about 0.1 to 30 wt. % of the composition.

2. The article according to claim 1 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises PTFE.

3. The article according to claim 1 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a blend of PTFE and PTFE micropowder.

4. The article according to claim 1 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a thermoplastic, melt-processible and/or melt-fabricable fluoropolymer.

5. The article according to claim 1 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a copolymer of TFE and one or both of a fluorinated olefin other than TFE and a fluorinated unsaturated ether.

6. The article according to claim 1 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a blend of an elastomeric fluoropolymer and a PTFE micropowder.

7. An article having a surface, wherein the surface comprises a film layer, wherein the film layer comprises a composition of a fluoropolymer in admixture with a particulate filler material, wherein the fluoropolymer comprises carboxylic acid and/or carboxylate functionality, and wherein the particulate filler material, prior to combination with the fluoropolymer, are aggregated or agglomerated particles from about 2 μm to 10 μm, and have a BET determined surface area of about 22 m 2 /g or more, wherein the particulate filler material comprises aluminum oxide.

8. An article having a surface, wherein the surface comprises a film layer, wherein the film layer comprises a composition of a fluoropolymer in admixture with a particulate filler material, wherein the fluoropolymer comprises carboxylic acid and/or carboxylate functionality, and wherein the particulate filler material, prior to combination with the fluoropolymer, are aggregated or agglomerated particles from about 2 μm to 10 μm, and have a BET determined surface area of about 22 m 2 /g or more, wherein the particulate filler material comprises a mixture of aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide.

9. An article having a surface, wherein the surface comprises a film layer, wherein the film layer comprises a composition of a fluoropolymer in admixture with a particulate filler material, wherein the fluoropolymer comprises carboxylic acid and/or carboxylate functionality, and wherein the particulate filler material, prior to combination with the fluoropolymer, are aggregated or agglomerated particles from about 2 μm to 10 μm, and have a BET determined surface area of about 22 m 2 /g or more, wherein the particulate filler material comprises rutile titanium dioxide.

10. The article of claim 1 , wherein the film layer is chemically and physically bonded to the surface, and wherein the surface is a metallic surface.

11. The article according to claim 7 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises PTFE.

12. The article according to claim 7 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a blend of PTFE and PTFE micropowder.

13. The article according to claim 7 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a thermoplastic, melt-processible and/or melt-fabricable fluoropolymer.

14. The article according to claim 7 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a copolymer of TFE and one or both of a fluorinated olefin other than TFE and a fluorinated unsaturated ether.

15. The article according to claim 7 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a blend of an elastomeric fluoropolymer and a PTFE micropowder.

16. The article according to claim 7 , wherein an amount of particulate filler material present is about 0.1 to 30 wt. % of the composition.

17. The article according to claim 7 , wherein the film layer is chemically and physically bonded to the surface, and wherein the surface is a metallic surface.

18. The article according to claim 8 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises PTFE.

19. The article according to claim 8 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a blend of PTFE and PTFE micropowder.

20. The article according to claim 8 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a thermoplastic, melt-processible and/or melt-fabricable fluoropolymer.

21. The article according to claim 8 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a copolymer of TFE and one or both of a fluorinated olefin other than TFE and a fluorinated unsaturated ether.

22. The article according to claim 8 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a blend of an elastomeric fluoropolymer and a PTFE micropowder.

23. The article according to claim 8 , wherein an amount of particulate filler material present is about 0.1 to 30 wt. % of the composition.

24. The article according to claim 8 , wherein the film layer is chemically and physically bonded to the surface, and wherein the surface is a metallic surface.

25. The article according to claim 9 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises PTFE.

26. The article according to claim 9 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a blend of PTFE and PTFE micropowder.

27. The article according to claim 9 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a thermoplastic, melt-processible and/or melt-fabricable fluoropolymer.

28. The article according to claim 9 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a copolymer of TFE and one or both of a fluorinated olefin other than TFE and a fluorinated unsaturated ether.

29. The article according to claim 9 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a blend of an elastomeric fluoropolymer and a PTFE micropowder.

30. The article according to claim 9 , wherein an amount of particulate filler material present is about 0.1 to 30 wt. % of the composition.

31. The article according to claim 9 , wherein the film layer is chemically and physically bonded to the surface, and wherein the surface is a metallic surface.

Assignees

• The Univ Of Florida Research Foundation Inc
• Univ Florida

Inventors

• Junk Christopher P
• Blackman Gregory Scott
• Lustig Steven R
• Wetzel Mark D
• Sawyer Wallace Gregory
• Krick Brandon A

Classifications

• C04B26/08

  containing halogen · CPC title

• Y10T428/25

  Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles · CPC title

• F16C2240/64

  in the nanometer range · CPC title

• F16C33/201

  Composition of the plastic · CPC title

• C10M2213/043

  used as base material · CPC title