Abstract
A processing roll has a release layer that includes a porous rigid layer and polymer composite. The porous rigid layer may be a thermally sprayed metal that has discrete metal portions or a network of contiguous metal portions. Discrete metal from a flame sprayer may attached to each other on a contact surface to form the rigid layer. The polymer composite at least partially fills the spaces between the metal portions. The polymer composite may comprise a particulate filler, such as silica or glass beads. The release layer has good durability as the exposed surface contains both a portion that is the rigid material and a portion that is the polymer composite. This configuration enables very high release and long term durability even as the release layer wears.
Claims
1. A method of making a contact surface having a composite release layer comprising the steps of: a) providing a contact surface on a processing roll; b) providing a rigid material; c) providing a polymer composite comprising: i) a silicone polymer solution comprising a silicone polymer and a solvent; and ii) a particulate filler dispersed within the polymer and comprising microspheres having a particle size of less than 50 m; d) depositing the rigid material onto the contact surface of the processing roll to produce a porous rigid layer having a thickness and comprising a plurality of rigid portions having a space there between; e) depositing the polymer composite into the porous rigid layer as a liquid solution; and f) scrapping an outside surface of the processing roll to remove excess polymer composite from the contact surface to produce a release layer comprising said polymer composite configured in the space between the plurality of rigid portions and an outside surface comprising: i) a first exposed area consisting essentially of an exposed portion of the plurality of rigid portions; and ii) a second exposed area comprising the polymer composite; wherein the release layer is configured on the contact surface of the processing roll.
2. The method of making a contact surface having a composite release layer of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing the rigid material on the contact surface comprises the step of flame spraying the rigid material onto the contact surface.
3. The method of making a contact surface having a composite release layer of claim 1, wherein the polymer composite further comprises a solvent comprising a hydrocarbon and wherein the silicone polymer is cured after the step of depositing the polymer composite into the porous rigid layer as a liquid solution.
4. The method of making a contact surface having a composite release layer of claim 3, wherein the solvent is a naphtha.
5. The method of making a contact surface having a composite release layer of claim 1, further comprising the step of removing a jut from the porous rigid layer.
6. The method of making a contact surface having a composite release layer of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing the polymer composite into the porous rigid layer comprises pressing the polymer composite into the porous rigid layer.
7. The method of making a contact surface having a composite release layer of claim 6, wherein the contact surface is a portion of the processing roll, and wherein the step of depositing the polymer composite into the porous rigid layer comprises pressing the polymer composite into the porous rigid layer with a doctor blade configured against the processing roll.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.
(2) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary processing roll having a doctor blade contacting the contact surface.
(3) FIG. 2 shows a side sectional view of a portion of an exemplary processing roll with a porous rigid layer attached thereto.
(4) FIG. 3 shows a side sectional view of a portion of an exemplary processing roll with an exemplary release layer thereon.
(5) FIG. 4 shows a top-down view representation of the outside surface of the exemplary release layer shown in FIG. 3.
(6) FIG. 5 shows a side sectional view of a portion of an exemplary processing roll with a porous rigid layer attached thereto.
(7) FIG. 6 shows a side sectional view of a portion of an exemplary processing roll with an exemplary release layer thereon.
(8) FIG. 7 shows a top-down view representation of the outside surface of the exemplary release layer shown in FIG. 6.
(9) FIG. 8 shows a side sectional view of a portion of an exemplary processing roll with a porous rigid layer attached thereto.
(10) FIG. 9 shows a side sectional view of a portion of an exemplary processing roll with an exemplary release layer thereon.
(11) FIG. 10 shows a top-down view representation of the outside surface of the exemplary release layer shown in FIG. 9.
(12) FIG. 11 shows a side sectional view of a portion of an exemplary processing roll with a releaser layer comprising a primer layer.
(13) FIG. 12 shows a side sectional view of a portion of an exemplary processing roll with a porous rigid layer attached to the contact surface of the processing roll and a plurality of juts extending from the outside surface of the porous rigid layer.
(14) FIG. 13 shows a side sectional view of a portion of the exemplary processing roll shown in FIG. 12 with a polymer composite imbibed into the porous rigid layer and a plurality of juts extending from the outside surface of the release layer.
(15) FIG. 14 shows a side sectional view of a portion of the exemplary processing roll shown in FIG. 13 with a juts removed by the scraping of the doctor blade across the outside surface of the release layer.
(16) FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of a planar surface having a release layer attached thereto.
(17) FIG. 16 shows a side sectional view of a portion of the exemplary contact surface with the polymer composite being pressed and forced into the spaces of the porous rigid layer by a doctor blade.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
(18) Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the figures. The figures represent an illustration of some of the embodiments of the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. Further, the figures are not necessarily to scale, some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
(19) As used herein, the terms comprises. comprising, includes, including, has, having or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Also, use of a or an are employed to describe elements and components described herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the scope of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
(20) Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described herein and are illustrated in the accompanying figures. The embodiments described are only for purposes of illustrating the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention, and certain modifications, combinations and improvements of the described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art and all such alternate embodiments, combinations, modifications, improvements are within the scope of the present invention.
(21) As shown in FIG. 1, an exemplary processing roll 12 has an exemplary composite release layer 14 on the contact surface 22 and a doctor blade 26. The diameter 20 of the processing roll is shown. As described herein, a doctor blade may be used to peel paper product from the roll. Also, a doctor blade may be used in the application of the composite release layer by pressing the polymer composite into the spaces between the rigid portions and/or by removing excess polymer composite. As shown in FIG. 1, the roll 12 is rotating in a direction such that the doctor blade would scrape material from the surface of the roll, including juts.
(22) As shown in FIG. 2, an exemplary processing roll 12 has an exemplary porous rigid layer 16 attached thereto. The rigid portions 62 are substantially tear drop shaped having an enlarged end attached to the contact surface 22 and smaller rounded portion that extends away from the contact surface. The rigid portions 62 are discrete rigid portions and are not connected to each other. There is a space 64 between the discrete rigid portions.
(23) As shown in FIG. 3, an exemplary processing roll 12 has an exemplary release layer 14 thereon having a thickness 42. The release layer 14 comprises the porous rigid layer 16 and a polymer composite 18 configured between the spaces of the rigid portions 62. The polymer composite 18 comprises polymer 82 and particulate filler 84. As shown in FIG. 4 the outside surface 40 comprises a first exposed area 44 that is the rigid portions 62 and a second exposed area 46 that is the polymer composite 18.
(24) As shown in FIG. 5, an exemplary processing roll 12 has a porous rigid layer 16 attached thereto having a thickness 69. The rigid portions 62 are irregular shaped. The discrete metal portions are attached to each other to form a contiguous network 66. Some of the rigid portions are attached to the contact surface 62, while others are only attached to other rigid portions 62, thereby building up the thickness 69 with a plurality of rigid portions stacked upon each other. The metal portions may be flame sprayed metal particles that harden when they impinge on the contact surface and attach to each to form the contiguous network. The thickness is the average thickness, as indicated by the dashed line, and may be determined by surface analysis including utilizing a surface profilometer. The porous rigid layer is a continuous network 66 of rigid portions 62. The rigid portions are coupled to each other to form a contiguous network.
(25) As shown in FIG. 6 an exemplary processing roll 12 has an exemplary release layer 14 thereon. The release layer 14 comprises the continuous porous rigid layer 16 and a polymer composite 18 configured between the spaces of the rigid portions 62. The polymer composite 18 comprises polymer 82 and particulate filler 84. As shown in FIG. 7 the outside surface 40 comprises a first exposed area 44 that is the rigid portions 62 and a second exposed area 46 that is the polymer composite 18. Note that the shape of the exposed area of the rigid portions is variable. Also note that the exposed rigid portions are discrete, in that they are not connected along the surface and are surrounded by polymer composite.
(26) As shown in FIG. 8 an exemplary processing roll 12 has a porous rigid layer 16 attached thereto. The porous rigid layer is a continuous network 66 of rigid portions 62. The rigid portions are substantially spherical and are coupled to each other to form a contiguous network. The rigid portions may be oblong, spherical, or irregularly shaped.
(27) As shown in FIG. 9, an exemplary processing roll 12 has an exemplary release layer 14 thereon. The release layer 14 comprises the continuous porous rigid layer 16 and a polymer composite 18 configured between the spaces of the rigid portions 62. The polymer composite substantially fills the spaces of the porous rigid network, as shown. The polymer composite 18 comprises polymer 82 and particulate filler 84. As shown in FIG. 10, the outside surface 40 comprises a first exposed area 44 that is the rigid portions 62 and a second exposed area 46 that is the polymer composite 18.
(28) As shown in FIG. 11, an exemplary processing roll 12 has a release layer 14 having a primer layer 86. The primer layer may be a polymer that is applied to the porous rigid layer 16 prior to filling the spaces between the rigid portions with polymer composite 18. The primer layer may be thin, or low viscosity, and coat the contact surface 22 of the processing roll 12 and also coat the rigid portions 62.
(29) It is to be understood that FIGS. 2 through 11 may equally demonstrate the composite release layer applied to any suitable contact surface, such as a plate or an implement, such as a doctor blade.
(30) As shown in FIG. 12, an exemplary processing roll 12 has a porous rigid layer 16 attached to the contact surface 22 of the processing roll and a plurality of juts 68 extending from the outside surface 40 of the porous rigid layer. When depositing a porous rigid layer onto a contact surface, such as a roll 12, the metal particles may form a substantially consistent thickness with some rigid portions 62 that extend out from this average thickness to form juts 68. These juts may be removed by scrapping with a doctor blade or any other suitable scrapping implement, sanding, polishing and the like. The juts may be removed prior to or after the application of the polymer composite. As shown in FIG. 13, a doctor blade is pressed against the outside surface and the doctor blade is moved relative to the release layer to scrape away the juts. As shown in FIG. 14, the juts have been removed leaving a relatively uniform outside surface of the release layer comprising polymer composite and rigid portions 62.
(31) As shown in FIG. 15, a plate 30 has a composite release layer 14 attached thereto. A release layer may be applied to any suitable surface including plates, doctor blades or other implements that might be exposed to tacky materials. A release layer, as described herein, may be applied to any suitable contact surface 22, such as planar, as shown in this embodiment, curved in the case of rolls and any other shape.
(32) As shown in FIG. 16, an exemplary contact surface 22 has a porous rigid layer 16 applied thereto and a polymer composite 18 is being pressing into the spaces and voids of the porous rigid layer to form a composite release layer 14. A contact surface may be a plate that is planar or has a radius or any suitable curvature and a scrapping implement, such as a doctor blade may be used to press the polymer composite into the spaces between rigid portions. The scrapping implement may be moved or the contact surface may be moved as required.
DEFINITIONS
(33) A rigid portion may be metal or a metal alloy, a ceramic or any other suitable rigid material having a Rockwell hardness of greater than about 50.
EXAMPLES
(34) The primer may be Dow Corning 1200 RTV PRIME COAT having the contents as described in MSDS No. 01004018 incorporated by reference herein, following contents: The contents are provided in Table 1.
(35) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 1200 RTV MSDS No. 1004018 CAS Number Wt % Component Name 64742-89-8 >60.0 Light aliphatic petroleum solvent naphtha 1330-20-7 5.0-10.0 Xylene 682-01-9 5.0-10.0 Tetrapropyl orthosilicate 5593-70-4 3.0-7.0 Tetrabutyl titanate 109-86-4 3.0-7.0 Ethylene glycol methyl ether 2157-45-1 1.0-5.0 Tetra (2-methoxyethoxy) silane 100-41-4 1.0-5.0 Ethylbenzene
(36) The polymer used in the polymer composite may be Dow Corning 1890 Protective Coating having the contents as described in MSDS No. 01908278, incorporated by reference herein. The contents are provided in Table 2.
(37) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 1890 MSDS No. 01908278 CAS Number Wt % Component Name 64742-89-8 30.0-60.0 Light aliphatic petroleum solvent naphtha 7631-86-9 7.0-13.0 Silica, amorphous 1330-20-7 1.0-5.0 Xylene 4253-34-3 1.0-5.0 Methyltriacetoxysilane 17689-77-9 1.0-5.0 Ethyltriacetoxysilane 100-41-4 0.5-1.5 Ethylbenzene
(38) The glass microspheres may comprise sodium borosilicate-based glass at approximately 75% and iron micropowder at approximately 25%. The microspheres may have a density of about 2.2 g/cc and a mean particle size of 30 microns.
(39) It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Specific embodiments, features and elements described herein may be modified, and/or combined in any suitable manner. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications, combinations and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
