UV-curing Coating of Active Compounds onto Plastic Surface for Industrial Scale Production
- Detailed Technology Description
- The inventiondescribes novel bioactive materials and a method of making them. The method itselfprovides a one-step photo-curable polymeric coating process to immobilize reactivefunctional groups onto solid supports (e.g. plastic, steel, glass, andconcrete) on large scale.
- Others
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Lin, Z. and Goddard, J. (2018). In preparation.
- *Abstract
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Ultraviolet(UV) curing is a widely adapted process in coating and printing industriesmainly because this process offers processing speeds, requires less energy, andis cost effective and solvent-free. However, current surface modificationprocesses cannot be easily replicated on large scales mainly due to solutionreaction processes.
Thepresent invention developed at Cornell University is addressing this issueamong others. It is a laminated photografting method that offers a newsynthetic route to produce at large-scale functional polyolefins from inertpolyolefins (i.e. Polyethylene, Polypropylene) (Fig.1). It uses cross-linkers enablingboth adhesion to the substrate surface and cross-linking within the coating. It enables production of functionalpolyolefins that have similar surface chemistry, surface roughness, wettability,and surface uniformity than the corresponding films prepared using existingbatch photografting methods.
Figure 1.Conceptual illustration of the coating mechanism of the photo-curablemetal-chelating coating on polyolefin plastic substrate. The copolymer coatingcan be applied onto polypropylene surface and cure-attached to the surface byUV-curing.
Potential Applications
Productionof active films for food packaging (Fig.2), coatings for biomedical/dentalimplants, etc.
Figure 2: Metal-chelating coatings forproduction of antioxidant active packaging.
Advantages
ExistingUV-curing processes:
- Environment-friendlymethods that do not involve solvent evaporation and do not produce by-products
- Fasterprocesses than coatings that are cured by heat.
CornellUV-curing method:
- Providesunique chemical signatures
- Synthesisunder ambient conditions, unlike other processes which require an inert/oxygenfree environment
- Solution free process that allows for adaptable to roll-to-roll process
- Enablescovalent immobilization of variety of functional groups
- Allowsfor customization (e.g. wettability, printability, adhesiveness, antimicrobialproperties)
- Enablesthe use of polymers instead of monomers thus the process should be less likelyto be subject of migration of compounds from the package into the food.
- Whenused in packaging, potential to chelate trace metals and other contaminantsfrom food source, reducing product spoilage and leakage.
- *Licensing
- Jeff Fearnjcf55@cornell.edu607-254-4502
- Country/Region
- USA
