Hybrid epoxy-acrylic with zirconium oxide nanocomposite for curable coatings
View Patent ↗A composition includes: a continuous liquid phase including an acrylic monomer and an epoxy monomer; and a dispersed nanoparticulate including ZrO 2 modified with an acrylic silane; and wherein the composition is transparent to visible light when coated on a lens. In addition, a method including the steps of: mixing an acrylic silane and a methanol-based ZrO 2 sol to create a methanol-based silane-modified ZrO 2 sol; then mixing at least an acrylic monomer, an epoxy monomer, and the methanol-based silane-modified ZrO 2 sol to obtain the composition. The composition can be adapted for coating and curing onto another substrate, such as an ophthalmic lens.
1. A method comprising the steps of:
mixing an acrylic silane and a methanol-based ZrO 2 sol to create a methanol-based silane-modified ZrO 2 sol; then
mixing at least an acrylic monomer, an epoxy monomer, and the methanol-based silane-modified ZrO 2 sol to obtain a composition comprising:
a continuous liquid phase comprising an acrylic monomer and an epoxy monomer; and
a dispersed nanoparticulate comprising ZrO 2 modified with an acrylic silane; and
wherein the composition is transparent to visible light.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: forming the methanol-based ZrO 2 sol.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of forming the methanol-based ZrO 2 sol comprises the step of: dialyzing a water-based ZrO 2 sol in a methanol bath.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of the acrylic silane to ZrO 2 is in the range of 0.1:1 to 0.2:1.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the acrylic monomer to the epoxy monomer is in the wt % range of approximately 10:90 to 90:10.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dispersed nanoparticulate is in the range of 10 to 70 wt % of the composition.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: removing essentially all the methanol from the composition.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one photo-polymerization initiator for polymerizing the acrylic and epoxy monomers.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a surfactant.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of coating the composition onto an ophthalmic substrate.
11. A composition comprising:
a continuous liquid phase comprising an acrylic monomer and an epoxy monomer; and
a dispersed nanoparticulate comprising ZrO 2 modified with an acrylic silane; and
wherein the composition is transparent to visible light.
12. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the acrylic silane is 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (“MPS”).
13. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the molar ratio of the acrylic silane to ZrO 2 is in the range of 0.1:1 to 0.2:1.
14. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the ratio of the acrylic monomer to the epoxy monomer is in the wt % range of approximately 10:90 to 90:10.
15. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the acrylic monomer is a difunctional (meth)acrylic monomer(s) or a multifunctional (meth)acrylic monomer(s).
16. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the acrylic monomer is 1,6-hexandiol diacrylate (HDDA).
17. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the epoxy monomer is a difunctional epoxy monomer(s) or a multifunctional epoxy monomer(s).
18. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the epoxy monomer is 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDGE).
19. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the dispersed nanoparticulate is in the range of 10 to 70 wt % of the wet composition.
20. An optical article comprising:
an ophthalmic lens substrate; and
a transparent, cured coating on the ophthalmic lens substrate, wherein the coating comprises:
a continuous solid phase comprising an acrylic-epoxy copolymer; and
a dispersed nanoparticulate of ZrO 2 modified with an acrylic silane.