The invention relates to multilayer films which can be decorated and are composed of at least two different polyamide molding compositions.
Semicrystalline polyamide molding compositions can be extruded to give films and have good transparency at layer thicknesses of up to 1 mm. These films can be decorated via thermal sublimation printing; they can be used, for example, for decoration of snowboards, of skis, of tennis rackets, of automobile parts, of furniture, and of household articles and the like, in layer thicknesses of from about 0.05 to 1 mm. The prior art is set out in the article by M. Beyer and J. Lohmar, Kunststoffe 90 (2000) 1, pp. 98-101, based on corresponding molding compositions from Degussa AG.
Screen printing is a relatively low-cost and relatively versatile method for decoration of films. In one variant of screen-printing inks, these are solvent-based inks. One typical mixing specification for a screen-printing ink is formulated from the pigment, additives, solvents, and binders. Suitable selection of the solvent can affect the adhesion of the ink to the printed matrix, meaning that the solvent solvates the matrix, in this instance the plastic, to produce a direct bond between matrix and ink film. The solvent therefore has to be matched to the matrix to be printed.
Semicrystalline polyamides have excellent resistance to solvents and therefore cannot generally be satisfactorily printed by solvent-containing screen-printing inks. For this reason, for example, screen-printing textiles are produced from polyamides.
By reducing crystallinity, e.g. via incorporation of comonomers, it is possible to improve the capability of polyamides for solvation by the solvents in screen-printing inks. The reduction in crystallinity also simultaneously improves transparency.
However, the possibility of incorporating comonomers to improve the screen-printability and transparency of polyamide films is very restricted in practice, because the conventional solvents in screen-printing inks, examples being nitrodiluents, ethyl acetate, or methyl ethyl ketone, cause stress cracking on the modified polyamide. This causes undesired ink effects (matting) and embrittlement of the film. Embrittlement can especially cause mechanical failure of the film during further processing, i.e. pressing with the item to be decorated.
It was therefore an object to develop a transparent film which has good adhesion to screen-printing inks, without embrittlement during decoration or during further processing.
This object is achieved via a multilayer film which comprises the following layers:
The polyamide molding composition of the layer I. may be either transparent or sufficient translucent to appear transparent at the selected layer thickness. Transparency here means that reverse printing gives efficiently sharp contrast on viewing from above. Any known transparent or translucent polyamide may be used here. In order to provide sufficient resistance to solvent and to stress cracking, the polyamide molding composition of the layer I. is preferably semicrystalline.
By way of example, the polyamide of the layer I. may be produced from the following monomer combination:
In one preferred embodiment here, the average number of carbon atoms present in component α) in the monomer mixture is from 8 to 12, and particularly preferably from 9 to 12, per monomer.
Suitable diamines of component β) have from 4 to 40 carbon atoms; examples of compounds which may be used here are 1,6-hexamethylenediamine, 2-methyl-1,5-diaminopentane, 2,2,4- or 2,4,4-trimethylhexamethylenediamine, 1,9-nonamethylenediamine, 1,10-decamethylene-diamine, 4,4′-diaminodicyclohexylmethane, 3,3′-dimethyl-4,4′-diaminodicyclohexylmethane, 4,4′-diaminodicyclohexylpropane, 1,4-diaminocyclohexane, 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclo-hexane, 2,6-bis(aminomethyl)norbornane, and 3-aminomethyl-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexyl-amine. It is also possible to use a mixture of various diamines.
Suitable dicarboxylic acids of component β) likewise have from 4 to 40 carbon atoms; examples here are adipic acid, 2,2,4- or 2,4,4-trimethyladipic acid, azelaic acid, sebacic acid, 1,12-dodecanedioic acid, cyclohexane-1,4-dicarboxylic acid, 4,4′-dicarboxydicyclohexylmethane, 3,3′-dimethyl-4,4′-dicarboxydicyclohexylmethane, 4,4′-dicarboxydicyclohexylpropane, and 1,4-bis(carboxymethyl)cyclohexane. It is also possible to use a mixture of various dicarboxylic acids.
Suitable other lactams and, respectively, corresponding co-aminocarboxylic acids are those having 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 carbon atoms.
Another example of the polyamide of the layer I. is provided by polyamides that can be prepared from
These polyamides are disclosed in EP 0 619 336 A2, expressly incorporated herein by way of reference. A particular diamine component used is the isomer mixture of bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane.
The molding composition of the layer I. may also be a blend composed of various mutually compatible polyamides, for example of PA12 and PA1012, or composed of one amorphous and one semicrystalline polyamide. By way of example, a mixture composed of PA66 and PA6IT, transparent and semicrystalline at suitable mixing ratios, is suitable. PA6IT is the copolyamide composed of hexamethylenediamine, isophthalic acid, and terephthalic acid.
The molding composition of the layer I. is preferably semicrystalline with a crystallite melting point Tm in the range from 100 to 270° C., preferably from 120 to 220° C., and particularly preferably from 140 to 200° C. The enthalpy of fusion of the molding composition is preferably at least 10 J/g, and particularly preferably at least 15 J/g, at least 20 J/g, at least 25 J/g, at least 30 J/g, at least 35 J/g, at least 40 J/g, at least 45 J/g, at least 50 J/g, or at least 55 J/g. Tm and enthalpy of fusion are determined via DSC to ISO 11357 in the 2nd heating curve, using a heating rate of 20 K/min.
The thickness of the layer I. is generally in the range from 0.02 to 1 mm, preferably in the range from 0.05 to 0.8 mm, particularly preferably in the range from 0.1 to 0.6 mm, with particular preference in the range from 0.2 to 0.5 mm, and very particularly preferably in the range from 0.3 to 0.5 mm.
The polyamides and, respectively, copolyamides and polyamide elastomers of the layer II. and their preparation are prior art.
The polyamide II. a) α) is preferably based on monomers having 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 carbon atoms.
The average number of carbon atoms present in the monomer units in the polyamide II. a) β) is preferably from 8 to 12 and particularly preferably from 9 to 12.
The polyamide elastomer II. a) γ) may in particular be a polyetheramide or a polyetheresteramide. The polyetheramide can be prepared either from polyamide units having two carboxyl end groups and oligoalkylene glycol having two amino end groups, or from polyamide units having two amino end groups and oligoalkylene glycol having two carboxyl end groups. Correspondingly, polyetheresteramides can be prepared via reaction of a polyamide unit having two carboxyl end groups and oligoalkylene glycol having two hydroxyl end groups. The alkylene in the oligoalkylene glycol is generally ethylene, 1,2-propylene, 1,3-propylene, 1,2-butylene, or 1,4-butylene, and the oligoalkylene glycol here may be a homopolymer or a copolymer. In one preferred embodiment, the number of carbon atoms per oxygen atom in the oligoalkylene glycol is more than 2.3 on average. With respect to suitable polyamide elastomers, reference may be made, by way of example, to EP 1 329 481 A2, or DE-A 103 33 005, and also the references mentioned therein.
The average number of carbon atoms in the monomer units of the main component in the copolyamide II. a) δ) is preferably from 8 to 12 and particularly preferably from 9 to 12.
Suitable diamines of the second component have from 4 to 40 carbon atoms; examples of compounds used here are 1,6-hexamethylenediamine, 2-methyl-1,5-diaminopentane, 2,2,4- or 2,4,4-trimethylhexamethylenediamine, 1,9-nonamethylenediamine, 1,10-decamethylenediamine, 4,4′-diaminodicyclohexylmethane, 3,3′-dimethyl-4,4′-diaminodicyclohexylmethane, 4,4′-diaminodicyclohexylpropane, 1,4-diaminocyclohexane, 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane, 2,6-bis(aminomethyl)norbornane, and 3-aminomethyl-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexylamine. It is also possible to use a mixture of various diamines.
Suitable dicarboxylic acids of the second component likewise have from 4 to 40 carbon atoms; examples here are adipic acid, 2,2,4- or 2,4,4-trimethyladipic acid, azelaic acid, sebacic acid, 1,12-dodecanedioic acid, cyclohexane-1,4-dicarboxylic acid, 4,4′-dicarboxydicyclohexylmethane, 3,3′-dimethyl-4,4′-dicarboxydicyclohexylmethane, 4,4′-dicarboxydicyclohexylpropane, and 1,4-bis(carboxymethyl)cyclohexane. It is also possible to use a mixture of various dicarboxylic acids.
The molded composition of the layer II. may, of course, also comprise a polyamide mixture in any desired mixing ratio, examples being the types α) and β) (for example PA12 and PA1012), the types α) and γ), the types β) and γ), or the types δ) and γ).
By way of example, the copolymer II. b) has been formulated from the following monomers, the list here being non-exhaustive:
The formulation of the copolymer in this specific embodiment is
The copolymer may moreover contain a small amount of further copolymerized monomers as long as these do not significantly impair properties, examples being dimethyl maleate, dibutyl fumarate, diethyl itaconate, or styrene.
The preparation of these copolymers is prior art. Many different types of these are commercially available products, for example with the name LOTADER® (Elf Atochem; ethylene-acrylate-tercomponent or ethylene-glycidyl methacrylate).
The thickness of the layer II. is generally from 0.02 to 0.6 mm, preferably from 0.05 to 0.4 mm, particularly preferably from 0.1 to 0.3 mm, and with particular preference from 0.1 to 0.2 mm. At this thickness, the molding composition has good transparency.
The molding compositions of the layer I. and II. may comprise further additives, as long as no substantial impairment of transparency results, examples being rubbers, such as isorefractive acrylate rubbers, and also conventional auxiliaries and additives in the amounts conventional for polyamide molding compositions, examples being stabilizers, lubricants, dyes, or nucleating agents, preferably those selected from nanoscale fillers and metal salts, metal oxides, or metal hydroxides which can react with the carboxyl groups present in the molding composition.
The film may moreover comprise further layers, for example an adhesion-promoter layer for linkage to the substrate or for bonding within the multilayer film structure. If necessary, for example if scratch resistance requirements are stringent, the outer layer may, if appropriate, also have been provided with a protective layer, for example with a clear lacquer based on polyurethane. It may also, if appropriate, have been covered with an assembly film which is peeled away after production of the finished part.
The inventive film can give excellent results when decorated via printing, preferably by means of screen or offset printing on the outward-facing side of the layer II.
Examples of the use of the films are as protective film with respect to soiling, UV radiation, weathering effects, chemicals, or abrasion, as barrier film on vehicles, in the household, on floors, on tunnels, on tents, and on buildings, or as a carrier for decorative effects, for example for overcoatings on sports equipment, or internal or external decoration on motor vehicles, on boats, in the household, or on buildings. Examples of methods for producing the cohesive bond between film and substrate are adhesive bonding, pressing, lamination, coextrusion, or in-mold coating. To achieve improved adhesion, the film may be pre-flame-treated or pre-plasma-treated, for example.
In one preferred embodiment, the inventive film is used as overcoating for any type of snowboard-like equipment, such as skis or snowboards.
The invention is illustrated below by examples.
A copolyamide composed of laurolactam (85 mol %), isophoronediamine (7.5 mol %), and 1,12-dodecanedioic acid (7.5 mol %) with a crystallite melting point Tm of 163° C. in the form of a monofilm of thickness 0.4 mm exhibited good adhesion to screen-printing inks and epoxy-resin adhesive compositions, and also good transparency. However, the film embrittled on printing and, respectively, on treatment with the adhesive composition.
A molding composition composed of 66.5% by weight of a polyetheresteramide with Tm, of 171° C., formulated from PA12 blocks whose number-average molecular weight is about 4300 and from oligotetrahydrofuran blocks whose number-average molecular weight is about 1000, 28.5% by weight of a PA12, and 5% by weight of an ethylene-co-acrylic acid copolymer (ESCOR® 5200 from Exxon Mobil Chemicals) having an acrylic acid fraction of 15% by weight, in the form of a monofilm of thickness 0.4 mm, exhibited good adhesion to screen-printing inks and to epoxy-resin adhesive compositions, and did not embrittle at all on printing and, respectively, on treatment with the adhesive composition. However, the transparency of the film was evaluated as at best “adequate”.
A two-layer film was produced from the copolyamide of Comparative example 1 (layer thickness 0.3 mm) and the molding composition of Comparative example 2 (layer thickness 0.1 mm). The film had good transparency; after printing by means of screen printing and adhesive bonding using epoxy-resin adhesive composition (both on the side of the molding composition of Comparative example 2), the film exhibited good adhesion to the screen-printing inks and to the epoxy-resin adhesive composition, and exhibited no embrittlement at all.
The examples show that an excellent compromise between printability and adhesive-bondability on the one hand and transparency on the other hand can be achieved with the aid of the inventive multilayer film.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2005 007 663 | Feb 2005 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2006/050037 | 1/4/2006 | WO | 00 | 8/17/2007 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2006/087249 | 8/24/2006 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3950281 | Usamoto et al. | Apr 1976 | A |
4584348 | Nagano | Apr 1986 | A |
5313987 | Rober et al. | May 1994 | A |
5348804 | Vasselin et al. | Sep 1994 | A |
5404915 | Mugge et al. | Apr 1995 | A |
5437755 | Lavorel et al. | Aug 1995 | A |
5500263 | Rober et al. | Mar 1996 | A |
5512342 | Rober et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
5554426 | Rober et al. | Sep 1996 | A |
5762849 | Argast et al. | Jun 1998 | A |
5798048 | Ries | Aug 1998 | A |
5858492 | Roeber et al. | Jan 1999 | A |
6090459 | Jadamus et al. | Jul 2000 | A |
6161879 | Ries et al. | Dec 2000 | A |
6306967 | Spyrou et al. | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6335101 | Haeger et al. | Jan 2002 | B1 |
6355358 | Boer et al. | Mar 2002 | B1 |
6391982 | Haeger et al. | May 2002 | B1 |
6407182 | Maul et al. | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6428866 | Jadamus et al. | Aug 2002 | B1 |
6451395 | Ries et al. | Sep 2002 | B1 |
6528137 | Franosch et al. | Mar 2003 | B2 |
6538073 | Oenbrink et al. | Mar 2003 | B1 |
6579581 | Bartz et al. | Jun 2003 | B2 |
6660796 | Schueler et al. | Dec 2003 | B2 |
6677015 | Himmelmann et al. | Jan 2004 | B2 |
6680093 | Ries et al. | Jan 2004 | B1 |
6726999 | Schueler et al. | Apr 2004 | B2 |
6766091 | Beuth et al. | Jul 2004 | B2 |
6783821 | Ries et al. | Aug 2004 | B2 |
6793997 | Schmitz | Sep 2004 | B2 |
6794048 | Schmitz et al. | Sep 2004 | B2 |
7025842 | Monsheimer et al. | Apr 2006 | B2 |
7135525 | Petter et al. | Nov 2006 | B2 |
7148286 | Baumann et al. | Dec 2006 | B2 |
7175896 | Schmitz et al. | Feb 2007 | B2 |
7317044 | Monsheimer et al. | Jan 2008 | B2 |
20010018105 | Schmitz et al. | Aug 2001 | A1 |
20020082352 | Schmitz et al. | Jun 2002 | A1 |
20020142118 | Schmitz et al. | Oct 2002 | A1 |
20020179888 | Montanari et al. | Dec 2002 | A1 |
20030072987 | Ries et al. | Apr 2003 | A1 |
20030124281 | Ries et al. | Jul 2003 | A1 |
20030173707 | Becker et al. | Sep 2003 | A1 |
20030212174 | Peirick et al. | Nov 2003 | A1 |
20040102539 | Monsheimer et al. | May 2004 | A1 |
20040106691 | Monsheimer et al. | Jun 2004 | A1 |
20040137228 | Monsheimer et al. | Jul 2004 | A1 |
20040140668 | Monsheimer et al. | Jul 2004 | A1 |
20040202908 | Schmitz et al. | Oct 2004 | A1 |
20040232583 | Monsheimer et al. | Nov 2004 | A1 |
20050027050 | Monsheimer et al. | Feb 2005 | A1 |
20060014035 | Montanari et al. | Jan 2006 | A1 |
20060071359 | Monsheimer et al. | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060078752 | Schmitz et al. | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060083882 | Schmitz et al. | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060099478 | Schmitz et al. | May 2006 | A1 |
20060100323 | Schmidt et al. | May 2006 | A1 |
20060134419 | Monsheimer et al. | Jun 2006 | A1 |
20060141188 | Schmitz et al. | Jun 2006 | A1 |
20060189784 | Monsheimer et al. | Aug 2006 | A1 |
20060202395 | Monsheimer et al. | Sep 2006 | A1 |
20060223928 | Monsheimer et al. | Oct 2006 | A1 |
20060244169 | Monsheimer et al. | Nov 2006 | A1 |
20060281873 | Alting et al. | Dec 2006 | A1 |
20060292387 | Kuhmann et al. | Dec 2006 | A1 |
20070013108 | Monsheimer et al. | Jan 2007 | A1 |
20070036998 | Dowe et al. | Feb 2007 | A1 |
20070104971 | Wursche et al. | May 2007 | A1 |
20070126159 | Simon et al. | Jun 2007 | A1 |
20070148388 | Kuhmann et al. | Jun 2007 | A1 |
20070166560 | Wursche et al. | Jul 2007 | A1 |
20070182070 | Monsheimer et al. | Aug 2007 | A1 |
20070183918 | Monsheimer et al. | Aug 2007 | A1 |
20070197692 | Monsheimer et al. | Aug 2007 | A1 |
20070232753 | Monsheimer et al. | Oct 2007 | A1 |
20070238056 | Baumann et al. | Oct 2007 | A1 |
20080116616 | Monsheimer et al. | May 2008 | A1 |
20080166496 | Monsheimer et al. | Jul 2008 | A1 |
20080217821 | Goring et al. | Sep 2008 | A1 |
20080249237 | Hager et al. | Oct 2008 | A1 |
20100221551 | Wursche et al. | Sep 2010 | A1 |
20120094116 | Wursche et al. | Apr 2012 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
0 622 183 | Nov 1994 | EP |
0 779 084 | Jun 1997 | EP |
1 329 481 | Jul 2003 | EP |
Entry |
---|
U.S. Appl. No. 12/037,465, filed Feb. 26, 2008, Omeis, et al. |
U.S. Appl. No. 12/438,142, filed Feb. 20, 2009, Luetzeler, et al. |
U.S. Appl. No. 12/438,364, filed Feb. 23, 2009, Luetzeler, et al. |
U.S. Appl. No. 12/373,547, filed Jan. 13, 2009, Luetzeler, et al. |
U.S. Appl. No. 12/302,298, filed Nov. 25, 2009, Alting, et al. |
U.S. Appl. No. 12/515,543, filed May 20, 2009, Wursche, et al. |
Michael Beyer, et al., “Schon Und Robust-Schutz-Und Dekorfolien Aus Polyamiden”, Kunststoffe, vol. 90, Jan. 2000, pp. 98-101. |
U.S. Appl. No. 13/150,683, filed Jun. 1, 2011, Alting, et al. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20080213552 A1 | Sep 2008 | US |