Colored coatings and artificial leathers containing colorant complexes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional pigments and dyes used in synthetic leather production suffer from low tinting strength, poor color retention, and migration issues, leading to unsatisfactory aesthetic and durability problems, while polymeric colorants lack desired migration properties and incur higher production costs.

Innovation Solution

The development of anionic dye complexes with quaternary cationic compounds, such as quaternary ammonium or phosphonium salts, which form stable colorant complexes that are free from unwanted salts, ensuring high coloring capacity and low potential for extraction, and are integrated into a polyurethane resin coating to create transparent, water-resistant, and non-migratory synthetic leather.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If conventional pigments are used to color synthetic leather, then color variety can be achieved, but tinting strength is low and shade is dull

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor varietyVSAvoidtinting strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the coloring system by using anionic dyes with solubilizing groups instead of conventional pigments, and complexing them with cationic compounds to form colorant complexes. This parameter change enables high tinting strength while maintaining color variety, directly resolving the contradiction between color variety and tinting strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If conventional pigments are used, then color can be applied, but color retention is poor due to particle aggregation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor applicationVSAvoidcolor retention
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the colorant from particulate pigments to molecular-level anionic dyes that form soluble complexes with cationic compounds. This eliminates particle aggregation issues and significantly improves color retention, resolving the contradiction between color application and color retention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If dyes are used to improve tinting strength and transparency, then color intensity increases, but migration and bleeding occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetinting strengthVSAvoidmigration
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces cationic compounds as intermediaries that complex with anionic dyes to form colorant complexes. These complexes act as intermediaries between the dye and the polyurethane resin, providing anchoring mechanisms that prevent migration and bleeding while maintaining the high tinting strength and transparency benefits of dyes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates composite colorant systems by combining anionic dyes with cationic compounds to form colorant complexes. This composite approach integrates the advantages of dyes (tinting strength, transparency) with the stability of complexed structures, preventing migration and bleeding while maintaining aesthetic qualities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

4Manufacturing precision

If polymeric colorants are used to improve transparency and compatibility, then aesthetic quality improves, but migration properties are insufficient and production cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovetransparencyVSAvoidmigration properties
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the molecular parameters of the colorant system by using small-molecule anionic dyes complexed with cationic compounds instead of large polymeric colorants. This parameter change achieves transparency and compatibility through the molecular-level dispersion of the complexed colorants, while the cationic-anionic complexation provides stability that prevents migration, avoiding the drawbacks of polymeric colorants.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides synthetic leather with superior transparency, compatibility, and resistance to water and organic solvents, while minimizing color migration and maintaining desired aesthetic qualities without increasing production costs.

Implementation Method 1

anionic dye complexes with quaternary cationic compounds, such as quaternary ammonium or phosphonium salts, which form stable colorant complexes that are free from unwanted salts

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectComplex formation: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 2

anionic dye complexes with quaternary cationic compounds

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrostatic attraction: Ion Repulsion/Attraction

Implementation Method 3

integrated into a polyurethane resin coating to create transparent, water-resistant, and non-migratory synthetic leather

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydrophobic effect: Hydrophobe

Data Source

PatentUS10689801B2Colored coatings and artificial leathers containing colorant complexes
Publication Date: 2020.06.23 MILLIKEN & CO

AI summary

The present invention relates to substrates comprising a coating on the surface thereof containing colorant complexes made from specific anionic dyes complexed with cationic compounds, such as substrates having a coating thereon intended to mimic the look and feel of leather. The inventive colored coatings have superior compatibility, transparency, solvent fastness, non-migration and water fastness properties.