Appeal No. 2001-1820
Application No. 09/169,280
APPENDIX
1. A method for applying a protective, pigmented sol-gel
coating to a metal or composite surface, comprising the steps of:
a) cleaning and activating the surface;
b) applying an aqueous sol to the surface to form a surface
coating, the sol made by mixing about 1 vol% of an (R-O)4-Zr
alkoxyzirconium with about 2.0 - 3.7 vol% of TEOS to minimize the
portion of organics in the coating and an effective amount of
acetic acid as a catalyst for the organosilane and as a
hydrolysis rate stabilizer for the alkoxyzirconium in water and
with an effective amount of a pigment to provide gloss, color,
reflectivity, electrical conductivity, emissivity, or a
combination thereof, wherein the alkoxy-zirconium bonds with the
surface to orient the alkoxy group away from the surface, R is C2
to C5 aliphatic, alicyclic, or aryl;
c) drying the coating at a temperature in the range from
ambient to about 250BF to form a sol-gel film on the surface
wherein the molar ratio of pigment to total organometallics is
about 1 to 3 parts pigments to 1 part total organometallics.
24. A method for providing protection to a substrate exposed
to a space environment that contains atomic oxygen, ultraviolet
radiation, high energy particles, or a combination thereof,
comprising the step of:
coating the substrate with a sol made by mixing in a
suitable carrier:
a) an effective amount of an alkoxyzirconium for
covalently bonding to the substrate;
b) an effective amount of an organosilane coupling
agent for forming a sol-gel network with the
alkoxyzirconium;
c) an organic acid to catalyze the networking of the
organosilane to the alkoxyzirconium and to stabilize the
rate of hydrolysis of the alkoxyzirconium.
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