MXPA00012192A - Heat-transfer label including cross-linked phenoxy lacquer layer - Google Patents

Abstract

A heat-transfer label (11) suitable for use in decorating polyethylene-coated glass articles. Such label includes (a) a support portion (13) in the form of a sheet of paper (15) overcoated with a release layer of polyethylene (17), (b) a skim coat of wax (19) overcoated onto the release layer (17), and (c) a transfer portion (21).

Description

HEAT TRANSFER LABEL THAT INCLUDES A LAYER OF REINFULATED FENOXY LACQUER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to heat transfer labels, and more particularly to a heat transfer label that includes an improved acrylic adhesive layer. Heat transfer labels are commonly used in the decoration or labeling, or both, of commercial items such as, but not limited to, beverage containers (which includes alcoholic beverages, such as beer), essential oils, detergents, hazardous chemicals as well as auxiliaries for health and beauty. As can easily be appreciated, heat transfer labels are desirably resistant to abrasion and chemical effects in order to avoid loss of label information and desirably possess good adhesion to the articles to which they are attached. they fix. One of the first types of heat transfer label is described in U.S. Patent Number 3,616,015, the inventor of which is Kingston, which was granted in October 1971, and which is B¿S ** ¡ek »?? t? * ÍÍ¿ & ie incorporated here as a reference. In the above mentioned patent, a heat transfer label consisting of a sheet of paper or roll, a wax release layer fixed to the paper sheet and a printed ink design layer on the wax release layer is described. . In the process of heat transfer labeling, the roll carrying the label is subjected to heat, and the label is pressed onto an article with the ink design layer in direct contact with the article. As the sheet of paper is subjected to heat, the wax layer begins to melt so that the sheet of paper can be released from the ink design layer, a portion of the wax layer is transferred with the design layer of ink and a portion of the wax layer remains on the paper sheet. After the transfer of the design to the article, the sheet of paper is removed immediately, leaving the design firmly fixed to the article and the wax transferred with it exposed to the environment. In this way, the wax layer is intended to serve two purposes: (1) to provide release of the ink design from the roll before the application of heat to the roll, and (2) to form a protective layer over the transferred ink design. . After the transfer of the label to the article, the transferred wax release layer is typically subjected to a subsequent flaming technique which improves the optical clarity of the wax protective layer (thereby allowing the ink design layer underneath it is better observed (and which increases the protective properties of the release of transferred wax.) Many heat transfer labels include, in addition to the layers described above, an adhesive layer (comprising, for example, an adhesive of polyamide or polyester) deposited on the ink design to facilitate adhesion of the label on a receiving article An example of a heat transfer label having an adhesive layer is described in U.S. Patent Number 4,548,857, the inventor of which is Galante, which was granted on October 22, 1985 and which is incorporated herein by reference. Additional heat transfer include a protective lacquer layer interposed between the wax release layer and the ink layer. An example of such a label is disclosed in U.S. Patent Number 4,426,422, the inventor of which is Daniels, which was granted on January 17, 1984, and which is incorporated herein by reference. A phenomenon that has been observed with heat transfer labels of the type described above that contain a wax release layer is that, very often, a degree of turbidity or a "halo" on the transferred label is observable when the transfer is made on transparent materials. This "halo" effect, which persists despite subsequent flaming and which may impair the appearance of the label, is caused by the wax coating around the outer boundaries of the transferred ink design layer. The turbidity due to the wax release layer also appears in areas of "open copy" of the label, ie areas of the label where ink is not present between the layers of adhesive and protective lacquer, and may also impair the appearance of the label. In addition, and related to the problem mentioned before turbidity, when the heat transfer labels of the type described above are applied to dark colored containers, the outer wax layer of the label often appears as a whitish coating on the container, effect which is undesirable in many cases. In addition, scrapes and abrasions similar to the outer wax layer of the label can be easily made which are easily detectable. Accordingly, to solve the problems mentioned above, considerable effort has been made to replace and eliminate the need for a wax release layer. One such heat transfer label without wax is disclosed in U.S. Patent Number 3,922,435, the inventor of which is Asnes, which was issued on November 25, 1975, and which is incorporated herein by reference. In the patent mentioned above, the wax layer is replaced with a layer of a non-waxy resin. This non-waxy resinous layer is referred to in the patent as "dry release" since it is not transferred to the article together with the ink design layer. In a preferred embodiment of the patent, the non-wax resinous layer comprises a thermosetting polymeric resin such as crosslinked resins which are selected from the group consisting of acrylic resins, polyamide resins, polyester resins, vinyl resins and epoxy resins. . Another example of a heat transfer label without wax is described in U.S. Patent Number 4,935,300, the inventors of which are Parker et al., Which was issued on June 19, 1990, and which is incorporated herein by reference. as reference. In the aforementioned patent, the label, which is said to be particularly suitable for use on surfaces or containers of high density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene terephthalate, comprises a roll paper carrier which is cover with a layer of polyethylene. A protective lacquer layer consisting of a polyester resin and a relatively small amount of an oil that does not dry are printed on the polyethylene layer. Then an ink design layer consisting of a resinous binder base selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, acrylics, polyamides and nitrocellulose is printed on the protective lacquer layer. A heat-activatable adhesive layer consisting of a thermoplastic polyamide adhesive is then printed on the ink design layer. Although the wax-free heat transfer label described above substantially reduces the wax-related effects discussed previously, such a label does not possess the same release characteristics as heat transfer labels containing a wax release layer. Accordingly, another type of heat transfer label differs from the heat transfer label described in U.S. Patent No. 4,935,300, only in that a very thin layer or "finishing layer" of a similar material is interposed. wax between the polyethylene release layer and the protective lacquer layer to improve the release of the protective lacquer from the carrier roll coated with polyethylene. The thickness of the finishing layer corresponds approximately to 45-181 g (0.1-0.4 pounds) of the wax-like material dispersed over approximately 279 m2 (3000 square feet) of the polyethylene release layer. An example of the aforementioned type of heat transfer label, which has been sold by the assignee of the present application for use in labeled polypropylene bottle covers, comprises a paper carrier roll coated with a polyethylene layer.

A finishing layer is coated on the polyethylene layer. A protective lacquer layer consisting of vinyl and polyester resins is printed on the finishing layer. An ink design layer comprising vinyl and polyester resins is printed on the protective lacquer layer. A layer of heat-activatable adhesive comprising an acrylic resin, a solvent-soluble chlorinated polypropylene and a plasticizer is printed on the ink design and the protective lacquer layers. The acrylic resin is a butyl methacrylate resin such as ELVACITE1 ^ 2045, which is commercially available from ICI Acrylics Inc. (Wilmington, DE). Solvent-soluble chlorinated polypropylene is commercially available from Eastman Chemical Products, Inc. (Kingsport, TN) as the chlorinated polyolefin CP-343-1. The plasticizer is a . ^^^ ¡S ^ **** ^, -, .¿ -, -, • -. ~ .a. ^ sja ^^ B-a ^ ^ glyceryl tribenzoate such as BENZOFLEX * S-404, which is commercially available from Velsicol Chemical Corporation (Chicago, IL). In the currently pending United States patent application, serial number 08 / 625,013, the inventors of which are Stein et al., Filed March 29, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference, is described A heat transfer label that is claimed to be particularly suitable for use in decorating styrene-acrylonitrile containers and surfaces. Such label includes a support portion comprising a sheet of paper coated with a polyethylene release layer. The polyethylene layer of the support portion is coated with a wax topcoat. A layer of protective lacquer consisting of a copolymer of methyl methacrylate / n-butyl and a copolymer of methyl methacrylate is printed on the finishing layer. An ink layer consisting of a polyamide or acrylic ink, or both, is printed on the protective lacquer layer. An adhesive layer consisting of solvent-soluble chlorinated polypropylene Eastman CP-343-1, a resin of butyl methacrylate and glycerol tribenzoate is printed on the ink design and the protective lacquer layers.

In the pending U.S. patent application, commonly assigned serial number 08 / 763,821, the inventors of which are Makat et al., Filed December 11, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference, is described a Heat transfer label that is claimed is particularly suitable for use in decorating untreated high density and low density polyethylene containers. Such label includes a support portion, the support portion preferably comprising a paper carrier roll. A wax release layer is applied as a coating on top of the support portion. A protective lacquer layer is printed on the wax release layer, the protective lacquer layer comprises a hard or acrylic polyester resin, as well as chlorinated solvent soluble polypropylene Eastman CP-343-1. An ink design layer consisting of an acrylic ink is printed on the protective lacquer layer. On the ink design and protective lacquer layers an adhesive layer is printed, the adhesive layer comprising a soft polyamide resin, Eastman solvent-soluble chlorinated polyethylene CP-153-2, vinylethylene acetate and erucamide. The aforementioned patent application also discloses a heat transfer label which is claimed to be particularly suitable for use in decorating untreated high density polyethylene containers. Such label includes a support portion, the support portion comprises a sheet of paper coated with a polyethylene release layer. The polyethylene layer of the support portion is coated with a wax topcoat. A protective lacquer layer is printed on the finishing layer, the protective lacquer layer comprises a hard polyester resin and an ethoxylated alcohol or a similar release agent. A layer of ink design comprising a polyamide ink is printed on the protective lacquer layer, and an adhesive layer of the type described above is printed on the layers of ink and protective lacquer. In the currently pending United States patent application, serial number 08 / 885,979, the inventors of which are Makar et al., Filed June 30, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference, is described A heat transfer label that is claimed to be particularly suitable for use in decorating treated low density polyethylene surfaces. Such label includes a sheet of paper coated with a wax release layer. A layer of protective lacquer is printed on the wax release layer, the protective lacquer layer comprises a pair of crosslinked polyester resins and a vinyl resin reticulated. One of the two crosslinked polyester resins preferably comprises a polyester resin of the type commercially available as polyester resins ViTEL ^ 2300 and a crosslinking agent in the form of hemethoxymethylmelamine resin CYMEL 303. The other two crosslinked polyester resins preferably comprise a resin of polyester of the type commercially available as a polyester resin ViTEL ^ 5545 and a crosslinking agent in the form of a hemethoxymethylmelamine resin CYMEL 303. The crosslinked vinyl resin preferably comprises a vinyl resin of the type commercially described as VAGH vinyl resin and an agent of crosslinking in the form of hemethoxymethylmelamine resin CYMEL 303. Other patents and publications of interest in relation to the use of heat transfer labels include U.S. Patent No. 4,927,709, the inventors of which are Parker et al., which was granted the May 22, 1990; PCT Application Number PCT / US97 / 11309, published on January 8, 1998; and PCT Application Number PCT / US97 / 11495, published January 8, 1998, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. As is clear from the above discussion, different types of heat transfer labels have been used to decorate various types of different packages, including various types of packaging Some plastic containers, some metal containers and, as explained above, certain glass containers. Historically, glass containers have been pretreated (typically by the container manufacturer) with a "coating" of oleic acid or stearate, whose function is to improve the abrasion resistance and lubricity of the containers in a way that minimizes damage ( that is, the scraping or breaking) of the containers during the filling, labeling and transport processes to which they are subsequently submitted. Such lubricant coated containers are typically treated, prior to decoration, with a silane admission promoter of the type described in U.S. Patent No. 3,907,974, the inventor of which is Smith, which was filed on September 23, 1975 and which is incorporated herein by reference. The reason for the silane treatment is that, in the absence thereof, the adhesive layer of the heat transfer label does not adhere adequately to the lubricant coated glass. In contrast, the silane adhesion promoter has two functional groups, one of the functional groups is capable of covalently bonding to the lubricant coated glass and the other functional group is capable of covalently bonding to the adhesive layer of the heat transfer label. . In this way, a covalent bond is formed, although through the promoter of silane adhesion, between the adhesive layer of the heat transfer label and the glass coated with lubricant. In recent years, a growing number of manufacturers of glass containers have begun to use polyethylene, instead of stearate or oleic acid, as a lubricant for glass containers. This is because it has been found that polyethylene provides glass containers with higher lubricity than that provided by stearate or oleic acid. The increased lubricity provided by polyethylene, in turn, allows the manufacture and use of thinner wall glass containers - a financial saving for glass manufacturers. Typically, the application of polyethylene to a glass container is carried out by spraying a polyethylene emulsion (eg, a DURACOAT polyethylene emulsion, commercially available from Sun Chemical) onto the glass container as soon as the container is formed and while the container is in the cooling process (for example, when the container has cooled to approximately 93-121 ° C (200-250 ° F)). The actual amount of polyethylene emulsion sprayed onto the container is typically very small - in the order of about 0.006 mg / container. further, because spray is the typical method for applying the polyethylene emulsion to the glass container, there will often be a lack of uniformity (and even one or two occasional hollow spots) in the polyethylene coating formed on the glass container. Currently, approximately 90% of all glass containers manufactured in the country are treated with a polyethylene lubricant. Polyethylene coated glass containers, however, can not be decorated with existing heat transfer labels due to a lack of adhesion between the heat transfer label and the polyethylene coated glass container. In addition, this lack of adhesion between the heat transfer label and "the polyethylene coated glass container can not be satisfactorily reduced by silane treatment of the polyethylene coated glass container." In the pending United States patent application , commonly assigned serial number 08 / 673,099, the inventors of which are Geurtsen et al., filed July 1, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a heat transfer label, such transfer label per The heat includes a phenoxy protective lacquer layer In one embodiment, the label is claimed to be suitable for use in the decoration of glass containers treated with silane, the label includes a support portion comprising a sheet of paper coated with a layer Polyethylene release layer The polyethylene layer of the support portion is coated with a wax finishing layer. Phenoxy protective layer is printed on the top coat, the phenoxy protective lacquer layer preferably comprises the PKHH grade of phenoxy UCAR® resin. An ink design layer is printed on the phenoxy protective lacquer layer, the ink design layer comprises a polyester / vinyl ink, a polyamide ink, an acrylic ink or a polyester ink. The adhesive layer mentioned above is printed on the ink design layer, any exposed portion of the protective lacquer layer and the surrounding area of the finishing layer, the adhesive layer comprising an acrylic adhesive of the type present in an adhesive emulsion based on water or a water-based adhesive dispersion (for example a RHOPLEX emulsion "GL-618) and an agent that decreases surface tension (for example, the nonionic surfactant Triton® X114. The above patent application also discloses that the aforesaid label before it can be used to decorate aluminum cans of the type that have been treated with a highly lubricant thermosetting acrylic coating or varnish.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Although heat transfer labels containing a layer of phenoxy protective lacquer have been used by the present assignee to decorate various types of packages and have shown many desirable properties, the present inventors have noted that such labels do not exhibit optimum performance in terms of Scratch resistance (ie, abrasion), chemical degradation and turbidity (Turbidity is considered by the present inventors due to the migration of wax from the topcoat or atmospheric water, or both, to the protective lacquer layer when the of transfer of the label is subjected to heat). Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat transfer label comprising a new layer of phenoxy protective lacquer. Accordingly, with one aspect of the present invention, a heat transfer label is provided, the heat transfer label comprises: (a) a support portion; and (b) a transfer portion on the support portion for transferring the transfer portion from the support portion to an article by the application of - ± -t ^ «'^. £! L < When heating the support portion while the transfer portion is placed in contact with the article, the transfer portion comprises: (i) a protective lacquer layer, the protective lacquer layer comprising a cross-linked phenoxy resin; (ii) an ink layer on the protective lacquer layer; and (iii) a first adhesive layer on the ink and protective lacquer layers. Preferably, the aforementioned heat transfer label further comprises a wax-like finishing layer, the wax-like finishing layer is interposed between the support portion and the transfer portion. Preferably, the crosslinked phenoxy resin is prepared by crosslinking a phenoxy resin of the following chemical formula: wherein the crosslinking preferably comprises the use of melamine formaldehyde resin. The aforementioned label can be used to decorate various types of different packages and shows improved resistance to scratching, chemical degradation and & amp; & amp; amp; a * »* J .. ^ _ ^ ?? tfae s *. The amount of turbidity, in comparison with the corresponding heat transfer labels containing a layer of comple non-crosslinked phenoxy protective lacquer, is comple. In those cases in which the heat transfer label mentioned above is used to decorate glassware coated with polyethylene, (especially glassware coated with polyethylene subjected to pasteurization conditions, such as beer containers in which the beer is pasteurized while in the package), the ink design layer preferably comprises a polyester ink, the transfer label by heat preferably further includes a second adhesive layer on the first adhesive layer, the first adhesive layer preferably comprises a surfactant in the form of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate and an acrylic resin of the type present in a water-based acrylic adhesive dispersion or an acrylic adhesive emulsion based on water, the second adhesive layer preferably comprises a chlorinated polyolefin. Preferably, the chlorinated polyolefin is of the type present in a water-based chlorinated polyolefin dispersion, the water-based chlorinated polyolefin dispersion preferably has a pH at 25 ° C of 9-10 and contains 2-amino-2-methyl-1. -propanol as a neutralizing amine, the water-based chlorinated polyolefin dispersion preferably contains 20% by weight of chlorinated polyolefin and 25% by weight of total solids. In addition to the chlorinated polyolefin, the second adhesive layer preferably further comprises a thickener, the thickener preferably being a polyurethane. Alternatively, the first and second adhesive layers described above can be replaced with a single adhesive layer comprising such acrylic adhesive resin and the adhesive layer containing chlorinated polyolefin, or the second adhesive layer can be removed, and the chlorinated polyolefin is applied to the glass coated with polyethylene as a size (or, in the case of uncoated glass, as a cold final treatment). According to another aspect of the invention, a transfer portion of a heat transfer label is provided, the transfer portion comprising: (a) a protective lacquer layer, the lacquer layer comprises a cross-linked phenoxy resin; and (b) an ink design layer placed on the protective lacquer layer. Preferably, such a crosslinked phenoxy resin is prepared by crosslinking a phenoxy resin of the following chemical formula: ^^ g ^ tó? »Yes *» égífj ^^^^^ j ^^^ gJásíeg ^ i ^ g wherein the crosslinking preferably comprises the use of melamine formaldehyde resin. In addition, such transfer portion preferably further comprises a first adhesive layer placed on the ink design layer. In those cases in which the aforementioned transfer portion is applied to glass articles coated with polyethylene (especially glass articles coated with polyethylene subjected to pasteurization conditions), the ink layer preferably comprises a polyester ink, the portion of The transfer preferably further comprises a second adhesive layer on the first adhesive layer, the first adhesive layer preferably comprising an acrylic adhesive resin of the type present in a water-based adhesive emulsion or a water-based adhesive dispersion, the second adhesive layer comprising a polyolefin chlorine dispersible in water. Preferably, the water-dispersible chlorinated polyolefin is of the type present in a water-based chlorinated polyolefin dispersion having a pH at 25 ° C of 9-10 and containing 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol as an amine. neutralizing, the water-based chlorinated polyolefin dispersion contains 20% by weight of chlorinated polyolefin and 25% by weight of total solids. Alternatively, the first and second adhesive layers described above can be replaced with a single adhesive layer comprising the acrylic adhesive resin and the chlorinated polyolefin-containing adhesive layer, or the second adhesive layer can be removed, when the chlorinated polyolefin is applied, to the glass not coated with polyethylene as a sizing (or, in the case of uncoated glass, as a cold final treatment). In addition to being directed to the heat transfer labels described above and to the transfer portions of a heat transfer label, the present invention is also directed to methods for making such heat transfer labels and transfer portions, as well as to compositions used to form various constituent layers of the heat transfer labels and transfer portions. In addition, the present invention is also directed to a novel method for decorating an article, the method comprises the steps of (a) providing a The heat transfer label comprises: (i) a support portion, and (ii) a transfer portion on the support portion for the heat transfer label. the transfer of the transfer portion from the support portion to the article when heat is applied to the support portion while the transfer portion is brought into contact with the article, the transfer portion comprises a protective lacquer layer, the protective layer protective lacquer comprises a crosslinked phenoxy resin and an ink design layer, the ink design layer is placed on the protective lacquer layer; and (b) transferring the transfer portion from the support portion to the article. In those cases in which the article is a glass article coated with polyethylene, the article is preferably not treated with silane prior to the transfer step. Furthermore, in those cases in which the polyethylene coated glass article is subjected to pasteurization conditions, the ink design layer preferably comprises a polyester ink in the transfer portion preferably further comprises a first adhesive layer on the ink and the protective lacquer layers, and a second adhesive layer on the first adhesive layer, the first adhesive layer comprises an acrylic adhesive resin of the type present in a , JÍ -MJs? TaM? I maatg8j &? water-based adhesive emulsion or a water-based adhesive dispersion, the second adhesive layer comprises a chlorinated polyolefin, the chlorinated polyolefin preferably being of the type present in a water-based chlorinated polyolefin dispersion having a pH at 25 ° C of 9 ° C. -10 and containing 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol as a neutralizing amine, the water-based chlorinated polyolefin dispersion contains 20% by weight of chlorinated polyolefin and 25% by weight of total solids. Alternatively, the first and second adhesive layers described above can be replaced with a single adhesive layer comprising such acrylic adhesive resin and the adhesive layer containing chlorinated polyolefin, or the second adhesive layer can be removed, when the chlorinated polyolefin is applied to the glass coated with polyethylene as a sizing (or in the case of uncoated glass, as a cold final treatment). For the purposes of the present specification and claims, it is to be understood that certain terms used herein, such as "in" or "on", when used to indicate the relative positions of two or more layers of a heat transfer label , are mainly used to indicate such relative positions in the context of how these layers are located prior to the transfer of the transfer portion of the label to an article since, after the transfer, the disposition of the layers is reversed with respect to to those layers which were subsequently removed from the associated support sheet and are now closer to the marked article. The objectives as well as the features, advantages and additional aspects of the present invention are set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description or can be learned by the practice of the invention. In the description, reference is made to the appended drawings which form a part thereof and in which specific embodiments for carrying out the invention are shown by way of illustration. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to carry out the invention, and it should be understood that other embodiments may be used and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be considered in a restrictive sense, and the scope of the present invention is better defined by the appended claims. s ^^^ and »BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein constitute a part of this specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings, in which similar reference numbers represent similar parts: Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of a first embodiment of a heat transfer label that is particularly suitable for, but not limited to, use in containers of glass coated with decorative polyethylene of the type which are subjected to pasteurization conditions, the heat transfer label is constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; and Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of a second embodiment of a heat transfer label that is particularly suitable for, but not limited to, use in decorative polyethylene coated glass containers of the type that are subject to pasteurization, the heat transfer label is constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. - 2 - DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES As indicated above, there is a need for a heat transfer label whose protective lacquer layer exhibits improved scratch resistance, chemical degradation or turbidity, as compared to existing heat transfer labels comprising a layer of phenoxy protective lacquer. . Such a protective lacquer layer also desirably must be compatible with a wide range of materials used to make adhesive and ink layers, and can be used on heat transfer labels to decorate many different types of articles. Referring now to Figure 1, a schematic sectional view of a first embodiment of a heat transfer label is shown which is particularly suitable for use in, but not limited to, decorative polyethylene coated glass containers of the type that are subjected to pasteurization conditions, the heat transfer label is constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and is generally represented by the reference number 11. The label 11 comprises a support portion 13. The support portion 13, in turn, comprises a carrier roll 15 coated with a layer 17 of polyethylene. The carrier roll 15 is typically made of paper or a similar suitable substrate. The details of the polyethylene layer 17 are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,935,300 and 4,927,709, the disclosures of which, as indicated above, are incorporated herein by reference. The label 11 also comprises a finishing layer of the type described above, the finishing layer is coated directly on the upper part of the entire polyethylene layer 17. During the transfer of the label, a portion of the finishing layer 19 is typically transferred together with the transfer portion of the label 11 of the article to be decorated, and a portion of the finishing layer 19 remains at the top of the polyethylene layer 17. The tag 11 further comprises a transfer portion 21. The transfer portion 21, in turn, preferably includes (i) a layer 23 of protective lacquer printed directly on the upper portion of a portion of the finishing layer 19, (ii) an ink design layer 25 printed thereon. desired area of the lacquer layer 23, (iii) a first layer 27 of heat activatable adhesive printed on the design layer 25, any exposed portion of the lacquer layer 23 and the portion surrounding the top coat 19, and (iv) a second layer 29 of heat activatable adhesive printed on the first adhesive layer 27. The protective lacquer layer 23 comprises a crosslinked phenoxy lacquer resin. Examples of phenoxy lacquer resin suitable for use in the crosslinked phenoxy resin mentioned above include phenoxy OC? Rm resins (Union Carbide Corporation, Hackensack, NJ), which have the following chemical structure: A particularly preferred UCAR® phenoxy resin is PKHH, a weight average of the above structure, which, at 40% solids, by weight in methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) has a solution viscosity of 4500 to 7000 mPa.s ( cP). The Examples of a suitable crosslinker for the crosslinking of the phenoxy resin mentioned above include partially methylated melamine-formaldehyde resins of the type present in CYMEL 300 series of partially methylated melamine-formaldehyde resin solutions (Cytec, Industries, Inc., West Paterson, NJ), and in particular, a ^ j &JS-a »" «tjjsAaM-HH-i. - »- - ~ -, ^", Sttfea «&-gt ^ * te¡« »**« »¿.« «Af - J * ^»: _- .. -. partially methylated melamine-formaldehyde resin solution CYMEL 370 (88 + 2% non-volatile, solvent iBuOH). Preferably, the solids of CYMEL resin solution 370 mentioned above constitute at most about 5% by weight of the lacquer layer 23 (with the rest of the lacquer layer 23 consisting of the phenoxy resin mentioned above) since the present inventors have discovered that amounts of CYMEL 370 exceeding them tend to cause the lacquer layer 23 to undesirably adhere to the support portion 13 during label transfer. An advantage of using a melamine-formaldehyde crosslinker mentioned above, as opposed to other types of crosslinkers, is that the crosslinker does not require the use of a catalyst, rather, it is heat activatable and wherein the heat activation of the same can be obtained during the "post-curing" systematic stage (ie, heating the decorated package to approximately 215 ° C (420 ° F) for approximately 20 minutes) to which the decorated package will usually be subjected in any way after of the transfer of the label. It should be noted, however, that the present invention is not limited to such heat-activatable crosslinkers.

In order to form the lacquer layer 23, a lacquer composition comprising the phenoxy lacquer resin identified above, a suitable crosslinking agent and one or more suitable volatile solvents are deposited on the lacquer area. desired of the finishing layer 19, preferably by engraved recess or a similar technique. After the deposition of the lacquer composition on the desired area of the finishing layer 19, the solvent or volatile solvents evaporate, leaving only the non-volatile components thereof to constitute the lacquer layer 23. In a preferred embodiment, the lacquer composition comprises about 20% by weight of PKHH; about 1% by weight of CYMEL 370 resin solution; about 59% by weight of methyl ethyl ketone; and about 20% by weight of toluene. The ink design layer 25 of the transfer portion 21 preferably comprises a polyester ink. Other types of ink may also be suitable, such as an acrylic ink or a polyamide ink or both, depending on the composition of the first adhesive layer 27 and depending on whether the label is to be used for applications other than glassware coated with polyethylene subjected to pasteurization conditions. The ink design layer 25 is formed in the conventional manner by depositing, by gravure or the like, an ink composition that ^ ^: ^? * k á ^ A? e *, ^. The present invention comprises a resin of the type described above, a suitable pigment or dye and one or more suitable volatile solvents on one or more desired areas of the lacquer layer 23. After the application of the ink composition on the lacquer layer 23, the volatile solvent component or components of the ink solvent system evaporate, which leaves only the non-volatile ink components to form the layer 25. Example of a resin suitable for use in the formation of a polyester ink is ViTEL ^ 2700 (Shell Chemical Company, Akron, OH) - a copolyester resin having a high tenacity (48 MPa (7000 psi) and a low elongation ( 4% elongation). A ViTE ^ 2700 ink composition based on polyester can comprise, by weight, 18% ViTEL * 2700, 6% pigment, 30.4% n-propyl acetate (NP Ac) and 45.6% toluene. As can be easily appreciated, ViTEL ™ * 2700 is by no means the only polyester resin that can be used to formulate a polyester ink and may be suitable for use in other systems besides NP Ac: toluene, for use with ViTEL "2700 as well as with other polyester resins The adhesive layer 27 of the transfer portion 21 comprises an acrylic adhesive of the type present in a water-based adhesive emulsion or a water-based adhesive dispersion, it being understood that the ÍJÜ ^^ jig? and ^ ggg ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ additional types of adhesive may also be suitable if label 11 is to be used for applications other than for use in decorative polyethylene coated glassware subject to conditions of pasteurization-The adhesive layer 27 is preferably formed by depositing, by etching or the like, on the layer the ink layer 25, exposed portions of the lacquer layer 23 and a surrounding area of the finish layer 19 and an adhesive composition comprising preferably an acrylic emulsion or dispersion based on water, an alcohol and a suitable surfactant. The purpose of the alcohol and the surfactant in the aforementioned adhesive composition is to reduce the surface tension of the emulsion or water-based adhesive dispersion sufficiently to allow the composition to be printed on the underlying layers in the form of a substantially continuous film with good quality of impression. After the deposition of the adhesive composition on the underlying layers of the label 11, the volatile components of the composition (for example water, alcohol) evaporate, leaving only the non-volatile solid components thereof to form the layer 27. A preferred example of the water-based acrylic emulsion is the emulsion RHOPLEX® GL-618 (Rhon and Haas, Philadelphia, PA) - an all water-based acrylic elastomeric polymer emulsion having a solids content of about 46.5-47.5% by weight, a pH of about 7.5-9.5, a specific gravity of about 1.07 at 25 ° C, a weight of about 5 1.1 g / cm3 (8.9 pounds / gallon US), a Brookfield viscosity LVF at 30 rpm, rod # 2 of about 300-500 cps, a minimum film formation temperature of about 20 ° C, and a glass transition temperature of about 27 ° C. Other suitable examples may include JONCRYL 77 (SC Johnson fi Son, Inc., Racione, Wl) - an acrylic polymer emulsion having a solids content of about 45% by weight, a pH of about 8.3, a weight of about 1.0 g / cm3 (8.7 pounds / gallon US), a Brookfield viscosity of about 50 cps and a glass transition temperature of about 21 ° C; JONBOND ^ 751 (S.C. Johnson &Son, Inc., Racine, Wl) - an acrylic emulsion having a solids content of about 46 + 1% by weight, a pH of about 7.4 - 7.8, a weight of about 1.0 g / cm3 (8.7 pounds / gallon), a Brookfield LVF viscosity of 700 + 200 cps and an activation temperature of about 93.3 ° C; and SEQUABOND ^ VS 9010 (Sequa Chemicals, Inc., Chester, South Carolina) - a polymeric emulsion having a solids content of about 47%, a pH of about 8.5, a viscosity of approximately 600 cps, a weight of approximately 1.0 g / cm3 (8.7 pounds / gallon) and a glass transition temperature of approximately -30 ° C. In a preferred experiment, the adhesive composition comprises about 75% by weight of RHOPLEX ^ GL-618 emulsion; about 17.5% by weight of isopropyl alcohol; about 7.5% by weight of a 4% solution of NH4OH and about 1% by weight of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate surfactant Triton GR-5M (Union Carbide, Danbury CT). The reason for the inclusion of NH 4 OH in the aforementioned composition is to increase the pH of the composition from about 7-7.5 to preferably about 9-9.5 (or preferably not more than 10) since the inventors have discovered that, in the absence of adjustment of pH mentioned above, this particular composition does not print satisfactorily. The present inventors consider that other pH adjusting agents are also suitable, in addition to the aforementioned solution of NH4OH. The present inventors also consider that, with respect to the composition mentioned above, the amount of Triton GR-5M should preferably not exceed about 1% by weight of the total composition and that the amount of isopropyl alcohol should preferably not exceed about 17.5. % by weight of the total composition. * ^^. *. , ^ .- ... ^ - * fffr1 < | & ^^^ The second adhesive layer 29 preferably comprises a chlorinated polyolefin (as will be readily appreciated, the second adhesive layer 29 may not be necessary in those cases where the article to be decorated is not a glass article coated with polyethylene). More preferably, such a chlorinated polyolefin is of the type present in a water-based chlorinated polyolefin dispersion. Even more preferably, such a chlorinated polyolefin is of the type present in the Eastman CP 347W chlorinated polyolefin dispersion.

(Kingsport, TN), the dispersion of chlorinated polyolefin Eastman CP 347W is a water-based chlorinated polyolefin dispersion having a pH at 25 ° C of 9-10 and containing 20% by weight of chlorinated polyolefin and 25% by weight of total solids, and having 2-amino- 2-methyl-1-propanol as a neutralizing amine. In a preferred embodiment, the layer 29 is formed by depositing, by etching or the like, a composition comprising about 99.7 wt.% Of Eastman CP 347W chlorinated polyolefin dispersion and about 0.3 wt.% Of Henkel DSX 1514 polyurethane (Minneapolis, MN) on the adhesive layer 27. After the application of the aforementioned composition on the layer 27, the volatile components on the composition evaporate, leaving only the non-volatile components thereof to form the layer 29. The polyurethane is included in the composition mentioned above to serve as a thickener to facilitate the printing of the composition and also as an anti-blocking agent to prevent the layer 29 from adhering to the bottom of the roll 13 if the label 11 is wound on a roll. The present inventors anticipate that the polyurethane can be substituted with other suitable agents. The label 11 can be used in a conventional manner by contacting the adhesive layer 29 with a desired article, for example a polyethylene coated glass container, while sufficient heat is applied to the underside of the carrier roll 15, so as to cause that the transfer portion 21 (and probably a portion of the finishing layer 19) is released from the support portion 13 and thereby causes the adhesive layer 29 to be heat activated by bonding the desired article. The post curing step and any other conventional processing step can be carried out in the usual manner. The present inventors have observed that, when label 11 is used to decorate polyethylene coated glass containers, a good degree of label adhesion is obtained (i.e., about F to H, as measured by standard ASTM).

D3363-92a for film hardness on a substrate). In addition, the present label adheres well to its container after being repeatedly subjected to a dishwasher (up to 50 times). Additionally, the present inventors have observed that the present label adheres well to glass containers having non-uniform polyethylene coatings (and even to coatings of polyethylenes that are scarce in spots and to completely bare glass containers), as well as to packages of glass lubricated with stearate, oleic acid and the like, all without requiring treatment with silane. In addition, the aforementioned problem of turbidity in the open copy is typically found when the labeled containers are subjected to pasteurization conditions, and is substantially decreased in the present case. In addition, the present inventors have noted that the present label has a high degree of chemical resistance and abrasion. Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown a schematic sectional view of a second embodiment of a heat transfer label that is particularly suitable for use in, but not limited to, decorative polyethylene-coated glass containers of the type at which are subjected to pasteurization conditions, the heat transfer label is constructed in accordance with the teachings of this __ MU «- - ar ^? ^ ¿To ^^^ ..." ^^ invention and is generally represented by the reference number 111. The label 111 that is identical in all respects to the label 11, except that, a Unlike the label 11, the label 111 does not include a first adhesive layer 27 and in a second adhesive layer 29, rather, includes an adhesive layer 131, the layer 131 combines the chlorinated polyolefin of the second adhesive layer 29 with the components of the first adhesive layer 27. Lot 133 for transferring the label 111 includes a lacquer layer 23, an ink layer 25 and an adhesive layer 131. The label 111 is used in the same manner as the label 11. According to another embodiment of the present According to another aspect of the invention, the label 11 is modified so as not to include the layer 29. Instead, the colored polyolefin of the layer 29 is applied (by spraying, rolling, immersion, etc.) to a glass article coated with polyethylene (or to a bare glass article or to a glassware coated with a different polyethylene lubricant) as a sizing after the glassware has completely cooled. Alternatively, such a chlorinated polyolefin can also be applied to a bare glass article as a final treatment in cold after the glass item has been formed, g «i ^ jgg ^^^^^ ^^^^ g ^ i ^ g¡ ^^ j but before its cooling. Such a cold final treatment can eliminate the need for the glass article to be treated with polyethylene since the chlorinated polyolefin can serve as both a lubricant 5 and an adhesion promoter. The embodiments of the present invention referred to herein are intended to be exemplary only and those skilled in the art will be able to make numerous variations and modifications thereto without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (36)

1. A heat transfer label, characterized in that it comprises: a) a support portion; and b) a transfer portion on the support portion for transferring the transfer portion from the support portion to an article upon application of heat to the support portion while the transfer portion is placed in contact with the article, the portion The transfer comprises: (i) a protective lacquer layer, the protective lacquer layer comprises a cross-linked phenoxy resin; (ii) an ink layer on the protective lacquer layer; and (iii) an adhesive layer on the ink and protective lacquer layers.

2. The heat transfer label, according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a finishing layer similar to wax, the wax-like finishing layer is interposed between the support portion and the transfer portion. ^^^^^^, - ^ ~ r ~ ^ ^, - .... ~ ffftHWHl ^ rt ^

3. The heat transfer label, according to claim 1, characterized in that the crosslinked phenoxy resin is made by cross-linking a phenoxy resin that has the following chemical structure:

4. The heat transfer label, according to claim 3, characterized in that the phenoxy resin, before crosslinking, has a solution viscosity of 4500 to 7000 mPa.s (cP) at 40% solids, by weight, in methyl ethyl ketone. .

5. The heat transfer label, according to claim 3, characterized in that the phenoxy resin is crosslinked using a melamine-formaldehyde resin.

6. The heat transfer label, according to claim 5, characterized in that the melamine-formaldehyde resin is partially methylated melamine-formaldehyde resin.

7. The heat transfer label, according to claim 6, characterized in that the partially methylated melamine-formaldehyde resin constitutes at most about 5% by weight of the protective lacquer layer.

8. The heat transfer label, according to claim 2, characterized in that the first adhesive layer comprises an acrylic adhesive resin of the type present in a water-based adhesive emulsion or a water-based adhesive dispersion.

9. The heat transfer label, according to claim 8, characterized in that the water-based adhesive emulsion or dispersion is an all-acrylic elastomeric polymer emulsion having a solids content of about 46.5-47.5% by weight, a pH of about 7.5-9.5, a specific gravity of about 1.07 at 25 ° C, a weight of about 1.1 g / cm3 (8.9 pounds / gallon US), a Brookfield viscosity LVF at 30 rpm, rod # 2, of about 300-500 cps , a minimum film formation temperature of approximately 20 ° C and a glass transition temperature of approximately 27 ° C.

10. The heat transfer label, according to claim 9, characterized in that the first adhesive layer is manufactured by: (i) depositing on the ink and protective lacquer layers a composition comprising approximately 74% by weight of an emulsion of all acrylic elastomeric polymer, about 17% by weight of an alcohol, about 7% by weight of a pH adjusting agent to bring the pH of the composition to the range of about 9-9.5 and about 1% by weight, of a surfactant adequate and (ii) evaporate the volatile content thereof.

11. The heat transfer label, according to claim 8, characterized in that it further comprises a second adhesive layer on the first adhesive layer, the second adhesive layer comprises a chlorinated polyolefin.

12. The heat transfer label, according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises a second adhesive layer on the first adhesive layer, the second adhesive layer comprises a chlorinated polyolefin.

13. The eti > < ÉSlj. heat transfer according to claim 2, characterized in that the first adhesive layer comprises a chlorinated polyolefin and an acrylic resin adhesive * of the type present in a water-based adhesive emulsion or a water-based adhesive dispersion.

14. A transfer portion of a heat transfer label, the transfer portion is characterized in that it comprises: (a) a protective lacquer layer, the protective lacquer layer comprises a cross-linked phenoxy resin; and (b) an ink design layer placed on the protective lacquer layer.

15. The transfer portion, according to claim 14, characterized in that the crosslinked phenoxy resin is prepared by cross-linking a phenoxy resin having the following chemical structure:

16. The transfer portion, according to claim 15, characterized in that the phenoxy resin, before crosslinking, has a solution viscosity of 4500 to 7000 mPa.s (cP) at 40% solids, by weight, in methyl ethyl ketone.

17. The transfer portion, according to claim 15, characterized in that the phenoxy resin is crosslinked using a melamine-formaldehyde resin.

18. The transfer portion, according to claim 17, characterized in that the melamine-formaldehyde resin is partially methylated melamine-formaldehyde resin.

19. The transfer portion, according to claim 18, characterized in that the partially methylated melamine-formaldehyde resin constitutes at most about 5% by weight of the protective lacquer layer.

20. The transfer portion, according to claim 14, characterized in that it also comprises an adhesive layer placed on the design layer In the case of ink, the layer comprises a chlorinated polyolefin.

21. The transfer portion, according to claim 20, characterized in that it further comprises an intermediate adhesive layer interposed between the ink design layer and the adhesive layer containing chlorinated polyolefin, the intermediate adhesive layer comprises an acrylic adhesive resin of the type present in a water-based adhesive emulsion or a water-based adhesive dispersion.

22. The transfer portion, according to claim 20, characterized in that the adhesive layer further comprises an acrylic adhesive resin of the type present in a water-based adhesive emulsion or a water-based adhesive dispersion.

23. A method for decorating an article, the method is characterized in that it comprises the steps of: (a) providing a heat transfer label, the heat transfer label comprising: (i) a support portion, and & amp; & amp; & ^^^ g (ii) a transfer portion on the support portion for transferring the transfer portion from the support portion to the article upon application of heat to the support portion while the transfer portion is placed in contact with the article, the transfer portion comprises a protective lacquer layer, the protective lacquer layer comprises a crosslinked phenoxy resin and an ink design layer, the ink design layer is placed on the protective lacquer layer; and (b) transferring the transfer portion from the support portion to the article.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that the crosslinked phenoxy resin is prepared by cross-linking a phenoxy resin having the following chemical structure: 82 to 123

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that the phenoxy resin, before crosslinking, has a solution viscosity of 4500 to 7000 mPa.s (cP) at 40% solids, by weight, in methyl ethyl ketone.

26. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that the phenoxy resin is crosslinked using a melamine-formaldehyde resin.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that the melamine-formaldehyde resin is a partially methylated melamine-formaldehyde resin.

28. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that the partially methylated melamine-formaldehyde resin constitutes at most about 5% by weight of the protective lacquer layer.

29. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that the heat transfer label further includes an adhesive layer placed on an ink design layer.

30. The method according to claim 29, characterized in that the article is a glass article coated with polyethylene and wherein the adhesive layer includes a chlorinated polyolefin.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the heat transfer label further comprises an intermediate adhesive layer interposed between the adhesive layer containing chlorinated polyolefin, and a design layer ink.

32. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that the intermediate adhesive layer comprises an acrylic adhesive resin of the type present in a water-based adhesive emulsion or a water-based adhesive dispersion.

33. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that the adhesive layer further includes an acrylic adhesive resin of the type present in a water-based adhesive emulsion or a water-based adhesive dispersion.

34. The method according to claim 29, characterized in that the step of ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ g ^^^ j is transferred without a precedent silane treatment of the glass article coated with polyethylene.

35. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that the article is a glass article coated with polyethylene that has been subjected to sizing with a chlorinated polyolefin.

36. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that the article is a glass article that has been subjected to a chlorinated polyolefin as a cold final treatment. ¡GgÉ tj¡ ^ ¡g | ^ ¡^ [