Hybrid coatings and associated methods of application
A hybrid coating including a mixture of an organosilane component, a metal alkoxide component and a surfactant component. A method for coating a substrate including cleaning a substrate surface, treating the surface with oxygen plasma, applying an adhesion promoter to the surface, then applying a hybrid coating to the surface and curing the hybrid coating. A method for making a hybrid coating includes preparing a mixture comprising an organosilane, a metal alkoxide and a surfactant, heating the mixture; and filtering the mixture.
1. A method of replenishing a worn substrate comprising the steps of:
cleaning a surface of said worn substrate;
treating said surface with oxygen plasma;
after said treating step, applying an adhesion promoter to said surface;
after said step of applying said adhesion promoter, applying a hybrid coating mixture to said surface to form a hybrid coating, said hybrid coating including an organosilane component, a metal alkoxide component and a surfactant component; and
curing said hybrid coating to restore clarity and abrasion resistance to said worn substrate;
wherein said worn substrate is a transparent part having an optical clarity acceptable for a window;
wherein said metal alkoxide component is present in said mixture at a molar ratio of about 75:1 with respect to said surfactant component, and after curing the hybrid coating has an initial clarity greater than 98.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said worn substrate is a stretched acrylic, transparent part.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of treating said worn surface with oxygen plasma comprises generating oxygen plasma with an open air plasma treatment system wherein the treatment system includes a head that travels about 0.1 inches per second at a distance of about 0.75 inches from said surface.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said adhesion promoter includes a solution of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane in water.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of curing said adhesion promoter.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of filtering said hybrid coating mixture prior to application.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein said hybrid coating mixture is heated prior to said filtering step.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said organosilane component includes (3-glycidoxypropyl) trimethoxysilane and said metal alkoxide component includes aluminum s-butoxide.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said hybrid coating mixture is substantially free of particles greater than 11 μm.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein said organosilane component is selected from the group consisting of (3-glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane, paminophenylsilane, allyltrimethoxysilane, n-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropyldiisopropylethoxysilane, (3-glycidoxypropyl)methyldiethoxysilane, 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane, 3-methacryloxypropylmethyldiethoxysilane, 3-methacryloxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane, 3methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, n-phenylaminopropyltrimethoxysilane, vinylmethyldiethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, tetraethylorthosilicate and mixtures thereof.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein said metal alkoxide is selected from the group consisting of aluminum s-butoxide, aluminum n-butoxide and aluminum t-butoxide.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein said metal alkoxide is selected from the group consisting of cerium IV isopropoxide, cerium IV methoxyethoxide and cerium III 2,4-pentanedionate.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein said surfactant component includes a straight chain primary aliphatic alkoxylated alcohol.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein said metal alkoxide component is present in said mixture at a molar ratio of about 2:1 with respect to said organosilane component.