Multilayered elastic laminates with enhanced strength and elasticity and methods of making thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9358759-B2
Application number	US-201414475784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2013
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

Stronger elastic laminates, as well as methods of preparing the laminates, are disclosed herein. Particularly, the present disclosure is directed to multilayered elastic laminates including a thermoplastic elastomeric film layer and a plastic layer coextruded together, and further, a facing material laminated to the thermoplastic elastomeric film layer. The laminates are stretched and then relaxed. The prepared laminates have enhanced overall strength and elasticity while having a soft, cloth-like feel, and are prepared at a lower cost.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multilayered elastic laminate comprising:
a first thermoplastic elastomeric film layer having a permanent set of less than 40% after 150% elongation, the thermoplastic elastomeric film comprising a polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, a styrenic block copolymer, and from about 3% by weight to about 8% by weight of a strength-enhancing agent, wherein the film layer is substantially free of calcium carbonate;
a first plastic layer affixed to a first surface of the thermoplastic elastomeric film layer, the plastic layer having a permanent set at least 50% greater than the permanent set of the elastomeric film layer, and
a facing material affixed to a second surface of the thermoplastic elastomeric film layer.

2. The elastic laminate as set forth in claim 1 wherein the polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer comprises a homopolymer or a copolymer of an α-olefin having 1 to 12 carbon atoms.

3. The elastic laminate as set forth in claim 1 wherein the styrenic block copolymer is selected from the group consisting of styrene-ethylenepropylene-styrene (SEPS), styrene-ethylenepropylene-styrene-ethylenepropylene (SEPSEP), styrene-ethylenebutylene-styrene (SEBS), styrene-ethylenebutylene-styrene-ethylenebutylene (SEBSEB), styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS), styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene (SIBS), styrene-ethylene-ethylenepropylene-styrene (SEEPS), hydrogenated vinyl-polyisoprene/hydrogenated polyisoprene/polystyrene and combinations thereof.

4. The elastic laminate as set forth in claim 1 wherein the strength-enhancing agent is inorganic clay.

5. The elastic laminate as set forth in claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic elastomeric film layer comprises greater than 50% by weight polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer and from about 15% by weight to about 40% by weight styrenic block copolymer.

6. The elastic laminate as set forth in claim 1 wherein the plastic layer comprises one of a semi-crystalline and amorphous polymer.

7. The elastic laminate as set forth in claim 6 wherein the semi-crystalline or amorphous polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyolefin-based copolymers, polyesters, and combinations thereof.

8. The elastic laminate as set forth in claim 6 wherein the plastic layer comprises from about 5% by weight to about 50% by weight semi-crystalline or amorphous polymer.

9. The elastic laminate as set forth in claim 1 wherein the facing material is a nonwoven material selected from the group consisting of bonded carded web, airlaid, coform, hydroentangled, meltblown, spunbond, and combinations thereof.

10. The elastic laminate as set forth in claim 1 wherein the facing material is a weakened cellulosic material.

11. A method for preparing an elastic laminate, the method comprising:
coextruding at least one thermoplastic elastomeric film layer with at least one plastic layer at a first surface of the at least one thermoplastic elastomeric film layer, and
laminating at least one facing material to a second surface of the at least one thermoplastic elastomeric film layer to prepare the elastic laminate, the first thermoplastic film layer having a permanent set of less than 40% after 150% elongation and comprising a polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer and a styrenic block copolymer, and from about 3% by weight to about 8% by weight of a strength-enhancing agent, wherein the film layer is substantially free of calcium carbonate, the plastic layer having a permanent set at least 50% greater than the permanent set of the elastomeric film layer, and wherein the plastic layer comprises one of a semi-crystalline or amorphous polymer;
stretching the elastic laminate in one of the machine direction or cross direction or both of the machine direction and cross direction; and
relaxing the stretched elastic laminate.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the strength-enhancing agent is inorganic clay.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein the thermoplastic elastomeric film layer comprises greater than 50% by weight polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, and from about 15% by weight to about 40% by weight styrenic block copolymer.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the facing material is a cellulosic material.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14 wherein the cellulosic material is embossed.

16. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the facing material is a nonwoven material selected from the group consisting of bonded carded web, airlaid, coform, hydroentangled, meltblown, spunbond, and combinations thereof.

17. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the semi-crystalline or amorphous polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyolefin-based copolymers, polyesters, and combinations thereof.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the plastic layer comprises from about 5% by weight to about 50% by weight semi-crystalline or amorphous polymer.

19. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the elastomeric laminate is stretched from about 100% to about 600% in the machine direction or cross direction.

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co

Inventors

• Lee Wanduk
• Zhou Peiguang
• Nhan Davis Dang Hoang
• Demarco Alphonse Carl

Classifications

• B32B7/02

  Physical, chemical or physicochemical properties · CPC title

• B32B27/36

  comprising polyesters · CPC title

• B32B37/144

  using layers with different mechanical or chemical conditions or properties, e.g. layers with different thermal shrinkage, layers under tension during bonding (constructional features for tensioning B32B38/1825) · CPC title

• B32B27/32

  comprising polyolefins {(comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30)} · CPC title

• B32B5/022

  Non-woven fabric · CPC title