Water-vapor-permeable, watertight, and heat reflecting flat composite, process for its manufacture, and use thereof

Abstract

A water-vapor-permeable, watertight, heat-reflecting flat composite is made by a process of combining a metal layer and a nonporous, water-vapor-permeable, watertight, hydrophilic flat substrate. The process includes at least the three steps of (1) selecting the substrate, (2) pre-cleaning the substrate, and (3) applying the substrate to the metal layer. Such a composite offers protection from heat loss, infrared-based detection, ultraviolet radiation, electro-smog, and static electricity.

1 . A process for manufacturing a water-vapor-permeable, watertight, heat reflecting flat composite comprising a metal layer and a nonporous, water-vapor-permeable, watertight, hydrophilic flat substrate, wherein the metal layer has a surface facing the substrate and a surface facing away from the substrate, and wherein the substrate has a surface facing the metal layer and a surface facing away from the metal layer, comprising at least the following steps: 
 a) selecting the substrate,    b) pre-cleaning at least one surface of the substrate, and    c) applying the metal layer to the surface of the substrate facing the metal layer.    
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a polyether ester, polyether amide, or polyether urethane film.  
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is joined to a textile fabric on the surface facing away from the metal layer to be applied in step c).  
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate selected in step a) is joined to a textile fabric on the surface facing the metal layer to be applied in step c), wherein filaments of the textile fabric are spaced apart.  
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the pre-cleaning in step b) is conducted on the surface of the substrate facing the metal layer to be applied in step c).  
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the pre-cleaning in step b) comprises a plasma treatment in oxygen.  
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the pre-cleaning in step b) comprises a plasma treatment in a gas containing oxygen.  
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein the gas containing oxygen comprises a mixture of about 10% to about 50% oxygen by volume and about 90% to about 10% nitrogen by volume.  
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein the gas containing oxygen is air.  
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 9 , wherein the plasma treatment is conducted at atmospheric pressure.  
     
     
         11 . The process according to  claim 9 , wherein the plasma treatment is conducted in a vacuum.  
     
     
         12 . The process according to  claim 11 , wherein the vacuum has a pressure of about 1 mbar to about 0.001 mbar.  
     
     
         13 . The process according to  claim 12 , the vacuum has a pressure of about 0.01 mbar to about 0.03 mbar.  
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the applying of the metal layer in step c) to the surface of the substrate facing the metal layer is performed by physical vapor deposition.  
     
     
         15 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal layer has a thickness of about 10 nm to about 200 nm.  
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal layer has a thickness of about 30 nm to about 180 nm.  
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal layer is comprised of Al, Cu, Au, or Ag or an alloy of AgGe, CuZn, CuSn, CuAg, or CuAgSn.  
     
     
         18 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises applying a protective layer to the metal layer following step c).  
     
     
         19 . The process according to  claim 18 , wherein the protective layer is a cross-linked polyurethane.  
     
     
         20 . A water-vapor-permeable, watertight, heat-reflecting flat composite comprising a metal layer and a nonporous, water-vapor-permeable, watertight, hydrophilic flat substrate, made by the process according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         21 . A water-vapor-permeable, watertight, heat-reflecting flat composite comprising a metal layer and a nonporous, water-vapor-permeable, watertight, hydrophilic flat substrate, wherein the metal layer has a surface facing the substrate and a surface facing away from the substrate, the substrate has a surface facing the metal layer and a surface facing away from the metal layer, and the metal layer adheres at least predominantly to the substrate surface such that it passes a Tesa tape test.  
     
     
         22 . The composite according to  claim 21 , wherein the adhesion of the metal layer passes the Tesa tape test over the entire surface of the substrate.  
     
     
         23 . The composite according to  claim 21 , wherein the substrate is joined to a textile fabric on the surface facing away from the metal layer.