Transparent liquid absorbent materials

Abstract

Abstract This invention relates to transparent materials that are capable of absorbing liquids, and, more particularly, to materials that can be used as ink-receptive layers for transparent imageable materials. Transparent materials that are capable of absorbing significant quantities of liquid, while maintaining some degree of durability and transparency, are useful in contact lenses, priming layers for aqueous coatings, fog-resistant coatings, and transparent imageable materials for use in mechanized ink depositing devices, such as pen plotters and ink-jet printers. Compositions useful as transparent liquid absorbent materials have been formed by blending a liquid-insoluble polymeric material with a liquid-soluble polymeric material. A problem that frequently arises in the formulation of polymer blends is the incompatibility of the polymers being blended. It is well-known that polymeric materials having widely differing properties generally tend to be incompatible with one another. When attempts are made to blend polymers that are incompatible, phase separation occurs, resulting in haze, lack of transparency, and other forms of nonhomogeneity. This invention provides a liquid-absorbent composition comprising (a) a polymeric matrix component comprising crosslinked silanol moieties, and (b) a liquid-absorbent component comprising a water-absorbent polymer, preferably a water-soluble polymer. This composition is capable of forming liquid-absorbent, semi-interpenetrating polymeric networks, which are capable of absorbing significant quantities of those liquids that are solvents for the uncrosslinked portion of the network without loss of physical integrity and without leaching or other forms of phase separation. The compositions of this invention provide polymeric matrices which result in transparent coatings capable of providing improved combinations of ink absorption and durability, while at the same time retaining transparency and being amenable to the types of processing commonly used in producing transparent graphical materials.

Inventors

• 👤 John J. Jr. C/O Minnesota Mining And Stofko
• 👤 Mohammad C/O Minnesota Mining And Iqbal

Bibliographic Details