Embossable thermoplastic polyester film and method for producing the film

• US 6,761,958 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toray Plastics (America), Inc. (Toray Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Toray Plastics (America), Inc. (Toray Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Adams, Bonnie, Fatica, Michael G., Chicarella, Gianfranco Jr., Shimizu, Yuji, Fitch, John, Nishigaki, Yasuo, Sargeant, Steven J., Moritz, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Vivian
• Application Number:
  US10/206,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20030108756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 428/156, 428/167, 428/172, 428/486, 428/483, 428/910, 428/212, 428/213, 428/214, 428/215, 428/216, 427/299, 427/322, 427/331, 427/384, 427/385.5, 427/393.5, 264/288.4, 264/289.3, 264/290.2
• US Class Current: 428/141
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 55/023 using multilayered plates or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 55/026 of preformed plates or sheets coated with a solution, a dispersion or a melt of thermoplastic material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2367/02 Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds; C08J2367/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2425/00 Characterised by the use of homopolymers or copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, each having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond, and at least one being terminated by an aromatic carbocyclic ring; Derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2433/00 Characterised by the use of homopolymers or copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, each having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond, and only one being terminated by only one carboxyl radical, or of salts, anhydrides, esters, amides, imides, or nitriles thereof; Derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2467/00 Characterised by the use of polyesters obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic ester link in the main chain; Derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/0427 with only one layer of a composition containing a polymer binder with more layers C08J7/042
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/91 Product with molecular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2457 Parallel ribs and/or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 Thickness [relative or absolute]
• 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 428/256 Heavy metal or aluminum or compound thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/266 of base or substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component
• 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 428/31931 : Polyene monomer-containing

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, coated polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) film comprising:

a uniaxially oriented PET base film; and

a coating applied to the PET base film,

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

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

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

4. The film of claim 3, wherein the co-polyester layer is formed from isophthalic acid or a derivative of cyclohexane dimethanol.

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

m to about 60 μ

m.

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

7. The film of claim 6, wherein particles are selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, calcium carbonate and mixtures thereof.

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

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

10. 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.

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

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

m to about 0.4 μ

m.

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

m and 3.0 μ

m.

14. The film of claim 1, wherein the co-polyester layer has an upper surface contacting the coating and has a roughness Ra<

about 40 nm.