MOLDED OPTICAL ARTICLES AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME

• US 20080193749A1
• Filed: 01/23/2008
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Thompson, D. Scott, Boardman, Larry D., Kecman, Fedja
• Granted Patent: US 9,944,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/343
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0073 Optical laminates
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/04 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/041 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/28 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and having an adhesive outermost layer

Abstract

Molded optical articles and methods of making them are disclosed herein. Optical articles comprise a photopolymerizable composition disposed on a major surface of a substrate. The photopolymerizable composition comprises: a silicon-containing resin comprising silicon-bonded hydrogen and aliphatic unsaturation, and a platinum catalyst providing from about 0.5 to about 30 parts per million of platinum. The major surface imparts a positive or negative lens to the photopolymerizable composition. Optical articles also include those that have been photopolymerized using actinic radiation having a wavelength of 700 nm or less.

Claims

1. An optical article comprising:

a photopolymerizable composition disposed on a major surface of a substrate, wherein

the photopolymerizable composition comprises;

a silicon-containing resin comprising silicon-bonded hydrogen and aliphatic unsaturation, and a platinum catalyst providing from about 0.5 to about 30 parts per million of platinum; and

the major surface imparts a positive or negative lens to the photopolymerizable composition.

2. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the photopolymerizable composition is free of catalyst inhibitor.

3. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing resin comprises an organosiloxane.

4. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing resin comprises a first organosiloxane having units of the formula:

R¹_aH_cSiO<sub>(4−

a−

c)/2</sub>

wherein;

R¹ is a monovalent, straight-chained, branched or cyclic, unsubstituted or substituted, hydrocarbon group that is free of aliphatic unsaturation and has from 1 to 18 carbon atoms;

a is 0, 1, 2, or 3;

c is 0, 1, or 2; and

the sum of a+c is 0, 1, 2, or 3;

with the proviso that there is on average at least one silicon-bonded hydrogen present per molecule.

5. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing resin comprises a second organosiloxane, the second organosiloxane having units of the formula:

R¹_aR²_bSiO<sub>(4−

a−

b)/2</sub>

wherein;

R¹ is a monovalent, straight-chained, branched or cyclic, unsubstituted or substituted, hydrocarbon group that is free of aliphatic unsaturation and has from 1 to 18 carbon atoms;

R² is a monovalent hydrocarbon group having aliphatic unsaturation and from 2 to 10 carbon atoms;

a is 0, 1, 2, or 3;

b is 0, 1, 2, or 3; and

the sum a+b is 0, 1, 2, or 3;

with the proviso that there is on average at least one R² present per molecule.

6. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the positive or negative lens is a Fresnel lens.

7. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the substrate is transparent.

8. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive.

9. The optical article of claim 8, wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive is formed from free-radically polymerizable monomers selected from the group of (meth)acrylates, vinyl monomers, and mixtures thereof.

10. The optical article of claim 8, wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive is formed from a (meth)acrylate block copolymer comprising:

at least two A block polymeric units that are the reaction product of a first monomer composition comprising an alkyl methacrylate, an aralkyl methacrylate, an aryl methacrylate, or a combination thereof, each A block having a Tg of at least 50°

C., the methacrylate block copolymer comprising from 20 to 50 weight percent A block; and

at least one B block polymeric unit that is the reaction product of a second monomer composition comprising an alkyl(meth)acrylate, a heteroalkyl(meth)acrylate, a vinyl ester, or a combination thereof, the B block having a Tg no greater than 20°

C., the (meth)acrylate block copolymer comprising from 50 to 80 weight percent B block;

wherein the A block polymeric units are present as nanodomains having an average size less than about 150 nm in a matrix of the B block polymeric units.

11. The optical article of claim 8, wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises a silicone-based pressure sensitive adhesive.

12. The optical article of claim 1, further comprising a curable adhesive-forming composition disposed on the photopolymerizable composition.

13. A method of making an optical article, comprising:

providing a photopolymerizable composition disposed on a major surface of a first substrate, wherein

the photopolymerizable composition comprises;

a silicon-containing resin comprising silicon-bonded hydrogen and aliphatic unsaturation, and a platinum catalyst providing from about 0.5 to about 30 parts per million of platinum; and

the major surface imparts a positive or negative lens to the photopolymerizable composition; and

photopolymerizing the photopolymerizable composition to form a photopolymerized composition, wherein photopolymerizing comprises applying actinic radiation having a wavelength of 700 nm or less.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the actinic radiation has a wavelength of from 250 to 500 nm.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising separating the photopolymerized composition from the first substrate.

16. An optical article prepared according to the method of claim 15.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a second substrate disposed on the photopolymerizable composition.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising separating the photopolymerized composition from the first substrate.

19. An optical article prepared according to the method of claim 18.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

forming a curable adhesive-forming composition disposed on the photopolymerizable composition;

photopolymerizing the photopolymerizable composition to form a photopolymerized composition, wherein photopolymerizing comprises applying actinic radiation having a wavelength of 700 nm or less; and

polymerizing the curable adhesive-forming composition to form a pressure sensitive adhesive.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the actinic radiation has a wavelength of from 250 to 500 nm.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises a silicone-based pressure sensitive adhesive.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein polymerizing the curable adhesive-forming composition to form a pressure sensitive adhesive comprising photopolymerizing the curable adhesive-forming composition.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising separating the photopolymerized composition from the first substrate.

25. An optical article prepared according to the method of claim 20.