Printable film

• US 8,722,162 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Innovia Films Limited (Innovia Films)
• Original Assignee: Innovia Films Limited (Innovia Films)
• Inventors: Servante, Alastair Hugh, Power, Gary, Marshall, Colin
• Primary Examiner(s): Raudenbush, Ellen S
• Application Number:
  US12/796,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20100267301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 428/34.1, 428/98
• US Class Current: 428/35.7
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/504 Backcoats
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/506 Intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/508 Supports
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/52 Macromolecular coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/5254 characterised by the use of polymers obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. vinyl polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/5281 Polyurethanes or polyureas
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/0081 using electromagnetic radiation or waves, e.g. ultraviolet radiation, electron beams
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2451/00 Characterised by the use of graft polymers in which the grafted component is obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; 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: C08J 7/043 Improving the adhesiveness of the coatings per se, e.g. forming primers adhesives in the form of films or foils characterised by the primer layers between the polymer carriers and the adhesives C09J7/50
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/044 Forming conductive coatings; Forming coatings having anti-static properties
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/046 Forming abrasion-resistant coatings; Forming surface-hardening coatings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1352 Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24893 including particulate material
• 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 428/254 Polymeric or resinous material
• 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 428/2848 : Three or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31551 : Of polyamidoester [polyurethane, polyisocyanate, polycarbamate, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31573 : Next to addition polymer of ethylenically unsaturated monomer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31667 : Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers, or aldehyde or ketone condensation product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 : Of metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31699 : Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31725 : Of polyamide
• 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 428/31855 : Of addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31906 : Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31913 : Monoolefin polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31928 : Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31935 : Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31938 : Polymer of monoethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31993 : Of paper
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/20 : Coated or impregnated woven, knit, or nonwoven fabric which is not [a] associated with another preformed layer or fiber layer or, [b] with respect to woven and knit, characterized, respectively, by a particular or differential weave or knit, wherein the coating or impregnation is neither a foamed material nor a free metal or alloy layer

Abstract

The invention relates to printable films comprising a substrate and at least a surface layer, said layer covering at least one face of said substrate and comprising a water-dispersible polymer and an ethylenically unsaturated compound; to a process for the manufacture of such films; to printed films and especially to printed labels obtained from such printable films.

Claims

1. A film printable with UV curable inks, said film comprising a substrate and at least a surface layer, said layer covering at least one face of said substrate and consisting essentially of a water-dispersible polymer that provides a smooth film surface for printing and an ethylenically unsaturated compound that plasticizes said layer, said ethylenically unsaturated compound selected from polyfunctional acrylates resulting from the esterification of a polyol with (meth)acrylic acid or polyallyl derivatives, whereby said surface layer does not contain an additional polymerization photoinitiator, wherein said water-dispersible polymer is an acrylic polymer and said ethylenically unsaturated compound is present in an amount from 2% to 90% by weight of the acrylic polymer, wherein all percentages are dry weight based.

2. The printable film according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of polymer films, polyolefin films, papers, synthetic papers, woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, ceramic sheets, metallic fiber sheets, metalized sheets (film), metallic foils, metallic plates, and multilayer composite sheets formed by combination of said materials.

3. The printable film according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is an oriented polypropylene film.

4. The printable film according to claim 1, wherein the water-dispersible polymer consists essentially of a homopolymer of (meth)acrylic acid monomer or alkyl(meth)acrylate monomer, the alkyl radical having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or a copolymer of two or more of said monomers or optionally of other vinylic or allylic compounds.

5. The printable film according to claim 1, further comprising, intermediate between said substrate and said surface layer(s), a primer layer.

6. The printable film according to claim 1, wherein only one face is coated with a surface layer and wherein the reverse face of the substrate is covered with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.

10. The film of claim 1, wherein said ethylenically unsaturated compound is present in an amount from 2% to 15% by weight of the acrylic polymer.

12. The film of claim 1, wherein the ethylenically unsaturated compound does not react with said water-dispersible polymer when said surface layer is irradiated with UV radiation.

7. A film printable with UV curable inks, said film comprising a substrate and at least a surface layer, said layer covering at least one face of said substrate and consisting essentially of a water-dispersible polymer that provides a smooth film surface for printing and an ethylenically unsaturated compound that plasticizes said layer, said ethylenically unsaturated compound selected from polyfunctional acrylates resulting from the esterification of a polyol with (meth)acrylic acid or polyallyl derivatives, whereby said surface layer does not contain an additional polymerization photoinitiator, wherein said water-dispersible polymer is an acrylic polymer and said ethylenically unsaturated compound is present in an amount from 2% to 90% by weight of the acrylic polymer, wherein all percentages are dry weight based, and wherein the film is resistant to freezing water and boiling water conditions.

8. The printable film according to claim 7, wherein the acrylic polymer comprises polyurethane acrylate.

11. The film of claim 7, wherein said ethylenically unsaturated compound is present in an amount from 2% to 15% by weight of the acrylic polymer.

13. The film of claim 7, wherein the ethylenically unsaturated compound does not react with said water-dispersible polymer when said surface layer is irradiated with UV radiation.

9. A film printable with UV curable inks, said film comprising a substrate and at least a surface layer, said layer covering at least one face of said substrate and consisting essentially of a water-dispersible polymer that provides a smooth film surface for printing and an ethylenically unsaturated polyfunctional acrylates that plasticizes said layer, whereby said surface layer does not contain an additional polymerization photoinitiator, wherein said water-dispersible polymer is an acrylic polymer, and said ethylenically unsaturated compound is present in an amount from 2% to 15% by weight of the acrylic polymer, wherein all percentages are dry weight based.

14. A film printable with UV curable inks, said film comprising a substrate and at least a surface layer, said layer covering at least one face of said substrate and comprising a water-dispersible polymer that provides a smooth film surface for printing and an ethylenically unsaturated compound that plasticizes said layer, said ethylenically unsaturated compound selected from polyfunctional acrylates resulting from the esterification of a polyol with (meth)acrylic acid or polyallyl derivatives, whereby said surface layer does not contain an additional polymerization photoinitiator, wherein said water-dispersible polymer is an acrylic polymer and said ethylenically unsaturated compound is present in an amount from 2% to 90% by weight of the acrylic polymer, wherein all percentages are dry weight based.

15. The film of claim 14, wherein the substrate is an oriented polypropylene film.

16. The film of claim 14, wherein the ethylenically unsaturated compound does not react with said water-dispersible polymer when said surface layer is irradiated with UV radiation.