THERMOPLASTIC POLYMER FILM COMPRISING A FLUOROCHEMICAL COMPOUND

• US 20020058744A1
• Filed: 05/12/2000
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: GOEMAN, BART, SPIELMANN, ROLF D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,476,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 524/502
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2323/12 Polypropene
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/18 Manufacture of films or sheets
• 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: C08L 23/12 Polypropene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/04 Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 27/12 containing fluorine atoms

Abstract

The invention provides a method of making a film comprising the steps of: (A) providing a film comprising a layer of thermoplastic polymer having dispersed therein a fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound according to the formula: R f —Q—Z—X—T, wherein Rf represents a partially or fully fluorinated aliphatic group having at least 3 carbon atoms, Q is a linking group or a covalent bond, Z is a poly(oxyalkylene) group, X is an oxygen atom or NR wherein R is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or aryl group, and T is a hydrogen atom or an organic group having no more than 6 carbon atoms; (B) applying a coating comprising at least one non-volatile component on said film; and (C) when said coating contains volatile components, drying said coating to remove said volatile components from said coating. Further provided are single- and multi-layer films.

Claims

1. Method of making a coated film comprising the steps of:

(A) providing a film comprising a layer of thermoplastic polymer having dispersed therein fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound according to the formula;

R_f—

Q—

Z—

X—

T

wherein;

R_f represents a partially or fully fluorinated aliphatic group having at least 3 carbon atoms,

Q is a linking group or a covalent bond,

Z is a poly(oxyalkylene) group,

X is oxygen or NR, wherein R is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or aryl group, and

T is a hydrogen atom or an organic group having no more than about 6 carbon atoms;

(B) applying a coating comprising at least one non-volatile component on said film; and

(C) when said coating contains volatile components, drying said coating to remove said volatile components from said coating.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said coating is aqueous.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound is present in said layer of thermoplastic polymer in an amount of at least 0.2% by weight based on the weight of thermoplastic polymer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic polymer is polypropylene.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said coating is provided on said film in a discontinuous manner.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said coating is provided on said film in a continuous manner.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound corresponds to the formula:

R_f—

Q—

(OR²)_i-13 (OR³)_j—

X—

T

wherein;

R_f represents a partially or fully fluorinated aliphatic group having at least 3 carbon atoms,

Q is a linking group or a covalent bond,

X is an oxygen atom or NR, wherein R is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or aryl group, and

T is a hydrogen atom or an organic group having no more than about 6 carbon atoms;

R² and R³ are each independently selected from the group consisting of alkylene groups having 2 to 4 carbon atoms; and

i and j each represent a value of 0 to 25 with the proviso that i j is between 4 and 25.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said Z group contains between 4 and 25 oxyalkylene units.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the majority of oxyalkylene units in the Z group are oxyethylene units.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the Z group is a polyoxyethylene group having 4 to 25 oxyethylene units.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing said film comprises the step of melt extruding a mixture of thermoplastic polymer and fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound to form the layer of thermoplastic polymer having dispersed therein the fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein R_f contains between 6 and 20 carbon atoms and the terminal portion of the R_f group consists of at least four fully fluorinated carbon atoms.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said film is a multilayer film comprising as an outermost layer said layer of thermoplastic polymer having fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound dispersed therein and said coating is applied to said outermost layer.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said film comprises a first and second layer of thermoplastic polymer, said first and second layer being in contact with each other and said second layer forming an outermost layer of said film, said first layer being substantially free of said fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound and said second layer having dispersed therein said fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said film further comprises a third layer of thermoplastic polymer that forms a second outermost layer of said film and is in contact with said first layer, said third layer having said fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound dispersed therein.

16. The method according to claims 14 or 15, wherein said second and/or third layer each have a thickness of not more than 30 cm.

17. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the film is mono-axially or biaxially oriented.

20. A film according to claim 19, comprising said first layer, said second layer and a third layer of thermoplastic polymer, said third layer being in contact with said first layer and forming a second outermost layer, said third layer having dispersed therein said fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound.

26. A film according to claim 19, further comprising a coating comprising at least one non-volatile component on said second layer.

27. A film according to claim 20, further comprising a coating comprising at least one non-volatile component on said second and/or third layer.

18. A film comprising a layer of thermoplastic polymer having dispersed therein a fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound according to the formula:

R_f—

Q—

Z—

X—

T

wherein;

R_f represents a partially or fully fluorinated aliphatic group having at least 3 carbon atoms,

Q is a linking group or a covalent bond,

Z is a poly(oxyalkylene) group,

X is an oxygen atom or NR where R is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or aryl group, and

T is a hydrogen atom or an organic group having no more than about 6 carbon atoms;

wherein at least one surface of said film is coated with a composition comprising at least one non-volatile component.

21. A film according to any of claims 18 to 20, wherein said thermoplastic polymer is polypropylene.

22. A film according to any of claims 18 to 20, wherein said fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound corresponds to the following formula:

R_f—

Q—

(OR²)_i—

(OR³)_j—

X—

T

wherein

R_f represents a partially or fully fluorinated aliphatic group having at least 3 carbon atoms,

Q is a linking group or a covalent bond,

Z is a poly(oxyalkylene) group,

X is an oxygen atom or NR, wherein R is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or aryl group, and

T is a hydrogen atom or an organic group having no more than about 6 carbon atoms;

R² and R³ are each independently selected from the group consisting of alkylene groups having 2 to 4 carbon atoms; and

i and j are each numbers between 0 to 25, inclusive, with the proviso that i+j is between 4 and 25.

23. A film according to any of claims 18 to 22, wherein said fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound contains a poly(oxyalkylene) group having between 4 and 25 oxyalkylene units.

25. A film according to any of claims 18 to 24, wherein the film is mono-axially or biaxially oriented.

28. A film according to any of claims 18 to 27 wherein the majority of the oxyalkylene units in the Z group are oxyethylene units.

19. A film comprising a first and second layer of thermoplastic polymer, said first and second layer being in contact with each other, and said second layer forming an outermost layer of said film and having dispersed therein a fluorochemical hydrophilicity imparting compound according to the formula:

R_f—

Q—

Z—

X—

T

wherein

R_f represents a partially or fully fluorinated aliphatic group having at least 3 carbon atoms,

Q is a linking group or a covalent bond,

Z is a poly(oxyalkylene) group,

X is an oxygen atom or NR wherein R is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or aryl group, and

T is a hydrogen atom or an organic group having no more than 6 carbon atoms.

24. A film according to claims 19 or 20 wherein said second and/or third layer each have a thickness of no more than 30 μ

m.