Fluorochemical finishes for paint applicators

1. A paint applicator comprising a paint-carrying substrate surface comprising a fabric, fibers, or filaments which is coated or treated with a fluoroacrylate polymer or copolymer, a fluorourethane polymer or copolymer, or a mixture thereof, said surface carrying a water based latex paint.

2. The paint applicator of claim 1 wherein the fluoroacrylate polymer or copolymer contains at least 50% by weight of an alkyl (meth)acrylate group having a perfluoroalkyl group of from 2 to about 20.

3. The paint applicator of claim 1 wherein the fluoroacrylate polymer or copolymer comprises monomers copolymerized in the following percentages by weight

(a) from about 50% to about 85% of a monomer of formula I:

R f —CH 2 CH 2 —OC(O)—C(R)═CH 2   I

(b) from about 10% to about 25% of a monomer of formula II:

R 2 —OC(O)—C(R)═CH 2   II

(c) from 0.1% to about 5% of a monomer of the formula III

HO—CH 2 CH 2 —OC(O)—C (R)═CH 2   III

(d) from 0.1% to about 5% of a monomer of the formula IV:

H—(OCH 2 CH 2 ) m —O—C(O)—C(R)═CH 2   IV

(e) from 0.1% to about 3% of a monomer of the formula V:

HO—CH 2 —NH—C(O)—C(R)═CH 2   V

wherein R f is a straight or branched-chain perfluoroalkyl group of from 2 to about 20 carbon atoms, each R is independent H or CH 3 ; R 2 is an alkyl chain with 2 to about 18 carbon atoms; and m is 2 to about 10.

4. The paint applicator of claim 3 further comprising from 0% to about 10% of vinylidene chloride of formula VI

CH 2 ═CCl 2   VI

or vinyl acetate of formula VII

CH 3 —(O)COCH═CH 2   VII

or a mixture thereof.

5. The paint applicator of claim 1 wherein the fluorourethane polymer has at least one urea group and is the reaction product of

(A) at least one organic polyisocyanate or mixture of organic polyisocyanates which contains at least three isocyanate groups per molecule,

(B) at least one fluorochemical compound of the following composition:

R f —X—Y—H, wherein R f is a C 2 -C 20 linear or branched fluoroalkyl group, X is —(CH 2 ) n — or —SO 2 N(R 2 )CH 2 CH 2 —, Y is —O—, —S—, or —N(R 2 )—, n is 2; and R 2 is H or an alkyl group containing 1-6 carbons,

(C) one or more hydrophilic, water-solvatable reagents which contain a single functional group which has at least one reactive H, and thereafter

(D) water in an amount to react with from about 5% to 100% of the remainder of the said isocyanate groups.

6. The paint applicator of claim 1 wherein the paint-carrying surface has been coated or treated with from about 0.05% to about 20% fluoroacrylate or fluorourethane on weight of substrate.

7. A method of treating a paint applicator comprising application to its paint-carrying surface, or the precursor of said surface, of a fluoroacrylate polymer or copolymer, a fluorourethane polymer or copolymer, or a mixture thereof wherein a water based latex paint is subsequently applied to the paint-carrying substrate surface said surface comprising a fabric, fibers, or filaments.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the fluoroacrylate polymer or copolymer comprises monomers copolymerized in the following percentages by weight

(a) from about 50% to about 85% of a monomer of formula I:

R f —CH 2 CH 2 —OC(O)—C(R)═CH 2   I

(b) from about 10% to about 25% of a monomer of formula II:

R 2 —OC(O)—C(R)═CH 2   II

(c) from 0.1% to about 5% of a monomer of the formula III

HO—CH 2 CH 2 —OC(O)—C(R)═CH 2   III

(d) from 0.1% to about 5% of a monomer of the formula IV:

H—(OCH 2 CH 2 ) m —O—C(O)—C(R)═CH 2   IV

(e) from 0.1% to about 3% of a monomer of the formula V:

HO—CH 2 —NH—C(O)—C(R)═CH 2   V

wherein R f is a straight or branched-chain perfluoroalkyl group of from 2 to about 20 carbon atoms, each R is independently H or CH 3 ; R 2 is an alkyl chain with 2 to about 18 carbon atoms; and m is 2 to about 10.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising from 0% to about 10% of vinylidene chloride of formula VI

CH 2 ═CCl 2   VI

or vinyl acetate of formula VII

CH 3 —(O)COCH═CH 2   VII

or a mixture thereof.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the fluorourethane polymer or copolymer has at least one urea group and is the reaction product of:

(A) at least one organic polyisocyanate or mixture of organic polyisocyanates which contains at least three isocyanate groups per molecule,

(B) at least one fluorochemical compound of the following composition:

R f —X—Y—H, wherein R f is a C 2 -C 20 linear or branched fluoroalkyl group, X is —(CH 2 ) n — or —SO 2 N(R 2 )CH 2 CH 2 —; Y is —O—, —S—, or —N(R 2 )—; n is 2; and R 2 is H or an alkyl group containing 1-6 carbons,

(C) one or more hydrophilic, water-solvatable reagents which contains a single functional group which has at least one reactive H, and thereafter

(D) water in an amount to react with from about 5% to 100% of the said isocyanate groups.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the paint-carrying surface has been coated or treated with from about 0.05% to about 20% fluoroacrylate or fluorourethane on weight of substrate.

12. A paint applicator treated by the method of claim 7 .