Treatment plate for a garment treatment appliance
The invention relates to a treatment plate ( 10 ) for a garment treatment appliance ( 100 ) for treating garments ( 30 ), which plate has a contact surface which is provided with a sol-gel coating ( 20 ) that comprises an oxide of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, scandium, yttrium, or a mixture or combination thereof, and wherein the coating comprises a mixed oxide comprising two or more of titanium oxide, zirconium oxide and yttrium oxide. The layer preferably has a thickness of less than 1 μm. Such a layer shows excellent properties. A garment treatment appliance comprising such a treatment plate, as well as processes to produce the coating on the contact surface of the treatment plate are also disclosed.
1. A treatment plate for a garment treatment appliance, which treatment plate has a contact surface that in use slides on a garment being treated, wherein said contact surface is provided with a coating that comprises a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, or a mixture or combination thereof, and wherein the coating comprises a mixed oxide comprising two or more of titanium oxide, zirconium oxide and yttrium oxide.
2. A treatment plate according to claim 1 , wherein the coating is a sol-gel coating.
3. A treatment plate according to claim 1 , wherein said coating substantially consists of (i) a titanium oxide, zirconium oxide or a mixture or combination of titanium oxide and zirconium oxide, or (ii) a titanium oxide, yttrium oxide or a mixture or combination of titanium oxide and yttrium oxide.
4. A treatment plate according to claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises a mixed oxide comprising titanium oxide and yttrium oxide.
5. A treatment plate according to claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises one or more of Y 2 TiO 5 , Y 2 Ti 2 O 7 , and Y 2 Ti 3 O 9 .
6. A treatment plate according to claim 1 , wherein said coating has a thickness of less than 1 μm, more preferably less than 400 nm.
7. A treatment plate according to claim 1 , the treatment plate comprising a substrate having said contact surface onto which said coating is applied, wherein said substrate is a metal, enamel, organic polymer, organo-silicate or silicate substrate.
8. A treatment plate according to claim 1 , wherein the treatment plate comprises a metal substrate and wherein the treatment plate further comprises at least one layer arranged between said metal substrate and said coating, said layer being a metal composition, an enamel, organic polymer, organo-silicate or silicate layer.
9. A treatment plate according to claim 1 , wherein the coating is obtainable by a method comprising the steps of:
preparing a hydrolysable precursor solution, preferably of an alkoxide precursor or an acetate precursor, of a metal, selected from titanium, zirconium, hafnium, scandium, yttrium, or a mixture or combination of these metals or metal compounds,
depositing on said contact surface a layer of said precursor solution,
followed by drying, if necessary, and curing, to obtain a layer comprising titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, or a mixture or combination thereof.
10. A garment treatment appliance, comprising a treatment plate according to claim 1 .
11. A garment treatment appliance according to claim 10 , wherein the coating comprises a mixed oxide comprising titanium oxide and yttrium oxide.
12. A garment treatment appliance according to claim 10 , wherein the coating comprises one or more of Y 2 TiO 5 , Y 2 Ti 2 O 7 , and Y 2 Ti 3 O 9 .
13. A method to produce a coating on a contact surface of a treatment plate for a garment treatment appliance, wherein, in use, said contact surface slides on a garment being treated, the method comprising the steps of:
depositing on said contact surface a layer of a precursor material of a metal or compound, selected from titanium, zirconium, hafnium, scandium, yttrium, or a mixture or combination of these metals or compounds, at least comprising two or more of titanium, zirconium, and yttrium, wherein the precursor material comprises one or more of a hydrolysable precursor and a hydrolysable precursor solution; and
treating said layer to obtain a layer comprising titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, or a mixture or combination thereof wherein the layer comprises a mixed oxide comprising two or more of titanium oxide, zirconium oxide and yttrium oxide.
14. A method according to claim 13 , the method comprising the steps of:
depositing on said contact surface a layer of a hydrolysable precursor, preferably an alkoxide precursor or an acetate precursor, of a metal, selected from titanium, zirconium, hafnium, scandium, yttrium, or a mixture or combination of these metals or compounds; and
curing said layer to obtain a layer comprising titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, or a mixture or combination thereof.
15. A method according to claim 13 , wherein said deposition is by means of a dry chemical process, preferably a vapour deposition process.
16. A method according to claim 13 , the method comprising the steps of:
preparing a hydrolysable precursor solution, preferably of an alkoxide precursor or an acetate precursor, of a metal, selected from titanium, zirconium, hafnium, scandium, yttrium, or a mixture or combination of these metals or metal compounds,
depositing on said contact surface a layer of said precursor solution,
followed by drying, if necessary, and curing, to obtain a layer comprising titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, or a mixture or combination thereof.
17. A method according to claim 16 , wherein said deposition is by means of a wet chemical process, preferably a solution process, more preferably a sol-gel process.
18. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the solvent used for preparing the solution of an alkoxide or acetate precursor of said metal is a lower alcohol, preferably ethanol, isopropylalcohol, 2-butanol, or 2-butoxy-ethanol.
19. A method according to claim 16 , wherein said alkoxide or acetate precursor is a propanolate or acetylacetonate derivative, and wherein said drying and curing is effected at a temperature below 400° C.
20. A method according to claim 13 , wherein said contact surface of the treatment plate consists of a metal, enamel, organic polymer, organo-silicate, or silicate composition.
21. A method according to claim 13 , wherein said contact surface is precoated with at least one layer, preferably consisting of a metal composition, enamel, organic polymer, organo-silicate or silicate, more preferably a metal oxide layer prepared by sol-gel techniques.
22. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the layer thus obtained comprises a mixed oxide comprising titanium oxide and yttrium oxide.
23. A method according to claim 13 , wherein the layer thus obtained comprises one or more of Y 2 TiO 5 , Y 2 Ti 2 O 7 , and Y 2 Ti 3 O 9 .