Film provided with hardcoat and process for producing the same

• US 20020110692A1
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Arakawa, Fumihiro, Suzuki, Hiroko
• Granted Patent: US 6,770,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/411.1
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/067 Curing or cross-linking the coating
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/08 to obtain an anti-friction or anti-adhesive surface rendering particulate materials free-flowing in general, e.g. making them hydrophobic B01J2/30
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/52 Two layers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2301/02 Cellulose; Modified cellulose
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2433/08 Homopolymers or copolymers of acrylic acid esters
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/0427 with only one layer of a composition containing a polymer binder with more layers C08J7/042
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/043 Improving the adhesiveness of the coatings per se, e.g. forming primers adhesives in the form of films or foils characterised by the primer layers between the polymer carriers and the adhesives C09J7/50
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/046 Forming abrasion-resistant coatings; Forming surface-hardening coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/048 Forming gas barrier coatings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24364 with transparent or protective coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]

Abstract

Disclosed is a film provided with a hardcoat which has high surface hardness and improved apparent scratch resistance. This film provided with a hardcoat comprises: a transparent substrate film; and, stacked on the transparent substrate film in the following order, a hardcoat and a slip layer. The hardcoat is formed of a cured product of a material comprising an ultraviolet-curable resin and a photopolymerization initiator which initiates the photopolymerization of the ultraviolet-curable resin upon exposure to ultraviolet light in its wavelength region other than the wavelength region absorbable by the transparent substrate film. The slip layer contains a slip agent.

Claims

1. A film comprising:

a transparent substrate film; and

, stacked on the transparent substrate film in the following order, a hardcoat and a slip layer,

said hardcoat being formed of a cured product of a material comprising an ultraviolet-curable resin and a photopolymerization initiator which initiates the photopolymerization of the ultraviolet-curable resin upon exposure to ultraviolet light in its wavelength region other than the wavelength region absorbable by the transparent substrate film,

said slip layer containing a slip agent.

2. The film according to claim 1, wherein the slip layer is constructed so that the content of the slip agent in the slip layer increases from the top surface of the slip layer toward the top surface of the hardcoat.

3. The film according to claim 1, wherein the slip agent is silicone.

4. The film according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet wavelength region, which is absorbed by the transparent substrate film, is less than 350 nm, and the ultraviolet wavelength region, which is absorbed by the photopolymerization initiator, is 350 to 450 nm.

5. The film according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the hardcoat has fine concaves and convexes.

6. A process for producing a film comprising a transparent substrate film and a hardcoat provided on the transparent substrate film, said process comprising the steps of:

forming, on the transparent substrate film, an ultraviolet-curable layer comprising an ultraviolet-curable resin and a photopolymerization initiator which initiates the photopolymerization of the ultraviolet-curable resin upon exposure to ultraviolet light in its wavelength region other than the wavelength region absorbable by the transparent substrate film;

covering the top surface of the ultraviolet-curable layer with an oxygen impermeable material; and

applying ultraviolet light in its wavelength region, which permits the photopolymerization initiator to initiate the photopolymerization of the ultraviolet light-curable layer, through the transparent substrate film to cure the ultraviolet-curable layer.

7. The process according to claim 6, which further comprises, after the ultraviolet-curable layer has been cured, applying ultraviolet light in its wavelength region, which permits the photopolymerization initiator to initiate the photopolymerization of the ultraviolet light-curable layer, through the ultraviolet-cured layer to further cure the ultraviolet-cured layer.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the ultraviolet wavelength region, which is absorbed by the transparent substrate film, is less than less than 350 nm, and the ultraviolet wavelength region, which is absorbed by the photopolymerization initiator, is 350 to 450 nm.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein a slip layer containing a slip agent is further formed on the ultraviolet-cured layer.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the slip layer is formed so that the content of the slip agent in the slip layer increases from the top surface of the slip layer toward the top surface of the ultraviolet-cured layer.

11. The method according to claim 6, which further comprises forming fine concaves and convexes on the surface of the ultraviolet-cured layer.

12. A film produced by the process according to any one of claims 6 to 11.