Method of gravure printing elastomeric compositions

• US 8,551,574 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Desai, Fred Naval, Dalal, Urmish Popatlal, Hamersky, Mark William, Smith, Steven Daryl
• Primary Examiner(s): Meeks, Timothy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Louie, Mandy C
• Application Number:
  US11/081,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20050214461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,128 Days
• Field of Search: 264/173.1, 604/385.13, 156/60, 156/229, 427/256, 427/428.06
• US Class Current: 427/428.06
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/10 Intaglio printing ; Gravure printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/006 Patterns of chemical products used for a specific purpose, e.g. pesticides, perfumes, adhesive patterns; use of microencapsulated material; Printing on smoking articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1727 Plural indefinite length or running length workpieces

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process of manufacturing a stretch composite, said method comprising: a) providing a first substrate in a machine direction, wherein said substrate has opposing first and second surfaces; b) providing a gravure printing roll having an exterior surface that comprises one or more cells wherein at least a portion of the surface is relatively cool; c) depositing a molten, non-adhesive, elastomeric composition onto the exterior surface of the gravure printing device which comprises a gravure printing roll, wherein said composition is characterized as having a peel force of less than about 3 N/cm; d) causing said composition to be pushed into said cells; and e) contacting said first surface of said substrate with said gravure printing roll and substantially completely transferring said elastomeric composition from said cells of said exterior surface on said gravure printing roll to said first surface; wherein said process is substantially free of tackifier.

Claims

1. A process of manufacturing a stretch composite, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a first substrate in a machine direction, wherein said substrate has opposing first and second surfaces;

b) providing a gravure printing device which comprises a gravure printing roll having an exterior surface that comprises one or more cells wherein at least a portion of the surface is relatively cool;

c) depositing a molten, non-adhesive, elastomeric composition onto the exterior surface of the gravure printing roll;

d) causing said composition to be pushed into said cells; and

e) contacting said first surface of said substrate with said gravure printing roll and substantially completely transferring said elastomeric composition from said cells of said exterior surface on said gravure printing roll to said first surface; and

wherein said process is substantially free of tackifier and wherein said elastomeric composition comprises a thermoplastic elastomer and a phase change solvent having the general formula;

R′

—

L_y-(Q-L_x)_n-1-Q-L_y-R;

 

 

(I)

R′

—

L_y-(Q-L_x)_n-R;

 

 

(II)

R′

-(Q-L_x)_n-R;

 

 

(III)

R′

-(Q-L_x)_n-1-Q-L_y-R;

 

 

(IV)

R′

-(Q-L_x)_n-1-Q-R;

or 

 

(V)

a mixture thereof;

wherein Q is a para-ring substituted difunctional aromatic moiety, and wherein the substitutions are in the 1,4 positions;

L is CH₂;

R and R′

are the same or different and are independently selected from H, CH₃, COOH, CONHR₁, CONR₁R₂, NHR₃, NR₃R₄, hydroxy, or C₁-C₃₀ alkoxy;

wherein R₁, R₂, R₃ and R₄ are the same or different and are independently selected from H or linear or branched alkyl from C₁-C₃₀;

x is an integer from 1 to 30;

y is an integer from 1 to 30; and

n is an integer from 3 to 7;

wherein the phase change solvent has a phase change in a temperature range from 40°

C. to about 250°

C.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the exterior surface of said gravure printing roll has a temperature that is at least 10°

C. lower than the temperature of said elastomeric composition prior to deposition on the gravure printing roll.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said composition is applied as a layer to said roll by a delivery mechanism selected from the group consisting of a slot coater, a bath, a sprayer, and an extruder.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein excess composition present on said printing roll is removed via a doctor blade.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said elastomeric composition is crosslinked.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein said substrate is stretched in said machine direction so as to neck said substrate in a cross machine direction prior to transfer of said composition.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein said substrate is incrementally stretched after said transfer of said composition so as permanently elongate at least a portion thereof.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein a second substrate is contacted with said composition after said transfer of said composition.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein said elastomeric composition is characterized as having a peel force of less than about 3 N/cm.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein Q is selected from the group consisting of terephthalic, naphthalic, phenolic, phenyl and biphenyl having the following formulae:

11. The process of claim 10 wherein Q is selected from terephthalic having the following formulae:

12. The process of claim 10 wherein Q is selected from naphthalic having the following formulae:

13. The process of claim 1 wherein Q is substituted on the aromatic ring with one or more substituents selected from H, C₁-C₃₀ alkyl, COOH, CONHR₅, CONR₅R₆, NHR₇, NR₇R₈, hydroxy, C₁-C₃₀ alkoxy, SO₃H, or halogen;

wherein R₅, R₆, R₇ and R₈ are the same or different and are independently selected from H or linear or branched alkyl from C₁-C₃₀.

14. The process of claim 9, wherein said elastomeric composition is characterized as having a peel force of less than about 2 N/cm.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein said elastomeric composition is characterized as having a peel force of less than about 1 N/cm.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein said elastomeric composition is characterized as having a peel force of less than about 0.8 N/cm.

17. The process of claim 2 wherein the exterior surface of said gravure printing roll has a temperature that is at least 25°

C. lower than the temperature of said elastomeric composition prior to deposition on the gravure printing roll.

18. The process of claim 17 wherein the exterior surface of said gravure printing roll has a temperature that is at least 50°

C. lower than the temperature of said elastomeric composition prior to deposition on the gravure printing roll.

19. The process of claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic elastomer is selected from the group consisting of styrenic block copolymers, metallocene-catalyzed polyolefins, polyesters, polyurethanes, polyether amides, and combinations thereof.

20. The process of claim 19 wherein said styrenic block copolymer is selected from the group consisting of styrene-butadiene-styrene, styrene-isoprene-styrene, styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene, and styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene.