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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11168289-B2
Application number	US-201916703105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2019
Priority date	Oct 13, 2014
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

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, the sugar alcohol being selected from the group consisting of isomalt, maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, adonitol, dulcitol, pentaerythritol, and mannitol; and
a polyol as a third plasticizer, the third plasticizer being different from the first plasticizer and the second plasticizer and being 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;
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; and
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.

2. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein the sugar alcohol is sorbitol.

3. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein the polyol is glycerin.

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

5. 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.

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

7. The water-soluble film of claim 6 , wherein the solid plasticizer is also the second plasticizer.

8. 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.

9. The water-soluble film of claim 8 , 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.

10. The water-soluble film of claim 8 , 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.

11. A water-soluble film comprising:
a polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) polymer;
dipropylene glycol as a first plasticizer;
a sugar alcohol as a second plasticizer, the sugar alcohol being selected from the group consisting of isomalt, maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, adonitol, dulcitol, pentaerythritol, and mannitol; and
a polyol as a third plasticizer, the third plasticizer being different from the first plasticizer and the second plasticizer and being 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;
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;
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.

12. The water-soluble film of claim 11 , wherein the water-soluble film has an aged tensile strength of at least 30 MPa as measured by the Aged Tensile Strength Test.

13. The water-soluble film of claim 11 , wherein:
the first plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 10 wt. % to 40 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 10 wt. % to 30 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 40 wt. % to 70 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film.

14. 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 10 wt. % to 65 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film.

15. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein:
the second plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 10 wt. % to 65 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film.

16. The water-soluble film of claim 1 , wherein:
the third plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of 25 wt. % to 80 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 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; and
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.

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 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.

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 58 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; and
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.

Assignees

• Monosol Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• C11D17/045

  Multi-compartment · CPC title

• C11D17/044

  Solid compositions · CPC title

• C11D17/043

  Liquid or thixotropic (gel) compositions · CPC title

• C11D17/042 Primary

  Water soluble or water disintegrable containers or substrates containing cleaning compositions or additives for cleaning compositions · CPC title

• C08J2329/04

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