US 12,251,870 B2
Process to prepare a structured article using a removable protective layer and structured article obtained by said process
Sven Olle Krabbenborg, Münster (DE); and Tim Buscher, Münster (DE)
Assigned to BASF COATINGS GMBH, Muenster (DE)
Appl. No. 17/754,005
Filed by BASF COATINGS GMBH, Münster (DE)
PCT Filed Sep. 9, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/075170
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 21, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/058280, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 1, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 19199445 (EP), filed on Sep. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0371263 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 59/02 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 59/022 (2013.01) [B29C 2059/023 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
 
1. A process for preparing a structured article (A1M1), said process comprising the following steps:
(1) providing a material (M1) comprising at least one micro- and/or nanostructured surface (SU1) containing a plurality of micro-scale and/or nano-scale surface elements;
(2) applying at least one coating composition (C2a) on the surface (SU1) of the material (M1);
(3) at least partially curing the coating composition (C2a) on the surface (SU1) of the material (M1) to provide a composite (M1C2), wherein a dry film thickness of the at least partially cured coating composition (C2) of the composite (M1C2) is at least 5 μm;
(4) at least partially attaching the composite (M1C2) to at least one object (A1) to provide an article (A1M1C2); and
(5) at least partially peeling off the at least partially cured coating composition (C2) from the article (A1M1C2) to provide the structure article (A1M1), wherein the material (M1) provided in step (1) is obtained by
a-i) applying a coating composition (P1a) to a substrate (F1) to provide a composite (F1P1a) and at least partially embossing the coating composition (P1a) using at least one embossing tool (E2) comprising at least one embossing mold (e2)
(6) or
a-ii) applying a coating composition (P1a) to at least a part of an at least partially embossed surface of at least one embossing tool (E2) comprising at least one embossing mold (e2) and optionally applying a substrate (F1)
and
b) at least partially curing the coating composition (P1a) to provide an at least partially embossed coating material optionally comprising the substrate (F1), wherein the coating composition (P1a) is in contact with the embossing tool (E2) during the curing, and
c) removing the at least partially embossed coating material optionally comprising the substrate (F1) from the embossing tool (E2) to provide the material (M1).