Coating compositions for producing transparent super-hydrophobic surfaces

Abstract

A coating composition and process for generating transparent, near-transparent, and semi-transparent super-hydrophobic coatings on surfaces having a contact angle of greater than 165 degrees. The composition comprises hydrophobic nanoparticles of silsesquioxanes containing adhesion promoter groups and low surface energy groups.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 841,720 filed on Aug. 31, 2006 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 931,545 filed on May 24, 2007 and U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 699,883 filed on Jan. 30, 2007 which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 763,294 filed on Jan. 30, 2006 all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. Reference to documents made in the specification is intended to result in such patents or literature cited are expressly incorporated herein by reference, including any patents or other literature references cited within such documents as if fully set forth in this specification.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The technical field of this invention is producing super hydrophobic coatings on surfaces.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The invention relates to protection of various surfaces from contaminants and from oxidation of surfaces in air...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]The coating solves the problem of poor resistance to UV light and/or abrasion found in previous coatings of similar nature. The transparent, near transparent, or semi-transparent coatings can be produced using the current invention whereas previous coatings of comparable hydrophobicity have all been white or opaque. The coating can be applied by a single and easy spraying method and the super hydrophobic property can be achieved by drying the film at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. A preferred coating has good resistance to UV light and some resistance to abrasion.

[0010]The present invention relates to a process and composition for creating super hydrophobic coatings (contact angle >165 degree) on various surfaces, preferably plastics, woods, metals, glass, ceramics, and painted and/or waxed surfaces. Super hydrophobic coatings of this type have recently been cited for the purpose of keeping surfaces cleaner, similar to the lotus plant, and the high contact angle is known as the “lotus effect””. Examples of commercially available materials which attempt to produce this “Lotus” cleaning effect are products sold under the trade name of MINCOR available from BASF, and TEGTOP available from Degussa. These products, have been tested for their ability to protect various surfaces from the appearance of water marks, corrosion, and dirt repellancy and while maintaining the water repellency, but were deemed unsuitable. When coated alone or mixed with various types of hydrophobic particles, these and many other polymers, e.g. acrylic resins, silicon containing graft copolymers, homopolymers, methyl methcyrlate, copolymers of acrylic monomers, styrene monomers, styrene copolymers, functi

Problems solved by technology

Moreover, it recommends to use purified rinse water which is expensive to use.

However, the hydrophobicity of the surfaces

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