IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,281,217
Granted Patent B2
US 12,281,217 · App. 17/762,455 · Granted Apr 22, 2025

Microstructured film comprising polyalkylene oxide block copolymer, compositions and methods

Inventors: Claire Hartmann-Thompson (Lake Elmo, MN); Kurt J. Halverson (Lake Elmo, MN); Raymond P. Johnston (Lake Elmo, MN)
Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
C08L23/06B29C33/42C08L23/0853C08L2203/18
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,281,217
App. No.
17/762,455
Granted
Apr 22, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An article (e.g. film, tape or pipe) is described comprising a microstructured surface. The microstructured surface comprises a thermoplastic polymer; and a block copolymer additive comprising a poly(alkylene)oxide block having a molecular weight greater than 250 or 500 g/mole and at least one hydrophobic block. Also described is a method of making such articles. Also described is a triblock copolymer comprising a poly(alkylene oxide) midblock and hydrocarbon end blocks; and compositions comprising a thermoplastic polymer and un to 50 wt. % of the block copolymer.

Claims (37)

1. An article comprising a microstructured surface, wherein the microstructured surface comprises

a thermoplastic polymer; and

a block copolymer additive comprising a poly(alkylene) oxide block having a number average molecular weight greater than 250 g/mole and a least one hydrophobic block;

wherein the microstructured surface comprises a plurality of channels having channel longitudinal axes that form an angle between 0 to 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the outer surface.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein the block copolymer additive has the general structure:

A[LB]n

wherein

A comprises poly(alkylene oxide),

L is a covalent bond or a divalent linking group,

B independently comprises a hydrophobic block;

n is at least 1.

3. The article of claim 1 wherein the poly(alkylene oxide) is polyethylene oxide, polypropylene oxide, or a combination thereof.

4. The article of claim 1 wherein the microstructured article comprises no greater than 30, 25, 20, or 15 wt. % of poly(alkylene oxide) moieties based on the total amount of thermoplastic polymer and block copolymer additive.

5. The article of claim 1 wherein the block copolymer additive has a number average molecular weight of at least 500, 1000, 1500 or 2000 g/mole.

6. The article of claim 2 wherein the A block has a number average molecular weight of at least 1000, 1500, or 2000 g/mole.

7. The article of claim 2 wherein the B block is a hydrocarbon group comprising 8-70 carbon atoms.

8. The article of claim 2 wherein the B block independently has a number average molecular weight of at least 200, 225, 250, or 275 g/mole.

9. The article of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is an olefin polymer.

10. The article of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is polyethylene, polypropylene, or ethylene vinyl acetate.

11. The article of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic polymer has a melt flow index of less than 40, 35, 30, 25, 20 g/10 min at 190° C. at a load of 2.16 kg.

12. The article of claim 1 wherein the article has greater vertical wicking than the same article without the block copolymer additive.

13. The article of claim 1 wherein the article has a vertical wicking of at least 0.5 cm.

14. The article of claim 1 wherein the microstructured surface comprises a plurality of channels configured to produce capillary force on a liquid in the channels that is greater than the gravitational force of the liquid.

15. The article of claim 1 wherein the article is a film, tape, or a pipe.

16. An article comprising a microstructured surface, wherein the microstructured surface comprises

a thermoplastic polymer; and

a block copolymer additive comprising a poly(alkylene) oxide block having a number average molecular weight greater than 250 or 500 g/mole and a least one hydrophobic block; and wherein the microstructured surface comprises a plurality of channels configured to produce capillary force on a liquid in the channels that is greater than the gravitational force of the liquid.

17. The article of claim 16 wherein the block copolymer additive has the general structure:

A[LB]n

wherein

A comprises poly(alkylene oxide),

L is a covalent bond or a divalent linking group,

B independently comprises a hydrophobic block;

n is at least 1.

18. The article of claim 16 wherein the poly(alkylene oxide) is polyethylene oxide, polypropylene oxide, or a combination thereof.

19. The article of claim 16 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is an olefin polymer.

20. The article of claim 16 wherein the article is a film, tape, or a pipe.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 22, 2022
From: HARTMANN-THOMPSON, CLAIRE; HALVERSON, KURT J.; JOHNSTON, RAYMOND P.
To: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
Reel/Frame 059337/0139 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62938519 · Nov 21, 2019
Related Publication 20220363877A1 · Nov 17, 2022
References Cited (57)
US 5514120A · Johnston · 1996 [cited by applicant]
US 5728446A · Johnston · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 6110849A · Tsai et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6372323B1 · Kobe · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 6372954B1 · Johnston · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 6375871B1 · Bentsen · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 6381846B2 · Insley · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 6420622B1 · Johnston · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 6531206B2 · Johnston · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 6746567B2 · Johnston · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 6777082B2 · Patel · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 6803090B2 · Castiglione · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 6907921B2 · Insley · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 10569230B2 · Huizing et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20050106360A1 · Johnston · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20090242048A1 · Sherman · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20100107345A1 · Sierakowski · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20130108801A1 · Naessens · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20170037177A1 · Berzinis · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20200030750A1 · Chapel et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200131375A1 · Chen · 2020 [cited by examiner]
CN 101036861A · 2007 [cited by applicant]
CN 107735165A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 108290731A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 109499392A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 110300630A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 1180533A1 · 2002 [cited by applicant]
EP 2404867 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
EP 3370868 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
JP 2005255702 · 2005 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010111095 · 2010 [cited by examiner]
WO WO1999007790 · 1999 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2004041721 · 2004 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2007140225 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2015164632 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
WO 2017014936A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2019133459 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
Machine translation of CN 101015773 (no date). [cited by examiner]
Machine translation of CN 105860120 (no date). [cited by examiner]
Bailey, “Poly(Ethylene Oxide)”, (1976), Table of Content, 4 Pages. [cited by applicant]
Bhattarai, “Design and Characterisation of a Polyethylene Oxide Matrix with the Potential Use as a Teat Insert for Prevention/Treatment of Bovine Mastitis”, The AAPS Journal, Oct. 2014, vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 167-174. [cited by applicant]
Cassie, “Contact Angles” Discussions of the Faraday Society, 1948, vol. 3, pp. 11-16. [cited by applicant]
Crowley, Stability of polyethylene oxide in matrix tablets prepared by hot-melt extrusion, Biomaterials, 2002, vol. 23, No. 21, pp. 4241-4248. [cited by applicant]
Harris, “Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Chemistry and Biological Applications”, American Chemical Society, (1997), pp. 45-57. [cited by applicant]
Khademhosseini, “Molded polyethylene glycol microstructures for capturing cells within microfluidic channels”, Lab on a Chip, 2004, vol. 4, No. 5, pp. 425-430. [cited by applicant]
Lenz, “Wetting Phenomena on Structured Surface”, Advance Materials, 1999, vol. 11 No. 8, pp. 1531-1534. [cited by applicant]
Li, “Polyethylene-b-poly(ethylene glycol) diblock copolymers: New synthetic strategy and application”, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Jul. 2015, vol. 132, No. 28(42236), 10 pages. [cited by applicant]
Lupo, “Condensation Mitigation”, Quality Assurance and Food Safety Magazine, [on line], Dec. 2016, [retrieved from the internet on May 31, 2022] URL <http://www.qualityassurancemag.com/article/cleaning-sanitation-conden… [cited by applicant]
Shi, “Enhanced performance of modified HDPE separators generated from surface enrichment of polyether chains for lithium ion secondary battery” Journal of Membrane Science, Feb. 2013, vol. 429, pp. 355-363. [cited by applicant]
Technical Information: “Dow LDPE 9551 Low Density Polyethylene”, MAtWEb LLC., 1996, 2 pages. [cited by applicant]
Technical Information: “Jeffamine ED-2003 Polyetheramine”, Huntsman Corporation, 2007, 2 pages. [cited by applicant]
Tirelli, “Poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymers”, Reviews in Molecular Biotechnology, Mar. 2002, vol. 90, No. 1, pp. 3-15. [cited by applicant]
Ucar, “Combined XPS and contact angle studies of ethylene vinyl acetate and polyvinyl acetate blends” Applied Surface Science, 2011, vol. 257, No. 22, pp. 9587-9594. [cited by applicant]
Wagner, “Biocompatible fluorinated polyglycerols for droplet microfluidics as an alternative to PEG-based copolymer surfactants”, Biocompatible, Lab on a Chip, 2016, vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 65-69. [cited by applicant]
Yoon. “Reusable, polyethylene glycol-structured microfluidic channel for particle immunoassays J-H Han”, Journal of Biological Engineering, Apr. 2009, vol. 3, No. 1, 6 pages. [cited by applicant]
Zhu, “Tuning Wettabtlity and Getting Superhydrophobic Surface by Controlling Surface Roughness With Well-Designed Microstructrures”, The 13th International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems, … [cited by applicant]
International Search Report for PCT International Application No. PCT/IB2020/060938, mailed on Feb. 24, 2021, 4 pages. [cited by applicant]