Patent ID: 7001642

Claim:
A process for providing an abrasion resistant coating on the substrate wherein the abrasion resistant coating has a controlled tintability and a refractive index substantially corresponding to the refractive index of the substrate, the process comprising: applying to at least one surface of a substrate an effective amount of a coating composition to provide a substantially uniform coating of the coating composition on the substrate, the coating composition comprising an aqueous-organic solvent mixture containing hydrolysis products and partial condensates of an epoxy functional silane, a metal oxide composite colloid, a disilane and a carboxylic acid functional compound wherein the disilane is represented by the formula (R 10 O) x R 11 3−x Si—R 12 y —SiR 13 3−x (OR 14 ) x ; where x is 0, 1, 2 or 3 and y is 0 or 1, R 11 and R 13 are H or an alkyl group containing from about 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a functionalized alkyl group, an alkylene group, an aryl group, an alkylpolyether group and combinations thereof, R 10 and R 14 are H, an alkyl group containing from about 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an acetyl group, and combinations thereof, wherein if y is 1 then R 12 can be an alkylene group containing from about 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkylenepolyether containing from about 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aryl group, an alkylene substituted aryl group, an alkylene group which may contain one or more olefins, or an oxygen or sulfur atom, and wherein if x=0 then R 11 and R 13 is a chlorine or bromine atom, and wherein the carboxylic acid functional compound is selected from the group consisting of monofunctional carboxylic acids, multifunctional carboxylic acids, anhydrides, and combinations thereof, and wherein the epoxy functional silane is present in a molar ratio to the disilane component and the metal oxide composite colloid component of from about 0.1:1 to 4:1; and curing the coating composition to provide the substrate with a cured coating having controlled tintability and a refractive index substantially corresponding the refractive index of the substrate.