GB2120694A - Method of rendering a material hydrophobic - Google Patents

Method of rendering a material hydrophobic Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2120694A
GB2120694A GB08212729A GB8212729A GB2120694A GB 2120694 A GB2120694 A GB 2120694A GB 08212729 A GB08212729 A GB 08212729A GB 8212729 A GB8212729 A GB 8212729A GB 2120694 A GB2120694 A GB 2120694A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
hydrophobic
plasma
paper
hydrogen
rendering
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB08212729A
Inventor
John Christopher Roberts
Bryan Clarke
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB08212729A priority Critical patent/GB2120694A/en
Publication of GB2120694A publication Critical patent/GB2120694A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06M—TREATMENT, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE IN CLASS D06, OF FIBRES, THREADS, YARNS, FABRICS, FEATHERS OR FIBROUS GOODS MADE FROM SUCH MATERIALS
    • D06M10/00—Physical treatment of fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics, or fibrous goods made from such materials, e.g. ultrasonic, corona discharge, irradiation, electric currents, or magnetic fields; Physical treatment combined with treatment with chemical compounds or elements
    • D06M10/02—Physical treatment of fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics, or fibrous goods made from such materials, e.g. ultrasonic, corona discharge, irradiation, electric currents, or magnetic fields; Physical treatment combined with treatment with chemical compounds or elements ultrasonic or sonic; Corona discharge
    • D06M10/025—Corona discharge or low temperature plasma
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06M—TREATMENT, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE IN CLASS D06, OF FIBRES, THREADS, YARNS, FABRICS, FEATHERS OR FIBROUS GOODS MADE FROM SUCH MATERIALS
    • D06M11/00—Treating fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics or fibrous goods made from such materials, with inorganic substances or complexes thereof; Such treatment combined with mechanical treatment, e.g. mercerising
    • D06M11/01—Treating fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics or fibrous goods made from such materials, with inorganic substances or complexes thereof; Such treatment combined with mechanical treatment, e.g. mercerising with hydrogen, water or heavy water; with hydrides of metals or complexes thereof; with boranes, diboranes, silanes, disilanes, phosphines, diphosphines, stibines, distibines, arsines, or diarsines or complexes thereof
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06M—TREATMENT, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE IN CLASS D06, OF FIBRES, THREADS, YARNS, FABRICS, FEATHERS OR FIBROUS GOODS MADE FROM SUCH MATERIALS
    • D06M2101/00—Chemical constitution of the fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics or fibrous goods made from such materials, to be treated
    • D06M2101/02—Natural fibres, other than mineral fibres
    • D06M2101/04—Vegetal fibres
    • D06M2101/06—Vegetal fibres cellulosic
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06M—TREATMENT, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE IN CLASS D06, OF FIBRES, THREADS, YARNS, FABRICS, FEATHERS OR FIBROUS GOODS MADE FROM SUCH MATERIALS
    • D06M2200/00—Functionality of the treatment composition and/or properties imparted to the textile material
    • D06M2200/10—Repellency against liquids
    • D06M2200/12—Hydrophobic properties

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Paper (AREA)

Abstract

Materials, for example cellulosic products, having hydrophilic character are rendered hydrophobic by treatment with a hydrogen plasma. The plasma is generated by radio frequency induction.

Description

SPECIFICATION Method of rendering a material hydrophobic This invention relates to a method of treating a material such that the capacity of an aqueous liquid to wet or penetrate the material is reduced or eliminated. Such a method is referred to herein by the expression "a method of rendering a material hydrophobic" but it should be understood that this expression covers a method in which a material with no hydrophobic characteristics is rendered at least partly hydrophobic as well as a method in which the hydrophobic characteristics of a material are increased.
The method is applicable particularly, but by no means exclusively to the treatment of cellulose and cellulose based products, e.g. paper and board, for the purpose of rendering them hydrophobic.
The control of water penetration in a finished sheet of paper or board is generally achieved by the use of sizes which are added to the fibre suspension in water prior to sheet formation.
Sizing does however suffer from a number of disadvantages, amongst which may be mentioned: (1) the retention of the sizing chemicals may be poor, thereby increasing cost of the finished product; (2) loss of production due to non-sizing which may arise because of pH variations; and (3) adverse effects on the properties of the paper, such as strength and permanence.
It is also possible to render paper products more hydrophobic by impregnation of the finished paper with water repelling substances. This technique is used in the production of phase separation filter papers which are capable of separating a mixture of immiscible aqueous and non-aqueous phases by allowing only the nonaqueous phase to pass through the paper.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of rendering a material hydrophobic comprising subjecting the material to a hydrogen plasma.
The advantage of the present invention is that the material is rendered hydrophobic without the need for a wet sizing operation with its attendant disadvantage.
The material to be treated may, for example, be cellulose or cellulose based products, e.g. paper and board, as well as various synthetic materials.
The hydrogen plasma is preferably a radio frequency induced, non-equilibrium plasma, i.e.
one in which the electron temperature and the thermal temperature are not equal. Preferably aiso the hydrogen is used at a pressure of 0.1 to 1 torr, the hydrogen flow rate is preferably 10 to 60 mls/minute, and the power supplied to the plasma is preferably 40 to 100 watts. Treatment times for the material in the plasma will vary depending on the extent to which the material is to be rendered hydrophobic. Treatment times of up to 1 5 minutes, will generally be suitable. These conditions are particularly appropriate tor batchwise treatment of the material. The preferred conditions for a continuous process may differ.
The apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention may comprise a reaction chamber around which, for the purpose of generating the plasma, is an RF coil coupled to an RF generator via a matching network. The reaction chamber may be supplied with hydrogen at a suitable flow rate and pressure, e.g. via a needle valve and flowmeter with the hydrogen pressure being monitored by a pressure gauge.
Apparatus of this type is commercially available, from Nanotech (Thin Films) Limited.
This apparatus is suitable for batchwise treatment of the material but it is envisaged that the invention may be operated as a continuous or semi-continuous process for treating moving webs of material.
In one example of the invention, filter papers having an air permeability (which is a measure of porosity) of 500 to 2,500 mis/minute have been treated in a hydrogen plasma in accordance with the conditions given above. The resultant papers were sufficiently hydrophobic to act as phase separators for mixtures of aqueous and nonaqueous immiscible liquids with the aqueous solution being completely and selectively retained by the filter paper for a period of at least 1 0 minutes (sufficient for the phase separation to take place). This is comparable with commerciaily available phase separation papers which are made by a completely different process.
Other materials which may be rendered hydrophobic by the method of the invention are, for example, (i) bandages and surgical dressings (which may be of synthetic material) for the purpose of stopping blood adhering to them; (ii) wet laid and dry laid non-woven materials (paper related); and (iii) fibres which may be treated before sheet formation with a view to controlling bond formation.
Claims (Filed on 3/5/83) 1. A method of rendering hydrophobic a material which has at least a degree of hydrophobic character comprising subjecting the material to a hydrogen plasma.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plasma is a radio frequency included, nonequilibrium plasma.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the hydrogen is used at a pressure of 0.1 to 1 torr.
4. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hydrogen flow rate is 10 to 60 mls/minute.
5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the material is cellulose or a cellulose based product.
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Method of rendering a material hydrophobic This invention relates to a method of treating a material such that the capacity of an aqueous liquid to wet or penetrate the material is reduced or eliminated. Such a method is referred to herein by the expression "a method of rendering a material hydrophobic" but it should be understood that this expression covers a method in which a material with no hydrophobic characteristics is rendered at least partly hydrophobic as well as a method in which the hydrophobic characteristics of a material are increased. The method is applicable particularly, but by no means exclusively to the treatment of cellulose and cellulose based products, e.g. paper and board, for the purpose of rendering them hydrophobic. The control of water penetration in a finished sheet of paper or board is generally achieved by the use of sizes which are added to the fibre suspension in water prior to sheet formation. Sizing does however suffer from a number of disadvantages, amongst which may be mentioned: (1) the retention of the sizing chemicals may be poor, thereby increasing cost of the finished product; (2) loss of production due to non-sizing which may arise because of pH variations; and (3) adverse effects on the properties of the paper, such as strength and permanence. It is also possible to render paper products more hydrophobic by impregnation of the finished paper with water repelling substances. This technique is used in the production of phase separation filter papers which are capable of separating a mixture of immiscible aqueous and non-aqueous phases by allowing only the nonaqueous phase to pass through the paper. According to the present invention there is provided a method of rendering a material hydrophobic comprising subjecting the material to a hydrogen plasma. The advantage of the present invention is that the material is rendered hydrophobic without the need for a wet sizing operation with its attendant disadvantage. The material to be treated may, for example, be cellulose or cellulose based products, e.g. paper and board, as well as various synthetic materials. The hydrogen plasma is preferably a radio frequency induced, non-equilibrium plasma, i.e. one in which the electron temperature and the thermal temperature are not equal. Preferably aiso the hydrogen is used at a pressure of 0.1 to 1 torr, the hydrogen flow rate is preferably 10 to 60 mls/minute, and the power supplied to the plasma is preferably 40 to 100 watts. Treatment times for the material in the plasma will vary depending on the extent to which the material is to be rendered hydrophobic. Treatment times of up to 1 5 minutes, will generally be suitable. These conditions are particularly appropriate tor batchwise treatment of the material. The preferred conditions for a continuous process may differ. The apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention may comprise a reaction chamber around which, for the purpose of generating the plasma, is an RF coil coupled to an RF generator via a matching network. The reaction chamber may be supplied with hydrogen at a suitable flow rate and pressure, e.g. via a needle valve and flowmeter with the hydrogen pressure being monitored by a pressure gauge. Apparatus of this type is commercially available, from Nanotech (Thin Films) Limited. This apparatus is suitable for batchwise treatment of the material but it is envisaged that the invention may be operated as a continuous or semi-continuous process for treating moving webs of material. In one example of the invention, filter papers having an air permeability (which is a measure of porosity) of 500 to 2,500 mis/minute have been treated in a hydrogen plasma in accordance with the conditions given above. The resultant papers were sufficiently hydrophobic to act as phase separators for mixtures of aqueous and nonaqueous immiscible liquids with the aqueous solution being completely and selectively retained by the filter paper for a period of at least 1 0 minutes (sufficient for the phase separation to take place). This is comparable with commerciaily available phase separation papers which are made by a completely different process. Other materials which may be rendered hydrophobic by the method of the invention are, for example, (i) bandages and surgical dressings (which may be of synthetic material) for the purpose of stopping blood adhering to them; (ii) wet laid and dry laid non-woven materials (paper related); and (iii) fibres which may be treated before sheet formation with a view to controlling bond formation. Claims (Filed on 3/5/83)
1. A method of rendering hydrophobic a material which has at least a degree of hydrophobic character comprising subjecting the material to a hydrogen plasma.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plasma is a radio frequency included, nonequilibrium plasma.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the hydrogen is used at a pressure of 0.1 to 1 torr.
4. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hydrogen flow rate is 10 to 60 mls/minute.
5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the material is cellulose or a cellulose based product.
6. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the material is a synthetic material.
7. A method of rendering a material hydrophobic substantially as hereinbefore described.
GB08212729A 1982-05-01 1982-05-01 Method of rendering a material hydrophobic Withdrawn GB2120694A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08212729A GB2120694A (en) 1982-05-01 1982-05-01 Method of rendering a material hydrophobic

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08212729A GB2120694A (en) 1982-05-01 1982-05-01 Method of rendering a material hydrophobic

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2120694A true GB2120694A (en) 1983-12-07

Family

ID=10530126

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB08212729A Withdrawn GB2120694A (en) 1982-05-01 1982-05-01 Method of rendering a material hydrophobic

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2120694A (en)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5236563A (en) * 1990-06-18 1993-08-17 Advanced Surface Technology Inc. Surface-modified bioabsorbables
USH1535H (en) * 1994-11-23 1996-06-04 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Treatment process for preserving books, papers, films, photographs and reports
WO1996027044A1 (en) * 1995-02-27 1996-09-06 Sca Hygiene Paper Ab Method for producing a spunlace material with increased wet strength and spunlace material according to the method
EP1124008A1 (en) * 2000-02-11 2001-08-16 L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Method for treating cellulosic fibres

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5236563A (en) * 1990-06-18 1993-08-17 Advanced Surface Technology Inc. Surface-modified bioabsorbables
USH1535H (en) * 1994-11-23 1996-06-04 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Treatment process for preserving books, papers, films, photographs and reports
WO1996027044A1 (en) * 1995-02-27 1996-09-06 Sca Hygiene Paper Ab Method for producing a spunlace material with increased wet strength and spunlace material according to the method
AU696440B2 (en) * 1995-02-27 1998-09-10 Sca Hygiene Paper Ab Method for producing a spunlace material with increased wet strength and spunlace material according to the method
EP1124008A1 (en) * 2000-02-11 2001-08-16 L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Method for treating cellulosic fibres
WO2001059216A1 (en) * 2000-02-11 2001-08-16 L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme À Directoire Et Conseil De Surveillance Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Method for treating cellulosic fibres

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WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)