Electric field curing of polymers
US5357015A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 10, 1993 |
| Grant date | Oct 18, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 10, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC09D4/00
- WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The present invention relates to methods of accelerated curing of condensation polymers or inducing cross-linking of polymers by a direct current corona or glow discharge applied to the polymer bulk. The methods permit low temperature removal of volatile components from a material without inducing a chemical reaction or local heating. These methods have been employed to prepare fracture-free polysiloxane films up to 100 .mu.m in thickness with curing time reduced by several orders of magnitude. A variety of metal ions, non-linear optical molecules or laser dyes may be incorporated in the films. The surface hydrophilicity of films may also be modified by this treatment. Additionally, an electrically conductive surface layer has been produced by incorporation of an appropriate dopant. Multilayered optical waveguide or lasing structures may be produced by this technique by successive deposition of spun films and curing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.