Abstract:
Methods for enhancing the visibility of and imparting a metallic luster to holographic and diffraction pattern surface embossments on transparent media such as plastic films (12) are disclosed. Enhancement is achieved by (1), metallic effect dyes or (2), metal flake inks containing minimal quantities of resinous binders (3), inks containing crystalline pigments that have metallic visual effects, or (4), inks containing pigments formed of optical stacks. The solvent used during application of the dye or ink must not be a solvent for the embossed surface.
Abstract:
A process for making functional or decorative flakes or platelets economically and at high production rates comprises applying a multi-layer sandwich of vapor deposited metal and release coats in alternating layers to a rotating chilled drum or suitable carrier medium contained in a vapor deposition chamber. The alternating metallized layers are applied by vapor deposition, and the intervening release layers are preferably solvent soluble thermoplastic or lightly crosslinked polymeric materials applied by vapor deposition sources contained in the vapor deposition chamber. The multi-layer sandwich built up in the vacuum chamber is removed from the drum or carrier and treated with a suitable organic solvent to dissolve the release coating from the metal in a stripping process that leaves the metal flakes essentially release coat free. The solvent and dissolved release material are then removed by centrifuging to produce a cake of concentrated flakes which can be air milled and let down in a preferred vehicle and further sized and homogenized for final use in inks, paints or coatings. In one embodiment the finished flakes comprise single-layer thin metal or metal alloy flakes or flakes of inorganic materials, and in another embodiment flakes are coated on both sides with protective polymeric coatings that were applied from suitable vacuum deposition sources or the like contained in the vapor deposition chamber. The release coat material can be a radiation curable, crosslinkable vapor deposited polymeric material of low crosslink density. Exposure to a high energy radiation source crosslinks the release material sufficiently to produce essentially tack-free, solvent soluble release coat layers. In one embodiment, the multi-layer vapor deposit is built up on an endless belt passing from the vapor deposition chamber through a vacuum lock to a separate adjacent stripping chamber. Both chambers are maintained at vacuum pressures below atmospheric while depositing the flake material on the endless belt. The vapor deposit is periodically removed by reducing the belt speed, idling the vacuum deposition sources in the deposition chamber, and sealing a vapor deposit collection device to the stripping chamber through vacuum locks below the endless belt in the stripping chamber. The vacuum locks maintain the stripping chamber at its vacuum pressure below atmospheric during the process of removing the multi-layer vapor deposited material from the endless belt.
Abstract:
A process for making functional or decorative flakes or platelets economically and at high production rates comprises applying a multi-layer sandwich of vapor deposited metal and release coats in alternating layers to a rotating chilled drum or suitable carrier medium contained in a vapor deposition chamber. The alternating metallized layers are applied by vapor deposition and the intervening release layers are preferably solvent soluble thermoplastic polymeric materials applied by vapor deposition sources contained in the vapor deposition chamber. The multi-layer sandwich built up in the vacuum chamber is removed from the drum or carrier and treated with a suitable organic solvent to dissolve the release coating from the metal in a stripping process that leaves the metal flakes essentially release coat free. The solvent and dissolved release material are the removed by centrifuging to produce a cake of concentrated flakes which can be air milled and let down in a preferred vehicle and further sized and homogenized for final use in inks, paints or coatings: In one embodiment the finished flakes comprise single-layer thin metal or metal alloy flakes of inorganic materials, and in another embodiment flakes are coated on both sides with protective polymeric coatings that were applied from suitable vacuum deposition sources or the like contained in the vapor deposition chamber.
Abstract:
Machine-direction oriented polypropylene homopolymer and propylene copolymer films are described wherein the propylene copolymer is one selected from the group consisting of propylene-ethylene copolymers containing up to about 10 % by weight of ethylene and propylene-1-butene copolymers containing up to about 15 % by weight of 1-butene wherein the oriented films have an opacity of less than about 10 % and a haze of about 10 % or less in the machine-direction and in the cross-direction.
Abstract:
Physical properties of extruded, uniaxially oriented films useful in label manufacture and formed from blends of olefinic base materials and soft polar additives such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) are changed in a directionally selective manner that improves abrasion resistance while preserving conformability by use of compatibilizers or coupling agents in the blends. Machine direction strength properties, including stiffness and tensile modulus, increase with little or no degradation of cross-direction elongation, and with limited degradation of cross-direction tensile modulus, both required for good label conformability.
Abstract:
A multi-copy form (10) which may be used with laser printers or electrostatic (xerographic) copies to make duplicate copies by passing the form only one time through the printers or copiers. The multi-copy form (10) has at least one thermally sensitive imaging sheet (12) sandwiched between two sheets (14, 16) of paper. The imaging sheet (12) may be releasably held to the two sheets (14, 16) of paper by a pressure-sensitive adhesive (18) which allows the sheets to be peeled apart. Toner (32) is fused to the top sheet (12) of paper by heat and pressure from top and bottom rollers (30) making images thereon, and heat transferred from the toner (32) to the underlying thermally sensitive imaging sheet (12) forms substantially duplicate images (38) on the imaging sheet (12). The thermally sensitive imaging sheet (12) has a thermal image layer applied to it which forms an image (38) when heat is transferred to the imaging sheet (12). The bottom sheet of paper (16) furnishes insulation against heat from the bottom roller (30). Different colored copies may be made by varying the dye formers and developers used for the thermal image layer. In another embodiment, the bottom sheet of paper may be eliminated.
Abstract:
A hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive composition comprising a tackified ethylene-propylene rubber modified with a copolymer of a styrene ethylene-propylene block copolymer and/or a styrene ethylene-butylene block is provided. The pressure sensitive adhesive exhibits high cohesive strength and adhesion to polar and apolar surfaces.
Abstract:
A die-cut label is described which is prepared from a composite which comprises (A) an extruded cast multilayer film (60) oriented in the machine-direction at a stretch ratio between about 2 and about 9 which comprises (A-1) at least one skin layer (66) comprising an olefin-SPA blend comprising from about 30 % to about 60 % by weight of SPA; and (A-2) at least one relatively thick inner layer (62) comprising a mixture of an olefin-SPA blend and a compatibilizer wherein the mixture comprises greater than 15 % by weight up to about 40 % by weight SPA, and wherein the total of the at least one skin layer (66) (A-1) and the inner layer (62) (A-2) is less than about 3 mils; and (B) an adhesive layer (68) associated with the film for adhering said label to a substrate. A method for manufacturing machine-direction oriented multilayer films (60) useful for preparing die-cut conformable labels is also described.
Abstract:
A laminate (10) of multilayer construction includes a thermoplastic carrier or base layer (12) integrally joined with a thermoplastic elastomer autoadhesive layer (14). The layers (12 and 14) are heat bonded or welded together along an interface (16) formed by the adjacent interior surfaces of the layers (12 and 14).