Method for making an article water resistant and articles made therefrom

Abstract

The present invention relates in general to a method and variations thereof for making an article such as cloth water repellent and/or water resistant. In particular, the method involves the process of providing a thin-layer polymer coating on the article thereby rendering the article water repellent and/or water resistant. Articles made according to the method of the present invention are also disclosed and claimed herein.

What I claim is:  
     
         1 . Method for providing a sheet of material having a hydrophobic polymer coating on at least one surface thereof, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a sheet of material having a first surface and a second surface;    providing an aqueous hydrophobic coating composition containing a surfactant and a monomer of a hydrophobic polymer;    providing an initiator;    coating at least one of the first and second surfaces of the sheet of material with the aqueous hydrophobic coating composition;    introducing the initiator into the hydrophobic coating composition disposed on at least one of the first and second surfaces of the sheet of material; and    initiating a reaction on the sheet of material coated with the aqueous hydrophobic coating composition and the initiator for a predetermined period of time such that a hydrophobic polymer coating forms on at least one surface of the sheet of material.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet of material is selected from the group consisting of cloth, burlap, natural and synthetic polymer films, polyesters, paper, cardboard and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of sodium dodecyl sulfate, linear alkyl benzene sulfonate, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the monomer of a hydrophobic polymer is styrene.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initiator is sodium persulfate.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initiator is AIBN.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet of material having the hydrophobic coating composition disposed on at least one of the first and second surface and the initiator introduced thereon is heated to a temperature of from about 40 degrees Celsius to about 100 degrees Celsius for a predetermined time of from about 30 minutes to about 180 minutes.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the sheet of material having the hydrophobic coating composition disposed on at least one of the first and second surface and the initiator introduced thereon is heated to a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius for a predetermined time of 60 minutes.  
     
     
         9 . A sheet of material having a hydrophobic polymer coating on at least one surface thereof, prepared by the process comprising the steps of: 
 providing a sheet of material having a first surface and a second surface;    providing an aqueous hydrophobic coating composition containing a surfactant and a monomer of a hydrophobic polymer;    providing an initiator;    coating at least one of the first and second surfaces of the sheet of material with the aqueous hydrophobic coating composition;    introducing the initiator into the hydrophobic coating composition disposed on at least one of the first and second surfaces of the sheet of material; and    initiating a reaction on the sheet of material coated with the aqueous hydrophobic coating composition for a predetermined period of time such that a hydrophobic polymer coating forms on at least one surface of the sheet of material.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the sheet of material is selected from the group consisting of cloth, burlap, natural and synthetic polymer films, polyesters, paper, cardboard and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of sodium dodecyl sulfate, linear alkyl benzene sulfonate, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the monomer of a hydrophobic polymer is styrene.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the initiator is sodium persulfate.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the initiator is AIBN.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the sheet of material having the hydrophobic coating composition disposed on at least one of the first and second surface and the initiator introduced thereon is heated to a temperature of from about 60 degrees Celsius to about 100 degrees Celsius for a predetermined time of from about 30 minutes to about 180 minutes.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the sheet of material having the hydrophobic coating composition disposed on at least one of the first and second surface and the initiator introduced thereon is heated to a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius for a predetermined time of 60 minutes.