Coatings
A hydrophilic coating can be applied to virtually any surface to produce a long-lasting, durable antifog effect. The coating includes a molecular-level blend of hydrophilic polymers. The coating can be assembled using a layer-by-layer assembly process.
1. An article comprising a surface coated with an antifog coating, the coating comprising:
a first hydrophilic polymer; and
a second hydrophilic polymer, wherein the second hydrophilic polymer includes a plurality of hydrogen bonding groups;
wherein the first and second hydrophilic polymers are molecularly blended and the first hydrophilic polymer and the second hydrophilic polymer are chemically cross-linked to one another or thermally cross-linked to one another.
2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the first hydrophilic polymer includes a plurality of ionized or ionizable groups.
3. The article of claim 2 , wherein the second hydrophilic polymer includes a plurality of ionized or ionizable groups.
4. The article of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second hydrophilic polymers is a copolymer including a first plurality of ionized or ionizable groups and a second chemically distinct plurality of hydrogen bonding groups.
5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the article is an optical component.
6. The article of claim 1 , wherein the article is an eyewear lens.
7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the article is transparent, and has a relative transmittance (T r ) of greater than 90% after being exposed to 100% humidity at 23° C. for at least 60 seconds.
8. The article of claim 1 , wherein the article is transparent, and has a haze of less than 1.0% after being exposed to 100% humidity at 23° C. for at least 60 seconds.