Film laminates as high barrier films and their use in vacuum insulation panels

• US 6,740,394 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wipak Walsrode GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Wipak Walsrode GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Kuckertz, Christian, Jacobsen, Sven, Brandt, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): NAKARANI, DHIRAJLAL S
• Application Number:
  US09/961,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20020090522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 428/213, 428/215, 428/216, 428/336, 428/318.4, 428/319.3, 428/319.7, 428/319.9, 428/451, 428/458, 428/461, 428/463, 428/476.1, 428/476.3, 428/480, 428/483, 428/515, 428/516, 428/517, 428/519
• US Class Current: 428/216
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/803 with vacuum spaces included in the slab
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/242 Slab shaped vacuum insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 80/10 Insulation, e.g. vacuum or aerogel insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24967 Absolute thicknesses specified
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24975 No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249987 With nonvoid component of specified composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249991 Synthetic resin or natural rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249992 Linear or thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249993 Hydrocarbon polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31667 Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers, or aldehyde or ketone condensation product
• 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 428/31699 Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31746 Polymer of monoethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3175 Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomer[s]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31786 Of polyester [e.g., alkyd, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31797 Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31909 Next to second addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31913 : Monoolefin polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31917 : Next to polyene polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31924 : Including polyene monomers

Abstract

Multi-layer film laminate is described having at least 4 layers comprising at least one layer (I) as surface layer vapor-coated with aluminum or SiOx or a metal oxide from main groups 2 or 3, a gas barrier layer (II), at least one further layer (III) vapor-coated with aluminum or SiOx or a metal oxide from main groups 2 or 3 and a heat-sealable layer (IV), wherein the vapor-coated surface of layer (I) is adjacent to the following layer.

Their use as high gas barrier films as wrapping of vacuum insulation panels is also described.

Claims

1. Multi-layer film laminate having a first surface layer and a second surface layer, and comprising at least 4 layers (I) to (IV) arranged directly or indirectly in the following sequence:

a) at least one thermoplastic polymer layer (I) as the first surface layer, vapor-coated with aluminum, whereby the vapor-coated surface is adjacent to the following layer,

b) layer (II) as a gas barrier layer of an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer or polyvinyl alcohol,

c) at least one further thermoplastic polymer layer (III), vapor-coated with aluminum and

d) layer (IV) as a heat-sealable layer of a thermoplastic polymer, which is the second surface layer of the film laminate.

2. Multi-layer film laminate according to claim 1, wherein the gas barrier layer (II) is a polyvinylalcohol layer.

3. Multi-layer film laminate according to claim 1, wherein the layer (I) and the layer (III) are based on identical or different resins.

4. The multilayer laminate of claim 3, wherein the layer (I) and the layer (III) are based on different resins.

5. Multi-layer film laminate according to claim 1, wherein the layer (I) and/or the layer (III) are themselves each made up of at least two layers and the vapor-coated surfaces are adjacent to each other.

6. Multi-layer film laminate according to claim 5, wherein the at least two layers (I) are each based on different resins.

7. The multilayer film laminate of claim 6, wherein said different resins are polyamide and polyester or polypropylene and polyester.

8. Multi-layer film laminate according to claim 5, wherein the at least two layers (III) are based on identical resins.

9. The multilayer film laminate of claim 8, wherein said identical resins are polyester resins.

10. Multi-layer film laminate according to claim 1, wherein the layer (I) and/or (III) are made of a coextrudate of at least two layers, comprising a resin gas barrier layer.

11. Multi-layer film laminate according to claim 10, wherein the coextrudate comprises two polyamide layers (a) and a gas barrier layer (b).

12. The multilayer film laminate of claim 11, wherein said gas barrier layer is a hydrolyzed ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, and is sandwiched between said polyamide layers.

13. The multilayer film laminate of claim 10, wherein said resin gas barrier layer is an oxygen barrier layer.

14. Multi-layer film laminate according to claim 1, wherein each aluminum vapor-coated layer has a thickness of 30-80 nm.

15. Vacuum insulation panels with a hermetically sealed wrapping comprising a multi-layer film laminate according to claim 1, whereby layer (I) is the outside surface layer of the wrapping.

16. Vacuum insulation panels according to claim 15 further comprising an insulation material based on polyurethane foam or polystyrene foam each with open cells and/or a filler material based on silicium oxide.

17. A vacuum insulation panel wrapped with a gas impermeable wrapping according to claim 1, wherein layer (I) is the outside surface of the wrapping.

18. The multilayer film laminate of claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic polymer of the heat-sealable layer is selected from the group consisting of LDPE, LLDPE, polypropylene, polybutylene, metalocenic polyethylene, HDPE, ethylene propylene copolymers, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, amorous polyester and ionomers.

19. The multilayer film laminate of claim 18, wherein said thermoplastic polymer of the heat-sealable layer is an amorphous polyethylene terephthalate or an ionomer.