Biodegradable Hydrophobic Cellulosic Substrates And Methods For Their Production Using Halosilanes
A method for rendering a substrate hydrophobic while maintaining its biodegradability includes treating the substrate with a halosilane such that the halosilane forms a silicone resin in the interstitial spaces of the substrate. The method parameters can be controlled such that the resulting hydrophobic cellulosic substrate is compostable.
1 . A method comprising:
1) penetrating a substrate with a halosilane, and
2) forming a silicone resin from the halosilane,
where the product of step 2) is both hydrophobic and biodegradable.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: step 3) exposing the substrate to a basic compound, where the product of step 3) is both hydrophobic and biodegradable.
3 . (canceled)
4 . (canceled)
5 . The method of claim 1 , where the product of step 2) contains less than 1% of the silicone resin.
6 . The method of claim 1 , where the halosilane comprises the formula R a SiCl b H (4-a-b) where subscript a has a value ranging from 0 to 3, subscript b has a value ranging from 1 to 4, and R is an alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, aralkyl, or alkaryl group containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms.
7 . The method of claim 6 , where the halosilane is applied as a liquid in step 1).
8 . The method of claim 6 , where the halosilane is applied as a vapor in step 1).
9 . (canceled)
10 . The method of claim 1 , where the halosilane is provided in a solution comprising the halosilane and one or more additional ingredients.
11 .- 14 . (canceled)
15 . A method comprising:
1) penetrating a substrate with a plurality of halosilanes, and
2) forming a silicone resin from the plurality of halosilanes,
where the product of step 2) is both hydrophobic and biodegradable.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising: 3) step exposing the substrate to a basic compound, where the product of step 3) is both hydrophobic and biodegradable.
17 . The method of claim 15 , where the plurality of halosilanes comprises at least a first halosilane and a second halosilane different from the first halosilane, wherein the plurality of halosilanes comprises a total halosilane concentration comprising 20 mole percent or less of monohalosilanes, 70 mole percent or less of monohalosilanes and dihalosilanes and at least 30 percent of trihalosilanes and tetrahalosilanes.
18 .- 20 . (canceled)
21 . The method of claim 15 , where the plurality of halosilanes is applied as one or more liquids in step 1).
22 . The method of claim 15 , where the plurality of halosilanes is applied as one or more vapors in step 1).
23 . (canceled)
24 . The method of claim 15 , where the plurality of halosilanes is provided in a solution comprising the plurality of halosilanes and one or more additional ingredients.
25 . (canceled)
26 . (canceled)
27 . The method of claim 24 , where total halosilane concentration ranges from 20 mole percent to 95 mole percent of a trihalosilane in the solution.
28 . (canceled)
29 . An article comprising:
a cellulosic substrate; and,
0.01% to 0.99% of a silicone resin, where the silicone resin is produced from treating the cellulosic substrate with a halosilane, and
the article is both hydrophobic and biodegradable.
30 . (canceled)
31 . (canceled)
32 . The article of claim 29 , where the halosilane comprises the formula R a SiCl b H (4-a-b) where subscript a has a value ranging from 0 to 3, subscript b has a value ranging from 1 to 4, and R is an alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, aralkyl, or alkaryl group containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms.
33 . (canceled)
34 . The article of claim 29 , where the substrate comprises paper, cardboard, boxboard, wood, wood products, wallboard, textiles, starches, cotton or wool.
35 . (canceled)
36 . (canceled)
37 . An article comprising:
a cellulosic substrate; and,
0.01% to 0.99% of a silicone resin, where the silicone resin is produced from treating the cellulosic substrate with a plurality of halosilanes, and the article is both hydrophobic and biodegradable.
38 . The article of claim 37 , where the plurality of halosilanes comprises at least a first halosilane and a second halosilane different from the first halosilane, where the plurality of halosilanes comprises a total halosilane concentration comprising 20 mole percent or less of monohalosilanes, 70 mole percent or less of monohalosilanes and dihalosilanes and at least 30 percent of trihalosilanes and tetrahalosilanes.
39 .- 41 . (canceled)
42 . The article of claim 37 , where the substrate comprises paper, cardboard, boxboard, wood, wood products, wallboard, textiles, starches, cotton or wool.
43 . (canceled)
44 . (canceled)