Aluminum Company of America

Frank A Mozelewski

Daniel L Serafin

Robert E Bombalski

Jean Ann Skiles

Edward C Robinson

Karl Wefers

Willy M Balaba

Donald L Nock

Romeo C Pascasio

Peter M Emens

A reflective laminated strip includes an aluminum alloy or steel strip having a cleaned and conversion coated outer surface, an adhesive layer adjacent the conversion coated outer surface, and a polymer layer joined to the adhesive layer. An exterior side of the polymer layer is coated with a reflective metal layer that is preferably stainless steel, chromium, nickel or aluminum having a thickness of less than about 5000 .ANG.. In a preferred embodiment, an interior side of the polymer layer is coated with an adhesion-promoting metal layer or metal oxide layer having a thickness of about 50-5000 .ANG..

Laminated strip for use as reflective vehicle trim

A reflective laminated strip includes an aluminum alloy strip having a cleaned and conversion coated outer surface, an adhesive layer adjacent the conversion coated outer surface, and a polymer layer joined to the adhesive layer. An exterior side of the polymer layer is coated with a reflective metal layer that is preferably stainless steel, chromium or aluminum having a thickness of less than about 5000 .ANG..

Reflective vehicle trim

A novel polymer-coated reflector aluminum is coated with an aromatic polysiloxane liquid coating solution polymerized to have non-linear, ladder silicon to oxygen bonding. A metal layer or substrate coated with the aromatic polysiloxane liquid polymer provides enhanced planarization and total reflectivity. The novel aromatic polysiloxane liquid polymer-coated metal preferably includes a non-linear, ladder aromatic polysiloxane polymer-coated aluminum metal sheet such as provided by polyphenylsiloxane polymer having the general formula R.sub.n SiO.sub.(4-n)/2, wherein R comprises phenyl radical, and n has an average value of about 0.95 to 1.05.

Siloxane coatings for aluminum reflectors

A strip of gray reflective aluminum protected by a conversion coating and a light-permeable fluoropolymer coating which is non-adhesively interstitially mechanically bonded to the microscopic irregularities of the conversion coated surface. The highly reflective strip may be substituted for polished stainless steel and/or bi-metal and used under comparably aggressive conditions for a prolonged period without deleteriously affecting the initial D/I (distinctness of reflected image) of the shaped strip. The strip of arbitrary length may be shaped in rolling dies so that at least a portion of the strip has a radius of less than 10 mm without damaging or separating the fluoropolymer coating. The specific steps of the claimed process require starting with a bright-rolled clean strip which is conversion coated to carry a thin metal compound coating. After rinsing and drying, the reflective surface is coated with the fluoropolymer while maintaining at least 80% D/I. The strip can then be formed to a desired profile and treated with a corona discharge to activate its surface so as to facilitate non-adhesively bonding of a thermoplastic strip to the activated fluoropolymer surface.

Reflective aluminum strip, protected with fluoropolymer coating and a

A shaped strip of highly reflective aluminum protected by an anodic oxide coating and a light-permeable fluoropolymer coating which is non-adhesively interstitially mechanically bonded to the microscopic irregularities of the anodic oxide surface. There is no adhesive used to obtain chain entanglement. The highly reflective strip may be substituted for polished stainless steel and/or bi-metal and used under comparably aggressive conditions for a prolonged period without deleteriously affecting the initial D/I (distinctness of reflected image) of the shaped strip. The strip of arbitrary length is shaped in rolling dies so that at least a portion of the strip has a radius of less than 10 mm without damaging or separating the fluoropolymer coating. The specific steps of the claimed process require starting with a clean strip which is brightened to a nearmirror-like finish, then treated to carry a thin porous aluminum oxide coating in a phosphoric acid bath under direct current (DC). After rinsing and drying, the reflective surface is coated with the fluoropolymer while maintaining at least 80% D/I. The strip, now dual-coated, is then formed to a desired profile. The dual-coated strip, in turn, may be treated with a corona discharge to activate its surface so as to non-adhesively bond an adhesive chosen to bond a thermoplastic strip of synthetic resin to the activated fluoropolymer surface.

Method of making a shaped reflective aluminum strip, doubly-protected

A heat treating method comprising providing metal with a polymeric barrier coating, which acts as a barrier against diffusion of reactive species and which, upon thermal decomposition, acts as an oxygen getter or reducing agent, thus extending its protection past its point of thermal stability.

Growing community of inventors

Lower Burrell, PA, United States of America

Frank A Mozelewski