Michael Jamison Houston

US Patent:

6380314, Apr 30, 2002

Filed:

Feb 22, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/511661

Inventors:

David S. Soane - Piedmont CA
Michael R. Houston - Berkeley CA
Toshiaki Hino - Berkeley CA

Assignee:

ZMS, LLC - Emeryville CA

International Classification:

C08F25500

US Classification:

525242, 525292

Abstract:

This disclosure describes a processing approach for the rapid and efficient in-situ polymerization of specially prepared precursor mixtures to achieve near-net-shape production of objects/articles with exact dimensions. The process relies on the use of polymerizable compositions comprised of a mixture of a dead polymer, a reactive plasticizer and an initiator, which compositions are semi-solid-like prior to curing and induce low shrinkage upon curing as a result of their partially polymerized nature prior to processing. The partially polymerized nature of the precursor mixtures also allows extremely impact-resistant objects/articles to be fabricated. Other desirable engineering property attributes can similarly be achieved via the judicious blending of starting ingredients in formulating the polymerizable (curable) mixtures.

US Patent:

6387492, May 14, 2002

Filed:

Apr 23, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/840317

Inventors:

David S. Soane - Piedmont CA
Michael R. Houston - Berkeley CA

Assignee:

Nano-Tex, LLC - Emeryville CA

International Classification:

D01F 600

US Classification:

428376, 428398, 428221

Abstract:

The present invention is directed to thermo-expandable fibers and to the expanded hollow fibers or microtubes, microcellular foam or foamed composite material that results upon heating the expandable fibers. The thermo-expandable fiber of the present invention is characterized by having a polymeric wall surrounding one or more pockets or particles of blowing agent or propellant within the fiber. The polymeric wall may have reactive functional groups on its surface to give a fusible fiber. When the expandable fibers are heated, they expand to form hollow fibers or microtubes comprising polymeric shells surrounding one or more internal gaseous voids, and when the fibers are expanded while in contact with each other, a microcellular foam may be formed. The foam consists of a plurality of hollow fibers fused together, optionally aided by functional groups present on the surface of the heated fibers that act to crosslink the material. When expandable microspheres are mixed with a matrix, which can optionally react with functional groups on the fiber surface, and the resulting combination is heated, the fibers expand to give a foamed composite material in which the hollow fibers or microtubes may optionally be fused or chemically crosslinked to the matrix.

US Patent:

6416690, Jul 9, 2002

Filed:

Feb 16, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/505260

Inventors:

David S. Soane - Piedmont CA
Michael R. Houston - Berkeley CA

Assignee:

ZMS, LLC - Emeryville CA

International Classification:

B29D 1100

US Classification:

264 17, 264 136, 264 138

Abstract:

The invention is directed to a method for making composite optical lenses, which includes the steps of obtaining an optical lens âcoreâ; placing a semi-solid-like polymerizable composition in contact with at least one of the front or back surface of the core; compressing or heating the resulting semi-solid/core sandwich between two mold halves, where the mold contacting the semi-solid polymerizable material has a desired surface geometry; and exposing the semi-solid/core sandwich to a source of polymerizing energy. The resulting composite lens has the desirable characteristics of the core but is also easily fabricated with both toroidal curves and multi-focal pockets as a result of the semi-solid molding process. Also included within the present invention is a composite optical lens comprising a core portion and at least one layer of a cured resin bonded to the core portion, the cured resin comprising an interpenetrating crosslinked polymer network of reactive plasticizer within an entangled dead polymer. In one embodiment, the reactive plasticizer polymer network is further crosslinked to the dead polymer.

US Patent:

6419858, Jul 16, 2002

Filed:

Jun 13, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/592873

Inventors:

Michael R. Houston - Berkeley CA
Toshiaki Hino - Berkeley CA
David S. Soane - Piedmont CA

Assignee:

ZMS, LLC - Emeryville CA

International Classification:

B29D 1100

US Classification:

264 11, 264 132, 264 27, 264 22, 264175, 264299, 264319, 4284111, 428412, 428480, 428492, 428500, 522116, 522113, 522119, 522114, 522120, 522121

Abstract:

This invention is directed to a process for the rapid in-situ curing of polymerizable materials to provide macromolecular networks and articles of manufacture that are âmorphology-trappedâ; that is, they exhibit a fixed phase morphology and/or molecular orientation that is locked in by the curing step. The process includes the steps of mixing together a dead polymer, a reactive plasticizer and an initiator to give a polymerizable composition; further processing the mixture in order to achieve a desired phase morphology and/or molecular orientation of the polymeric constituents; shaping the polymerizable composition into a desired geometry; and exposing the polymerizable composition to a source of polymerizing energy, without mixing, to give a final product with the desired phase morphology and/or molecular orientation locked in place. The phase morphology and molecular orientation present just prior to cure of the polymerizable composition is subsequently trapped or locked in place by the curing step so that further changes in morphology are hindered or prevented.

US Patent:

6570714, May 27, 2003

Filed:

Dec 5, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/004455

Inventors:

David S. Soane - Piedmont CA
Michael R. Houston - Eagle River WI
Toshiaki Hino - Berkeley CA

Assignee:

ZMS, LLC - Emeryville GA

International Classification:

G02B 2500

US Classification:

359646, 264 11, 264 132, 264 136, 264 138, 264 17, 525 89, 525 90, 525 91, 525 92, 525 94, 525 98, 525107, 525123, 525191, 5253303, 522 6, 428441, 428500, 428515, 428522

Abstract:

The invention is directed to a method for making composite articles, including optical lenses, which includes the steps of obtaining a substrate; placing a semi-solid-like polymerizable composition in contact with at least one of the front or back surface of the substrate; compressing or heating the resulting semi-solid/substrate sandwich between two mold halves, where the mold contacting the semi-solid polymerizable material has a desired surface geometry; and exposing the semi-solid/substrate sandwich to a source of polymerizing energy. The resulting composite article has the desirable characteristics of the substrate but is also easily fabricated as a result of the semi-solid molding process. Also included within the present invention is a composite article comprising a substrate portion and at least one layer of a cured resin bonded to the substrate portion, the cured resin comprising an interpenetrating crosslinked polymer network of reactive plasticizer within a dead polymer. In one embodiment, the reactive plasticizer polymer network is further crosslinked to the dead polymer.

US Patent:

6617364, Sep 9, 2003

Filed:

Sep 5, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/235367

Inventors:

David S. Soane - Piedmont CA
Michael R. Houston - Berkeley CA

Assignee:

Nano-Tex, LLC - Emeryville CA

International Classification:

C08J 916

US Classification:

521 56, 521 59, 521 60, 521149

Abstract:

The present invention is directed to thermo-expandable microspheres and to the expanded microballoons, microcellular foam or foamed composite material that results upon heating the microspheres. The thermo-expandable microsphere of the present invention is characterized by having a polymeric wall surrounding one or more pockets or particles of blowing agent or propellant within the microsphere. The polymeric wall may have reactive functional groups on its surface to give a fusible microsphere. When the microspheres are heated, they expand to form microballoons comprising polymeric shells surrounding one or more internal gaseous voids, and when the microspheres are expanded while in contact with each other, a microcellular foam may be formed. The foam consists of a plurality of microballoons fused together, optionally aided by functional groups present on the surface of the heated microspheres that act to crosslink the material. When microspheres are mixed with a matrix, which can optionally react with functional groups on the microsphere surface, and the resulting combination is heated, the microspheres expand to give a foamed composite material in which the microballoons may be fused or chemically crosslinked to the matrix.

US Patent:

6638984, Oct 28, 2003

Filed:

Sep 5, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/235418

Inventors:

David S. Soane - Piedmont CA
Michael R. Houston - Berkeley CA

Assignee:

Nano-Tex, LLC - Emeryville CA

International Classification:

C08J 932

US Classification:

521 56, 521 59, 521 60, 521149, 521134

Abstract:

The present invention is directed to thermo-expandable microspheres and to the expanded microballoons, microcellular foam or foamed composite material that results upon heating the microspheres. The thermo-expandable microsphere of the present invention is characterized by having a polymeric wall surrounding one or more pockets or particles of blowing agent or propellant within the microsphere. The polymeric wall may have reactive functional groups on its surface to give a fusible microsphere. When the microspheres are heated, they expand to form microballoons comprising polymeric shells surrounding one or more internal gaseous voids, and when the microspheres are expanded while in contact with each other, a microcellular foam may be formed. The foam consists of a plurality of microballoons fused together, optionally aided by functional groups present on the surface of the heated microspheres that act to crosslink the material. When microspheres are mixed with a matrix, which can optionally react with functional groups on the microsphere surface, and the resulting combination is heated, the microspheres expand to give a foamed composite material in which the microballoons may be fused or chemically crosslinked to the matrix.

US Patent:

6733700, May 11, 2004

Filed:

Dec 9, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/297700

Inventors:

Michael R. Houston - Berkeley CA
Toshiaki Hino - Berkeley CA
David S. Soane - Piedmont CA

Assignee:

ZMS, LLC - Emeryville CA

International Classification:

B29D 1100

US Classification:

264 11, 264 131, 264 27, 264 22, 264175, 264299, 264319, 4284111, 428412, 428480, 428492, 428500, 522116, 522113, 522119, 522114, 522120, 522121

Abstract:

This invention is directed to a process for the rapid in-situ curing of polymerizable materials to provide macro-molecular networks and articles of manufacture that are âmorphology-trappedâ; that is, they exhibit a fixed phase morphology and/or molecular orientation that is locked in by the curing step. The process includes the steps of mixing together a dead polymer or a prepolymer, a reactive plasticizer or a diulent, and an initiator to give a polymerizable composition; further processing the mixture in order to achieve a desired phase morphology and/or moelcular orientation of the polymeric constitutents; shaping the polymerizable composition into a desired geometry; and exposing the polymerizable composition to a source of polymerizing energy, without mixing to give a final product with the desired phase morphology and/or moelcular orientation locked in place. The phase morphlogy and molecular orientation present just prior to cure of the polymerizable composition is subsequently trapped or locked in place by the curing step to that further changes in morphology are hindered or prevented.