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  Dust repellant compositionsUSPTO Application #: 20060035030Title: Dust repellant compositions Abstract: Sprayable, liquid polymeric film-forming compositions containing an amount of an anti-static polymer that is effective to provide films formed from the composition with resistance to the deposition of dust, soil or grime on the surface thereof, wherein the surface tension of the liquid composition is less than about 25 milli-newtons per meter. Methods for preventing the accumulation of dust, soil, or grime on surfaces such as a vehicle tire, wheel or wheel cover are also disclosed. (end of abstract) Agent: Synnestvedt & Lechner, LLP - Philadelphia, PA, US Inventors: Christopher Shannon, Steve Hayes USPTO Applicaton #: 20060035030 - Class: 427372200 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Coating Processes, With Post-treatment Of Coating Or Coating Material, Heating Or Drying (e.g., Polymerizing, Vulcanizing, Curing, Etc.) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060035030. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a method of coating surfaces with a low surface energy anti-static film that repels dust, soil and grime in a manner that is suitable for use by a typical consumer. This invention also relates to compositions for use by consumers to repel dust, soil and grime from surfaces. The invention more particularly relates to methods and compositions for repelling dust soil and grime, and in particular brake dust, from the surface of vehicle wheel and wheel covers. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A wide variety of automobile appearance products are used in consumer applications to maintain the original appearance of automobiles. Specifically, numerous wheel and tire cleaners are commercially available to maintain the appearance of soiled tires and metal or plastic wheels, wheel covers or hubcaps. These tire cleaners are typically acidic formulations, with pH ranges from 2 to 4. The extreme acidity is required to effectively remove brake dust, road soil and grime. These formulations also typically use anionic, amphoteric or nonionic surfactants to enhance the detergency of the tire and wheel cleaning formulation. The extremely low pH of these formulations makes their compatibility poor with many metallic wheels and most of these products are devised for use on clear-coated wheels so there is no (or very low) chance of acid corrosion. The compositions must be washed or wiped from the tires and wheels within 15 seconds to one minute to prevent damage to wheels and also to facilitate cleaning. [0003] Fox example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,377, issued to Michael Howe, discloses the use of an acid composition to clean road soil and grime from wheel surfaces. This composition has the disadvantage of low pH and the use of fluoride salts which may be detrimental to the environment and human safety. Other commercial compositions that claim to remove brake dust, road soil and grime use combinations of surfactants, coupling solvents (such as 2-butoxyethanol) and/or strong organic acids such as oxalic, sulfamic, hydroxyacetic or propionic acid. Such strong acidity is required to remove the soil, dust and grime that adheres to wheel and tires substantively. In the relatively rare case of alkaline cleaning agents, a high degree of builder is again needed to loosen transportation deposits. [0004] There exists a need for compositions that reduce the accumulation of dust, soil and grime on vehicle wheels without the use of harsh chemicals. A product that would also function to reduce dust, soil and grime accumulation on surfaces in general would be particularly desirable. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] A method has now been discovered in which a composition may be applied to surfaces in general and vehicle wheels, wheel covers and tires in particular, that delivers a film that is repellant to soils, dust (including brake dust) and grime. Furthermore, the delivery method is in a manner that typical consumers can use safely to apply the film to a surface such as a wheel, wheel cover or tire. For automotive surfaces, the application of this film substantially reduces or eliminates the need for harsh acidic, caustic or solvent-borne cleaners to maintain wheel and tire appearance. This now offers consumers the ability to treat a wheel and tire once with a repellant film to maintain its appearance. Consumers can deliver the films from aerosol or trigger spray packages, gels or pre-saturated wipes. [0006] According to one aspect of the present invention a sprayable, liquid polymeric film-forming composition is provided containing an amount of anti-static polymer that is effective to provide films formed from the composition with resistance to the deposition of dust, soil or grime on the surface thereof, wherein the surface tension of the liquid composition is less than 25 milli-newtons per meter. The low surface tension of the liquid composition provides the polymer films formed therefrom with a low surface energy that contributes to the dust, soil and grime resistance. [0007] The present invention incorporates the discovery that anti-static polymeric films with a sufficiently low surface energy will repel dust, soil and grime in a manner heretofore unobtained in the art. The present invention further incorporates the discovery that liquid polymeric film-forming composition having surface tensions less than about 25 milli-newtons per meter will form films of anti-static polymer with the low surface energy that produces such unexpected results. [0008] Compositions according to the present invention may be formulated from one or more of the following components: [0009] (A) Anti-static polymers that also contribute to lowering the surface tension of the liquid compositions, thereby lowering the surface energy of the polymeric films; [0010] (B) Wetting agents for lowering the surface tension of the liquid compositions and consequently the surface energy of the polymeric films--including polymeric wetting agents--that also contribute to the anti-static properties of the polymeric films; [0011] (C) Polymers that only contribute anti-static properties to the polymeric films; [0012] (D) Wetting agents that only contribute to lowering the surface tension of the liquid compositions and lowering the surface energy of the polymeric films. One or more of the foregoing are employed, provided the resulting liquid composition has a surface tension less than about 25 milli-newtons per meter. That is, a Component A-type polymer can be used alone if it provides the resulting aqueous composition with the requisite surface tension; if not, Component B and/or Component D may be added to the composition to lower the surface tension below about 25 milli-newtons per meter. Similarly, Component B can be used alone if it provides aqueous compositions capable of forming polymer films with the anti-static properties needed to resist the deposition of dust, soil or grime. If not, Component A and/or Component C may be added to such liquid compositions to increase the anti-static properties of the resulting polymer films. Alternatively, liquid compositions may be prepared solely from combinations of Component-C-type and Component D-type materials; or, all four components may be combined to provide an liquid composition according to the present invention. [0013] For most applications, the liquid composition will be water-based. When all the components of a given composition are water-soluble, the composition will be an aqueous solution. If one or more of the components are not water-soluble, then the composition must be formed as an emulsion by conventional techniques using emulsifying surfactants. [0014] Compositions according to the present invention may optionally include a substantiative polymer providing water resistance to the polymeric film. Water resistance increases the durability of the films. [0015] The quantities of composition components employed are selected to provide the compositions with the desired surface tension and the polymeric films prepared therefrom with the desired anti-static and low surface energy properties, yet at the same time maintain the viscosity of the liquid compositions low enough so that the compositions may be conveniently applied, for example by spraying and wiping. Typically, a viscosity less than 100 centipoise at room temperature is preferred unless the composition is delivered in gel form. The pH of the compositions is adjusted to maintain storage stability and to meet end-use requirements of the selected application means. This will vary depending upon the components used and the application device selected, but can be readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art without undue experimentation. [0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for preventing the accumulation of dust, soil or grime on a surface by applying a composition according to the present invention thereto so that a polymeric film coating is formed thereon resistant to the deposition of soil, dust and grime. The composition coating is left on the surface as a protective polymeric film. The composition may be applied to the surface by means of aerosol or trigger spray device, as a gel, or from a pre-saturated wipe. [0017] Examples of some of the surfaces included within the method of the present invention include automotive surfaces, such as engine components and vehicle tires, wheels or wheel covers; optical surfaces, for which dust is a particular problem; the surface of product packages, including retail product packaging, to maintain product appearance regardless of storage duration or conditions; and household surfaces, such as furniture, floors, walls, and the like, to reduce the frequency with which such surfaces must be cleaned. [0018] With respect to automotive applications, unlike prior art compositions that have been developed to remove brake dust, road soil and grime from tires, wheels and wheel covers, the compositions of the present invention form a protective film or barrier that is repellant to dust, soil and grime. The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description of the preferred embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0019] The sprayable, liquid polymeric film-forming compositions of the present invention contain an amount of an anti-static polymer that is effective to form a polymeric film resistant to the deposition of dust, soil or grime on the surface thereof. The anti-static polymer components of the compositions of the present invention provide the films prepared therefrom with a negative charge sufficient to repel such dust, soil or grime. Suitable polymers include anionic polymers, as well as amphoteric and zwitterionic polymers. While amphoteric and zwitterionic polymers contain both positive and negative charges, the positive charge typically is associated with the substrate on which the polymer film is coated, providing the surface of the film with the net negative charge needed to repel dust, soil and grime. [0020] Any non-ionic polymer that forms a negatively charged film may also be used. Examples of such non-ionic polymers include, but are not limited to, polysiloxanes, such as poly(dimethylsiloxanes) and poly(methyl hydrogen siloxanes), hydroxy-functional poly(dimethylsiloxanes), and the like. Other examples of non-ionic polymers include capped acrylates, polyamides, and acetate copolymers. [0021] Examples of anionic polymers includes, but are not limited to, anionic silicone carboxylates, anionic fluorocarbons, poly(acrylic acids), polysulfonates, and the like. [0022] Examples of amphoteric polymers include, but are not limited to, amphoteric fluorocarbons, amphoteric silicones, poly(amide acrylate) copolymers, polybetaines, and the like. Zwitterionic polymers suitable for use with the present invention include, but are not limited to, fluorinated carboxy betaines, fluorinated amino acids, silicone betaines, and the like. [0023] The amount of anti-static polymer employed must be sufficient to provide the resulting polymeric films with the requisite anti-static properties, but should be below that quantity that would result in a composition viscosity too thick for the selected end-use applicator. This can be readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art without undue experimentation. The level of anti-static polymer will range from about 0.1 to about 10 weight percent, and more typical will be in a range between about 0.5 and about 1.0 weight percent. The present invention includes all possible ranges within the broadest range defined, beginning with 0.2 weight percent, 0.3 weight percent, 0.4 weight percent, and so forth, and ending with 7 weight percent, 8 weight percent, 9 weight percent, and so forth, with ranges incorporating the levels of anti-static polymer depicted in the Examples being preferred. [0024] A correlation has been discovered between the surface tension of the liquid composition and the surface energy of the polymeric films coated therefrom. For a film to have a surface energy low enough to effectively repel dust, soil and grime, the liquid composition must have a surface tension no greater than about 25 milli-newtons per meter. A surface tension less than about 22 milli-newtons per meter is preferred, with a surface tension less than about 20 milli-newtons per meter being even more preferred. According to the current state of the art, commercially feasible surface tensions below about 15 milli-newtons per meter are difficult to obtain. Therefore, typical compositions according to the present invention will have a surface tension between about 15 and 25 milli-newtons per meter. Continue reading... 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