Eastman-kodak Company

3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Other

Carestream Health, Inc.

Imation Corporation

Thomas J Ludemann

Gary E Labelle

Roland J Koestner

Darlene F Philip

Aparna V Bhave

Samuel Chen

David T Ask

Kumars Sakizadeh

Robert A Yapel

Thomas C Geisler

Oanh V Pham

Gary E LaBelle

Thomas J Kub

Roger K Yonkoski

Brian L Strobush

Michael F Weber

Shandon Dee Hart

Richard John Pokorny

Sharon Mary Simpson

William D Coggio

Michael L Steiner

John P Baetzold

Steven J McMan

Mark B O'Neill

Carsten Franke

Kristy A Gillette

Jeffrey A Peterson

Bert T Chien

Karissa L Eckert

Joan M Strobel

William R Dudley

Huiwen Tai

John F Van Derlofske, Iii

Brent A Hedding

Michael L Ruegsegger

Timothy J Edman

Eric D Shockey

Jeffrey W Hagen

Chiu Ping Wong

Bernard A Scheller

Emilie L Rexeisen

Jerry L Warren

Meghan A Bradley

Anne E Crump

Donovan C Karg, Jr

Ellen R Bösl

A coating composition includes a first polymer and a second polymer that are incompatible and non-reactive with one another. The absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the first polymer and the refractive index of the second polymer is about 0 to about 0.01. The first polymer and the second polymer are soluble in a carrier liquid that is a good solvent for the first polymer and a poor solvent for the second polymer. The carrier liquid is removed from the coating layer to spinodally decompose the mixture of the first polymer and the second polymer in an amount sufficient to form a substantially continuous first phase with a predominant amount of the first polymer and a substantially discontinuous second phase with a predominant amount the second polymer. At least 70% of the second phase includes droplets with an aspect ratio, when viewed in the plane of the surface of the substrate, of less than about 3.

Textured coating for optical products

A matte coat having a first major surface, the matte coat comprising a first layer defining the first major face of the matte coat and comprising a polymeric matrix and a plurality of forming bodies entrained therein, wherein index of refraction of the forming bodies is similar to that of the polymeric matrix and the first major surface has a plurality of protuberances corresponding to forming bodies entrained within. Also, optical assemblies comprising such matte coats and methods for making such matte coats.

Low sparkle matte coats and methods of making

An optical film that includes a reflective polarizer and a stretched polymer film is disclosed. The stretched polymer film is laminated to the reflective polarizer, and the stretched polymer film exhibits a refractive index symmetry point at an angle of incidence in air of at least about 60 degrees in a plane of incidence parallel to a direction of greatest stretch.

Optical film

The present disclosure describes a protective coating for a low index material, and a process for preparing a protected low index material. The protective coating partially penetrates the pores of a low index material, providing a seal protecting the pores, and can strengthen the construction by forming a gradient in properties of the protected low index material. The present disclosure further provides a diffusing low index optical element having a protected low index material and a diffusing layer disposed on the low index material.

Protective coating for low index material

Thermally developable materials including photothermographic and thermographic materials have a buried conductive backside layer comprising one or more binder polymers in which are dispersed each of at least two types of conductive materials: (1) nanoparticles of one or more conductive metal compounds, and (2) one or more organic solvent soluble inorganic alkali metal salt antistatic compounds. These buried conductive backside coatings provide conductivity that is affected minimally by humidity.

Thermally developable materials with buried conductive backside coatings

Thermally developable materials that comprise a support have an antistatic backside layer that includes a quaternary ammonium salt. The same or different backside layer can also include another antistatic agent such as conductive metal particles or conductive polymers. These thermally developable materials include both thermographic and photothermographic materials that can be suitably imaged to provide images useful for medical diagnoses.

Thermally developable materials with backside antistatic layer

Backside conductive layers with increased conductive efficiency can be provided for thermally developable materials by formulating hydrophilic metal oxide clusters in a hydrophobic environment using low shear mixing conditions. The dry thickness and coating weight of the conductive layer are thereby reduced.

Thermally developable materials with improved conductive layer

Thermally developable materials including photothermographic and thermographic materials have an outermost backside layer that includes a combination of a polysiloxane and a smectite clay that has been modified with a quaternary ammonium compound. The resulting outermost backside layers exhibit improved abrasion resistance. The materials can also include conductive layers underneath the outermost backside layer.

Thermally developable materials with abrasion-resistant backside coatings

The use of metal antimonates at high metal antimonate to binder ratios in buried backside conductive layers of thermographic and photothermographic materials allows the use of thin backside overcoat layers. The combination provides antistatic constructions having excellent antistatic properties that show less change in resistivity with changes in humidity. The thin backside overcoat layer serves to protect the buried antistatic layer.

Antistatic properties for thermally developable materials

Buried backside conductive layers with increased conductive efficiency can be provided for thermally developable materials using a specific organic solvent mixture to coat a protective overcoat directly disposed over the conductive layer. This organic solvent mixture comprises an alcohol in which one or more film-forming polymers used in the formulation are soluble at room temperature. The alcohol is used in an amount of more than 10 and up to 90 weight % of the organic solvent mixture.

Thermally developable materials including photothermographic and thermographic materials having an outermost backside layer that includes amorphous silica particles having a narrow particle size distribution. The narrower particle size distribution provides reduced haze and increased surface roughness that reduces blocking and machine feeding at comparable weight percent. The materials can also include conductive layers underneath the outermost backside layer.

Thermally developable materials with narrow disperse amorphous silica

Backside conductive layers with increased conductive efficiency can be provided for thermally developable materials by providing a buried conductive coating containing a lower molecular weight polyvinyl acetal binder (that is, a molecular weight of at least 8,000 and less than 30,000).

Thermally developable materials having improved backside conductive layers

Growing community of inventors

Maplewood, MN, United States of America

Thomas J Ludemann