Holographic transfer thermoplastic sheet

• US 20060154050A1
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toray Plastics (America), Inc. (Toray Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Toray Plastics (America), Inc. (Toray Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bartholomay, Eric, Sargeant, Steven J., Fitch, John
• Application Number:
  US10/848,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20060154050A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/336
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/516 mono-axially
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2551/00 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/06 Embossing
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0256 having specific functional layer
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/028 by embossing
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2250/10 arranged to be transferred onto a carrier body adhesive layer G03H2250/35
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2250/14 Forming layer onto which a surface relief hologram is formed G03H2270/52 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1023 Surface deformation only [e.g., embossing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/28 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and having an adhesive outermost layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31511 Of epoxy ether
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31551 Of polyamidoester [polyurethane, polyisocyanate, polycarbamate, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31786 Of polyester [e.g., alkyd, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31935 Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer

Abstract

A directly embossable, coated polyethyleneterephthalate film including a dry, uniaxially oriented PET film, and a coating applied to the PET film, wherein the coating and the PET film have as a composite been transversely stretched, the coating resin being capable of impregnating the PET surface on drawing, rendering the film surface susceptible to embossing under pressure and the coating having low heat sealability and a method of producing a coated, directly embossable polyethyleneterephthalate film.

Claims

1. An embossable and transferable, coated polyethyleneterephthalate film comprising:

a uniaxially oriented PET base film;

a coating applied to the PET base film;

wherein the coating and the PET base film have as a composite been transversely stretched, the coating resin impregnating a surface portion of the PET base film upon the transverse stretching and rendering the surface portion of the base film susceptible to embossing; and

a low T_g laminating adhesive layer that enables transfer of the coating, subsequent to embossing, to a secondary substrate.

2. The film of claim 1, wherein the PET base film is co-extruded to comprise at least two layers.

3. The film of claim 1, wherein the PET film has a thickness of about 4.5 μ

m to about 60 μ

m.

4. The film of claim 1, wherein the PET base film contains particles.

5. The film of claim 4, wherein the particles are selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, calcium carbonate and mixtures thereof.

6. The film of claim 4, wherein particles are present in an amount of about 0.005 wt % to about 0.6 wt %, based on the weight of the PET film.

7. The film of claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer comprises an acrylic, a urethane or a polyester solvent based adhesive.

8. The film of claim 1, wherein the PET base film is stretched in an amount of about 3.4 to about 5.4 times.

9. The film of claim 1, wherein the coated PET film, as a composite, is stretched in an amount of about 3.3 to about 4.6 times in the transverse direction.

10. The film of claim 1, wherein the coating is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of a non-cross-linked polystyrene-acrylic emulsion and non-cross-linked polyester dispersion.

11. The film of claim 1, wherein the coating has a thickness of about 0.1 μ

m to about 0.4 μ

m.

12. The film of claim 2, wherein the co-extruded layers comprise a polyester layer and a co-polyester layer.

13. The film of claim 12, wherein the co-polyester layer is formed from isophthalic acid or a derivative of cyclohexane dimethanol.

14. The film of claim 1, wherein the co-polyester layer has a thickness of from about 0.1 μ

m to about 3.0 μ

m.

15. The film of claim 1, wherein the co-polyester layer has an upper surface contacting the coating and has a roughness Ra of about 40 nm.

16. The film of claim 1, further comprising a metal layer located between the coating and the adhesive.

17. The film of claim 16, wherein the surface of the base film and the metal layer are embossed.

18. The film of claim 1, wherein the surface of the base film is embossed.

19. The film of claim 1, wherein the low T_g laminating adhesive layer is selected from the group consisting of internally or externally plasticized copolyester, internally or externally plasticized acrylics, epoxy-based resins, PVA (polyvinylacetate) based resins and polyurethane-based laminating adhesive.

41. The film of claim 1, wherein the secondary substrate is selected from the group consisting of cloth, paper board and a filmic material.

20. A holographic laminate structure comprising:

a uniaxially oriented PET base film;

a coating applied to the PET base film;

wherein the coating of a PET base film have as a composite been transversely stretch, the coating resin impregnating a surface portion of the PET base film upon transverse stretching and rendering the surface portion of the base film susceptible to embossing;

a metal layer applied to the coating, wherein the surface of the base film and the metal layer are embossed;

a low T_g laminating adhesive layer applied to the metal layer; and

a transfer substrate laminated to the adhesive layer.

21. A method of producing a coated, directly embossable polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) film comprising:

stretching a PET film to form a uniaxially oriented PET film;

drying the uniaxially oriented PET film;

coating at least one surface of the uniaxially oriented PET film with an aqueous solution of an organic material;

rendering at least one surface of a resulting coated uniaxially oriented PET film susceptible to direct embossing by impregnating the surface of the uniaxially oriented PET film with at least a portion of the coating by transverse stretching the coated uniaxially oriented PET film; and

applying a low T_g laminating adhesive layer to the coating.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the PET base film is co-extruded and forms at least two layers.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the PET film has a thickness of about 4.5 μ

m to about 60 μ

m.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the PET film contains particles.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the PET film contains particles selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, calcium carbonate and mixtures thereof.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the PET film contains particles and which particles are present in the amount of about 0.005 wt % to about 0.6 wt %, based on the weight of the PET film.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the PET film is stretched in an amount of about 3.4 to about 5.4 times.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the coated PET film is stretched in an amount of about 3.3 to about 4.6 times in the transverse direction.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the coating is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of a non-cross-linked polystyrene-acrylic emulsion and non-cross-linked polyester dispersion.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the coating has a thickness of about 0.1 μ

m to about 0.4 μ

m.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein the co-extruded layers comprise a polyester layer and a co-polyester layer.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein the co-polyester layer is formed from isophthalic acid or a derivative of cyclohexane dimethanol.

33. The method of claim 21, further comprising embossing selected surface portions of the PET film under pressure.

34. The method of claim 21, wherein the co-polyester layer has a thickness between about 0.1 μ

m and 3.0 μ

m.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the co-polyester layer has an upper surface contacting the coating and has a roughness Ra of about 40 nm.

36. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

applying a metal layer on the coating.

37. A method of making a laminate structure containing a holographic image comprising:

stretching a PET film to form a uniaxially oriented PET film;

drying the uniaxially oriented PET film;

coating at least one surface of the uniaxially oriented PET film with an aqueous solution of an organic material;

rendering at least one surface of a resulting coated uniaxially oriented PET film susceptible to direct embossing by impregnating the surface of the uniaxially oriented PET film with at least a portion of the coating by transverse stretching the coated uniaxially oriented PET film;

applying a metal layer on the coating;

embossing the coating and the metal layer;

applying a low T_g laminating adhesive film to the metal layer; and

laminating a transfer substrate to the adhesive layer.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the transfer substrate is made from a material selected from the group consisting of cloth, paper board and filmic substrates selected from the group consisting of PVC (polyvinylchloride), BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene) and BOPET (biaxially oriented polyethyleneterephthalate.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the metal layer is applied by vacuum pressure.

40. A method of making a holographic image on a substrate comprising:

stretching a PET film to form a uniaxially oriented PET film;

drying the uniaxially oriented PET film;

coating at least one surface of the uniaxially oriented PET film with an aqueous solution of an organic material;

rendering at least one surface of a resulting coated uniaxially oriented PET film susceptible to direct embossing by impregnating the surface of the uniaxially oriented PET film with at least a portion of the coating by transverse stretching the coated uniaxially oriented PET film;

applying a metal layer on the coating;

embossing the coating and the metal layer;

applying a low T_g laminating adhesive film to the metal layer;

laminating a transfer substrate to the adhesive layer; and

removing the PET base film.