Polymerization technique to attenuate oxygen inhibition of solidification of liquids and composition therefor

Abstract

The present invention includes a method of solidifying a polymerizable liquid to form a film on a substrate that features minimizing inhibition of the polymerization process by oxygen contained in the atmosphere surrounding the polymerizable liquid. To that end, the polymerizable liquid includes, inter alia, an initiator that consumes oxygen that interacts with the polymerizable liquid and generates additional free radicals to facilitate the polymerization process.

1 . A method for solidifying a polymerizable liquid disposed in an atmosphere and having a plurality of molecules, said method comprising: 
 creating a primary group of free radicals;    forming a secondary group of free radicals by interaction of molecules of said atmosphere with a subset of the free radicals of said primary group; and    generating a tertiary group of free radicals by interaction of said plurality of molecules with the free radicals of said secondary group to link together a subset of molecules of said plurality of molecules.    
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein creating further includes creating said primary group of free radicals by exposing said polymerizable liquid to actinic radiation to initiate linking together of an additional subset of said plurality of molecules.  
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1  further including combining an amine group with a polymerizable composition, with generating further including developing an alpha aminoalkyl radical capable of initiating polymerization.  
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1  further including combining a morpholino group with a polymerizable composition, with generating further including developing a morpholino radical capable of initiating polymerization.  
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1  further including combining an amine group with a polymerizable composition, with generating further including developing an alpha aminoalkyl radical capable of initiating polymerization from said amine group, said amine group being selected from a set of amine groups consisting essentially of 2-Methyl-1[4-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-morpholinopropan-1-one, N-methyldiethanolamine and 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone and 2-(4-methyl-benzyl)-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone.  
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1  further including forming a composition by combining isobornyl acrylate, n-hexyl acrylate and ethylene glycol diacrylate with an amine group, with generating further including developing an alpha aminoalkyl radical capable of initiating polymerization from said amine group, said amine group being selected from a set of amine groups consisting essentially of 2-Methyl-1[4-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-morpholinopropan-1-one, N-methyldiethanolamine and 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone and 2-(4-methyl-benzyl)-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone.  
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1  further including forming a composition by combining isobornyl acrylate, n-hexyl acrylate, ethylene glycol diacrylate, a surfactant and an amine group, with generating further including developing an alpha aminoalkyl radical capable of initiating polymerization from said amine group, said amine group being selected from a set of amine groups consisting essentially of 2-Methyl-1[4-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-morpholinopropan-1-one, N-methyldiethanolamine and 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1-(4 morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone and 2-(4-methyl-benzyl)-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone.  
     
     
         8 . A method for solidifying a polymerizable liquid disposed in an oxygen-containing atmosphere and having a plurality of molecules, said method comprising: 
 disposing a volume of said liquid on a substrate, said volume having a boundary defining a interface with said atmosphere; and    initiating polymerization of said molecules while minimizing inhibition of polymerization of said molecules by oxygen proximate to said boundary.    
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 8  initiating further includes creating a plurality of groups of radicals to link said molecules together, with a first subgroup of said plurality of radicals forming peroxide radicals and a second subgroup of said plurality of radicals being formed from a consumption reaction of said peroxide radicals, with said second subgroup of radicals initiating additional polymerization.  
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 8  initiating further includes creating a plurality of groups of radicals to link said molecules together, with a first subgroup of said plurality of radicals forming oxygen radicals and a second subgroup of said plurality of radicals including an oxygen scavenging radical to combine with said oxygen radical before said oxygen radical combines with one of said plurality of molecules.  
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 8  wherein initiating further includes exposing said plurality of molecules to actinic radiation.  
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 8  wherein initiating further includes creating a primary group of free radicals by exposing said polymerizable liquid to actinic radiation to initiate linking together of said plurality of molecules and forming a secondary group of free radicals by interaction of oxygen in said atmosphere with a subset of the free radicals of said primary group; and generating a tertiary group of free radicals by interaction of said plurality of molecules with the free radicals of said secondary group to link together additional molecules of said plurality of molecules.  
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 8  further including combining an amine group with a polymerizable composition, with initiating further including developing an alpha aminoalkyl radical capable of initiating polymerization.  
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 8  further including combining an amine group with a polymerizable composition, with initiating further including developing an alpha aminoalkyl radical capable of initiating polymerization from said amine group, said amine group being selected from a set of amine groups consisting essentially of 2-Methyl-1[4-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-morpholinopropan-1-one, N-methyldiethanolamine, 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone and 2-(4-methyl-benzyl)-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone.  
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14  wherein combining further includes providing said polymerizable composition with a surfactant.  
     
     
         16 . A method for solidifying a polymerizable liquid disposed in an oxygen-containing atmosphere and having a plurality of molecules including photoinitiators and chemical initiators, said method comprising: 
 exposing said photoinitiators to actinic radiation to create a plurality of radicals to initiate linking of said plurality of molecules; and    accelerating linking of said plurality of molecules by creating additional radicals through combining said photoinitiators with oxygen.    
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 16  wherein accelerating further includes creating a plurality of groups of radicals to link said molecules together, with a first subgroup of said plurality of radicals forming oxygen radicals and a second subgroup of said plurality of radicals including an oxygen scavenging radical to combine with said oxygen radical.  
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 16  accelerating further includes creating a plurality of groups of radicals to link said molecules together, with a first subgroup of said plurality of radicals forming oxygen radicals and a second subgroup of said plurality of radicals including an oxygen scavenging radical to combine with said oxygen radical before said oxygen radical combines with one of said plurality of molecules.  
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 16  wherein accelerating further includes creating a primary group of free radicals by exposing said polymerizable liquid to actinic radiation to initiate linking together of said plurality of molecules and forming a secondary group of free radicals by interaction of oxygen in said atmosphere with a subset of the free radicals of said primary group; and generating a tertiary group of free radicals by interaction of said plurality of molecules with the free radicals of said secondary group to link together additional molecules of said plurality of molecules.  
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 16  further including combining an amine group with said plurality of molecules, with accelerating further including developing an alpha aminoalkyl radical capable of initiating polymerization.  
     
     
         21 . The method as recited in  claim 16  further including combining an amine group with said plurality of molecules, with accelerating further including developing an alpha aminoalkyl radical capable of initiating polymerization from said amine group, said amine group being selected from a set of amine groups consisting essentially of 2-Methyl-1[4-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-morpholinopropan-1-one, N-methyldiethanolamine, 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone and 2-(4-methyl-benzyl)-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone.  
     
     
         22 . The method as recited in  claim 21  further including combining a surfactant with said plurality of molecules.  
     
     
         23 . A method of polymerizing a liquid, said method comprising: 
 combining isobornyl acrylate, n-hexyl acrylate, ethylene glycol diacrylate and 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one with an oxygen scavenging initiator, defining a composition; and    exposing said composition to actinic radiation.    
     
     
         24 . The method as recited in  claim 23  wherein combining further includes adding a surfactant.  
     
     
         25 . The method as recited in  claim 24  wherein combining further includes generating said oxygen scavenging initiator by providing an amine group, selected from a set of amine groups consisting essentially of 2-Methyl-1[4-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-morpholinopropan-1-one, N-methyldiethanolamine and 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone and 2-(4-methyl-benzyl)-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone.  
     
     
         26 . A composition having a plurality of molecules, said composition comprising: 
 a polymerizable composition including a photoinitiator and an oxygen scavenging element to react with oxygen and facilitate cross-linking of said plurality of molecules.    
     
     
         27 . The composition as recited in  claim 26  wherein said oxygen scavenging element is an amine group selected from a set of amine groups consisting essentially of 2-Methyl-1[4-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-morpholinopropan-1-one, N-methyldiethanolamine and 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone and 2-(4-methyl-benzyl)-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone.  
     
     
         28 . The composition as recited in  claim 26  wherein said polymerizable composition further includes isobornyl acrylate n-hexyl acrylate ethylene glycol diacrylate 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one.  
     
     
         29 . The composition as recited in  claim 26  wherein said polymerizable composition further includes isobornyl acrylate n-hexyl acrylate ethylene glycol diacrylate 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one, and R 1 CH 2 CH 2 O(CH 2 CH 2 O) X H.  
     
     
         30 . A composition having a plurality of molecules, said composition comprising: 
 isobornyl acrylate n-hexyl acrylate ethylene glycol diacrylate 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one and an oxygen scavenging element to react with oxygen and facilitate cross-linking of said plurality of molecules.    
     
     
         31 . The composition as recited in  claim 30  wherein said oxygen scavenging element is an amine group selected from a set of amine groups consisting essentially of 2-Methyl-1[4-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-morpholinopropan-1-one, N-methyldiethanolamine and 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone and 2-(4-methyl-benzyl)-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone.  
     
     
         32 . A composition having a plurality of molecules, said composition comprising: 
 isobornyl acrylate n-hexyl acrylate ethylene glycol diacrylate 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one, R 1 CH 2 CH 2 O(CH 2 CH 2 O) X H and an oxygen scavenging element to react with oxygen and facilitate cross-linking of said plurality of molecules.    
     
     
         33 . The composition as recited in  claim 31  wherein said oxygen scavenging element is an amine group selected from a set of amine groups consisting essentially of 2-Methyl-1[4-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-morpholinopropan-1-one, N-methyldiethanolamine and 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone and 2-(4-methyl-benzyl)-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-1-butanone.