WO1995020018A1 - Ruban adhesif autocollant - Google Patents

Ruban adhesif autocollant Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1995020018A1
WO1995020018A1 PCT/CA1995/000033 CA9500033W WO9520018A1 WO 1995020018 A1 WO1995020018 A1 WO 1995020018A1 CA 9500033 W CA9500033 W CA 9500033W WO 9520018 A1 WO9520018 A1 WO 9520018A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
tape
core layer
layer
adhesive
width
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/CA1995/000033
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Lawrence J. O'connor
Original Assignee
Kt Industries Ltd.
Kt Industries Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US08/260,420 external-priority patent/US5520868A/en
Application filed by Kt Industries Ltd., Kt Industries Inc. filed Critical Kt Industries Ltd.
Priority to AU14513/95A priority Critical patent/AU1451395A/en
Publication of WO1995020018A1 publication Critical patent/WO1995020018A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • C09J—ADHESIVES; NON-MECHANICAL ASPECTS OF ADHESIVE PROCESSES IN GENERAL; ADHESIVE PROCESSES NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; USE OF MATERIALS AS ADHESIVES
    • C09J7/00—Adhesives in the form of films or foils
    • C09J7/20—Adhesives in the form of films or foils characterised by their carriers
    • C09J7/22—Plastics; Metallised plastics
    • C09J7/24—Plastics; Metallised plastics based on macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
    • C09J7/241—Polyolefin, e.g.rubber
    • C09J7/243—Ethylene or propylene polymers
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • C09J—ADHESIVES; NON-MECHANICAL ASPECTS OF ADHESIVE PROCESSES IN GENERAL; ADHESIVE PROCESSES NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; USE OF MATERIALS AS ADHESIVES
    • C09J7/00—Adhesives in the form of films or foils
    • C09J7/20—Adhesives in the form of films or foils characterised by their carriers
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • C09J—ADHESIVES; NON-MECHANICAL ASPECTS OF ADHESIVE PROCESSES IN GENERAL; ADHESIVE PROCESSES NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; USE OF MATERIALS AS ADHESIVES
    • C09J7/00—Adhesives in the form of films or foils
    • C09J7/20—Adhesives in the form of films or foils characterised by their carriers
    • C09J7/22—Plastics; Metallised plastics

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape of high tensile strength and low elongation in a tape width less than 2.0 inches.
  • PSA pressure sensitive adhesive
  • Pressure sensitive adhesive tapes with which the present invention is concerned are widely used as tear tapes, but in addition it may be possible to use tapes of the present invention as pressure sensitive strapping, as reinforcement for corrugated products and for similar purposes.
  • Tear tapes are widely used in packaging to tear a packaging material along a tear line defined by the tear tape. This is used in filmic packaging materials but also can be used with paper or board materials such as for soap boxes or courier envelopes.
  • the tear tape thus forms a very small part of the packaging material but provides a function which is very important for customer satisfaction. It is of course desirable therefore to reduce the amount of material and cost involved in the tear tape construction.
  • Tear tapes conventionally comprise a strip of a suitable plastics material and generally polypropylene is chosen as this is relatively inexpensive and yet provides the required strength characteristics.
  • the tear tape can have a width generally in the range 1/16th to 1/4 inch. The width is generally selected on the basis of minimum cost.
  • Some packaging processes include the application of adhesive to the tear tape on the packaging line so that an adhesive applicator is provided as part of the machine and applies the adhesive to the tear tape immediately prior to its application to the packaging film.
  • More recently tear tapes have been supplied in package form carrying a pressure sensitive adhesive on one surface. Such tapes are formed by slitting from a web of the tape material on which is already applied the pressure sensitive adhesive.
  • This type of tape provides some problems in that the adhesive material extends to the side edges of the tape and therefore engages guides to cause transfer of adhesive material to the guides and can spread from the side edge of the tape onto other parts of the packaging material which interfere with the proper operation of the structure.
  • a tape of this type is shown in U.S. Patent 4,844,962 (May et al assigned to Payne Packaging Limited).
  • a tape as defined herein is a core layer of an extruded polymer material having a pressure sensitive adhesive on one side thereof, low elongation to break and a width less than 2.0 inches. Low elongation to break is defined herein as being generally of the order of 10 to 20 % and certainly less than 40%. Tapes of this type can be used for various purposes including tear tapes as mentioned above which conventionally have a width in the range 1/4 inch down to 1/16 inch. Tabbing tapes often have a width in the range 1.0 to 2.0 inch. Reinforcement tapes often have a width in the range 0.5 to 1.0 inches.
  • the tape of Plicoflex is often referred to in the specification as a film and it is certainly not clear whether the material as extruded is intended to be extruded in the width of the finished tape or whether slitting is intended. In any event the finished tape is intended to have a width greater than 2.0 inches in view of the stated end use of the tape.
  • the material as extruded must be relatively wide (much greater than 2.0 inches) in view of the technique disclosed for applying the adhesive.
  • the patent also refers on a number of occasions to "trimming" the film.
  • Such a tape material as disclosed in Plicoflex is entirely unsuitable for the tape structure with which the present invention is concerned, that is the high strength, low elongation tapes as defined above.
  • a further coextruded pressure sensitive adhesive material is disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,379,806 (Johnson & Johnson) in which a base polymer film is extruded with an adhesive material with the coextrusion causing a bonding effect between the layers.
  • the patent interchanges use of the words “tape” and "film” but it is almost certainly clear that this material is indeed extruded in web width since the patent refers to trimming of the edges of the material and slitting the material into tape width using conventional techniques.
  • tear tapes are manufactured by slitting an extruded web of polypropylene or other suitable material which is oriented either monoaxially or biaxially by conventional processing. This web is then slit into a plurality of longitudinally continuous side-by side tapes which can be coated with adhesive in a process subsequent to the slitting as in the O'Connor patent set out above or can be coated in web width with the adhesive prior to slitting as in the May patent above.
  • a method of forming a single pressure sensitive adhesive tape of high strength and low elongation comprising extruding a core layer of plastics material so as to define on the core layer as extruded a first surface, a second surface opposed to the first surface and two opposed side edges, the core layer being substantially longitudinally continuous and having a predetermined first width; applying onto the first surface a layer of a predetermined first thickness of a hot-melt pressure sensitive adhesive material; subsequent to the application of the adhesive layer, stretching the core layer and the adhesive layer carried thereby so as to cause longitudinal orientation of the core layer to an extent to provide for the tape a low elongation to break, so as to cause a reduction in thickness of the adhesive layer and such that a width of the core layer between the side edges is reduced by the stretching from the first width to a second width equal to that of the single tape and less than 2.0 inches; the single tape being formed without slitting or trimming so that side edges of the single tape are defined by said two opposed side edges; and
  • This method in which the core layer is drawn such that a thickness of the adhesive layer is reduced can be used to cause the thickness of the adhesive to be less than can conventionally be obtained with hot-melt adhesive at speeds greater than can normally be obtained.
  • a thickness of less than 0.001 inch at a tape production or winding rate greater than 500 ft/min can be achieved.
  • the core layer is directly extruded in tape width that is the edges of the core layer as extruded form the edges of the finished tape without slitting.
  • a release agent can be applied if required to the side of the tape opposite to the adhesive although the increased adhesion between the adhesive and the core layer may avoid the necessity for the release layer. If applied the release agent can be is impregnated in a separate release layer coextruded with the core layer.
  • the release layer is a compatible polymer in which is impregnated a release agent of a conventional type.
  • the amount of the release agent may be of the order of 2 to 10% and this amount can be reduced relative to conventional amounts by the fact that the coextrusion of the core layer and the hot melt adhesive provides a greater bond between the layers thus reducing the tendency of the adhesive layer to be stripped away by adhesion to the opposite side of the core layer.
  • the use of the separate layer reduces the amount of the release agent used so as to reduce overall cost.
  • Coloring of the finished tape can be effected simply by adding a coloring agent into the polymer extruding the core layer.
  • the finished tape dimensions can lie in the range of 0.03 to 2.0 inch in width and 0.0005 to 0.010 inch in thickness.
  • the method of the invention can allow manufacture of a tear tape of reduced width relative to conventional tapes for example down to 1/32 inch which reduces material content and increases the length of tape which can be supplied on a package to improve the efficiency of processing.
  • the pressure sensitive hot melt adhesive is applied to the extruded core layer before the tape is oriented to its final thickness and width. When using a stretch of the order of 800%, the tape is approximately three times wider at the point of adhesive application than the finished width and it is therefore easier in this invention to apply the adhesive in a strip which is equal to or less than the width of the tape.
  • the hot melt adhesive can be coextruded with the core layer at the initial die either in full tape width or if required in reduced width. In this arrangement it may be necessary to provide cooling of that part of the die through which the adhesive passes since the adhesive generally can not tolerate temperatures required for the polymer for the extrusion process.
  • the tape is of course thicker prior to the stretching and the thickness is reduced by the orienting process.
  • the hot-melt adhesive is applied to the cast polymer core layer or coextruded with the core layer prior to the orienting process the thickness of the adhesive is reduced proportionately during the orientation. This is extremely important because it is the goal of the present invention to have a minimal amount of adhesive in applications where high bonds are not required.
  • the adhesive layer in the finished tape is thus preferably less than 0.001 inch and more preferably less than 0.0005 inch.
  • PSA tapes for low tack applications have a finished thickness of adhesive in the 0.0001 to 0.0003 inch range and this can be readily obtained in the present invention.
  • the coextruded release layer is also of course reduced in thickness during the orientation step thus producing a thickness of the release layer in the finished tape which is preferably less than 0.0001 inch.
  • the amount of extension necessary for obtaining the required properties is at least 300% and preferably 500%. This difference in the amount of stretch of the other layers is taken into account in determining the original thicknesses of the layers as extruded.
  • Splicing PSA is a major problem as it is difficult to get PSA splicing tape to stick to the release coated side of the film. For this reason most manufacturers use a two side sticky tape with a film in the center which does not have the physical properties of the PSA tape. It is too thick, and production equipment is down while a splice is being made which is very costly. There is also a great danger of rolls not winding up properly after stopping and starting for splices. This process eliminates these problems. In addition the process uses cheaper base raw materials rather than more expensive partly converted materials. Yet further, the use of hot-melt adhesive avoids the use of volatile organic chemicals (VOC'S) which are becoming les acceptable in these environmentally conscious times.
  • VOC'S volatile organic chemicals
  • the above details relate to any high strength, low elongation PS tape which can be used in various end uses.
  • th amount of adhesive necessary can be relatively small so the adhesive has th thicknesses defined above and a width generally of the order of 90% to 70 of the width of the tape itself.
  • th amount of adhesive carried on the tape is significantly increased so th thickness of the adhesive in the finished tape may be of the order of 0.0005 t 0.002 inch.
  • the width of the adhesive may be less than th width of the tape to prevent degradation of the adhesive at the edges of the tape and to prevent engagement of the adhesive with guides and the like. In such an arrangement, however, the width of the adhesive may be as much as 90 % of the width of the tape.
  • Figure 1 is a cross sectional view through an extruded film substantially immediately after extrusion.
  • Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the film and layer of Figure 1 after stretching to effect orientation of the film.
  • Figure 3 is a side elevational view showing schematically a process for forming the structures of Figures 1 and 2.
  • Figure 4 is a top plan view of the schematic illustration of Figure 3.
  • the process illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 includes an extruder head 10 with a barrel 1 1 and a screw 12 operated by a motor 13.
  • the extrusion head further includes a die 15 acting to extrude a generally flat core layer 16 of the polymer after shaping into a required shape within the die slot.
  • the shape of the die thus provides on the core layer a top surface 17, a bottom surface 18 and two opposed side surfaces 19 and 20.
  • the extruded core layer is coextruded with a lower layer 22 connected to the core layer by a tie layer 23.
  • the head 10 shown only schematically will of course include more than one polymer supply screw for injecting the different types of polymer forming the layers 21 , 22 and 23 and supplying them to the die 15.
  • the extruded core layer Upon emerging from the extrusion head the extruded core layer simply enters a water bath schematically indicated at 24 for immediate quenching to a cooled condition.
  • an adhesive layer 27 of a hot-melt type coextruded with the core layer is coextruded with the core layer.
  • the adhesive can be applied by a casting system downstream of the quenching 24.
  • the adhesive is of the hot-melt pressure sensitive type so that when set the adhesive is responsive simply to contact to actuate the adhesive effect.
  • an orientatio section 30 including capstan rollers (preferably of the type known as God rollers) 31 and 32.
  • capstan rollers preferably of the type known as God rollers
  • orientation of an extruded film or strip i necessary to generate structural stability and the required longitudinal strengt and low elongation. This is achieved by simply stretching of the film and thi case the stretching is effected monoaxially that is longitudinally simply b driving the capstan roller 32 at an increased speed relative to the capstan roll 31 .
  • the amount of stretching required is of the order of 300 t 800% and this is well known to achieve the required orientation of the film strip.
  • a windin station 33 Downstream of the orientation stage 30, is provided a windin station 33 which acts to wind the tape as shown in Figure 4 into a package, th package having a width greater than the width of the tape so that the tape i traversed across the package during the winding process.
  • the tape is thus produced continuously at a tape production rat preferably in excess of 2000 feet per minute.
  • the winding station 33 i preferably of a type which allows automatic change of one filled package for a empty spool in order that the tape can be continuously wound without wastage
  • the process involves no slitting of the tape from any wider tap structure or web structure so there is no waste and all the material that i extruded forms part of the finalized tape wound into the package.
  • the coextruded tape structure of Figure 1 includes a layer 21 which is of a plastics material forming the structural strength for the tape.
  • the core layer 21 therefore is formed of a suitable plastics material for example polypropylene which has suitable strength properties for forming a tear tape for tearing packaging film and is of suitable cost.
  • the layer 22 is formed of a material which has release characteristics relative to the adhesive layer 27A.
  • the release layer 22 can therefore be formed of a polymer which is impregnated with a release material such as silicone. In some cases the polymer layer 21 and 22 may be compatible so they can be coextruded without the necessity for a tying layer 23.
  • the main body of the core layer is formed from the impregnated polymer and only a thin tie layer is coextruded on top of the polymer to attach to the adhesive layer.
  • the width of the tape body 25A less than 2.0 inch and is preferably in the range 0.03 to 1.0 inch and the thickness T1 is preferably in the range 0.0005 to 0.010 inch. These dimensions are similar to those used in conventional tear tapes.
  • the thickness of the adhesive layer after the orientation stage is less than 0.001 inch and preferably less than 0.0005 inch and more preferably in the range 0.0001 to 0.0003 inch. This thickness of adhesive is sufficient to provide the minimal adhesive effect necessary in the packaging structure. However this thickness of adhesive cannot be achieved using a conventional hot-melt adhesive application techniques and the minimum thickness which can be achieved using such application techniques is of the order of above 0.0005 inch and then only at relatively slow speed.
  • the application of the adhesive prior to the orientation stage allows the adhesive to be applied in a thickness in the range 0.001 to 0.003 inch as shown in Figure 3 following which stretching of the tape by an amount in the order of 800% to 900% will reduce the thickness of th « adhesive layer to the above stated dimensions.
  • the adhesive is applied in a band so that side edges 27B and 27C of the band of adhesive both when applied and in the finished tape are spaced inwardly of the side edges 19 and 20 of the tape body. This ensures that the adhesive in the finished tear tape is spaced from the edges of the tape to prevent degradation and blocking.
  • the tape body 25A is formed of polypropylene having a longitudinal strength which is sufficient to effect tearing in the conventional tear tape operation.
  • the layer 22 of the tape body acts as a release coating for engaging the adhesive layer 27A of the next underlying tape.
  • these materials are coextruded through a slot having the required dimensions so that the thickness and width of the tape thus formed is such that, after the required stretching to provide the necessary degree of orientation, the dimensions of thickness and width are tailored to the requirements of the finished tape.
  • the temperature for the extrusion of the base polymer is of the order of 450 to 500°F for polypropylene and 550°F for polyester. Hot melt adhesives at this temperature can break down and therefore it is necessary to effect cooling of a part of the die so that the hot melt adhesive is supplied at the required temperature for proper handling of the hot melt adhesive. This is generally of the order of 300 to 350°F.
  • the extrusion is preferably effected at the order of 500 feet per minute.
  • a suitable arrangement for the extrusion head is shown in the above mentioned patent to Johnson and Johnson. It will be noted that the extrusion head generating the single tape is independent of other extrusion heads so that it is independent of breakdown of any other line. The extrusion head is also associated with the individual winding head for the particular tape line. The line can therefore run effectively continuously independently of other lines so that the finished package of tape is effectively splice free.
  • the extruded tape Downstream of the extrusion head, the extruded tape is immediately quenched in water to obtain the required cooling and setting o the substantially liquid materials into an amorphous plastics material prior to the orientation steps described above to obtain the required properties of the finished tape structure.
  • the manufacture of the tape as a coextruded core layer with the dimensions of the core layer tailored to produce, by the stretching, a tape of the required thickness and width allows the tape to be formed without the necessity for any slitting or trimming of the edges of the tape of any type.
  • the side edges of the tape are therefore constituted by the same side edges of the core layer with those side edges simply being modified in dimension and position during the stretching process. This absence of slitting or trimming ensures that there is zero waste in the process of the manufacture of the tape.
  • the processing speed is very high in view of the fact that the adhesive is applied at the extrusion stage or shortly thereafter and prior to the stretching step so the extrusion stage can run at a speed of the order of 500 feet per minute leading to a winding speed in the range 1500 to 4000 feet per minute depending upon the type of material to be processed.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Extrusion Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
  • Adhesive Tapes (AREA)

Abstract

Ruban étroit de forte résistance et de faible allongement à la rupture utilisable par exemple en tant que bandelette d'ouverture ou ruban d'emballage, formé par extrusion continue d'une bande, de préférence en polypropylène, et par application d'une couche adhésive sur une surface de ladite bande. Après extrusion et après application de la bande adhésive, on étire le ruban longitudinalement sur une longueur suffisante pour orienter pleinement le ruban dans la direction longitudinale afin d'obtenir le faible allongement à la rupture et la haute résistance. Ladite bande est extrudée en une largeur telle qu'après étirement, la largeur du ruban étiré est égale à la largeur requise du ruban fini. Au lieu de refendre le ruban en sens machine à partir d'une bande large, le ruban est extrudé directement en ruban sans refente ou rognage, ce qui évite ainsi tout déchet. De plus, l'étirement longitudinal du ruban réduit l'épaisseur de l'adhésif à une épaisseur juste suffisante pour obtenir le niveau requis d'adhésion autocollante sans qu'il soit nécessaire d'utiliser des matières supplémentaires.
PCT/CA1995/000033 1994-01-24 1995-01-23 Ruban adhesif autocollant WO1995020018A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU14513/95A AU1451395A (en) 1994-01-24 1995-01-23 Pressure sensitive adhesive tape

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US18506394A 1994-01-24 1994-01-24
US185,063 1994-01-24
US08/260,420 US5520868A (en) 1994-01-24 1994-06-14 Forming pressure sensitive adhesive tape
US260,420 1994-06-14

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1995020018A1 true WO1995020018A1 (fr) 1995-07-27

Family

ID=26880754

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/CA1995/000033 WO1995020018A1 (fr) 1994-01-24 1995-01-23 Ruban adhesif autocollant

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU1451395A (fr)
WO (1) WO1995020018A1 (fr)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1510682A (fr) * 1966-02-09 1968-01-19 Smith & Nephew Perfectionnements aux rubans adhésifs
FR2078149A5 (fr) * 1970-02-03 1971-11-05 Vagn Christian
WO1986001550A1 (fr) * 1984-09-04 1986-03-13 Ewing William D Etiquette deformable

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1510682A (fr) * 1966-02-09 1968-01-19 Smith & Nephew Perfectionnements aux rubans adhésifs
FR2078149A5 (fr) * 1970-02-03 1971-11-05 Vagn Christian
WO1986001550A1 (fr) * 1984-09-04 1986-03-13 Ewing William D Etiquette deformable

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU1451395A (en) 1995-08-08

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