Method of treating a material to achieve sufficient hydrophilicity for making hydrophilic articles

Abstract

An exemplary method of treating a material such as carbon or graphite to render at least some surfaces of the material hydrophilic includes coating at least a portion of the at least some surfaces with an oxygenated element and controlling a rate of a breakdown of the oxygenated element to leave a corresponding elemental oxide on the surfaces. In one example, the material is treated before being incorporated into an article comprising the material. Another example method includes treating an article comprising the material. Disclosed examples include precipitation or decomposition as the breakdown of the oxygenated element.

1 . A method of treating a material to render at least some surfaces of the material hydrophilic, comprising 
 coating at least a portion of the at least some surfaces with an oxygenated element; and    controlling a rate of a breakdown of the oxygenated element to leave a corresponding elemental oxide on the surfaces.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the breakdown comprises decomposition.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the breakdown comprises precipitation.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising 
 mixing the oxygenated element with a solvent to control the rate of breakdown.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising 
 using the solvent to slow a rate of at least one of decomposition or precipitation.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising 
 combining the oxygenated element and the solvent to establish a solution;    placing an article comprising the material into the solution; and    impregnating the article with at least some of the solution.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising 
 subjecting the article in the solution to vacuum impregnation.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising 
 subsequently drying the article;    subsequently placing the dried article into a second solution comprising water and a solvent; and    subsequently heating the article.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second solution comprises deionized water and denatured ethanol.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , comprising 
 heating the article at a temperature greater than 100° C.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising 
 heating a mixture of the oxygenated element, the material and the solvent to a first temperature;    subsequently heating the heated mixture to a second, higher temperature; and    subsequently allowing the mixture to cool to room temperature.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising 
 increasing a temperature of a device used to heat the mixture at a controlled rate to reach the first temperature; and    increasing the temperature from the first temperature to the second, higher temperature at approximately the same controlled rate.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising 
 maintaining the heated mixture at the first temperature for a first amount of time; and    maintaining the heated mixture at the second temperature for a second amount of time that is approximately half as long as the first amount of time.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising 
 heating the mixture at a temperature greater than 300° C.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the solvent comprises at least one of an ethyl solution, an ethanol solution or a denatured ethanol.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising 
 treating the material by performing the coating and the controlling prior to incorporating the material into an article.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising 
 forming an article comprising the material; and    subsequently treating the material by performing the coating and the controlling.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least some surfaces comprise basal surfaces of the material and the method comprises increasing a surface energy of the basal surfaces.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oxygenated element comprises a metallic element.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the metallic element comprises at least one of 
 a titanate;    a zirconate;    a stannate;    an aluminate; or    a tantalite.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oxygenated element comprises a non-metallic element.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the oxygenated element comprises a silicate.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the material comprises carbon.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the material comprises graphite.