MULTIPLE LAYER INTERLAYERS HAVING A GRADIENT REGION

• US 20080102280A1
• Filed: 11/01/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solutia Incorporated (Eastman Chemical Company)
• Original Assignee: Solutia Incorporated (Eastman Chemical Company)
• Inventors: Karagiannis, Aristotelis, D'Errico, John Joseph, Lu, Jun, Bourcier, David Paul, Matis, Gary, Smith, Andrew Neil, Wardak, Marcin
• Granted Patent: US 7,842,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/411.1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10339 Specific parts of the laminated safety glass or glazing being colored or tinted tinted glass sheet B32B17/1011; tinted interlayer B32B17/10651
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/30 comprising vinyl (co)polymers; comprising acrylic (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31511 Of epoxy ether
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31627 Next to aldehyde or ketone condensation product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3163 Next to acetal of polymerized unsaturated alcohol [e.g., formal butyral, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31942 Of aldehyde or ketone condensation product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31946 Next to second aldehyde or ketone condensation product

Abstract

The present invention provides multiple layer interlayers that can be used in multiple layer glass panel type applications to reduce the amount of sound transmitted through the panel while also providing a colored region within a gradient region. The acoustic effect can be achieved by using two or more polymer sheets having differing compositions that have been combined into a single multiple layer interlayer, and the gradient region effect is achieved by forming a colored region in one or more gradient regions of the individual layers.

Claims

1. A polymer interlayer comprising:

a first polymer sheet comprising a plasticized thermoplastic polymer and having a first gradient region;

a second polymer sheet comprising a plasticized thermoplastic polymer and having a second gradient region;

wherein said first polymer sheet and said second polymer sheet have a compositional difference that results in at least a 2 decibel difference in sound transmission loss between said first polymer sheet and said second polymer sheet; and

,

wherein one or both of said first gradient region and said second gradient region comprises a colored region.

2. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein said colored region has a total alkaline titer that is at least 4 titers less than the total alkaline titer of the clear region of the polymer sheet in which it is formed.

3. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein said colored region has a total alkaline titer that is at least 8 titers less than the total alkaline titer of the clear region of the polymer sheet in which it is formed.

4. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein said colored region incorporates an epoxy compound.

5. The interlayer of claim 4, wherein said colored region incorporates an epoxy resin.

6. The interlayer of claim 5, wherein said epoxy is selected from the group consisting of an epoxide or diepoxide of poly(oxypropylene) glycol.

7. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein said first gradient region and said second gradient region have a gradient to clear ratio of greater than 0.25.

8. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein said first gradient region and said second gradient region have a gradient to clear ratio of greater than 0.4.

9. The interlayer of claim 1, further comprising a third polymer sheet disposed in contact with said second polymer sheet.

10. The polymer interlayer of claim 1, wherein said plasticized thermoplastic polymer of said second polymer sheet and said plasticized thermoplastic polymer of said first polymer sheet comprise poly(vinyl butyral).

11. The polymer interlayer of claim 1, wherein the amount of plasticizer in said plasticized thermoplastic polymer of said second polymer sheet is at least 10 parts per hundred greater than the amount of plasticizer in said plasticized thermoplastic polymer of said first polymer sheet, and wherein said first polymer sheet and said second polymer sheet each have a residual acetate content of less than 5 mol percent.

12. The polymer interlayer of claim 1, wherein the amount of plasticizer in said plasticized thermoplastic polymer of said second polymer sheet is at least 15 parts per hundred greater than the amount of plasticizer in said plasticized thermoplastic polymer of said first polymer sheet.

13. The polymer interlayer of claim 1, wherein said second polymer sheet has a residual hydroxyl content per weight percentage that is at least 2% lower than the residual hydroxyl content per weight percentage of said first polymer sheet.

14. The polymer interlayer of claim 1, wherein said second polymer sheet has a residual hydroxyl content per weight percentage that is at least 4% lower than the residual hydroxyl content per weight percentage of said first polymer sheet.

15. The polymer interlayer of claim 1, wherein said second polymer sheet has a residual hydroxyl content per weight percentage that is at least 8% lower than the residual hydroxyl content per weight percentage of said first polymer sheet.

16. The polymer interlayer of claim 1, wherein said second polymer sheet has a residual hydroxyl content per weight percentage of less than 17.0% and said first polymer sheet has a residual hydroxyl content per weight percentage of less than 20%.

17. The polymer interlayer of claim 1, wherein said first polymer sheet and said second polymer sheet each have a residual acetate content of less than 3 mol percent.

18. The polymer interlayer of claim 1, wherein said first polymer sheet and said second polymer sheet each have a residual acetate content of less than 1 mol percent.

19. The polymer interlayer of claim 1, wherein said colored region is said entire gradient region.

20. The polymer interlayer of claim 1, wherein said colored region is a subportion of said gradient region.

21. The polymer interlayer of claim 1, wherein said first gradient region comprises a colored region.

22. The polymer interlayer of claim 1, wherein said second gradient region comprises a colored region.

23. The polymer interlayer of claim 1, wherein said first gradient region and said second gradient region each comprise a colored region.

24. A multiple layer glazing panel comprising a polymer interlayer comprising:

a first polymer sheet comprising a plasticized thermoplastic polymer and having a first gradient region;

a second polymer sheet comprising a plasticized thermoplastic polymer and having a second gradient region;

wherein said first polymer sheet and said second polymer sheet have a compositional difference that results in at least a 2 decibel difference in sound transmission loss between said first polymer sheet and said second polymer sheet; and

,

wherein one or both of said first gradient region and said second gradient region comprises a colored region.

25. A method of making a multiple layer interlayer, comprising:

coextruding a first polymer melt comprising a plasticized thermoplastic polymer and having a first gradient region and a second polymer sheet comprising a plasticized thermoplastic polymer and having a second gradient region;

wherein said first polymer sheet and said second polymer sheet have a compositional difference that results in at least a 2 decibel difference in sound transmission loss between said first polymer sheet and said second polymer sheet; and

,

wherein one or both of said first gradient region and said second gradient region comprises a colored region.

26. A polymer interlayer comprising:

a first polymer sheet comprising a plasticized thermoplastic polymer and having a first gradient region;

a second polymer sheet comprising a plasticized thermoplastic polymer and having a second gradient region;

wherein one or both of said first gradient region and said second gradient region comprises a colored region.