US 12,221,690 B2
Sanitary equipment part
Yuya Suzuki, Kitakyushu (JP); Saori Ukigai, Kitakyushu (JP); Hironori Hatono, Kitakyushu (JP); Atsushi Teramoto, Kitakyushu (JP); Yuichi Takamatsu, Kitakyushu (JP); and Hana Ishii, Kitakyushu (JP)
Assigned to Toto Ltd., Fukuoka (JP)
Appl. No. 17/280,705
Filed by TOTO LTD., Kitakyushu (JP)
PCT Filed Mar. 1, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/007683
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 26, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/199834, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 7, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-064497 (JP), filed on Mar. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0012781 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. C23C 14/00 (2006.01); B32B 15/04 (2006.01); B32B 15/08 (2006.01); B32B 18/00 (2006.01); C09K 3/18 (2006.01); C23C 14/02 (2006.01); C23C 14/06 (2006.01); C23C 14/08 (2006.01); C23C 14/10 (2006.01); C23C 14/34 (2006.01); C23C 14/54 (2006.01); C23C 28/00 (2006.01); C23C 30/00 (2006.01); B05D 1/28 (2006.01); B05D 5/08 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 14/547 (2013.01) [B32B 15/04 (2013.01); B32B 15/08 (2013.01); B32B 18/00 (2013.01); C09K 3/18 (2013.01); C23C 14/0015 (2013.01); C23C 14/0036 (2013.01); C23C 14/0057 (2013.01); C23C 14/025 (2013.01); C23C 14/0635 (2013.01); C23C 14/0641 (2013.01); C23C 14/0664 (2013.01); C23C 14/086 (2013.01); C23C 14/10 (2013.01); C23C 14/34 (2013.01); C23C 28/00 (2013.01); C23C 28/34 (2013.01); C23C 28/341 (2013.01); C23C 28/345 (2013.01); C23C 28/3455 (2013.01); C23C 28/36 (2013.01); C23C 30/00 (2013.01); C23C 30/005 (2013.01); B05D 1/283 (2013.01); B05D 5/08 (2013.01); B05D 5/083 (2013.01); B05D 2202/00 (2013.01); B05D 2350/63 (2013.01); Y10T 428/12438 (2015.01); Y10T 428/12458 (2015.01); Y10T 428/12472 (2015.01); Y10T 428/12556 (2015.01); Y10T 428/12569 (2015.01); Y10T 428/12611 (2015.01); Y10T 428/12618 (2015.01); Y10T 428/12625 (2015.01); Y10T 428/1266 (2015.01); Y10T 428/12667 (2015.01); Y10T 428/12674 (2015.01); Y10T 428/12736 (2015.01); Y10T 428/12806 (2015.01); Y10T 428/12847 (2015.01); Y10T 428/12903 (2015.01); Y10T 428/12951 (2015.01); Y10T 428/24942 (2015.01); Y10T 428/2495 (2015.01); Y10T 428/24959 (2015.01); Y10T 428/24967 (2015.01); Y10T 428/26 (2015.01); Y10T 428/263 (2015.01); Y10T 428/264 (2015.01); Y10T 428/265 (2015.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sanitary equipment part comprising at least a base material, a colored layer on the base material, an intermediate layer on the colored layer, and a surface layer on the intermediate layer, as the uppermost layer, wherein
the colored layer is a layer comprising a carbon atom (C) and an oxygen atom (O), and optionally, a chromium atom (Cr) and/or a nitrogen atom (N),
the colored layer contains:
more than 35 at % to 99 at % or less of C,
0 at % or more to less than 40 at % of Cr,
0 at % or more to less than 15 at % of N, and
more than 0 at % to less than 15 at % of O,
provided that the total of C, O, Cr, and N is 100 at %,
in a profile obtained by an XPS depth direction analysis, in a depth region after 8 minutes from when an atomic ratio of Cr, Zr, or Si, defined as (Cr, Zr, or Si)/(C+Cr+N+O), for the first time exceeds that of C/(C+Cr+N+O),
the profile obtained by the XPS depth direction analysis is a profile obtained by XPS measurements carried out under the following XPS measurement conditions and Sputtering conditions 1,
XPS measurement conditions being as follows:
X-ray condition: monochromatic AlKα ray (output 25 W),
Photoelectron take-off angle: 45°,
Analysis area: 100 amp, and
Element to be analyzed (energy range): Zr3d (177-187 eV), C1s (281-296 eV), N1s (394-406 eV), O1s (524-540 eV), Cr2p3 (572-582 eV), Si2p (98-108 eV),
Sputtering conditions 1 being as follows:
Inert gas species: Ar,
Angle of incidence: 45°,
Sputtering voltage: 4 KV,
Sputtering range: 2 mm*2 mm,
Sputtering cycle: 10 seconds; and
the intermediate layer contains not only at least one metal atom selected from Cr, Zr, and Si but also an oxygen atom,
the metal atom in an oxidized state is detected with XPS in the intermediate layer,
the intermediate layer exhibits a sputtering time of 0.5 minutes to 9 minutes, both inclusive, the sputtering time being a time taken from when the metal atom is detected to when the amount of the detected oxygen atoms contained in the intermediate layer for the first time exceeds the amount of the detected oxygen atoms (O) contained in the colored layer, with an XPS depth direction analysis,
the XPS depth direction analysis is carried out under the following XPS measurement conditions and Sputtering conditions 1, and by using an XPS device with
XPS measurement conditions being as follows:
X-ray condition: monochromatic AlKα ray (output 25 W),
Photoelectron take-off angle: 45°,
Analysis area: 100 amp, and
Element to be analyzed (energy range): Zr3d (177-187 eV), C1s (281-296 eV), N1s (394-406 eV), O1s (524-540 eV), Cr2p3 (572-582 eV), Si2p (98-108 eV),
Sputtering conditions 1 being as follows:
Inert gas species: Ar,
Angle of incidence: 45°,
Sputtering voltage: 4 KV,
Sputtering range: 2 mm*2 mm,
Sputtering cycle: 10 seconds; and
the surface layer
is water-repellent, and
includes a hydrophobic group, wherein the hydrophobic group includes an alkyl chain, or includes an alkyl chain in which a part of hydrogen atom(s) may be substituted with fluorine atom, or includes an alkyl chain in which a part of carbon atom(s) may be substituted with another atom, and
exhibits, in a profile obtained by the XPS depth direction analysis, a sputtering time of 0.5 minutes exclusive to 5 minutes inclusive, the sputtering time being a time taken from when the sputtering starts to when the metal atom contained in the intermediate layer starts to be detected,
the profile obtained by the XPS depth direction analysis is a profile obtained by XPS measurements carried out under the following XPS measurement conditions and Sputtering conditions 2,
XPS measurement conditions being as follows:
X-ray condition: monochromatic AlKα ray (output 25 W),
Photoelectron take-off angle: 45°,
Analysis area: 100 amp, and
Element to be analyzed (energy range): Zr3d (177-187 eV), C1s (281-296 eV), N1s (394-406 eV), O1s (524-540 eV), Cr2p3 (572-582 eV), Si2p (98-108 eV),
Sputtering conditions 2 being as follows:
Inert gas species: Ar,
Angle of incidence: 45°,
Sputtering voltage: 500 V,
Sputtering range: 2 mm*2 mm,
Sputtering cycle: 1 minute; and
the surface layer contains a functional group capable of bonding to the metal atom contained in the intermediate layer, and is bonded to the intermediate layer through the functional group.