The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 09, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 22, 1998
Gunilla Elsa Gillberg-LaForce, Roswell, GA (US);
Elizabeth Deibler Gadsby, Marietta, GA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A method of coating the surface of a substrate, such as a film or a fibrous web, which is composed of a hydrophobic polymer. The method involves providing a solution of a first polyelectrolyte having ionizable groups and a solution of a second polyelectrolyte having ionizable groups. The two solutions then are mixed under conditions adapted to result in the formation of a nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complex. Finally, the surface of the hydrophobic polymer substrate is contacted with a solution of the complex under conditions sufficient to result in the coating of the surface of the substrate with the complex. The ionizable groups of the second polyelectrolyte have a latent charge opposite the latent charge of the ionizable groups of the first polyelectrolyte. Moreover, the amounts of the first and second polyelectrolytes are selected to give a ratio of the number of ionizable groups in the first polyelectrolyte to the number of ionizable groups in the second polyelectrolyte of at least about 2, and the molecular weight of the first polyelectrolyte is at least about 40,000 daltons and at least about 2 times the molecular weight of the second polyelectrolyte.