Anisotropic foam-film composite structures

• US 7,993,739 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barger, Mark Alan, Garcia, Jerry A., Bland, David, Dooley, Joseph, Baer, Eric, Mazor, Michael H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Hai
• Application Number:
  US12/373,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20090263645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 428/316.6, 428/314.4, 428/318.6, 428/319.3, 428/319.7, 428/314.8, 428/315.5, 428/315.7
• US Class Current: 428/316.6
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/04 consisting of at least two parts of chemically or physically different materials, e.g. having different densities
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/352 Means for giving the foam different characteristics in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/00 Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle which imparts the desired form; Apparatus therefor extrusion blow-moulding B29C49/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/08 flexible, e.g. films
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/02 Combined thermoforming and manufacture of the preform
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/045 with open cells
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/046 with closed cells
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2038/0028 Stretching, elongating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/022 Foam
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/153 at least one layer is extruded and immediately laminated while in semi-molten state
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249976 Voids specified as closed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249977 Specified thickness of void-containing component [absolute or relative], numerical cell dimension or density
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249978 Voids specified as micro
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249979 Specified thickness of void-containing component [absolute or relative] or numerical cell dimension
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249981 Plural void-containing components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249988 Of about the same composition as, and adjacent to, the void-containing component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249991 Synthetic resin or natural rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249992 Linear or thermoplastic

Abstract

Multilayer foam-film composite structures in which the cells of at least one foam layer have an anisotropic orientation exhibit at least one enhanced property of toughness, tear resistance and puncture resistance in comparison with a foam-film composite structure alike in all aspects except for the anisotropic orientation of the cells of at least one foam layer.

Claims

1. A multilayer film-foam composite structure comprising at least five layers of which two are foam layers and three are film layers and in which the foam and film layers alternate, each foam layer comprising anisotropic cells that have a cell anisotropy length to thickness ratio from about 2:

1 to about 10;

1, and wherein each foam layer has foam cells with an average cell size from 120 to 1100 microns.

2. The structure of claim 1 comprising at least fifteen layers of which at least seven layers are film and at least seven layers are foam.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein the external layers are film layers.

4. The structure of claim 2 wherein the external layers are foam layers.

5. The structure of claim 1 in which at least one of the film and foam layers comprises a polyolefin.

6. The structure of claim 1 in which at least one film layer and at least one foam layer comprises a polyolefin.

7. The structure of claim 6 in which the polyolefin is a polyethylene or polypropylene.

8. The structure of claim 1 comprising at least one of an oxygen, water and chemical barrier layer.

9. The structure of claim 1 in which the cells of the foam layers are open.

10. The structure of claim 1 in which the cells of the foam layers are closed.