Articles Comprising Water-Soluble Polyvinyl Alcohol Film with Plasticizer Blend and Related Methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016102279-A1
Application number	US-201514881195-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 13, 2015
Priority date	Oct 13, 2014
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein are articles that include water-soluble films, where the water-soluble films include 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 . An article comprising:
a. a water-soluble film, wherein the water-soluble film comprises:
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; and
b. a household care composition.

2 . The article 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 article of claim 2 , wherein the sugar alcohol is sorbitol.

4 . The article 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 article of claim 4 , wherein the polyol is glycerin.

6 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble film comprises:
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 about 5 parts to about 50 parts total plasticizer per 100 parts total resin (phr) in the water-soluble film.

7 . The article 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 about 5 parts to about 40 parts total plasticizer per 100 parts total resin (phr) in the water-soluble film.

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

9 . The article of claim 1 , wherein:
the first plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of about 10 wt. % to about 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 about 10 wt. % to about 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 about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film.

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

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

12 . The article of claim 1 , wherein:
the third plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of about 25 wt. % to about 80 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film.

13 . The article of claim 1 , wherein:
the first plasticizer is present in the water-soluble film in an amount in a range of about 13 wt. % to about 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 about 13 wt. % to about 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 about 28 wt. % to about 73 wt. % relative to the combined amount of the first, second, and third plasticizers in the water-soluble film.

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

15 . The article 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 about 12° C. or less as measured by the Aged Melting Transition Delta Test; (b) an aged adhesion value of at least about 1300 g/s as measured by the Aged Adhesion Test; and (c) an aged tensile strength of at least about 25 MPa as measured by the Aged Tensile Strength Test.

16 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble film further comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of plasticizers other than the first, second, and third plasticizers, plasticizer compatibilizers, lubricants, release agents, fillers, extenders, cross-linking agents, antiblocking agents, antioxidants, detackifying agents, antifoams, nanoparticles, bleaching agents, surfactants, and combinations thereof.

17 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the PVOH polymer comprises a PVOH copolymer comprising an anionic monomer unit, a vinyl alcohol monomer unit, and optionally a vinyl acetate monomer unit.

18 . The article of claim 17 , wherein the anionic monomer is selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetic acid, maleic acid, monoalkyl maleate, dialkyl maleate, monomethyl maleate, dimethyl maleate, maleic anyhydride, fumaric acid, monoalkyl fumarate, dialkyl fumarate, monomethyl fumarate, dimethyl fumarate, fumaric anyhydride, itaconic acid, monomethyl itaconate, dimethyl itaconate, itaconic anhydride, vinyl sulfonic acid, allyl sulfonic acid, ethylene sulfonic acid, 2-acrylamido-1-methylpropanesulfonic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, 2-methylacrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, 2-sufoethyl acrylate, alkali metal salts of the foregoing, esters of the foregoing, and combinations thereof.

19 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the PVOH polymer comprises a polymer blend comprising two or more different PVOH copolymers.

20 . The article of claim 19 , wherein the polymer blend comprises a first PVOH copolymer comprising a first anionic monomer unit, and a second PVOH copolymer comprising a second anionic monomer unit different from the first anionic monomer unit, wherein:
the first anionic monomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylamido methylpropanesulfonic acids, alkali metal salts thereof, and combinations thereof; and the second anionic monomer is selected from the group consisting of monomethyl maleate, alkali metal salts thereof, and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

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

Classifications

• C08K2201/014

  Additives containing two or more different additives of the same subgroup in C08K · CPC title

• C11D17/042 Primary

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

• C08J2300/14

  Water soluble or water swellable polymers, e.g. aqueous gels · CPC title

• B65D65/46 Primary

  Applications of disintegrable, dissolvable or edible materials · CPC title

• B65B7/02

  Closing containers or receptacles deformed by, or taking-up shape, of, contents, e.g. bags, sacks · CPC title