Creavis Gesellschaft Fuer Technologie Und Innovation Mbh

Evonik Degussa Gmbh

Degussa Aktiengesellschaft

Bernhard Schleich

Edwin Nun

Markus Oles

Christian Hying

Volker Hennige

Gerhard Hörpel

The present invention describes a process for preparing a surfactant-free suspension including hydrophobic particles and at least 50.01% by weight of water, where hydrophobic, nanostructured particles are suspended in at least one organic solvent miscible with water and having a boiling point below 150&#xb0; C., and then this concentrated organic suspension is intensively and thoroughly mixed with surfactant-free water.

Method for producing a surfactant-free suspension based on nanostructured, hydrophobic particles, and use of the same

The present invention relates to a vapor-pervious water-impervious substrate, preferably a fibrous nonwoven web, which can be used in particular as a textile continuous sheet material, for example as an awning or as an inlet in apparel. The substrate according to the present invention may have self-cleaning properties. The substrate according to the present invention is simple to produce in an at least two-step process wherein a coating on the fibers of the substrate is produced in the first step and then hydrophobic particles are applied to the coated fibers by means of an adhesion promoter.

Textile substrates having self-cleaning properties

A self-regenerating, self-cleaning hydrophobic surface is formed when particles are secured on a carrier that is itself a mixture of particles and binder. When particles on the surface are ablated by erosion, new particles in the carrier are exposed to regenerate the self-cleaning surface, resulting in a long-lasting self-cleaning action. The self-cleaning surface may be used with particular advantage outdoors, e.g. on vehicles, where self-cleaning materials are particularly exposed to the effects of the environment.

Surfaces rendered self-cleaning by hydrophobic structures and a process for their production

A self-cleaning surface which has an artificial, at least partially hydrophobic, surface structure containing elevations and depressions, which comprises an at least partially hydrophobic surface formed from structure-forming particles of hydrophobic fumed silica having elevations and depressions ranging in dimensions of 1 to 1000 nm and the particles themselves having an average size of less than 50 &#x3bc;m adhered to the surface by way of a viscous, curable carrier material selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, polyurethane acrylates, silicone acrylates and singly and/or multiply unsaturated (meth)acrylates applied to the surface, which is sufficient to bond the structure forming particles without substantial wetting of the particles by the carrier material while retaining the fissured structure of elevations and depressions of the structure-forming particles in the nanometer range.

Surfaces rendered self-cleaning by hydrophobic structures, and process for their production

A self-cleaning surface which has an artificial, at least partially hydrophobic, surface structure containing elevations and depressions, which comprises a surface having structure-forming particles, which are formed of hydrophobic, fumed silica, adhered thereto by way of fixative particles applied to the surface, whereby the structure-forming particles and the fixative particles have elevations and depressions ranging in dimensions of 1 to 1000 nm and the particles themselves having an average size of less than 50 &#x3bc;m, the particles providing said surface structure of elevations and depressions, wherein, by incipient melting of the fixative particles, only partial melting of the fixative particles occurs which is sufficient to bond the structure forming particles without substantial wetting of the particles by the fixative particles to said surface while retaining, the fissured structure of the structure-forming particles in the nanometer range.

A self-cleaning surface which has an artificial, at least partially hydrophobic, surface structure made from elevations and depressions, where the elevations and depressions are formed by particles secured to the surface, wherein the particles have a fissured structure with elevations and/or depressions in the nanometer range; a process for making such a surface; and particles having a fissured structure with elevations and/or depressions in the nanometer range.

Growing community of inventors

Recklinghausen, Germany

Bernhard Schleich