US 12,276,046 B2
Roll-to-roll manufacturing machines and methods for producing nanostructure-containing polymer films
Mukerrem Cakmak, Lafayette, IN (US)
Assigned to Purdue Research Foundation, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Filed by Purdue Research Foundation, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Filed on Aug. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/453,224.
Application 18/453,224 is a division of application No. 16/338,529, granted, now 11,732,382, previously published as PCT/US2017/058423, filed on Oct. 26, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/412,898, filed on Oct. 26, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0407524 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. B29C 39/14 (2006.01); B29C 39/18 (2006.01); B29C 41/28 (2006.01); B29C 59/04 (2006.01); B32B 27/00 (2006.01); D01D 5/00 (2006.01); B05C 5/00 (2006.01); B05C 5/02 (2006.01); B05C 11/04 (2006.01); B29C 59/02 (2006.01); B82Y 40/00 (2011.01)
CPC D01D 5/0007 (2013.01) [B29C 39/146 (2013.01); B29C 39/18 (2013.01); B29C 41/28 (2013.01); B29C 59/046 (2013.01); B32B 27/00 (2013.01); B05C 5/00 (2013.01); B05C 5/0245 (2013.01); B05C 11/04 (2013.01); B29C 2059/023 (2013.01); B82Y 40/00 (2013.01)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process comprising:
applying a liquid polymer on a substrate to form a liquid polymer film;
at least partially embedding nanostructures into the liquid polymer film;
melt casting a layer of a molten polymer on the liquid polymer film to produce a thin polymer film;
organizing the nanostructures in a thickness direction of the thin polymer film by applying an electric field to the thin polymer film;
aligning the nanostructures in the thin polymer film by simultaneously subjecting the thin polymer film to heat and a field that aligns the nanostructures; and
solidifying the thin polymer film to freeze the nanostructures along nanocolumns in a thickness direction of a solidified polymer film resulting therefrom;
wherein the aligning step comprises subjecting the thin polymer film to a magnetic field and heating the thin polymer film with at least one laser beam projected at a center of the magnetic field on the thin polymer film.