Hydrophilic body and method of manufacture

1. A hydrophilic body consisting essentially of:

a porous membrane having hydrophobic properties and comprising expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, woven polytetrafluoroethylene, or non woven polytetrafluoroethylene, said expanded polytetrafluoroethylene comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of fibrils, each said node and said fibril having an outer surface, said woven polytetrafluoroethylene and said non-woven polytetrafluoroethylene comprising a plurality of polytetrafluoroethylene fibers, each said polytetrafluoroethylene fiber having an outer surface, said porous membrane having a plurality of pores; and

a coating formed from a coating composition deposited on at least a portion of said surfaces of said nodes and fibrils, or said surfaces of said polytetrafluoroethylene fibers of said woven polytetrafluoroethane, or said surfaces of said polytetrafluoroethylene fibers of said non-woven polytetrafluoroethane without blocking said pores of said porous membrane, said coating having hydrophilic properties and comprising at least one of an organofunctional siloxane and a polyether urethane polymer,

said hydrophilic body having a water permeability of between about 10 and about 40 milliliters per minute per square centimeter at about 27 inches of mercury vacuum, and

said hydrophilic body retains water wettability and can be dried and subsequently flow liquid without pre-wetting.

2. A hydrophilic body in accordance with claim 1 wherein said membrane is not laminated with a base material.

3. A hydrophilic body in accordance with claim 2 wherein said membrane comprises a weight of between about 0.1 and about 0.5 ounces per square yard.

4. A hydrophilic body in accordance with claim 2 wherein said membrane having a nominal pore size of between about 0.1 and about 1.0 microns.

5. A hydrophilic body in accordance with claim 2 wherein said membrane having a nominal pore size of between about 0.15 and about 0.5 microns.

6. A hydrophilic body in accordance with claim 1 wherein said coating comprises a coating composition having between about 1.0 and about 3.0 wt % solids based on the total weight of said coating composition.

7. A hydrophilic body in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hydrophilic body comprises an air permeability of between about 0.2 and about 0.6 CFM per square foot as measured in accordance with ASTM D737.

8. A hydrophilic body in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hydrophilic body remains hydrophilic after at least five wet then dry cycles.

9. A hydrophilic body consisting essentially of:

a porous membrane having hydrophobic properties and comprising expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, woven polytetrafluoroethylene, non woven polytetrafluoroethylene, said expanded polytetrafluoroethylene comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of fibrils, each said node and said fibril having an outer surface, said woven polytetrafluoroethylene and said non-woven polytetrafluoroethylene comprising a plurality of polytetrafluoroethylene fibers, each said polytetrafluoroethylene fiber having an outer surfaces said porous membrane having a plurality of pores; and

a coating formed from a coating composition deposited on at least a portion of said surfaces of said nodes and fibrils, or said surface of said polytetrafluoroethylene fibers of said woven polytetrafluoroethane, or said surfaces of said polytetrafluoroethylene fibers of said non-woven polytetrafluoroethane without blocking said pores of said porous membrane, said coating having hydrophilic properties and comprising at least one of an organofunctional siloxane and a polyether urethane polymer,

said hydrophilic body having a water permeability of between about 10 and about 40 milliliters per minute per square centimeter at about 27 inches of mercury vacuum,

said hydrophilic body does not include a base material, and said hydrophilic body retains water wettability and can be dried and subsequently flow liquid without pre-wetting.

10. A hydrophilic body in accordance with claim 9 wherein said membrane having a nominal pore size of between about 0.15 and about 0.5 microns.

11. A hydrophilic body in accordance with claim 10 wherein said coating comprises a coating composition having between about 1.0 and about 3.0 wt % solids based on the total weight of said coating composition.

12. A method of making a hydrophilic body, said method comprising:

mixing organofunctional siloxane and a solvent such that the organofunctional siloxane and the solvent form a coating solution;

providing a porous membrane having hydrophobic properties and comprising expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, woven polytetrafluoroethylene, or non woven polytetrafluoroethylene, said expanded polytetrafluoroethylene comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of fibrils, each said node and said fibril having an outer surface, said woven polytetrafluoroethylene and said non-woven polytetrafluoroethylene comprising a plurality of polytetrafluoroethylene fibers, each said polytetrafluoroethylene fiber having an outer surface, said porous membrane having a plurality of pores;

applying the coating solution onto at least a portion of the surfaces of the nodes and fibrils, or the surface of the polytetrafluoroethylene fibers of the woven polytetrafluoroethane, or the surface of the polytetrafluoroethylene fibers of the non-woven polytetrafluoroethane without blocking the pores of the porous membrane to form the hydrophilic body having a water permeability of between about 10 and about 40 milliliters per minute per square centimeter at about 27 inches of mercury vacuum; and

retaining water wettability such that the hydrophilic body can be dried and subsequently flow liquid without pre-wetting.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein said method further comprises mixing an actuator in the coating solution.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising curing the coating solution after the coating solution has been applied to the porous membrane at a temperature equal to or less than about 300° F.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14 wherein said curing the coating solution comprises curing the coating solution at a temperature between about equal to or less than about 250° F.