Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Composite – Of polyester
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-17
2002-04-30
Nakarani, D. S. (Department: 1773)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Composite
Of polyester
C427S393500, C428S517000, C428S520000, C428S522000, C428S523000, C524S502000, C524S507000, C524S513000, C524S514000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06379813
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to polymeric compositions, emulsion polymers containing such polymeric compositions, pigmented compositions containing such emulsion polymers, articles of manufacture containing such pigmented compositions, and methods of producing the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pigmented compositions such as inks are useful in a wide variety of applications on various types of substrates. Inks may be used to print letters or designs, or to impart color on substrates. These substrates may include such materials as films or other flexible packaging materials. An important printing process for printing on flexible substrates is lamination printing.
Lamination printing usually entails applying ink to the reverse side of the flexible substrate. The inked substrate is then laminated onto a second substrate. This lamination may be performed using either a molten film such as polyethylene, known as extrusion lamination, or using a combination of a water-based, solvent-based or solventless adhesive followed by a second flexible substrate, a process known as adhesive lamination.
Inks suitable for printing on flexible substrates in lamination printing must have certain physical requirements. However, these requirements differ depending on whether the ink is to be used in adhesive lamination printing processes or in extrusion lamination printing processes. Adhesive lamination processes are conducted at lower temperatures and generally require the ink to have compatibility with adhesives; high bond strength; resolubility characteristics; the ability to adhere to multiple substrates; second heat stability so that adhesion and bond strengths will continue after heat-sealing; flexibility; and good print quality. On the other hand, inks used in high temperature extrusion lamination processes are required to have good adhesion; high bond strengths; solvent-tolerance; and some flexibility.
In order to improve inks for use in lamination processes, various polymers have been added to inks. These polymers may be incorporated into an emulsion polymer. The emulsion polymer in turn is utilized to formulate printing inks. However, such polymers, and emulsion polymers formed from such polymers, generally are suited for use in either adhesive lamination processes or extrusion lamination process, but not both, given the different temperatures the inks are exposed to in each type of process. There remains a need for polymers, and emulsion polymers that incorporate these polymers, that can be used to formulate pigmented compositions, such as inks, that exhibit superior bond strength, superior adhesion, flexibility, good print quality, and solvent tolerance when used in extrusion and adhesive lamination printing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a polymeric composition that can be utilized in pigmented compositions. The polymeric composition generally comprises a reaction product of an A polymer and a B polymer. The A polymer is an addition polymer having 3.5 or more reactive functional groups per polymer chain, and the B polymer has about 2 to about 3 functional groups per polymer chain that are co-reactive with the reactive functional groups of the A polymer. The polymeric composition further has a Tg from about 20° C. to about 70° C. Preferably, the polymeric composition is formed by reacting (a) an A polymer consisting of polymerized monomers of styrene, &agr;-methylstyrene, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, and acrylic acid, the A polymer having a weight average molecular weight of about 1000 to about 3000 and (b) a B condensation polymer consisting of polymerized monomers of 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, isophthalic acid, and 1,4-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid, the B condensation polymer having a number average molecular weight of about 1000 to about 3000.
The invention also relates to acrylic-condensation hybrid emulsion polymers that can be utilized in pigmented compositions. These emulsion polymers comprise polymerized unsaturated monomers and a polymeric composition that is the reaction product of an A polymer and a B polymer. The A polymer is an addition polymer having 3.5 or more reactive functional groups per polymer chain, and the B polymer has about 2 to about 3 functional groups per polymer chain that are co-reactive with the reactive functional groups of the A polymer. The polymeric composition will preferably have a Tg within a specified range, to facilitate the use of the emulsion polymer in pigmented compositions suitable for use in both extrusion and lamination printing processes. The Tg of the polymeric composition will preferably range from about 20° C. to about 70° C., more preferably from about 40° C. to about 50° C., and will most preferably be about 45° C. Similarly, the emulsion polymer will preferably have a Tg within a specified range, to facilitate the use of the emulsion polymer in pigmented compositions suitable for use in both extrusion and lamination printing processes. The Tg of the emulsion polymer will preferably range from about −31° C. to about 70° C., more preferably from about 30° C. to about 45° C., and will most preferably be about 39° C. In one preferred embodiment, the emulsion polymer will be made using the preferred polymeric composition and unsaturated monomers which are selected from a group including styrenic monomers, monomers having the general formula CH2═C(X)C(O)OR where X is either H or CH
3
, and R is an alkyl group having at least one carbon, and combinations of these monomers.
In another embodiment, the invention is directed to a method of producing an acrylic-condensation hybrid emulsion polymer, comprising reacting unsaturated monomers with a polymeric composition at a sufficient temperature for a sufficient period of time to produce an acrylic-condensation hybrid emulsion polymer, wherein the polymeric composition is the reaction product of an A polymer and a B polymer, the A polymer being an addition polymer having 3.5 or more reactive functional groups per polymer chain, and the B polymer having about 2 to about 3 functional groups per polymer chain that are co-reactive with the reactive functional groups of the A polymer. A suitable initiator may be added to the reaction. The invention also includes emulsion polymers made by the processes of the present invention.
The invention also relates to aqueous pigmented compositions that comprise a pigment and an acrylic-condensation hybrid emulsion polymer as previously described. Preferably, the pigment is contained within a pigment dispersion. In a preferred embodiment, the aqueous pigmented composition comprises about 40% to about 60% by weight pigment dispersion and about 40% to about 60% by weight acrylic-condensation hybrid emulsion polymer. The aqueous pigmented composition may optionally further comprise one or more additional additives. These additives are selected from the group consisting of a solvent, a leveling agent, a rheology agent, a coalescing agent, a pigment wetting agent, a wax, a buffering agent, a dispersing agent, a surfactant, a defoaming agent, an antifoaming agent, a modifying polymer, a rewetting agent, a biocide, a resolubility agent, and combinations thereof. These aqueous pigmented compositions may be used as adhesive laminating inks and/or extrusion laminating inks. The invention also includes the methods of making such aqueous pigmented compositions and the pigmented compositions resulting from the methodology.
The present invention is further drawn to a method for improving the properties of a liquid ink entailing adding a polymeric composition of the present invention to a liquid ink formulation. The resulting liquid ink formulation has improved bond strength over a similar liquid ink formulation which is identical except for the absence of the polymeric composition.
The present invention also relates to an article of manufacture. The article of manufacture comprises an aqueous pigmented composition applied to at least a portion of a substrate. The pigmented composition may comprise a pigment or a pigment d
Anderson Jeffery L.
Fischer Stephen A.
Mills, Jr. Harry T.
Sisson Thomas M.
Teska Daniel A.
Bovee Warren R.
Hamilton Neil E.
Nakarani D. S.
Rymarz Renee J.
S. C. Johnson Commercial Markets, Inc.
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