Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or... – Composite having voids in a component
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-16
2004-09-28
Zirker, Daniel (Department: 1771)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or...
Composite having voids in a component
C428S305500, C428S313300, C428S313500, C428S316600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06797371
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to preparing articles that include a polymer foam.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Articles incorporating a polymer foam core are known. The foam includes a polymer matrix and is characterized by a density that is lower than the density of the polymer matrix itself. Density reduction is achieved in a number of ways, including through creation of gas-filled voids in the matrix (e.g., by means of a blowing agent) or inclusion of polymeric microspheres (e.g., expandable microspheres) or non-polymeric microspheres (e.g., glass microspheres).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a first aspect, the invention features an article that includes a polymer foam having a substantially smooth surface. The foam may be provided in a variety of shapes, including a rod, a cylinder, a sheet, etc. In some embodiments, e.g., where the foam is provided in the form of a sheet, the foam has a pair of major surfaces, one or both of which are substantially smooth. The foam includes a plurality of microspheres, at least one of which is an expandable polymeric microsphere.
As used herein, a “polymer foam” refers to an article that includes a polymer matrix in which the density of the article is less than the density of the polymer matrix alone.
A “substantially smooth” surface refers to a surface having an Ra value less than about 75 micrometers, as measured by laser triangulation profilometry according to the procedure described in the Examples, infra. Preferably, the surface has an Ra value less than about 50 micrometers, more preferably less than about 25 micrometers. The surface is also characterized by the substantial absence of visually observable macroscopic defects such as wrinkles, corrugations and creases. In addition, in the case of an adhesive surface, the surface is sufficiently smooth such that it exhibits adequate contact and, thereby, adhesion to a substrate of interest. The desired threshold level of adhesion will depend on the particular application for which the article is being used.
An “expandable polymeric microsphere” is a microsphere that includes a polymer shell and a core material in the form of a gas, liquid, or combination thereof, that expands upon heating. Expansion of the core material, in turn, causes the shell to expand, at least at the heating temperature. An expandable microsphere is one where the shell can be initially expanded or further expanded without breaking. Some microspheres may have polymer shells that only allow the core material to expand at or near the heating temperature.
The article may be an adhesive article or a non-adhesive article. An “adhesive article” is an article having a surface available for bonding that is either tacky at room temperature (i.e., pressure sensitive adhesive articles) or becomes tacky when heated (i.e., heat-activated adhesive articles). An example of an adhesive article is a foam that itself is an adhesive, or an article that includes one or more separate adhesive compositions bonded to the foam, e.g., in the form of a continuous layer or discrete structures (e.g., stripes, rods, filament, etc.), in which case the foam itself need not be an adhesive. Examples of non-adhesive articles include non-adhesive foams and adhesive foams provided with a non-adhesive composition, e.g., in the form of a layer, substrate, etc., on all surfaces available for bonding.
The foam preferably is substantially free of urethane crosslinks and urea crosslinks, thus eliminating the need for isocyanates in the composition. An example of a preferred material for the polymer foam is an acrylic polymer or copolymer. In some cases, e.g., where high cohesive strength and/or high modulus is needed, the foam may be crosslinked.
The polymer foam preferably includes a plurality of expandable polymeric microspheres. The foam may also include one or more non-expandable microspheres, which may be polymeric or non-polymeric microspheres (e.g., glass microspheres).
Examples of preferred expandable polymeric microspheres include those in which the shell is essentially free of vinylidene chloride units. Preferred core materials are materials other than air that expand upon heating.
The foam may contain agents in addition to microspheres, the choice of which is dictated by the properties needed for the intended application of the article. Examples of suitable agents include those selected from the group consisting of tackifiers, plasticizers, pigments, dyes, solid fillers, and combinations thereof. The foam may also include gas-filled voids in the polymer matrix. Such voids typically are formed by including a blowing agent in the polymer matrix material and then activating the blowing agent, e.g., by exposing the polymer matrix material to heat or radiation.
The properties of the article may be adjusted by bonding and/or co-extruding one or more polymer compositions (e.g., in the form of continuous layers or discrete structures such as stripes, rods, filament, etc.) to or into the foam. Both foamed and non-foamed compositions may be used. A composition may be bonded directly to the foam or indirectly, e.g., through a separate adhesive.
The article may be used as a “foam-in-place” article. The term foam-in-place refers to the ability of the article to be expanded or further expanded after the article has been placed at a desired location. Such articles are sized and placed in a recessed area or on an open surface, and then exposed to heat energy (e.g., infrared, ultrasound, microwave, resistive, induction, convection, etc.) to activate, or further activate, the expandable microspheres or blowing agent. Such recessed areas can include a space between two or more surfaces (e.g., parallel or non-parallel surfaces) such as found, for example, between two or more opposing and spaced apart substrates, a through hole or a cavity. Such open surfaces can include a flat or uneven surface on which it is desirable for the article to expand after being applied to the surface. Upon activation, the foam expands due to the expansion of the microspheres and/or blowing agent, thereby partially or completely filling the recess or space, or thereby increasing the volume (e.g. height) of the article above the open surface.
It can be desirable for the foam to comprise a substantially uncrosslinked or thermoplastic polymeric matrix material. It can also be desirable for the matrix polymer of the foam to exhibit some degree of crosslinking. Any crosslinking should not significantly inhibit or prevent the foam from expanding to the degree desired. One potential advantage to such crosslinking is that the foam will likely exhibit improved mechanical properties (e.g., increase cohesive strength) compared to the same foam with less or no crosslinking. In the case of foams having a curable polymer matrix, exposure to heat can also initiate cure of the matrix.
It can further be desirable for the foam-in-place article to comprise multiple layers, 10 discrete structures or a combination thereof (See, for example,
FIGS. 4-6
and the below discussion thereof), with each layer and discrete structure having a difference in the way it foams-in-place (e.g., using expandable microspheres, blowing agents or a combination thereof), a difference in the degree to which it can be expanded in place, or a combination thereof. For example, the concentration of expandable microspheres and/or blowing agents can be different, the type of expandable microspheres and/or blowing agents can be different, or a combination thereof can be used. In addition, for example, one or more of the layers and discrete structures can be expandable in place while one or more other layers and discrete structures can be unexpandable in place.
In a second aspect, the invention features an article (e.g., an adhesive article, as defined above) comprising a polymer foam (as defined above) that includes: (a) a plurality of microspheres, at least one of which is an expandable polymeric microsphere (as defined above), and (b) a polymer matrix that is substantially free of urethane crosslinks and urea crosslinks
Gehlsen Mark D.
Momchilovich Bradley S.
3M Innovative Properties Company
Chang Victor S.
Knecht III Harold C.
Lown Jean A.
Zirker Daniel
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