Antistatic coatings for plastic vessels

Abstract

A method of reducing static charge of a plastic container is provided. The method includes providing a PECVD coating of SiCOH, SiOx or SiOH to an external support surface of the container. The PECVD coating reduces static charge of the container compared to a reference container that is essentially identical to the container except that the reference container is uncoated.

1 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A plastic vessel for containing a liquid product, the vessel comprising an inner surface and an external support surface, wherein at least a portion of the external support surface comprises a vapor deposited coating selected from the group consisting of SiCOH, SiO x  and SiOH. 
     
     
         14 . The plastic vessel of  claim 13 , wherein the vessel is made from plastic comprising, consisting essentially of or consisting of one or more of the group consisting of: an olefin polymer, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), cyclic olefin polymer (COP), polymethylpentene, polyester, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate, polylactic acid, polystyrene, hydrogenated polystyrene, polycyclohexylethylene (PCHE), epoxy resin, nylon, polyurethane polyacrylonitrile, polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and an ionomeric resin. 
     
     
         15 . The plastic vessel of  claim 14 , wherein the vapor deposited coating is applied by PECVD. 
     
     
         16 . The plastic vessel of  claim 15 , the vessel further comprising an internal support surface wherein at least a portion of the internal support surface comprises a PECVD trilayer coating set, the trilayer coating set comprising a tie layer deposited onto the internal support surface, a barrier layer deposited onto the tie layer and a pH protective layer deposited onto the barrier layer, wherein the tie layer comprises SiO x C y  or SiN x C y , in which x for the tie layer is from about 0.5 to about 2.4 and y for the tie layer is from about 0.6 to about 3, wherein the barrier layer comprises SiO x  in which x for the barrier layer is from about 1.5 to about 2.9 and wherein the pH protective layer comprises SiO x C y  or SiN x C y  in which x for the pH protective layer is from about 0.5 to about 2.4 and y for the protective layer is from about 0.6 to about 3. 
     
     
         17 . The vessel of  claim 16 , wherein the vessel is selected from the group consisting of: a sample tube, a cartridge, a syringe, a vial, a pipe, a catheter, a cuvette and secondary packaging. 
     
     
         18 . The vessel of  claim 13 , wherein the vapor deposited coating has an effect of dissipating static charge of the vessel. 
     
     
         19 . The vessel of  claim 13 , wherein the vapor deposited coating further provides one or more of the following features: resistance to scratch, resistance to mar and dirt and a barrier for air permeation. 
     
     
         20 . The vessel of  claim 13 , wherein the vapor deposited coating has a thickness of 1 nm to 1000 nm. 
     
     
         21 . The vessel of  claim 20 , wherein the vapor deposited coating has a thickness of 5 nm to 500 nm. 
     
     
         22 . The vessel of  claim 21 , wherein the vapor deposited antistatic coating has a thickness of 10 nm to 100 nm. 
     
     
         23 . The vessel of  claim 13 , wherein the vapor deposited coating is SiCOH. 
     
     
         24 . The vessel of  claim 13 , wherein the vapor deposited coating is SiOH. 
     
     
         25 . The vessel of  claim 13 , wherein the vapor deposited antistatic coating is SiO x  having silanol or other polar terminating bonds. 
     
     
         26 . The vessel of  claim 13 , wherein the vessel is selected from the group consisting of: a sample tube, a cartridge, a syringe, a vial, a pipe, a catheter, and a cuvette. 
     
     
         27 . The vessel of  claim 13 , wherein the plastic vessel is made from cyclic olefin polymer (COP) or cyclic olefin copolymer (COC). 
     
     
         28 . The vessel of  claim 13 , wherein the plastic vessel is made from cyclic olefin polymer (COP). 
     
     
         29 . The vessel of  claim 13 , wherein the plastic vessel is a vial. 
     
     
         30 . The vessel of  claim 29 , wherein the vial is made from cyclic olefin polymer (COP) and the coating provides the vial with a final voltage that is 29% of the initial voltage or less after a 15 second dissipation time. 
     
     
         31 . The vessel of  claim 30 , wherein the coating provides the vial with a final voltage that is 18% of the initial voltage or less after a 15 second dissipation time.