Metallization process and product produced thereby

• US 20080187770A1
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Unifoil Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unifoil Corporation
• Inventors: Funicelli, Joseph, Gallino, Robert
• Application Number:
  US12/080,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20080187770A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/457
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 1/1737 Decalcomanias provided with a particular decorative layer, e.g. specially adapted to allow the formation of a metallic or dyestuff on a substrate unsuitable for direct deposition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/26 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component, the element or component having a specified physical dimension
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31507 Of polycarbonate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31681 Next to polyester, polyamide or polyimide [e.g., alkyd, glue, or nylon, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31692 Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3382 Including a free metal or alloy constituent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/654 Including a free metal or alloy constituent

Abstract

A layered structure produced by metallizing a substrate including: (a) providing a transfer film including film layer and metal layer bonded together by a cured breakaway layer; (b) providing a substrate; (c) applying electron beam curable transfer adhesive to a portion of the substrate; (d) securing the transfer film to the substrate, where the transfer adhesive is between the metal layer and substrate, forming an intermediate product; (e) passing the intermediate product through an electron beam curing apparatus to cure the transfer adhesive; and (f) removing the transfer film. In the metallized product, the cured breakaway coating is bonded only to the metal. The cured breakaway layer preferably has a cured elongation at break, in tension, of less than about 20%. Precise metallized edges are produced, e.g., edge variation of about ±0.010 in., or better. The process can be utilized with total or selective metal transfer.

Claims

1. A selectively metallized layered structure comprising at least one each of:

(a) a substrate layer having a predetermined total area;

(b) a metal-containing layer comprising selectively metallized portions;

(c) an adhesive layer adhering said selectively metallized portions of said metal-containing metal layer to said substrate layer; and

(d) a breakaway layer, having a top surface and a bottom surface, said bottom surface of said breakaway layer coating said selectively metallized portions of said metal-containing layer, whereby said metal-containing layer, said adhesive layer, and said breakaway layer cover a portion of said predetermined total area of said substrate layer.

2. The selectively metallized layered structure of claim 1 having at least two selectively metallized areas, each said area having at least one metallized edge, said edges separated from one another by a non-metallized area, thereby providing adjoining metallized edges.

3. The selectively metallized layered structure of claim 2 wherein the distance between said adjoining metallized edges varies by less than or equal to about ±

0.010 inches.

4. The selectively metallized layered structure of claim 3 wherein said distance varies by less than or equal to about ±

0.0010 inches.

5. A selectively metallized layered structure comprising at least one each of:

(a) a substrate layer having a predetermined total area;

(b) a metal-containing layer comprising selectively metallized portions;

(c) an adhesive layer adhering said selectively metallized portions of said metal-containing metal layer to said substrate layer; and

(d) a breakaway layer, having a top surface and a bottom surface, said bottom surface of said breakaway layer coating said selectively metallized portions of said metal-containing layer.

6. The selectively metallized layered structure of claim 5 having at least two selectively metallized portions, each said portion having at least one metallized edge, said edges separated from one another by a non-metallized portion, thereby providing adjoining metallized edges.

7. The selectively metallized layered structure of claim 6 wherein the distance between said adjoining metallized edges varies by less than or equal to about ±

0.010 inches.

8. The selectively metallized layered structure of claim 7 wherein said distance varies by less than or equal to about ±

0.0010 inches.