Compositions containing conductivity enhancers, which are capable of being coated onto a substrate by means of electrostatic assistance. The compositions comprise one or more cationically polymerizable monomer(s), one or more cationic initiator(s), and one or more non-volatile conductivity enhancer(s) having anionic and cationic portions which are soluble in the monomer(s) and which do not interfere with cationic polymerization wherein the anionic portion is a non-coordinating carbon-containing anion. The compositions may further comprise one or more dissociation enhancing agent(s), oligomer(s) or polymer(s), preferably co-reactive, free-radically curable monomer(s), free-radical generating initiator(s), leveling agents, and other additives or adjuvants to impart specific properties to the polymerized composition.

This invention relates to compositions capable of being coated onto a substrate by means of electrostatic assistance. More particularly, the present invention relates to cationically polymerizable compositions containing conductivity enhancers, substrates coated with these compositions, methods for coating the substrates, and specific imide and methide compounds.
The release of chemicals into the atmosphere, often polluting the air, is of substantial concern. Thus, in the chemical industry as new products and processes are developed, a key factor is the environmental effect. One means of reducing chemical emissions is to develop solvent-free processes, and to require that chemicals do not evaporate during processing or from the final product.
Liquid coatings traditionally have been solvent-based processes. Liquid coating is the process of replacing the gas, typically air, contacting a substrate, usually a solid surface such as a film or web, with a layer of liquid. After the deposition of a coating, it may remain a liquid, it may be dried if it contains solids dissolved in a volatile liquid, leaving behind a solid and typically adherent layer, or it may be xe2x80x9ccuredxe2x80x9d (i.e., polymerized) or in some other way solidified to a functional and typically adherent layer. Volatile solvents typically have been used during coating processes and then evaporated off leaving the desired composition, especially when thin coatings are desired.
The coating process typically is selected based on the desired coat height (i.e., the coating thickness). Continuous liquid coating techniques (such as roll, curtain, slot, slide, gravure, and the like and combinations thereof) are commonly preferred for applying a composition to a smooth substrate to a height of about 5 micrometers or more. See generally, Modem Coating and Drying Technology, E. Cohen and E. Gutoff, VCH Publishing, N.Y., 1992. Rough or xe2x80x9cthree-dimensionalxe2x80x9d surfaces are preferably coated by spray processes.
Traditionally, solvent-borne thin coatings, i.e., dry thickness below about 5 micrometers, have been coated onto substrates for use as a release coating, a primer, or an anti-static layer, while thicker coatings have been used for adhesives, or for the manufacture of coated abrasives, etc. Continuous liquid coating techniques may be used to apply thin coatings; however, the composition typically has been diluted with a large amount of a solvent that is later removed by evaporation, leaving behind the composition at the desired thickness. The uniformity and thickness of the dried final layer may be difficult to control especially on rough surfaces. The added solvent leads to higher material costs, preparation costs, and solvent removal costs. In addition, the solvents typically used may be hazardous to the environment.
For continuous liquid coating processes as the line speed of the coating is increased, the process can become unstable allowing air entrapment to occur at the region where the composition first meets the substrate. This region is usually referred to as the xe2x80x9ccoating bead.xe2x80x9d Fortunately, electrostatic assistance may be used to alleviate the air entrapment problem occurring between the coating bead and the substrate. However, not all compositions can be applied by electrostatic assistance methods. The composition must have a sufficient conductivity such that free ions can move within the composition when an electric field is applied. Then as a high differential of electrical potential is applied between the composition and the substrate, an electric field is produced in the composition which induces the ions of one polarity in the composition to move to the coating bead surface which is closest to the substrate. In some coaters (e.g., gravure) which do not have a single coating bead, the ions still move to the composition""s surfaces (e.g., the composition""s surfaces in the gravure cells) which are closest to the substrate. This xe2x80x9cinductive chargingxe2x80x9d of the composition causes an electrostatic pressure at the coating bead surface which can change the shape of the coating bead and prevent air from coming between the coating bead and the substrate. Thus with electrostatic assistance, increased line speeds may be obtained while maintaining uniformity when performing continuous coating. Even with discrete gravure coating methods, electrostatic assistance allows for increased line speeds because the electrostatic pressure xe2x80x9cpullsxe2x80x9d the composition out of the gravure cells.
Solvent-borne thin coatings may also be applied by spray processes. Although spray coating may be used to apply a composition to a smooth substrate, it is particularly useful as a method of coating rough or three-dimensional objects and sheet-like webs with rough or three-dimensional surfaces. Electrostatic spray processes are commonly preferred for applying a composition having a solvent to a rough surface to a coat height of 5 micrometers or more. However, a problem associated with spray processes is over-spraying (i.e., 50 to 80 percent of the composition may not reach the substrate). (Miller, E. P., Chapter 11, Electrostatic Coating; in Electrostatics and Its Applications, Wiley-Interscience(1973) Editor: A. D. Moore). Electrostatic spray processes provide a more controlled means of spraying, and thus reduce material loss.
In the more efficient electrostatic spray processes, the droplets are charged during formation using inductive-charging. Inductive-charging places a charge on the droplets through the electric field within the composition at the sprayer by which the electric field moves the positive free ions in opposite direction to the negative free ions. The excess of one polarity of ions accumulates at a region along the composition surface and creates the electrostatic pressure required to break the composition into a charged droplet mist. To achieve this inductive charging, the composition must have sufficient conductivity to ensure a reasonable number of free ions are present. Droplets in electrostatic spray coating typically range in diameter from about 50 micrometers (xcexcm) to about 200 xcexcm, whereas conventional (non-electrostatic) spray processes can have droplets as large as 500 xcexcm.
Electrospray, a distinct sub-class within electrostatic spraying, is restricted to low flow rates, which makes it useful for applying coatings to a thickness from about 0.005 micrometers to about 10 micrometers. Electrospray may be used to apply a thin coating without a solvent. In an electrospray process, the electrostatic pressure on the composition surface at the sprayhead causes a precisely controlled formation of one or more cones of composition from which a fine filament of liquid emanates. Each filament breaks up into a mist of droplets with droplet diameters on the order of the diameter of the filament. The diameter of the droplet can be controlled by the conductivity of the coating solution. Droplet diameters are typically less than 50 xcexcm, and can be less than 1 xcexcm if the conductivity is sufficiently large.
Although the electrospray process is an effective means of applying a thin coating, not every composition can be electrosprayed. As is the case with all electrostatic assistance methods, the composition must meet certain processing requirements. The viscosity and conductivity requirements for the composition to be coated vary with the electrostatic assistance method and with the coating thickness desired. For electrospray, the composition must be essentially either a single phase solution or a non-ionically-stabilized dispersion or emulsion, otherwise the composition may become unstable during the electrospray process. In a single phase solution (xe2x80x9ctrue solutionxe2x80x9d), each component is completely soluble.
Compositions can be electrosprayed with or without a solvent, provided the composition is either a single phase solution or a non-ionically-stabilized emulsion or dispersion. Often a solvent must also be added to the composition in order to obtain the requisite component solubility. This added solvent, particularly if organic, may present environmental problems if it evaporates during or after processing and is not captured.
When a composition is truly solvent-free, substantially all of the initial components are present in some form in the final cured product. Thin coatings exist which are solvent-cast, but do not fit this definition because the solvent evaporates off during processing. For example, although ethanol or methanol can be added to electrosprayable compositions to enhance solubility and conductivity, they evaporate during processing.
Water-based compositions, although sometimes termed xe2x80x9csolvent-free,xe2x80x9d cannot undergo cationic polymerization, at least until thoroughly dry.
A solvent can be added to a composition to enhance conductivity. To achieve the desired conductivity range, compositions often contain a polar solvent typically considered to be a volatile organic compound (xe2x80x9cVOCxe2x80x9d), in addition to a conductivity enhancer, i.e., salt. These volatile organic compounds can be hazardous to the environment.
Quaternary ammonium salts have been added to printing inks to enhance conductivity. However, depending on the choice of anion, these salts may not be compatible with cationic polymerization. U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,444 discloses adding quaternary ammonium salts, having anions with relatively low molecular weights such as sulfate, borate, and iodide, to ink. These conductivity control agents are added at levels of 0.05 to about 1 weight percent to increase the conductivity of electrostatically applied inks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,924 discloses adding an oil-soluble salt, such as the mineral acid and organic acid quaternary salts of the Group Va elements, to a curable printing ink containing 0 to 30% of a polar organic solvent. All examples include a polar organic solvent.
To electrospray a thin layer having uniform thickness, each droplet from the electrospray mist must have a sufficiently low viscosity to allow for reasonable spreading on the substrate. However, for some applications it may be desirable to cure individual droplets on the substrate, e.g., slip sheets. Solvents and reactive diluents have been added to control viscosity. For example EPO Appln No. 93.924905.8 (Leir et al.) discloses adding reactive diluents to adjust viscosity for a cationically co-polymerizable polysiloxane release coating capable of being electrosprayed.
Regardless of the method of applying a coating to a substrate, the components preferably do not detrimentally interfere with the final performance of the product. A component preferably evaporates or does not interfere with polymerization or becomes physically trapped in the coating during processing, otherwise the component may migrate into the substrate and detrimentally affect the product""s performance. Alternatively, it may later evaporate polluting the environment, or may later contact another surface, rub off, and contaminate that surface. To utilize the advantages electrostatic assistance methods offer, the compositions must have sufficient conductivity. Thus, the need exists for coating compositions capable of being applied by electrostatic assistance (i.e., electrostatically assisted continuous liquid coating (roll, curtain, slot, slide, gravure, and the like), electrostatic spray coating, or electrospray coating) where substantially all of the components are present in the final product and either co-polymerize with the other components or otherwise become a permanent part of the coating. The need also exists for the individual components of such coating compositions, specifically including conductivity enhancers, such as methide and imide salts.
We have found compositions that are capable of being applied to a substrate by means of electrostatic assistance, the components of which do not interfere with polymerization, and when placed upon a substrate and substantially polymerized, the compositions do not undesirably degrade the properties of the product.
By incorporating conductivity enhancers in accordance with the invention, a composition which was insufficiently conductive for coating via electrostatic assistance may be formulated to achieve the desired conductivity. In addition to achieving adequate conductivity, the conductivity enhancers are preferably soluble in the composition, preferably do not adversely affect the composition""s viscosity, preferably either substantially co-polymerize or become a permanent part of the final composition, and do not undesirably degrade the final product. Non-volatile salts having noncoordinating carbon-containing anions satisfy these requirements.
The present invention provides compositions containing conductivity enhancers which are capable of being coated onto a substrate by means of electrostatic assistance. The compositions comprise one or more cationically polymerizable monomer(s), one or more cationic initiator(s), and one or more non-volatile conductivity enhancer(s) having anionic and cationic portions which are soluble in the monomer(s) and which do not interfere with cationic polymerization, wherein said anionic portion is a non-coordinating organophilic carbon-containing anion. The monomer(s) and initiator(s) are such that when in combination they have a conductivity insufficient to be applied to a substrate by means of electrostatic assistance. The compositions may further comprise one or more dissociation enhancing agent(s), free-radically curable monomer(s), free-radical generating initiator(s), leveling agents, oligomer(s) or polymer(s), preferably co-reactive, as well as other additives and adjuvants to impart specific properties to the polymerized coating. The viscosity requirements vary with the electrostatic assistance coating method.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a xe2x80x9csolvent-freexe2x80x9d composition which can be applied to a substrate by electrostatic assistance.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a composition which can be electrosprayed onto a substrate, and in particular a rough or a three-dimensional substrate.
The invention further relates to methide and imide acid compounds including: a) a hydrogen cation; and b) an anion having one of the following formulae:
wherein: in Formula I, X is selected from the group consisting of xe2x80x94SO2R and xe2x80x94C(O)R; in Formula II, one X is selected from the group consisting of xe2x80x94SO2R and xe2x80x94C(O)R, and the other X is selected from the group consisting of H, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkaryl, xe2x80x94SO2R, and xe2x80x94C(O)R; R is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, and substituted aryl; and Rf can be fluorine or a monovalent fluorinated radical containing at least one carbon atom.
The invention still further relates to methide and imide compounds comprising a) a cation; and b) an anion having one of the following formulae:
wherein: in Formula I, X is selected from the group consisting of xe2x80x94SO2R and xe2x80x94C(O)R; in Formula II, one X is selected from the group consisting of xe2x80x94SO2R, xe2x80x94C(O)R, xe2x80x94SO2Rf, and C(O)Rf, and the other X is selected from the group consisting of H, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkaryl, xe2x80x94SO2R, and xe2x80x94C(O)R; R is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, and substituted aryl, wherein the skeletal carbon chain is interrupted by one or more of a divalent oxygen, a trivalent nitrogen, or a divalent sulfur; and Rf can be fluorine or a monovalent fluorinated radical containing at least one carbon atom.
The invention still further relates to methide and imide compounds comprising: a) a cation; and b) an anion having one of the following formulae:
wherein: in Formula I, X is selected from the group consisting of xe2x80x94SO2R and xe2x80x94C(O)R; in Formula II, one X is selected from the group consisting of xe2x80x94SO2R, xe2x80x94C(O)R, SO2Rf, and C(O)Rf, and the other X is selected from the group consisting of H, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkaryl, xe2x80x94SO2R, and xe2x80x94C(O)R; R comprises a polymerizable moiety; and Rf can be fluorine or a monovalent fluorinated radical containing at least one carbon atom.
The invention still further relates to a chemical comprising the reaction product of: a polymerizable compound comprising: a) a cation; and b) an anion having one of the following formulae:
wherein: in Formula I, X is selected from the group consisting of xe2x80x94SO2R and xe2x80x94C(O)R; in Formula II, one X is selected from the group consisting of xe2x80x94SO2R, xe2x80x94C(O)R, SO2Rf, and C(O)Rf, and the other X is selected from the group consisting of H, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkaryl, xe2x80x94SO2R, and xe2x80x94C(O)R; R comprises a polymerizable moiety; and Rf can be fluorine or a monovalent fluorinated radical containing at least one carbon atom.
The addition of certain types of salts as conductivity enhancers to an organic composition comprising cationically polymerizable monomers significantly enhances the composition""s conductivity without the addition of a solvent. The addition of a conductivity enhancer allows compositions having insufficient conductivity for application by electrostatic assistance to achieve the requisite conductivity and thus be electrostatically coatable by continuous liquid coating, electrostatic spray coating, or electrospray coating procedures.
The conductivity requirement applies only to the application process. Once the composition is applied to a substrate, the conductivity can be significantly reduced or eliminated.
Electrostatic assistance coating methods which rely on inductive charging require free ions (i.e., ions which are physically separated such that they behave as noncoordinated ions) in solution to serve as ionic conductors. Known ionic conductors include salts, acids, water, and polar solvents containing dissociated species. Water is not compatible with cationic polymerization. Acids are often volatile and corrosive. As discussed above, polar solvents may be used to enhance the conductivity by acting as a dissociation enhancing agent. However, polar solvents often evaporate during processing and thus can be harmful to the environment. Therefore, to create a solvent-free composition which can be applied by electrostatic assistance methods, salts are useful to enhance conductivity. However, not all salts are useful in organic compositions.
A single definition is not universally used for a solvent-free composition or a high-solids solution. Ideally, a solvent-free composition is 100% reactive and does not have or produce any VOCs. As known in the art, this ideal composition is difficult if not impossible to achieve. In particular, bulk polymerization significantly slows down at higher conversions, and thus 100 percent conversion or polymerization is difficult to achieve, even without considering economic limitations. To account for the non-ideal nature of compositions, some level of non-reactive components or volatile components is presumed. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a test methodology for measuring the VOC content for radiation curable materials, as found in American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard D 5403-93. Test Method A is applicable to xe2x80x9cradiation curable materials that are essentially 100% reactive but may contain traces (no more than 3%) of volatile materials as impurities or introduced by the inclusion of various additivesxe2x80x9d. To determine the presence of volatile materials, the composition is cured and then is heated to 100xc2x15xc2x0 C. for 60 minutes in a forced draft oven. Weight measurements are taken (all at room temperature) of the substrate, the composition prior to cure, the composition after cure and the cured composition after heating. In the present invention, xe2x80x9csolvent-freexe2x80x9d compositions are those that comply with this standard and thus have a VOC content of no more than 3 weight percent.
In addition to meeting this standard, the solvent-free compositions of the present invention are preferably such that less than 2 weight percent of the total of all original components are heat-extractable during the application of ASTM D 5403-93, Test Method A. Thus, preferably at least 98 weight percent of the monomer(s), initiator(s), conductivity enhancer(s), and other additives are present in the final polymerized product regardless of the energy source used for the free-radical cure. The non-ideal nature of the polymerization is also allowed for in the less than 2 weight percent loss requirement.
To achieve this solvent-free composition, each component must be selected such that during processing, polymerization, and in the final product, the composition does not lose material by evaporation or xe2x80x9cheat-extractionxe2x80x9d to the extent of 2 weight percent or more.
In addition, the components preferably do not migrate into other layers of the final product, otherwise the product""s properties may be detrimentally altered.
The conductivity requirements for the composition vary with the electrostatic coating method (see Table A) and the coating method may be determined by the desired coat height.
Walden""s Rule (Jordan, P. C., Chemical Kinetics and Transport, Plenum Press, New York (1980)) provides that for a given system the product of the ionic conductivity times the viscosity is approximately a constant. Thus, ionic conductivity can be increased by decreasing viscosity. However, in spray coatings the droplet viscosity preferably is held quite low to allow for reasonable spreading and smoothing of the coating in a short time. Consequently, in electrostatic coating, and in particular in electrospray coating, the composition""s viscosity is typically less than 1 pascal-second. Similar restrictions apply to the other methods. (See Table A.) Because the viscosity is already required to be low for most electrostatic assistance methods, the desired conductivity cannot readily be obtained by adjusting the viscosity.
Without the requisite conductivity, a composition cannot be applied by electrostatic assistance. This substantially limits the use of these application methods. However, by adding certain types of salts to these compositions to provide sufficient conductivity in accordance with the present invention, previously non-electrostatically-assistable compositions may now be applied to substrates by electrostatic assistance methods.
Conductivity Enhancers
Salts, as conductivity enhancers, contain ions held together by coulombic attraction. Simply having ions present does not mean that a salt solution is a sufficient ionic conductor. Electrostatic attraction binds oppositely charged ions together into ion pairs substantially reducing ionic conductivity. Therefore, to be sufficient conductors the ion pairs must at least partially dissociate and the ions become independent, i.e., become free ions (or, less preferably, ion triplets). Free ions can significantly increase the ionic conductivity of a composition provided they have enough inherent mobility to respond readily to the electrical field applied to the composition. The ability of the ion pairs to dissociate in a composition depends on several factors such as the dielectric constant of the medium.
As with other additives, the ion pairs (i.e., the salt) must be soluble to form a true solution for the composition to be potentially electrosprayable. Ions are required for various monomer mixtures to become conductive, but the solubilities of the salts differ, making some salts more effective than others. Because the compositions of interest are organic, salts with at least one organic ion typically have better solubilities. The solubility of such an organic salt can be tailored by proper selection of the organic group.
Generally, materials with higher dielectric constants (higher polarity) are better able to stabilize free ions. Polar materials reduce the attraction between oppositely charged ions, allowing the ion pairs to separate into free ions. In general, dissolved salt ions may be tightly paired (coordinated), and thus essentially non-conductive, or may be (as a result of their structure and environment) readily physically separated such that the ions behave as noncoordinated (or free) ions which are substantially conductive. As organic compositions become less polar and thus have a lower dielectric constant, the equilibrium between the free ions and the tight ion pairs shifts toward the latter. Therefore, salts dissolving to form ion pairs which readily dissociate into free ions despite less favorable conditions (i.e., low polarity and low dielectric constant mixtures) are desirably selected to enhance conductivity.
It is believed that the ease of dissociative separation of two ions is favorably influenced by charge delocalization in one or both of the ions and/or by steric hindrance around the charge center which prevents the counter-ion from tightly coordinating into an ion pair. Steric hindrance around the charge site of the ion can diminish accessibility to the counter-ion and therefore ions tend to be paired less tightly. If sterically hindering groups do not interfere with salt solubility, greater steric hindrance will favor ion-pair separation into individual ions and tend to enhance the composition""s ionic conductivity. However, increased ionic size will eventually reduce conductivity due to reduction in ion mobility. Electron withdrawing groups, particularly fluorine or fluorinated groups, generally increase charge delocalization within the anionic portion and thereby enhance conductivity.
Ions can have multiple charges. Generally, monovalent ions more readily solubilize and dissociate into free ions with the selected monomer mixtures. Bivalent and trivalent ions may also be used, but unless well xe2x80x9cstabilizedxe2x80x9d are generally less preferred because the extra charge favors tight ion aggregation over larger distances. Polymeric ions, such as from a salt of polyacrylic acid, are by their size severely restricted in mobility, and thus, limited in conductivity especially in viscous media.
The conductivity enhancers are non-volatile, or their vapor pressures are 1 kPa or less at 25xc2x0 C., preferably 0.5 kPa or less at 25xc2x0 C., and more preferably 0.1 kPa or less at 25xc2x0 C. Preferably, the conductivity enhancers do not decompose to form volatiles, or become heat or water extractable at any time during processing, or from the final product. Preferably, the conductivity enhancers increase the composition""s conductivity when added in relatively low amounts. Typically, from about 0.001 weight percent to about 10 weight percent is added, preferably from about 0.001 weight percent to about 1 weight percent is added. Further, the conductivity enhancers must not interfere with polymerization. Conductivity enhancers useful in the present invention include salts having an inorganic or organic cation and a bulky, carbon-containing, non-coordinating organophilic anion to promote dissolution and ionic dissociation of the salt in organic monomers. Preferably the anion has a formula weight of at least 200 kg/kmol.
The conductivity enhancer can contain one or more polymerizable moieties. Polymerizable conductivity enhancers can be reacted (e.g., polymerized), by themselves, with other reactive comonomers, or with other components of the coating composition, to form dimers, trimers, oligomers, homopolymers and copolymers derived from the polymerizable conductivity enhancer. Preferably, at least one part of the selected conductivity enhancer copolymerizes with the rest of the composition. However, if the conductivity enhancers are added in a small quantity and are physically trapped within the cured composition and thus substantially do not migrate to other layers of the substrate, evaporate, or become extractable when heated or exposed to water, the conductivity enhancers need not copolymerize. Migrating conductivity enhancers may undesirably interfere with the final product""s properties.
Useful anions include, but are not restricted to, alkyl, cycloalkyl, and aryl sulfonates, fluoroalkylsulfonylimides, fluoroalkylsulfonylmethides, arylborates, carborane anions, and metallocarborane anions. In certain cases boron catecholates are useful. Preferably the anions are halogen-substituted and most preferably the halogen is fluorine.
Preferred conductivity enhancers comprise fluorinated anions which are (fluoroalkylsulfonyl)imide (I), (fluoroalkylsulfonyl)methide (II), fluoroalkylsulfonate (III), or fluorinated or fluoroalkylated arylborate anions (IV) having the respective formulae:
where X is selected from the groups: H, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkaryl, xe2x80x94SO2R, xe2x80x94SO2Rf, xe2x80x94C(O)R, xe2x80x94SO2F, and xe2x80x94C(O)Rf, but is preferably xe2x80x94SO2Rf.
R can be selected from the group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, and substituted aryl groups, optionally containing a polymerizable moiety. The substituted aryl may contain halogen or haloalkyl substituents, preferably fluorine or fluoroalkyl substituents. The skeletal chain of the carbon atoms may be interrupted by heteromoieties such as divalent oxygen, trivalent nitrogen, or divalent sulfur, each of which is bonded only to carbon atoms; preferably where such heteromoieties are present, such skeletal chain does not contain more than one heteromoiety for every two carbon atoms.
Optionally, R can include a moiety that is able to react (e.g., polymerize) with another reactive or polymerizable chemical moiety to form a dimer, trimer, oligomer, copolymer, polymer, etc., e.g., via either a chain-type or condensation-type polymerization, free-radical polymerization, cationic polymerization, or polymerization by condensation. As used herein, the terms polymerize and polymerization refer not only to the production of a polymer or copolymer, but also to the production of a dimer, trimer, or oligomer, etc. Any type of polymerizable chemical moiety can be suitable. Examples of suitable polymerizable moieties include (meth)acrylate, acrylamide, styrenyl, epoxy, vinyl ether, allylic, carboxylic acid, and the like.
Rf can be fluorine or a monovalent fluorinated radical containing at least one carbon atom. Where the radical contains a plurality of carbon atoms in a skeletal chain, such chain may be branched or cyclic. The skeletal chain of carbon atoms can be interrupted by heteromoieties, such as divalent oxygen or trivalent nitrogen atoms each of which is bonded only to carbon atoms, or hexavalent sulfur atoms, each of which may be bonded to carbon, fluorine, or oxygen atoms, but preferably where such heteromoieties are present, such skeletal chain does not contain more than one said heteromoiety for every two carbon atoms. An occasional carbon bonded hydrogen atom, bromine atom or chlorine atom may be present. Where present, however, they preferably are present not more than once for every two carbon atoms on the average. Thus, the non-skeletal valence bonds are preferably carbon-to-fluorine bonds. That is, Rf is preferably perfluorinated.
The total number of carbon atoms in Rf can vary and be, for example, 1 to 12, preferably 1 to 8, more preferably 1 to 4. Where Rf is or contains a cyclic structure, such structure preferably has 5 or 6 ring members, one or two of which can be said heteromoieties, e.g., oxygen and/or nitrogen. Where two or more Rf groups occur in a single formula, they can be the same or different and may be linked together to form a cycle. Alternatively, Rf can be a fluorinated or fluoroalkylated aromatic group or a fluorine atom.
The Rfxe2x80x2 moiety in formula (IV) represents one or more fluorinated substituent(s) per aromatic ring and can be one or more fluorine atoms or Rf groups according to the above description wherein Rf is preferably CF3. Preferably, the total number of non-ring carbon atoms per aromatic ring represented collectively by Rfxe2x80x2 is not greater than 4. Most preferably formula (IV) is PFTPB (tetrakis[pentafluorophenyl]borate) and TFPB (tetrakis[3,5-bis-trifluoromethylphenyl]borate). A plurality of Rfxe2x80x2 moieties associated with a single borate anion may be the same or different and may be arranged in any combination.
R and Rf may further contain polymerizable functionality which is reactive with the monomers in which the salt is dissolved, thus providing a mechanism for immobilization of the anion during polymerization. Such immobilization may be necessary in applications where the extraction, leaching, or migration of the salt in the cured composition is undesirable.
Of the anions represented by formulae (I) through (IV), the imide, methide, and arylborate anions of formulae (I), (II), and (IV) are most preferred based upon solubility and conductivity.
Examples of anions useful in the practice of the present invention include, but are not limited to:
(C2F5SO2)2Nxe2x88x92,
(C4F9SO2)2Nxe2x88x92,
(C8F17SO2)3Cxe2x88x92,
(CF3SO2)3Cxe2x88x92,
(CF3SO2)2Nxe2x88x92,
(C4F9SO2)3Cxe2x88x92,
(CF3SO2)2(C4F9SO2)Cxe2x88x92,
(CF3SO2)(C4F9SO2)Nxe2x88x92,
[(CF3)2NC2F4SO2]2Nxe2x88x92,
(CF3)2NC2F4SO2Cxe2x88x92(SO2CF3)2,
(3,5-(CF3)2C6H3)SO2Nxe2x88x92SO2CF3,
(CF3SO2)(FSO2)Nxe2x88x92,
(CF3SO2)2(FSO2)Cxe2x88x92,
(CF3SO2)2(H)Cxe2x88x92,
(CF3SO2)2(C6H5)Cxe2x88x92,
C6F5SO2Cxe2x88x92(SO2CF3)2,
C6F5SO2Nxe2x88x92SO2CF3,
(Hxe2x80x94CF2CF2SO2)2Nxe2x88x92,
(ClCF2CF2SO2)2Nxe2x88x92,
(CH3SO2)Nxe2x88x92(SO2CF3)
CF3SO3xe2x88x92,
(CF3)2NC2F4SO3xe2x88x92,
C4F9SO3xe2x88x92,
3,5-(CF3)2C6H3SO3xe2x88x92,
CH2xe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94C(O)Nxe2x88x92(SO2CF3),
CH2xe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94C(O)Nxe2x88x92(SO2C8F17),
[3,5-(CF3)2C6H3]4Bxe2x88x92,
(C6F5)4Bxe2x88x92,
(C6H4-p-CF3)4Bxe2x88x92,
(C6H4-m-CF3)4Bxe2x88x92,
(C6H4-p-F)4Bxe2x88x92,
(C6F5)3(CH3)Bxe2x88x92,
(C6F5)3(n-C4H9)Bxe2x88x92,
(C6H4-p-CH3)3(C6F5)Bxe2x88x92,
(C6F5)3FBxe2x88x92,
(C6H5)3(C6F5)Bxe2x88x92,
(CH3)2(C6H4-p-CF3)2Bxe2x88x92,
(C6F5)3(n-C18H37O)Bxe2x88x92,
(CF3SO2)2Cxe2x88x92SO2CH2CH2OCH3
(CF3SO2)2Cxe2x88x92SO2CH2CH2CH2CH2OCH3
CF3SO2Nxe2x88x92SO2CH2CH2OCH2CH2OCH3
In general, the above-described bis(perfluoroalkylsulfonyl)imide and cyclic perfluoroalkylenedisulfonylimide salts can be prepared as described in U.S. Ser. No. 08/531,598 (Lamanna et al.) and U.S. Ser. No. 08/398,859 (Waddell) incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. These salts are prepared from the reaction of fluoroalkylsulfonyl fluorides, RfSO2F with anhydrous ammonia. Symmetrical imides in which Rf1 and Rf2 are the same can be prepared in a single step using a weakly basic organic solvent such as triethylamine as shown in Scheme I, whereas unsymmetrical imides in which Rf1 and Rf2 are different must be prepared in two steps as shown in Scheme II.
Imide salts having a perfluoroalkyl sulfonyl group and a non-perfluorinated hydrocarbon sulfonyl or carbonyl group can be prepared by reacting the perfluoroalkylsulfonamide intermediate shown supra in Scheme II with a hydrocarbon sulfonyl halide or anhydride or a hydrocarbon carbonyl halide or anhydride. Most conveniently, an unsubstituted perfluoroalkylsulfonamide (e.g., CF3SO2NH2 or C8F17SO2NH2) can be dissolved in an aprotic solvent, preferably a polar aprotic solvent such as acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran (THF), diethyl ether or dimethylsulfoxide, and a tertiary amine acid scavenger (e.g., triethylamine or pyridine) can be added in at least an equimolar amount. Then an equimolar amount of the desired non-perfluorinated hydrocarbon sulfonyl or carbonyl halide or anhydride (e.g., Fxe2x80x94C6H4xe2x80x94SO2Cl, CH2xe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94C(O)Cl or CH2xe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94C6H4xe2x80x94SO2Cl) is introduced, either neat or dissolved in the same polar aprotic solvent, and the reaction mixture is heated to a temperature of from about xe2x88x9225xc2x0 C. to about 150xc2x0 C., preferably about 25xc2x0 C. to about 100xc2x0 C., at a pressure equal to or greater than atmospheric, with stirring to complete the reaction to form a solution of the tertiary amine imide salt. The solvent can be removed to isolate the tertiary amine salt. The tertiary amine salt can be neutralized with an appropriate base to form the salt directly. Alternatively, the tertiary amine salt can be acidified in aqueous solution and extracted with a water-immiscible polar solvent to extract the desired imide acid, RfSO2NHSO2Rf or RfSO2NHCORf, which can be isolated by evaporating the polar solvent. The imide acid can, in turn, be neutralized in water with either an inorganic base (e.g., NaOH, K2CO3, LiOH, CaO, CuCO3 or Fe(OH)3) or an organic base, usually an amine or a quaternary ammonium hydroxide, to give the desired metal or ammonium salt.
Alternatively, imide salts having a perfluoroalkyl sulfonyl group and a non-perfluorinated hydrocarbon sulfonyl or carbonyl group can be prepared by reacting perfluoroalkylsulfonyl halide, most conveniently a perfluoroalkylsulfonyl fluoride, with a hydrocarbon sulfonamide, using similar reaction conditions as described supra, with reversal of the alkyl and the perfluoroalkyl groups on the sulfonamide and the sulfonyl halide.
Multiimide salts such as di-imide, tri-imide, oligo-imide, and poly-imide salts can be prepared by similar methods, using similar reaction schemes, but by substituting one or more of a multifunctional sulfonamide and/or a multifunctional sulfonyl halide for the monofunctional sulfonyl halide and/or monofunctional sulfonamide shown above, to achieve step-growth condensation of the reactants to produce such multi-imide compounds. Of course, with both the halides and the amides, carbonyl can be substituted for sulfonyl. Perfluorinated materials analogous to these have been prepared by a similar route, as described in D. D. DesMarteau, J. of Fluorine Chemistry, 72, (1995) 203-208. Such a di-imide compound can be exemplified as follows:
Examples of useful reactions are illustrated in Scheme III:
wherein X is a halogen, Rf is a perfluoroalkyl(ene), and R is a hydrocarbon.
In the first exemplified reaction of Scheme III, a difunctional amide (a hydrocarbon bis(sulfonylamide)) is shown to react with a perfluoroalkylsulfonyl halide (e.g., a perfluoroalkylsulfonyl fluoride). This produces a di-imide wherein the terminal alkyl groups substituted are perfluorinated, and the hydrocarbon group connecting the imides is not fluorinated. Alternatively, as shown in the second exemplified reaction, the sulfonylamide can be monofunctional and the sulfonyl halide can be di-functional; here, a perfluoroalkylsulfonamide is reacted with a hydrocarbon bis(sulfonyl)halide, to produce a similar reaction product. Of course, the fluorinated groups shown on one of the reactants can be transposed to the other reactant to produce a di-imide having non-fluorinated terminal hydrocarbon groups and a fluorinated connecting alkylene group. In the third exemplified reaction, a hydrocarbon bis(sulfonamide) is reacted with a perfluoroalkyl bis(sulfonyl)halide to produce a poly-imide. Here, as with the first two examples, the fluorinated and non-fluorinated alkyl/alkylene groups can be interchanged between the reactants.
Cyclic perfluoroalkylenedisulfonylimide salts can be prepared as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,222, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In general, methide salts according to formula II can be prepared by methods similar to those used to prepare perfluoroalkylsulfonyl methides, such methods being known in the chemical art. For example, bis-alkylsulfonyl methide or a bis-perfluoroalkylsulfonyl methide (e.g. a 1,1-disulfone) can be reacted with two equivalents of a very strong base (e.g., methyl magnesium chloride), and the resultant dianion can be reacted with a perfluoroalkyl or alkyl sulfonyl halide to form a methide. An exemplary reaction scheme is as follows:
Each of R, Rxe2x80x2 and Rxe2x80x3 can be independently a perfluorinated or non-perfluorinated alkyl, aryl, etc., to correspond to the above description of the methide. If desired, the disulfone reactant can be cyclic (e.g., 1,3-dithiolane-1,1,3,3-tetraoxide). To create alkylcarbonyl or perfluoroalkylcarbonyl substitutions, carbonyl halides can be used in place of sulfonyl halides. By controlling which R groups are present on the disulfone and the sulfonyl or carbonyl halide, the makeup of the methide substitutions can be controlled.
Specifically, to produce a methide having two perfluoroalkylsulfonyl groups and one non-perfluorinated hydrocarbon sulfonyl or carbonyl group, one mole of a bis-perfluoroalkylsulfonyl methane (which can be prepared as described in Example 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 2,732,398) can be reacted with two moles of an alkylmagnesium halide (Grignard Reagent) for several minutes at a reduced temperature, preferably about 0xc2x0 C., to form a methide dianion (and by-product alkane). The dianion can then be reacted under similar reaction conditions with one mole of the appropriate non-perfluorinated hydrocarbon sulfonyl or carbonyl halide or anhydride in the presence of at least one mole of tertiary amine acid scavenger, optionally in an aprotic, preferably polar aprotic, solvent, to form the mixed perfluorinated/non-perfluorinated imide tertiary amine salt. The methide acids and their metal or ammonium salts can be prepared using the same procedures as described in preparing the imide acid and salts.
To produce a methide having one perfluoroalkylsulfonyl group and two non-perfluorinated hydrocarbon sulfonyl or carbonyl groups, one mole of a bis-non-perfluorinated hydrocarbon sulfonyl methane or a bis-non-perfluorinated hydrocarboncarbonyl methane (e.g., (C6H5SO2)2CH2, (C6H5C(O))2CH2 can be substituted for the bis-perfluoroalkylsulfonyl methane and one mole of perfluoroalkylsulfonyl halide can be substituted for the non-perfluorinated hydrocarbon sulfonyl or carbonyl halide or anhydride. A higher reaction temperature, preferably at least about 80xc2x0 C., is desirable to drive the reaction to completion when using a sulfonyl fluoride.
Where a methide of formula II is desired, having an X group comprising a non-sulfonyl or noncarbonyl (e.g., H, alkyl, aryl, etc.) group, such methides can be prepared, e.g., by methods analogous to those described in Koshar, J. Org. Chem. Vol. 38, No. 19, p 3358 (1973).
Perfluoroalkylsulfonyl fluorides and perfluoroalkylenedisulfonyl fluorides used as precursors to the imide and methide salts of this invention can be prepared by a variety of methods known in the art as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,542,864; 5,318,674; 3,423,299; 3,951,762; 3,623,963; 2,732,398, and S. Temple, J. Org. Chem., 33(1), 344 (1968), D. D. DesMarteau, Inorg. Chem., 32, 5007 (1993), all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Fluoroalkylenesulfonylfluorides having polymerizable functional groups have been described by Gard et al., J. Fluorine Chem. 66, 105 (1994), Gard et al., Coordination Chemistry Reviews 112, 47 (1992), Gard et al., J. Fluorine Chem., 49, 331 (1990), Gard et al., J. Fluorine Chem. 43, 329 (1989), Gard et al., J. Fluorine Chem. 67, 27 (1994), Gard et al., J. Fluorine Chem. 55, 313 (1991), Gard et al., J. Fluorine Chem. 38, 3 (1988), Gard et al., Inorg. Chem., 29 4588 (1990), U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,117 (Armand), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,005 (DesMarteau). Polymers prepared from fluoroalkylenesulfonylfluorides having polymerizable functional groups have been described in DesMarteau, Novel Fluorinated Acids for Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells, Gas Research Institute Report #GRI-92/0385, July 1992, and J. Fluorine Chem., 72, 203 (1995).
In general, the above-described perfluoro-organic sulfonate salts can be prepared as generally described in U.S. Ser. No. 08/398,859 (Waddell et al.) incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. These salts can be prepared by hydrolysis of the corresponding perfluoroorganosulfonyl fluoride, via reaction with a basic salt having the desired cation (e.g., a carbonate, hydroxide, or alkoxide salt) in the presence of water and, optionally, an additional polar solvent.
Processes useful for the synthesis of fluorochemical imide salts are described in:
1. D. D. Des Marteau et al., Inorg. Chem., 1984, 23, pp. 3720-3723;
2. D. D. Des Marteau et al., Inorg. Chem., 1990, 29, pp. 2982-2985;
3. Canadian Patent 2000142-A;
4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,997; and
5. U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,040.
Processes useful for the synthesis of fluorochemical methide salts and their conjugate acids are described in:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,840;
2. Turowsky and Seppelt, Inorg. Chem., (1988) 27 pp. 2135-2137; and
3. Koshar and Mitsch, J. Org. Chem., 38 3358-63 (1973).
To prepare the perfluoroorganosulfonyl fluoride, the corresponding hydrocarbon sulfonyl fluoride (prepared, e.g., according to techniques described in Hansen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,753, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety) is perfluorinated by electrochemical fluorination according to the methods described in Hansen U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,753, Simons, U.S. Pat. No. 2,519,983, and Chemistry of Organic Fluorine Compounds, Milos Hudlicky, ed., 2d ed., PTR Prentice Hall (New York), pp. 73-76 (all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety), followed by purification.
In general, the conductivity enhancers of the present invention can be prepared as described in WO95/03338 (Lamanna et al.), incorporated by reference in its entirety, by anion exchange or metathesis reactions by combining salts that contain the desired cation and conventional counteranions, such as chloride, PF6xe2x88x92, SbF6xe2x88x92, or BF4xe2x88x92, with simple salts, such as alkali or alkaline earth metal salts or alkylammonium salts, of the nonnucleophilic anions of the invention in a suitable solvent. Generally, metathesis reactions may be carried out at temperatures ranging from about xe2x88x9280xc2x0 C. to about 100xc2x0 C., preferably at ambient temperature, under conditions in which either the salt of the instant invention or the metathesis byproduct(s) selectively precipitates, thus permitting isolation of the salt of the invention in the form of a solution or a pure solid. Alternatively, ion metathesis may be achieved by passing a solution of salt through a column of an insoluble anion exchange resin containing a nonnucleophilic anion of the invention. The salts of the invention will form in situ if the individual components described above are added directly to the composition capable of being applied by electrostatic assistance. It is preferred, however, to form the pure salt (conductivity enhancer) in a separate step as a solid or in a suitable solvent prior to adding the same to the electrostatically-assistable composition and performing the coating and polymerization process.
Suitable metathesis solvents generally are capable of dissolving at least one and preferably all of the reagents required for the metathesis reaction without reacting with these reagents. Solvents are generally selected such that the desired salt or the metathesis byproducts selectively precipitate, thus allowing the desired salt to be isolated in relatively pure form. Normally, the preferred solvent for a particular system is determined empirically. In the cases where an anion exchange resin is used, the solvent should not dissolve the resin, but should dissolve the metathesis reagents and the desired product salt. Nonlimiting examples of suitable solvents include water; chlorocarbons, such as methylene chloride, and chloroform; ethers; aromatic hydrocarbons, such as toluene, and chlorobenzene; nitrites, such as acetonitrile; alcohols, such as methanol and ethanol; nitrobenzene; nitromethane; ketones, such as acetone and methyl ethyl ketone; and other similar classes of organic solvents. Mixtures of solvents are often desirable to control solubility of reagents and product salts.
The sodium and lithium salts of [3,5-(CF3)2C6H3]4Bxe2x88x92(TFPBxe2x88x92) were prepared following published techniques (H. Kobayashi, et al. in Bull Chem. Soc., Jpn., 57, 2600 (1984) incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
[Li[B(C6F5)4]]2(C2H5)2O was prepared as described in WO95/03338 (Lamanna et al.) incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
C6F5Li (70 mmole) was prepared according to the method described by A. G. Massey and A. H. Park, Organometallic Synthesis, 3, 461 (1986), modified by using as the solvent a mixture of 200 mL of hexane and 50 mL of diethyl ether. To this mixture at a temperature of xe2x88x9278xc2x0 C., 17.5 mL of 1.0 M BCl3 in hexane was added dropwise. After stirring overnight, crude product was collected on a Schlenk filter and vacuum dried. The crude material was purified by Soxhlet extraction under vacuum with anhydrous methylene chloride to produce a white, powdery product. This product was dried under high vacuum producing a yield of 13 grams (77 percent). 1H NMR analysis showed the product to contain 2.1 moles of diethyl ether per formula weight. Because the product was hygroscopic, it was stored under dry nitrogen.
Li [B(n-butyl)(C6F5)3] was prepared as described in U.S. Ser. No. 08/097,279 (Lamanna et al.). To a stirred suspension of 1.17 grams (2.3 mmoles) (C6F5)3B in 10 mL of hexane, 0.95 mL of a 2.5 M solution of n-butyllithium in hexane under nitrogen was added. A white solid product precipitated and after 30 minutes it was isolated by filtration and washed with 5 mL hexane. After vacuum drying, the yield was 0.98 gram. 11B NMR (toluene): xe2x88x927.7 (s) ppm relative to BF3(OEt2).
The cationic portion of the methides and imides can be virtually any organic or inorganic cation. For example, preferred cations include hydrogen, alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, or group Va, VIa, or VIIa onium cations such as ammonium, alkylammonium, and other nitrogen-onium, phosphonium, arsonium, iodonium, and sulfonium cations. Said cations may preferably also contain polymerizable functionality for immobilization of the salt.
The most preferred salts can be used at concentrations below 1 weight percent and do not require any dissociation enhancing agent. Dissociation enhancing agent(s) may be added or salts may be used at concentrations greater than 1 weight percent in order to increase the ionic conductivity of relatively nonconductive mixtures.
Conductivity enhancers suitable with cationically polymerizable monomer mixtures, such as epoxies and vinyl ethers, are those that are free of highly nucleophilic anions which tend to combine with the propagating species (the cation of the propagating polymer chain-end) and significantly slow down or inhibit the polymerization. When nucleophilic ions, such as carboxylate, halogenide, and the like are present, polymerization inactive species are readily formed, especially in low dielectric constant media. To avoid this problem, non-nucleophilic anions, such as BF4xe2x88x92, PF6xe2x88x92, AsF6xe2x88x92 and SbF6xe2x88x92 are commonly employed. With highly nonpolar monomers, such as vinyl ethers and epoxies, it may be beneficial to use slightly more solubilizing anions, such as CF3SO3xe2x88x92(triflate), C(SO2CF3)3xe2x88x92, N(SO2CF3)2xe2x88x92, CH(SO2CF3)2xe2x88x92, TFPBxe2x88x92 and the like. With these counterions, polymerizations of cationically curable monomers is still possible. As with the fluorinated inorganic anions (above), the rates of polymerization will vary depending upon the choice of monomer and the degree of non-nucleophilicity of the anion.
Initiators used to cure an electrosprayable mixture of monomers may also be salts and may have the anions of the present invention associated with them to improve their solubility, reactivity, ionic conductivity, and/or stability. Where the ionic catalyst or initiator is sufficiently conductive it may further serve a dual function as both the curing or polymerization initiating agent and as the conductivity enhancer. Mixtures of salts (i.e., initiators and conductivity enhancers) containing the same or different anions may be used in a composition capable of being applied by electrostatic assistance, with the proviso that the mixture is compatible; that is, the salts remain essentially fully dissolved in the monomer mixture and retain their intended activity without interfering with the activity of the other components or initiating polymerization prior to application on the substrate.
Dissociation Enhancing Agents
The dissociation of the ion pairs may also be enhanced by the addition of one or more dissociation enhancing agent(s). These dissociation enhancing agents will associate with (i.e., xe2x80x9cstabilizexe2x80x9d) one or both of the ions of the salt. As with each component, the dissociation enhancing agents when added preferably should meet the xe2x80x9csolvent-freexe2x80x9d requirements and preferably not interfere with the polymerization. Typically, when dissociation enhancing agent(s) are a part of the composition, at least 0.1 weight percent is added, preferably about 0.5 to about 5 weight percent. Preferred dissociation enhancing agent(s) have a dielectric constant of at least 5 at 20xc2x0 C. More preferably, the dielectric constant is at least 10 at 20xc2x0 C., and most preferably is at least 20 at 20xc2x0 C. Examples are well known in the art and include materials such as polyethylene glycols, crown ethers, and poly(ethylene oxides) which in combination with alkali salts selectively complex the metal ion of the ion pair thus inducing dissociation. Small amounts of co-reactive and more polar monomers such as N-vinylpyrrolidinone can also be used to enhance dissociation, provided they do not adversely affect the properties of the cured coatings.
Monomers
The monomers selected for these compositions are essentially completely miscible with the other components of the mixture. In addition, these monomers have sufficiently low vapor pressures so that little material loss occurs during processing. Preferably, the monomers are non-volatile, or are such that their vapor pressures are 1 kPa or less at 25xc2x0 C., more preferably 0.5 kPa or less at 25xc2x0 C., and most preferably 0.1 kPa or less at 25xc2x0 C. Monomers are also selected and at concentrations based on the desired use for the composition. Useful monomers include both monofunctional and multifunctional monomers.
Typical cationically polymerizable and/or copolymerizable monomers include ethylenically unsaturated compounds, such as vinyl or vinylidene ethers, N-vinyl carbazoles, vinyl silanes, N-vinyl pyrrolidinone, 1,1-dialkyl-, trialkyl-, and tetraalkyl-substituted olefins, cyclic olefins, conjugated diolefins, and styrenes. Other cationically reactive monomers include cyclic ethers, especially strained ones such as epoxides.
Typical useful vinyl ether monomers include vinyloxy groups substituted with alkyl or cycloalkyl groups having between 4 and 18 carbon atoms. Alkyl groups with less than four carbons are generally difficult to handle because of their high volatility and extremely low flash points. Vinyl ethers having more than 18 carbons in the alkyl group are not readily available from commercial sources and are typically sluggish to react.
Vinyl ethers with more than one vinyloxy group are also suitable. They can be combined with the monofunctional materials to enhance the properties by covalently crosslinking the composition.
Examples of these vinyl ethers are n-butyl vinyl ether, isobutyl vinyl ether, 2-ethylhexyl vinyl ether, n-decylvinyl ether, cyclohexyl vinyl ether, cyclohexyl dimethanol divinyl ether, 1,4-butanediol divinyl ether, 1,6-hexanediol divinyl ether, trimethylol propane trivinyl ether and the like.
Electron rich vinyl compounds are also suitable. Also included, though usually less reactive, are substituted vinyl analogs such as isopropenyl ethers and the like. For example, phenyl substituted vinyl compounds and styrenic compounds, such as styrene, xcex1-methyl styrene, anethole, vinyl toluene, t-butyl styrene, vinyl anisole, propenyl phenol, divinyl benzene, and diisopropenyl benzene, can be used. Because these compounds typically polymerize to low molecular weights and hard coatings, they are most commonly copolymerized with other monomers rather than homopolymerized.
Other suitable electron rich olefins include multi-alkyl substituted olefins, di- and polyolefins, and cyclic olefins. Illustrative examples include limonene, pinene, citral, and camphene.
Epoxides are also suitable monomers in these compositions. Because many epoxy monomers are too viscous to be coated by electrostatic assistance, reactive diluents are commonly used with these monomers.
Examples of low viscosity epoxide materials include epoxidized xcex1-olefins sold under the trade name Vikolox(trademark) by Atochem (Philadelphia, Pa.), styrene oxide, limonene oxide, vinyl cyclohexene dioxide (available from Ciba-Geigy (Hawthorne, N.Y.) as Araldite(trademark) RD-4), 1,4-butanediol diglycidylether (available from Ciba-Geigy as Araldite(trademark) RD-2), butyl glycidylether (available from Ciba-Geigy as Araldite(trademark) RD-1), dipentene dioxide (available from Union Carbide, Danbury, Conn., as ERL-4269), and the like.
Other examples, including already diluted materials, can be selected by one skilled in the art from the reference xe2x80x9cHandbook of Epoxy Resins,xe2x80x9d Lee and Neville, McGraw-Hill, 1982, Appendix 4-2, pages 4-58 through 4-70).
Depending on the desired properties of the composition, some cationically coreactive oligomers or polymers may be desirable as part of the composition to modify the performance characteristics.
Examples of these coreactive materials include epoxidized polybutadienes, epoxy functional polydimethylsiloxanes, epoxy functional hydrogenated anionic block copolymers based on isoprene, butadiene and styrene, such as the EKP 201 (epoxidized star polymer) and EKP 207 (linear epoxidized mono-ol polymer) both available from Shell Chemical (Houston, Tex.).
With epoxies, coreactive diluents are commonly used. Examples of these coreactive diluents are vinyl ethers, styrenes, and alcohol functional materials, such as HPVM 1201 or HPVM 1202 both available from Shell Chemical.
Other cationically polymerizable or copolymerizable monomers include strained cyclic amines, such as aziridines and azetidines, cyclic monomers, such as lactams and lactones, five-membered cyclic ethers, trioxane, ketones, and aldehydes. These monomers are usually less preferred because they may introduce properties, such as water-swellability, which may conflict with the intended use. In certain cases, however, and especially in lesser amounts, they may confer desirably increased adhesion or wettability.
Initiators
Initiators, which may be catalytic, are generally required to activate the polymerization process. The activation energy can be either radiative or thermal. For thermal activation, catalysts can be selected from materials such as Lewis acids, organic protonic acids, or anhydrides. See Radiation Curing in Polymer Science and Technology, Elsevier Applied Science, 1993, vol. 2; Radiation Curing Science and Technology, S. P. Pappas, Plenum Press, NY, 1992, incorporated herein by reference. Depending on the reactivity of the monomers, activation temperatures in excess of 100xe2x80x83 C. may be required. A common problem with these initiators is the risk of premature polymerization of the monomer/initiator mixtures. In those cases where mixing the monomers with the initiator results in handling difficulties because of premature polymerization, preferably the initiator is applied first on the substrate, followed by deposition of the monomer composition using the selected electrostatic assistance method. If this were necessary, the initiator typically would be essentially nonvolatile at the application temperature, and the very small amounts required preferably may, for example, be applied by conventional vacuum deposition, or from dilute solution.
Blocking of the catalyst is another possibility. Examples could be the use of a volatile base, such as triethylamine, with an organic acid such as (CF3SO2)2CH2. With heat, the acid is freed up and initiation is possible. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,861 (Nozari) and GB1327205-A (R. Koshar).
Another method of initiating cationic polymerization is to use a catalyst, such as cupric benzoate in combination with the iodonium salts and nucleophilic monomers, which system upon heating xe2x80x9cspontaneouslyxe2x80x9d polymerizes. (See Ring Opening Polymerization, J. E. McGrath, ACS Symposium Series, 1985, page 198, incorporated herein by reference). Because the catalyst does not always form a completely soluble mixture as required for electrospray, in those cases the catalyst should first be deposited on the substrate as described above, followed by application of the monomer/initiator mixture.
Ultraviolet light can also be used to initiate polymerization. Useful photoinitiators are completely soluble and stable in the monomer mixture to avoid premature polymerization prior to application on the substrate. If necessary, the initiator can be applied to the substrate first (by any conventional coating method), followed by application of the monomers.
Examples of useful photoinitiators include onium salts selected from, but not limited to, sulfonium salts, iodonium salts and mixtures thereof. Particularly useful are diaryl iodonium salts or sulfonium salts with general structures Ar2I+Xxe2x88x92 and Ar3S+Xxe2x88x92, respectively, wherein Ar is an aryl group and Xxe2x88x92 is selected from anions of strong monovalent acids such as BF4xe2x88x92, PF6xe2x88x92, AsF6xe2x88x92, SbF6xe2x88x92, CF3SO3xe2x88x92, ClO4xe2x88x92, and the like. Also useful are organic anions such as HCxe2x88x92(SO2CF3)2, xe2x88x92C(SO2CF3)3, xe2x88x92N(SO2CF3)2, xe2x88x92B(C6F5)4, C6H5Cxe2x88x92(SO2CF3)2. The less reactive onium salts, having anions such as triflate and perchlorate, are only useful with the more reactive monomers, such as vinyl ethers. The more reactive salts are also useful with slower reacting monomers, such as certain epoxides.
Examples of diaryl iodonium compounds can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,717 (Eckberg et al.). Triaryl sulfonium salts with general structure Ar3Sxe2x88x92Xxe2x88x92, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,511 (Smith et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,828 (Smith et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,513 (Fox et al.), 4,049,861 (Nozari et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,400 (Crivello et al.) are also suitable.
Examples of onium and organometallic salts of fluorinated aryl borate anions useful as initiators for cationic polymerization can be found in WO95/03338.
Other suitable compounds include ferrocenium salts, such as Irgacure(trademark) 261 from Ciba-Geigy, which are less reactive than the iodonium or sulfonium salts. Depending on the monomers, heating may be required in addition to UV irradiation to complete the cure. (J. Crivello, Radiation Curing in Polymer Science and Technology, Elsevier Applied Science, 1993, Volume II, pages 435-471).
Photosensitizers, such as thioxanthone, anthracene, xanthone, and the like, can be used in combination with these photoinitiators to accelerate the initiation process. See Table 2-1 of the reference Steven L. Murov, Handbook of Photochemistry, Marcel Dekker, Inc., NY 27-35 (1973).
Typically, the initiator concentration is selected based on the reactivity of the monomers and the desired speed of polymerization. For highly reactive monomers, such as vinyl ether compounds, initiator levels will be on the order of about 0.05 to about 1 weight percent. For the less reactive epoxides, initiator levels between about 0.5 and about 4 weight percent are more common.
Some of the initiators, such as the iodonium salts, may have sufficient solubility and ionization in the monomer mixtures to enhance the conductivity sufficiently to allow the deposition by electrostatic assistance. However, the conductivity is dependent on the initiator concentration; and thus, it is basically impossible to change the conductivity without changing the initiator concentration. High initiator concentrations can result in difficult-to-control reaction kinetics or poor aging stability of the polymerized coatings. If the conductivity requirements limit to low levels the initiator concentration that may be used, the polymerization rate can drop below economically acceptable rates.
Therefore, the initiator and the conductivity enhancer concentrations preferably are independently controlled in the electrostatically-assistable compositions of this invention.
Additional Additives
Free-radically polymerizable monomers, such as acrylates, methacrylates, vinyl esters, methacrylamides, acrylamides, fumarates, styrenes, maleimides, and the like, may be added to the cationically polymerizable monomers of the present invention to obtain a xe2x80x9chybridxe2x80x9d composition. When free-radically polymerizable monomers are added, a free-radical initiator must also be added. Free-radical initiators include, but are not limited to, benzoin ethers, camphorquinone, acetophenone derivatives, benzophenone, anthraquinone, benzoylperoxide, 2,2xe2x80x2-azo-bis(isobutyronitrile), 1,1xe2x80x2-azo-bis(cyclohexane-1-carbonitrile), dicumylperoxide, and persulfate/bisulfite redox pairs. Some initiators may trigger both free-radical and cationic polymerization. For example, onium and organometallic salts such as diaryliodonium and triarylsulfonium salts and (cyclopentadienyl) (arene) iron+ salts of the anions PF6xe2x88x92 and SbF6xe2x88x92 may be useful.
When two initiators are present, the activation mechanism may be the same or different. When the mechanism is the same (e.g., heat or radiation), initiators can be selected such that the activation energy differential triggers polymerization at different points in time. In some cases, it may be desirable that the cationic and free-radical polymerization occur simultaneously, for example interpenetrating polymer networks useful for coatings. An example of different activation mechanisms is a UV initiator for free-radical polymerization and a heat-activated initiator for cationic polymerization.
In order to achieve specific functionality in the finished coating the monomers and other components are selected to impart the desired properties.
Additives such as flatting agents, dyes, pigments, plasticizers or tackifiers and the like can be used or non-functional flow enhancers and wetting agents can be added to improve the aesthetics of the coating. These additives preferably are soluble in the composition, are nonvolatile, and preferably do not detrimentally interfere with the conductivity or the curability of the compositions.
A composition can be prepared by mixing together in a suitable vessel one or more cationically polymerizable monomer(s) and one or more cationic initiator(s), such that when in combination have a conductivity insufficient to be applied by means of electrostatic assistance (i.e., electrostatically assisted continuous liquid coating, electrostatic spray coating, electrospray coating). One or more conductivity enhancer(s) and optionally one or more dissociation enhancing agent(s) may be added to increase the conductivity yielding an application composition. This application composition may then be applied to a substrate using electrostatic assistance and subsequently polymerized. Typically, the substrate has two major surfaces, and the composition is applied to at least a portion of at least one major surface.
One embodiment of the present invention is a release coating composition on a substrate where the substrate comprises a backing having first and second sides, an adhesive layer having two sides, one side coated onto the first side of the backing, and a release layer on the second side of the backing comprising the polymerized composition formulated as a release coating. Preferably the release coating composition is electrosprayed onto the second side of the backing. When the release coating is used on pavement marking tapes and other such rolled substrates, the substrate is rolled such that the first side of the backing (if already adhesive coated, the adhesive layer) contacts the release layer.
Other embodiments include, but are not limited to, primers, thin adhesives, anti-fogging coatings, ice release coatings, anti-graffiti coatings, abrasion resistant coatings, durable coatings, light-scattering coatings, hard coats, stain resistant coatings, scuff-resistant coatings, and matte surface coatings. Suitable monomers and additives for each application as well as choice of coating thickness may be readily selected by those skilled in the art.
Suitable substrates include, but are not limited to, a sheet, a fiber, or a shaped object provided the substrate does not contain sufficient basic groups which can locally deactivate the initiation or propagation process. The composition may be applied to at least one major surface of suitable flexible or inflexible backing materials and then cured. Useful flexible backing materials include plastic films such as poly(propylene), poly(ethylene), poly(vinyl chloride), poly(tetrafluoroethylene), polyester (e.g., poly(ethylene terephthalate)), polyimide film such as DuPont""s Kapton(trademark), cellulose acetate, and ethyl cellulose. Backings may also be constructions with irregular surfaces such as woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, paper, or rough surfaces. Backings can thus also be of woven fabric formed of threads of synthetic or natural materials such as cotton, nylon, rayon, glass, or ceramic material, or they can be of nonwoven fabric such as air-laid webs of natural or synthetic fibers or blends of these, provided they are not too porous. Due to its high porosity, paper itself is usually not suitable unless heavier coatings of greater than one micrometer are applied to offset soaking into the paper. However, glassine, plastic coated, or impregnated paper is suitable. Rough surfaces include embossed or patterned surfaces or particle impregnated resins such as abrasive particle covered (epoxy) resin and glass bead covered resins provided the surfaces, resins, or particles are not so basic in nature as to interfere with polymerization. In addition, suitable substrates can be formed of metal, metallized polymeric film, ceramic sheet material, natural or synthetic rubber, or pavement marking tapes.

Cationically polymerizable compositions capable of being coated by electrostatic assistance


A turbine generator regenerative braking system for an automotive or other vehicle having ground engaging wheels and an electrical energy storage device. The braking system comprises an hydraulic fluid turbine generator having an electrical power output connected to the electrical energy storage device, a plurality of hydraulic fluid pumps, an actuation system for operatively connecting/starting pumping action, and a hydraulic fluid circuit connecting the hydraulic pumps to the turbine generator. In some versions of the system, a hydraulic pump, a clutch and an adjustable flow nozzle will be dedicated to each ground engaging wheel of the vehicle. In operation, braking is preferably initiated by the actuation of a brake master cylinder which provides hydraulic pressure to cause each rotating wheel with its corresponding hydraulic pump to engage. The pressurized fluid output of each pump is then fed to the turbine through the adjustable-flow nozzle causing the flywheel, and thus the generator, to rotate. The rotation of the turbine generator produces electrical power which is transmitted to the vehicle""s electrical energy storage device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to braking systems and, more particularly, to regenerative braking systems for vehicles. This invention relates to a regenerative braking system that slows a vehicle by operatively connecting a hydraulic pump system to the vehicle""s rotating wheels to pump fluid to a turbine for electric generation.
2. Related Art
The prior art is replete with approaches to extracting, storing and beneficially using the energy usually dissipated during vehicle braking. These approaches in part include many combinations and interconnections of flywheels, hydraulic and pneumatic accumulators, motors, pumps, and the like. None of the known prior art, however, incorporates a turbine generator for regenerative braking and electrical energy generation, as in the present invention. The following brief review of some of the prior art will be useful in establishing the novelty and utility of the present invention.
Bultmann (U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,734) has disclosed a braking system having a hydrodynamic coupling driven by the vehicle, wherein the operating fluid is conducted into an external circulatory system by way of a cooler or radiator. This hydrodynamic coupling also serves as a feed pump for the operating fluid and is operatively connected with a turbine to drive a separate cooling fan. In this manner, heat removal from the braking system may be facilitated.
Smitley (U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,371) also teaches a flywheel approach to storing and supplying energy for vehicles. The flywheel is selectively connected to the power train of a vehicle and absorbs energy from the vehicle""s ground engaging wheels during the deceleration of the vehicle. This process provides at least a degree of vehicular braking. A clutch is also provided to selectively engage/disengage the flywheel connection to the wheels.
Chang (U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,053) employs a vehicle""s engine to compress air when the vehicle decelerates and reuses the air thus-compressed to drive an air motor which assists in moving the vehicle when it is underway again.
Gray et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,527) provides a vehicular powertrain with regenerative braking having a pump/motor combination connected to the vehicle""s drive wheels. In the vehicle""s braking mode, the pump comes into play and charges an accumulator. When it is desired to accelerate the vehicle, the accumulator releases its stored energy by providing hydraulic power to the motor which, in turn, drives the vehicle""s wheels. Controls and switches are provided to implement and coordinate the various functions of the components.
Ellis et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,249) disclose a kinetic energy storage system that uses a flywheel with a motor generator to store energy. The flywheel rotates at a high speed in a vacuum. The flywheel may also be used to power the vehicle.
Martin-Gerez (U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,351) teaches an axle-driven pumping mechanism used to pressurize a volume of hydraulic fluid in response to a braking command. The fluid thus-pressurized activates a turbine that is used to drive a cooling fan directed at a radiator used to dissipate heat in the hydraulic fluid.
As can readily seen from the above review, the prior art is silent with respect to extracting energy to affect vehicular braking by hydraulically turning a turbine generator with a fluid-jet powered by the rotation of the wheels. No prior art approach is known to anticipate the present invention""s innovative incorporation of a turbine generator actuated by fluid-jet energy recovered during the braking phase of a vehicle""s operation. The extraction of energy by the fluid-jet-powered turbine generator aids in braking the vehicle and the electrical energy the turbine generates is stored in the vehicle""s electrical storage system, typically batteries. However, other electrical storage systems may also be used like, for example, ultra-capacitors (see xe2x80x9celectriccomponents.comxe2x80x9d).
Thus it is a primary objective of this invention to provide a braking system that generates electrical energy while facilitating braking of the vehicle. It is another object of this invention to include a turbine generator in such a system that is powered by a fluid-jet driven by the vehicle""s wheels. It is a further object of this invention to store the generated electrical energy for the later use by the vehicle. It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a system that is robust and inexpensive to manufacture, install and operate. Another object of this invention is to provide a turbine generator regenerative braking system that is applicable to any apparatus requiring braking independent of the primary motive power.
This invention is a turbine generator regenerative braking system for a vehicle having ground-engaging wheels and an electrical energy storage device. The braking system comprises an hydraulic fluid turbine generator having an electrical power output connected to the electrical energy storage device, one or more hydraulic fluid pumps, and an hydraulic fluid circuit operatively and cooperatively connecting the hydraulic pump(s) to the turbine generator. Further, the braking system comprises an actuator system adapted to operatively connect the fluid pump(s) to the wheel(s) and to actuate the pump operation, powered by the wheel(s), for pumping fluid through the hydraulic fluid circuit. An operator""s foot pedal or other operator control means is adapted to signal the actuator system, preferably controlling application of the brakes in an incremental manner. Preferably, the hydraulic fluid circuit comprises outlet nozzles through which the hydraulic fluid is forced to jet against cups/blades of the turbine, for generation of electricity.
By slowing the vehicle, via a method that comprises operative connection of the wheels to fluid pumps that power a turbine, the invented system transfers some of the vehicle kinetic energy into electrical energy rather than dissipating the energy as heat during conventional frictional slowing by brake shoes. The system preferably has adjustment features for controlling/varying the amount of braking, so that the braking system may be used during travel for slowing or for slowing and stopping. Adjustment features preferably comprise the jet nozzles being adjustable to vary flow restriction in the hydraulic line(s). Further, another adjustment feature may comprise a variable pump rate such as with a variable positive-displacement pump. The preferred fluid turbine generator comprises a flywheel, a plurality of cup blades on the flywheel like a Pelton wheel, and an electrical generator section. The flywheel may have fan-like blades or other structure on which the fluid jets impinge. Optionally, power-take-off (PTO) may be provided mechanically from the flywheel shaft.
In most embodiments of this invention, each wheel may power, and, hence, may be slowed by, the fluid-jet-turbine system. Each wheel may be operatively connected/connectable to its own respective fluid hydraulic pump and its own respective fluid line-and nozzle, so that a pump and nozzle system is connected to and dedicated to each of the plurality of wheels.
The actuation system comprises a mechanism for starting and stopping pump operation in response to whether and how much the operator is applying the brakes. The actuation system comprises operative connection of the rotating wheel(s) to the pump(s), which may be accomplished in various ways comprising mechanical connection/coupling of a pump that automatically pumps when connected, start-up of the pump separate from mechanical connection, or start-up or speeding-up of a pump that is already connected to the wheel. For example, the pump device may be mechanically engaged with the wheel at all times, but with the pump adapted to not pump fluid until braking is actuated by the operator. Such a system, for example, could comprise a variable-positive-displacement pump that is adapted to be at a zero pumping rate during normal non-braking operation but that increase to a non-zero pumping rate when the brake is actuated. In such a case, actuation of the pump would not necessarily affect physical connection of the pump to the wheel by a clutch, but actuation would comprise startup of the already-connected pump and/or increasing of the pumping rate to the desired level. Alternatively, the pump may be disengaged mechanically from the wheel until braking is actuated, at which time a clutch or other coupling mechanism mechanically connects the pump to the wheel and actuates pumping of fluid.
The actuation system may comprise various types of actuation, for example, mechanical, hydraulic, air, electrical switching, or other mechanism for causing/allowing the engagement/coupling of the pump to the wheel and/or starting up or increasing the speed or displacement volume of the pump. The actuation is controlled by the operator of the vehicle, and preferred mechanism is a hydraulic master cylinder powered by the driver pressing on a foot pedal in the vehicle cab, and conduits conveying hydraulic fluid to (and hence operating) the preferred clutch system, pump start-up system, or variable rate/displacement mechanism adjustment system. After actuation, the pump is fed by a hydraulic reservoir and powered by the vehicle wheel(s) to force fluid flow through the hydraulic line downstream of each pump to its corresponding adjustable-flow nozzle for delivering/spraying hydraulic fluid against the turbine""s blades/cups. The fluid flow from each nozzle impinges on the preferred cup blades, causing the turbine flywheel to rotate, and thus the generator, to rotate. The rotation of the turbine generator thus generates electrical power which is transmitted to the vehicle""s electrical energy storage device.
In effect, therefore, this extraction of power from the wheels, to pump fluid through the conduits and through the nozzles, initiates the braking action on each of the wheels. Further braking action may be achieved by a closing movement of needle valves within the nozzles, which provides an increased restriction to fluid flow. This closing movement is preferably controlled by the operator""s action in the vehicle cab, that is, preferably pushing harder on the brake pedal. The fluid dynamics affected by closing of the nozzles may include increased pressure/head in the output circuit of each pump, reduced fluid flow rate, reduced pump speed, via this additional work load on the pump and, therefore, on the wheel(s).
The nozzle(s) may be adapted to be completely or substantially completely closed, wherein the hydraulic system will xe2x80x9clock up,xe2x80x9d so that fluid flow and pumping stops, and, hence, wheel rotation also stops. Such a xe2x80x9clock upxe2x80x9d system may adapt the invented braking system to synergistically serve as a parking brake system for the vehicle.
After reviewing this Description and Drawings, one of skill in the art will understand that an actuation system may be designed to operatively couple a rotating wheel/axle of the vehicle to a pump by a clutch system, or to start-up/speed-up a pump already mechanically connected to the wheel/axle of the vehicle, depending on the type of pump chosen. Various types of liquid pumps adapted or adaptable to be powered by rotational movement are known and may be installed in embodiments of the invention.
Heat may need to be removed from the pump circuit, for example, due to energy being dissipated at the site of the restricted nozzle(s) during nozzle(s) operation. Conventional heat transfer, including cooling fins or fan-assisted heat exchange with air, may be provided.
The turbine generator continues to rotate and generate electrical power after the flow of hydraulic fluid is removed from the cup blades of the turbine. In this fashion, nearly all of the kinetic energy stored in the rotating components of the turbine generator is recovered for use by the vehicle.
This invention of a turbine generator regenerative braking system is applicable to vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, pure electrical vehicles and hybrid vehicles. In fact, the inventor believes this invention has universal applicability to any device requiring a means for braking which may be adapted for energy conservation off the rotating shaft.
These and many other features and attendant advantages of the invention will become apparent, as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed descriptions and accompanying drawings.

Turbine generator regenerative braking system


A method and apparatus for smoothing local unevenness from the surface of bar material, such as anode bars, consisting of clamping the bar rigidly against a supporting frame and moving a smoothing device along the bar, said smoothing device maintained in continued contact with the bar by means of rollers pushing against opposed parallel faces of the bar. The rollers allow the smoothing device to move according to the general contour of the bar, so that only local unevenness is removed, and excessive smoothing due to curvature in the overall bar length is eliminated.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for locally smoothing the surface of bar material, such as anode bars, by clamping the bar and moving a smoothing device along its length.
Smelting electrolysis furnaces utilized in the aluminum industry employ fast-burnt block anodes consisting essentially of carbon. The block anodes are fixed at a lower end thereof by vertically arranged anode bars. The anode bars are releasably connected with a current supply. In order for good electric current transmission from the current supply to the anode bar to be achieved, at least one side of the anode bar must be a very smooth contact surface, which abuts a corresponding surface of the current supply.
During a period of operation of the furnance, it is unavoidable that the contact surface of the anode bar and the corresponding surface of the current supply will become uneven due to pits, ridges, scratches and the like resulting from current arcing and/or abrasion during installation. The result of such uneven contact surfaces is to increase electric arcs to an even greater degree, thereby impairing current transfer and furnace operation, in addition to potential safety hazards.
Surfaces of such anode bars are presently smoothed by removing the bars from the furnace and utilizing a grinding machine having a grinding belt which extends over the entire length of the bar. The grinding belt is pressed against the bar by means of a stationary guide. This method and apparatus is unsatisfactory because it not only smooths local unevenness such as pits and ridges, but also removes a significant portion of the anode bar material due to the fact that the overall length of the bar may exhibit a curvature, which is thus ground by the belt over the entire length of the bar. Such curvature in the length of the bar is not harmful to the current transfer between the current supply and the anode bar, so that the time and expense of removing such a curvature is unnecessary.
An apparatus and method for removing only local unevenness on the surface of anode bars is provided with a smoothing device which follows the general curvature of the bar as a whole. The method is practiced by an apparatus which clamps a bar to be smoothed rigidly against a frame, where a smoothing device guided by rollers abutting opposite parallel sides of the bar is attached thereto. The smoothing device is guided by the rollers along the entire length of the bar so that only local unevenness is removed, while the rollers guide the smoothing device in a path following the curvature of the overall bar length.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to furnish a method and apparatus to locally remove unevenness in bar material which has a specific application to the smoothing of the surface of anode bars.
It is a further object of the present invention to minimize time and expense devoted to the smoothing of such bars by providing a roller guide for a smoothing device which allows the device to move along a surface of the bar in a path corresponding to the general curvature of the overall bar length.
The invention and its further advantages are described in greater detail in the FIGS. and following description.

Method for smoothing the surface of bar material