Inherently printable polymeric material and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9926457-B2
Application number	US-201514970690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Jan 5, 2015
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

An inherently printable polymeric material is provided. The polymeric material includes a homogenous mixture of a thermoplastic polymer with a Tg of about 30-80° C., a cyclic olefin copolymer, an ionomer of ethylene and methacrylic acid, and a thermoplastic rubber. The polymeric material can be printed without requiring printing receptive layers or treatments. The polymeric material can be thermoformed, yet retains its printability even after thermoforming.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A polymeric composite comprising:
about 15-30 wt % of a thermoplastic polymer with a Tg of about 30-80° C.;
about 20-65 wt % of a cyclic olefin copolymer;
about 10-25 wt % of an ionomer of ethylene and methacrylic acid; and
about 10-25 wt % a thermoplastic rubber.

2. The polymeric composite of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises ethylene vinyl alcohol.

3. The polymeric composite of claim 2 , wherein the ethylene vinyl alcohol has an ethylene content of about 30-50 mol %.

4. The polymeric composite of claim 2 , wherein the ethylene vinyl alcohol has an ethylene content of about 48 mol % and is included at about 28 wt %.

5. The polymeric composite of claim 1 , wherein the cyclic olefin copolymer has a norbornene content of about 55-70 wt % and a Tg of about 55-80° C.

6. The polymeric composite of claim 1 , wherein the cyclic olefin copolymer has a norbornene content of about 60 wt %, a Tg of about 60° C., and is included at about 28 wt %.

7. The polymeric composite of claim 1 , wherein the ionomer of ethylene and methacrylic acid is partially neutralized with zinc salt.

8. The polymeric composite of claim 1 , wherein the ionomer is included at about 22 wt %.

9. The polymeric composite of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic rubber comprises a styrenic block copolymer.

10. The polymeric composite of claim 9 , wherein the styrenic block copolymer comprises styrene isoprene copolymer.

11. The polymeric composite of claim 9 , wherein the styrenic block copolymer is hydrogenated.

12. The polymeric composite of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic rubber is included at about 22 wt %.

13. The polymeric composite of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric composite is in the form of a film.

14. The polymeric composite of claim 1 , further including printed indicia on a surface of the polymeric composite.

15. The polymeric composite of claim 14 , wherein the printed indicia comprises UV cured ink.

16. The polymeric composite of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric composite has a surface energy of about 30-32 dynes.

17. The polymeric composite of claim 1 , wherein surfaces of the polymeric composite are free of printing receptive layers or treatments.

18. The polymeric composite of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric composite is in the form of a thermoformed object.

19. A substrate having a surface, the substrate comprising:
a polymeric material including;
about 15-30 wt % of a thermoplastic polymer with a Tg of about 30-80° C.;
about 20-65 wt % of a cyclic olefin copolymer;
about 10-25 wt % of an ionomer of ethylene and methacrylic acid; and
about 10-25 wt % a thermoplastic rubber,
wherein at least a portion of the surface is covered by the polymeric material.

20. The substrate of claim 19 , wherein the polymeric material is in the form of a film.

21. The substrate of claim 19 , wherein the substrate and the polymeric material are in the form of coextruded films.

22. The substrate of claim 19 , wherein the polymeric material is in the form of a thermoformed object.

23. The substrate of claim 19 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises ethylene vinyl alcohol.

24. The substrate of claim 23 , wherein the ethylene vinyl alcohol has an ethylene content of about 30-50 mol %.

25. The substrate of claim 23 , wherein the ethylene vinyl alcohol has an ethylene content of about 48 mol % and is included at about 28 wt %.

26. The substrate of claim 19 , wherein the cyclic olefin copolymer has a norbornene content of about 55-70 wt % and a Tg of about 55-80° C.

27. The substrate of claim 19 , wherein the cyclic olefin copolymer has a norbornene content of about 60 wt %, a Tg of about 60° C., and is included at about 28 wt %.

28. The substrate of claim 19 , wherein the ionomer of ethylene and methacrylic acid is partially neutralized with zinc salt.

29. The substrate of claim 19 , wherein the ionomer is included at about 22 wt %.

30. The substrate of claim 19 , wherein the thermoplastic rubber comprises a styrenic block copolymer.

31. The substrate of claim 30 , wherein the styrenic block copolymer comprises styrene isoprene copolymer.

32. The substrate of claim 30 , wherein the styrenic block copolymer is hydrogenated.

33. The substrate of claim 19 , wherein the thermoplastic rubber is included at about 22 wt %.

34. The substrate of claim 19 , wherein surfaces of the polymeric material are free of printing receptive layers or treatments.

35. A method of forming a polymeric material comprising:
preparing a mixture comprising about 15-30 wt % of a thermoplastic polymer with a Tg of about 30-80° C., about 20-65 wt % of a cyclic olefin copolymer, about 10-25 wt % of an ionomer of ethylene and methacrylic acid, and about 10-25 wt % a styrenic block copolymer,
melting the mixture; and
cooling the mixture to thereby form the polymeric material.

36. The method of claim 35 , further including forming the mixture into a film.

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein the film is formed by extrusion.

38. The method of claim 35 , further including coextruding the mixture onto a polymer substrate.

39. The method of claim 35 , further including thermoforming the polymeric material.

40. The method of claim 35 , wherein surfaces of the polymeric material are free of printing receptive layers or treatments.

41. The method of claim 35 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises ethylene vinyl alcohol.

42. The method of claim 41 , wherein the ethylene vinyl alcohol has an ethylene content of about 30-50 mol %.

43. The method of claim 41 , wherein the ethylene vinyl alcohol has an ethylene content of about 48 mol % and is included at about 28 wt %.

44. The method of claim 35 , wherein the cyclic olefin copolymer has a norbornene content of about 55-70 wt % and a Tg of about 55-80° C.

45. The method of claim 35 , wherein the cyclic olefin copolymer has a norbornene content of about 60 wt %, a Tg of about 60° C., and is included at about 28 wt %.

46. The method of claim 35 , wherein the ionomer of ethylene and methacrylic acid is partially neutralized with zinc salt.

47. The method of claim 35 , wherein the ionomer is included at about 22 wt %.

48. The method of claim 35 , wherein the thermoplastic rubber comprises a styrenic block copolymer.

49. The method of claim 48 , wherein the styrenic block copolymer comprises styrene isoprene copolymer.

50. The method of claim 48 , wherein the styrenic block copolymer is hydrogenated.

51. The method of claim 35 , wherein the thermoplastic rubber is included at about 22 wt %.

52. The method of claim 35 , wherein the polymeric material is in the form of a film.

53. The method of claim 35 , further including printing indicia on a surface of the polymeric material.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein the indicia are formed with UV curable inks.

55. The method of claim 35 , wherei

Assignees

• Avery Dennison Corp

Inventors

• Henderson Kevin O

Classifications

• C09D145/00

  Coating compositions based on homopolymers or copolymers of compounds having no unsaturated aliphatic radicals in a side chain, and having one or more carbon-to-carbon double bonds in a carbocyclic or in a heterocyclic system; Coating compositions based on derivatives of such polymers (based on polymers of cyclic esters of polyfunctional acids C09D131/00; based on polymers of cyclic anhydrides or imides C09D135/00) · CPC title

• C08L2203/16

  used for films · CPC title

• C09D123/0861 Primary

  Saponified vinylacetate · CPC title

• C08L23/0815

  with aliphatic 1-olefins containing one carbon-to-carbon double bond · CPC title

• C08L23/08

  Copolymers of ethene (C08L23/16 takes precedence) · CPC title