Vapor-permeable, substantially water-impermeable multilayer article

• US 9,765,459 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2012
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fiberweb, Llc (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fiberweb, Llc (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Afshari, Mehdi
• Primary Examiner(s): VAN SELL, NATHAN L
• Application Number:
  US13/530,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20120328842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: 428172, 428174, 442396, 442398, 525191, 427172
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 55/023 using multilayered plates or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 55/06 parallel with the direction of feed
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 55/08 transverse to the direction of feed
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 55/18 by squeezing between surfaces, e.g. rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2270/00 Resin or rubber layer containing a blend of at least two different polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/724 Permeability to gases, adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7265 Non-permeable
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2419/00 Buildings or parts thereof walls, panels B32B2607/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/205 the fillers creating voids or cavities, e.g. by stretching
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/325 comprising polycycloolefins
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2203/16 used for films
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/06 Polyethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/10 Homopolymers or copolymers of propene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/20 having four to nine carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 45/00 Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of compounds having no unsaturated aliphatic radicals in side chain, and having one or more carbon-to-carbon double bonds in a carbocyclic or in a heterocyclic ring system; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers of cyclic anhydrides or imides C08L35/00; of cyclic esters of polyfunctional acids C08L31/00
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/02 of vinyl-aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4374 : using different kinds of webs, e.g. by layering webs
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/5412 : sheath-core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 : Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/678 : Olefin polymer or copolymer sheet or film [e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, ethylene-butylene copolymer, etc.]

Abstract

This disclosure relates to an article that includes a nonwoven substrate and a film supported by the nonwoven substrate. The film can include a first polymer and a polymer that is immiscible with the first polymer. The first polymer can include a polyolefin and the second polymer can include a polycycloolefin, a polymethylpentene, or a copolymer thereof.

Claims

1. An article, comprising:

a nonwoven substrate; and

a microporous breathable film supported by the nonwoven substrate, the microporous breathable film comprising a first polymer comprising at most about 99% of a total weight of the microporous breathable film and an amount of a second polymer comprising at least about 1% of the total weight of the microporous breathable film, the second polymer being immiscible with the first polymer,

wherein the second polymer has a polymer backbone similar to that of the first polymer such that at least about 5% by weight of the amount of the second polymer is blended with the first polymer, and

wherein the microporous breathable film is devoid of a pore-forming filler.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the first polymer comprises a polyolefin and the second polymer comprises a polycycloolefin, a polymethylpentene, or a copolymer thereof.

3. The article of claim 2, wherein the second polymer comprises a poly(cycloolefin-co-olefin).

4. The article of claim 2, wherein the second polymer comprises a poly(norbornene-co-ethylene) or a copolymer formed from ethylene and norbornene substituted with a substituent.

5. The article of claim 2, wherein the first polymer comprises a polyethylene or a polypropylene.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein the first polymer comprises a polyethylene selected from the group consisting of low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, and copolymers thereof.

7. The article of claim 5, wherein the film further comprises an elastomer.

8. The article of claim 1, wherein the microporous breathable film is substantially uniform in the absence of a compatibilizer.

9. The article of claim 1, wherein the nonwoven substrate comprises randomly disposed polymeric fibers, at least a portion of the fibers being bonded to one another.

10. The article of claim 1, wherein the article is embossed.

11. The article of claim 2, wherein the article has a moisture vapor transmission rate of at least about 35 g/m²/day when measured at 23°

C. and 50 RH %.

12. A construction material, comprising the article of claim 1.

13. The construction material of claim 12, wherein the construction material is a housewrap or a roofwrap.

14. The article of claim 2, wherein:

the first polymer comprises a polyethylene or a polypropylene; and

the second polymer comprises a poly(cycloolefin-co-olefin).

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the film further comprises an elastomer.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the microporous breathable film is supported by a nonwoven substrate comprising randomly disposed polymeric fibers, at least some of the fibers being bonded to one another.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein:

the article has a moisture vapor transmission rate of at least about 35 g/m²/day when measured at 23°

C. and 50 RH %;

the article has a unit weight of 1.25 osy;

the article has a tensile strength of at least about 35 pounds in at least one of the machine direction or the cross-machine direction as measured according to ASTM D5034; and

the article has a hydrostatic head of at least about 55 cm.

18. The article of claim 1, wherein at least about 30% by weight of the amount of the second polymer is blended with the first polymer.

19. The article of claim 1, wherein 5-30% by weight of the amount of the second polymer is blended with the first polymer.