Water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol film with plasticizer blend, related methods, and related articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10513588-B2
Application number	US-201515518703-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2015
Priority date	Oct 13, 2014
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed herein are water-soluble films including a polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) polymer and a combination of at least three plasticizers. The combination of plasticizers includes dipropylene glycol as a first plasticizer, a sugar alcohol such as sorbitol as a second plasticizer, and a polyol such as glycerin as a third plasticizer. When the PVOH polymer and plasticizers are blended in particular proportions and/or selected with regard to various criteria related to physical and chemical film properties, the resulting water-soluble film formed from the PVOH resin blend exhibits beneficial combinations four) of aged tensile strength, aged melting transition delta elevation, aged adhesion value, and/or resistance to seal peeling, which provide strong film seals that retain their water-solubility characteristics.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A water-soluble film comprising:
a polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) polymer;
dipropylene glycol as a first plasticizer;
a sugar alcohol as a second plasticizer; and
a polyol as a third plasticizer, the third plasticizer being different from the first plasticizer and the second plasticizer;

wherein:
the first plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 13 wt. % to 46 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film;
the second plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 13 wt. % to 58 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film;
the third plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 28 wt. % to 73 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film; and
the water-soluble film has at least two of the three properties (a), (b), and (c):
(a) an aged melting transition delta elevation of 11° C. or less as measured by the Aged Melting Transition Delta Test;
(b) an aged adhesion value of at least 1900 g/s as measured by the Aged Adhesion Test; and
(c) an aged tensile strength of at least 30 MPa as measured by the Aged Tensile Strength Test.

2. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein the sugar alcohol is selected from the group consisting of isomalt, maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, adonitol, dulcitol, pentaerythritol, and mannitol.

3. The water-soluble film of claim 2 , wherein the sugar alcohol is sorbitol.

4. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of glycerin, diglycerin, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethyleneglycol, tetraethylene glycol, polyethylene glycols up to 400 MW, neopentyl glycol, propylene glycol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, trimethylolpropane, and polyether polyols.

5. The water-soluble film of claim 4 , wherein the polyol is glycerin.

6. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein the sugar alcohol is sorbitol, and the polyol is glycerin.

7. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , comprising:
the polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) polymer;
dipropylene glycol as the first plasticizer;
sorbitol as the second plasticizer; and
glycerin as the third plasticizer;
wherein the first, second, and third plasticizers are present in the water-soluble film in a combined amount in a range of 5 parts to 50 parts total plasticizer per 100 parts total resin (phr) in the water-soluble film.

8. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble film is substantially free from plasticizers other than the first, second, and third plasticizers.

9. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble film comprises a solid plasticizer which has a melting point above 50° C.

10. The water-soluble film of claim 9 , wherein the solid plasticizer is also the second plasticizer.

11. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third plasticizers are present in the water-soluble film in a combined amount in a range of 5 parts to 40 parts total plasticizer per 100 parts total resin (phr) in the water-soluble film.

12. The water-soluble film of claim 11 , wherein the first, second, and third plasticizers are present in the water-soluble film in a combined amount in a range of 10 phr to 40 phr.

13. The water-soluble film of claim 11 , wherein the first, second, and third plasticizers are present in the water-soluble film in a combined amount in a range of 20 phr to 35 phr.

14. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein:
the water-soluble film has an aged tensile strength of at least 25 MPa as measured by the Aged Tensile Strength Test; and
the water-soluble film has a seal tear value of at least 170% as measured by the Sum Seal Tear Test.

15. The water-soluble film of claim 14 , wherein the water-soluble film has an aged tensile strength of at least 30 MPa as measured by the Aged Tensile Strength Test.

16. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein:
the first plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 13 wt. % to 38 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film;
the second plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 16 wt. % to 58 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film; and
the third plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 28 wt. % to 71 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film.

17. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein:
the first plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 13 wt. % to 45 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film;
the second plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 19 wt. % to 52 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film; and
the third plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 35 wt. % to 65 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film.

18. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein:
the first plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 13 wt. % to 39 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film;
the second plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 22 wt. % to 38 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film; and
the third plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 39 wt. % to 64 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film.

19. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein:
the first plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 13 wt. % to 19 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film;
the second plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 41 wt. % to 52 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film; and
the third plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 35 wt. % to 44 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film.

20. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble film has at least two of the three properties (a), (b), and (c):
(a) an aged melting transition delta elevation of 12° C. or less as measured by the Aged Melting Transition Delta Test;
(b) an aged adhesion value of at least 1300 g/s as measured by the Aged Adhesion Test; and
(c) an aged tensile strength of at least 25 MPa as measured by the Aged Tensile Strength Test.

21. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble film has at least two of the three properties (a), (b), and (c):
(a) an aged melting transition delta elevation of 11° C. or less as measured by the Aged Melting Transition Delta Test;
(b) an

Assignees

• Monosol Llc

Inventors

• Friedrich Steven G
• Lee David M
• Labeque Regine
• Courchay Florence Catherine

Classifications

• C11D17/044

  Solid compositions · CPC title

• C11D17/043

  Liquid or thixotropic (gel) compositions · CPC title

• C11D3/3753

  Polyvinylalcohol; Ethers or esters thereof · CPC title

• C08L101/14

  the macromolecular compounds being water soluble or water swellable, e.g. aqueous gels · CPC title

• C08L29/04

  Polyvinyl alcohol; Partially hydrolysed homopolymers or copolymers of esters of unsaturated alcohols with saturated carboxylic acids · CPC title