Information-carrying moulded part

• US 20020146549A1
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Published: 10/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DSM IP Assets BV (DSM-Firmenich AG)
• Original Assignee: DSM IP Assets BV (DSM-Firmenich AG)
• Inventors: Schroder, Christiaan, Gelissen, Franciscus W.M., Bulters, Markus J.H., Kranenburg-Van Dijk, Saskia I.
• Granted Patent: US 6,673,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/217
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2425/00 Cards, e.g. identity cards, credit cards
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/06 as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a layer of a particular substance B32B9/045; next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/046; next to a water setting substance layer B32B13/12; next to a metal layer B32B15/08; next to a glass layer B32B17/10; next to a layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles B32B19/045; next to a wood layer B32B21/08; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/08; next to a natural or synthetic rubber layer B32B25/08
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/025 containing polyether sequences
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24868 Translucent outer layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24983 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31507 Of polycarbonate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31786 Of polyester [e.g., alkyd, etc.]

Abstract

The invention relates to an information-carrying molded part containing one or more plastic layers, at least one of which bears an informative representation. A ‘molded part’ is understood to be in particular a card such as ‘smart cards’, key cards, identification cards, telephone cards, credit cards or bank cards. According to the invention at least one of the plastic layers herein is made from a block-copolyester consisting of soft blocks of a flexible polymer and hard polyester blocks of repeating units of at least one alkylene glycol and at least one aromatic dicarboxylic acid or an ester thereof. The block-copolyether layer can very well be provided with an informative representation with the aid of laser writing and for example sublimation printing. The information-carrying molded part according to the invention also has a good stiffness combined with a good flexibility and a good resistance to breaking and tearing, good adhesion to for example polycarbonate. PVC-free cards can be made which do not threaten the environment.

Claims

1. An information-carrying moulded part containing one or more plastic layers, at least one of which bears an informative representation, wherein at least one of the plastic layers is made from a block-copolyester consisting of soft blocks of a flexible polymer and hard polyester blocks with repeating units derived from at least one alkylene glycol and at least one aromatic dicarboxylic acid or an ester thereof.

2. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein an informative representation has been applied to a block-copolyester layer.

3. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherien the moulded part is free of polyvinylchloride (PVC).

4. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein the soft blocks consist of a polyether derived from a polyalkeneoxide glycol.

5. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein the block-copolyester is a block-copolymer containing

polybutyleneterephthalate blocks and

poly(oxytetramethylene)terephthalate blocks.

6. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein a block-copolyester layer with a hardness of at least 50 Shore D is on an outside of the moulded part.

7. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein the plastic layers are all block-copolyester layers, at least one of which layers has a hardness of at least 50 Shore D.

8. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein the moulded part consists of a single block-copolyester layer with a hardness of at least 50 Shore D to which an informative representation has been applied.

9. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 6, wherein the block-copolyester layer has a hardness of at least 60 Shore D.

10. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein, on one or both outsides, viewed from outside inwards, it has a transparent outer layer and an inside layer consisting of a block-copolyester bearing an informative representation.

11. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 10, wherein the outer layer has been applied directly to the block-copolyester inside layer without an intermediate layer of adhesive.

12. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 10, wherein the block-copolyester inside layer consists of a soft block-copolyester with a hardness of less than 50 Shore D.

13. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 12, wherein, on the inside of the soft block-copolyester inside layer, is a layer consisting of a block-copolyester with a hardness of more than 50 Shore D.

14. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 10, wherein it contains a chip mounted in or on a block-copolyester layer with a hardness of more than 50 Shore D.

15. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein the block-copolyester layer contains additives for improving the laser-markability.

16. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein, the hard blocks in the block-copolyester are derived from, in addition to the aromatic dicarboxylic acid or an ester thereof, a minority proportion of a second aromatic dicarboxylic acid or an ester thereof.

17. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 16, wherein the hard blocks consist of polybutyleneterephthalate modified with isophthalic acid.

18. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein an anti-slip layer consisting of a block-copolyester with a hardness of less than 50 Shore D has been applied to, at least, part of the surface of an outside of the moulded part.

19. The information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein the moulded part is a card.

20. Use of the information-carrying card according to claim 19 as a key card, identification card, telephone card, credit card, bank card, driving licence, insurance card, membership card or smart card.

22. A process for the production of an information-carrying moulded part according to claims 1, wherein two or more plastic layers, including a block-copolyester layer bearing an informative representation, are formed into a laminate.

23. A process for the production of an information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein two or more plastic layers, including a block-copolyester layer, are formed into a laminate, after which an informative representation is applied to the block-copolyester layer of the laminate.

24. A process for the production of an information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein the moulded part is produced by means of injection-moulding, after which an informative representation is applied to the block-copolyester layer of the moulded part.

25. A process for the production of an information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein the moulded part is produced by co-extruding two or more layers, after which an informative representation is applied to the block-copolyester layer.

26. A process for the production of an information-carrying moulded part according to claim 1, wherein co-extrusion is used to apply a transparent outer layer to a block-copolyester layer bearing an informative representation.

27. The process according to claim 26, wherein the outer layer consists of polycarbonate.

21. Use of block-copolyesters as a layer in single- or multi-layer information-carrying moulded parts, in particular cards.