Polyurethane protective film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11485162-B2
Application number	US-201414569946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2014
Priority date	Dec 30, 2013
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

A protective film that can be included in multi-layer film laminates for use in marketing, advertising campaigns, particularly outdoor or other environment impacted promotions and safety applications. The film includes at least two different polyurethane polymers and is free or substantially free of polyvinyl chloride based polymer. One polyurethane has an ultimate elongation less than 200%, and another polyurethane has an ultimate elongation more than 400%. The film may be transparent, translucent, clear or have other desirable optical properties.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A protective film comprising at least two different polyurethanes; wherein:
the film is free or substantially free of polyvinyl chloride based polymer;
each of the at least two different polyurethanes comprise at least one of polyurethane polymer, polyurethane prepolymer, and polyurethane copolymer;
the at least two different polyurethanes are included in the film at an amount of from 70% to 99% by weight of the film;
the film further comprises a third polymer, wherein said third polymer is a polymer, co-polymer, prepolymer, or hybrid polymer selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, olefin, and combinations thereof;
the at least two different polyurethanes and third polymers are mixed together; and
the film passes a rivet test in which (i) the film is applied over a painted aluminum panel having brazier rivet heads uniformly distributed over the aluminum panel such that the film is conformed around each rivet, (ii) the applied film and panel is dwelled for 24 hours at ambient conditions, (iii) a portion of the film around a rivet is then lifted and the diameter measured, (iv) the applied film and panel are then subjected to accelerated weathering including exposure to UV for 1,000 hours, and (v) after the accelerated weathering the portion of the lifted film is measured again and the diameter is compared to the measured diameter prior to accelerated weathering and the change in diameter is less than 0.0625 in (1.58 mm).

2. The film as recited in claim 1 , wherein the film comprises:
a first polyurethane having an ultimate elongation less than 200%, and a second polyurethane having an ultimate elongation more than 400%.

3. The film as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first polyurethane and the second polyurethane are included at a weight ratio from about 80:20 to about 20:80 of the first polyurethane to the second polyurethane.

4. The film as recited in claim 1 , further comprising at least one additive in the film selected from the group consisting of UV stabilizing agents, free-radical scavengers, cross-linking agents, thickeners, flow and leveling agents, rheology modifiers, surfactants, defoamers, dispersants, wetting agents, dyes, pigments, co-solvents, slip agents, water, isopropyl alcohol and combinations thereof.

5. The film as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive layer in contact with a surface of the film.

6. The film as recited in claim 1 , wherein the film exhibits a minimum ultimate elongation of 180% and a minimum tensile strength of 0.5 pound per square inch.

7. The film as recited in claim 1 , wherein the film passes a shrinkage test in which (i) the film is adhered to an aluminum panel, (ii) the adhered film and panel are dwelled for 24 hours at ambient conditions, (iii) a 5 inch (127 mm) cross hatch is made on the film in both a machine direction and a cross direction, (iv) the film and panel are then aged at 160° F. (71° C.) for 48 hours, (v) the dimensional change in the machine direction and the cross direction are measured, and (vi) the shrinkage is less than 0.33% in both machine and cross directions.

8. A film laminate comprising a top layer, an intermediate layer, and a substrate layer, wherein:
the top layer is a film comprising at least two different polyurethanes and is free or substantially free of polyvinyl chloride based polymer;
each of the at least two different polyurethanes comprising at least one of polyurethane polymer, polyurethane prepolymer, and polyurethane copolymer;
the substrate layer has printed or image indicia thereon;
the at least two different polyurethanes are included in the film at an amount of from 70% to 99% by weight of the film;
the top layer further comprises a third polymer, wherein said third polymer is a polymer, co-polymer, prepolymer, or hybrid polymer selected from the group consisting of styrene, vinyl acetate, olefin, and combinations thereof;
the at least two different polyurethanes and third polymer are mixed together; and
the film passes a rivet test in which (i) the film is applied over a painted aluminum panel having brazier rivet heads uniformly distributed over the aluminum panel such that the film is conformed around each rivet, (ii) the applied film and panel is dwelled for 24 hours at ambient conditions, (iii) a portion of the film around a rivet is then lifted and the diameter measured, (iv) the applied film and panel are then subjected to accelerated weathering including exposure to UV for 1,000 hours, and (v) after the accelerated weathering the portion of the lifted film is measured again and the diameter is compared to the measured diameter prior to accelerated weathering and the change in diameter is less than 0.0625 in (1.58 mm).

9. The film laminate as recited in claim 8 , wherein the intermediate layer is selected from a group consisting of an adhesive layer, a tie coating layer, and an adhesive promotion layer.

10. The film laminate as recited in claim 8 , further including at least one additive in the top layer, selected from the group consisting of UV stabilizing agents, free-radical scavengers, cross-linking agents, thickeners, flow and leveling agents, rheology modifiers, surfactants, defoamers, dispersants, wetting agents, dyes, pigments, co-solvents, slip agents, water, isopropyl alcohol and combinations thereof.

11. The film laminate as recited in claim 8 wherein the film exhibits a minimum ultimate elongation of 180% and a minimum tensile strength of 0.5 pound per square inch.

12. The film laminate as recited in claim 8 , wherein the film passes a shrinkage test in which (i) the film is adhered to an aluminum panel, (ii) the adhered film and panel are dwelled for 24 hours at ambient conditions, (iii) a 5 inch (127 mm) cross hatch is made on the film in both a machine direction and a cross direction, (iv) the film and panel are then aged at 160° F. (71° C.) for 48 hours, (v) the dimensional change in the machine direction and the cross direction are measured, and (vi) the shrinkage is less than 0.33% in both machine and cross directions.

13. The film laminate as recited in claim 8 , wherein the top layer includes a first polyurethane having an ultimate elongation less than 200%, and a second polyurethane having an ultimate elongation more than 400%.

14. The film laminate as recited in claim 13 , wherein the first polyurethane and the second polyurethane are included at a weight ratio from about 80:20 to about 20:80 of the first polyurethane to the second polyurethane.

15. An advertising or informational graphic, comprising a surface having promotional indicia provided thereon, a film having front and back faces, the back face being attached to the surface, and an adhesive layer disposed between the back face and the surface, wherein:
the adhesive attaches the back face of the film to the surface;
the film comprises at least two different polyurethanes and is free or substantially free of polyvinyl chloride based polymer;
each of the at least two different polyurethanes comprising at least one of polyurethane polymer, polyurethane prepolymer, and polyurethane copolymer;
the at least two different polyurethanes are included in the film at an amount of from 70% to 99% by weight of the film;
the film further comprises a third polymer, wherein said third polymer is a polymer, co-polymer, prepolymer, or hybrid polymer selected from the group consisting of styrene, vinyl acetate, olefin, and combinations thereof;
the at least two different polyurethanes and third polymer are mixed together; and
the film passes a rivet test in which (i) the film is applied over a painted al

Assignees

• Avery Dennison Corp

Inventors

• Schaner Jason
• Ramsay Michael
• Reekmans Steven
• Liu Xiang

Classifications

• B29L2009/00

  Layered products · CPC title

• C08J2475/04

  Polyurethanes · CPC title

• B29L2007/008

  Wide strips, e.g. films, webs · CPC title

• Y10T428/24802

  Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.] · CPC title

• B41M5/0256 Primary

  the transferable ink pattern being obtained by means of a computer driven printer, e.g. an ink jet or laser printer, or by electrographic means · CPC title