Heat transfer material having meltable layers separated by a release coating layer
View Patent ↗The present invention is directed to a heat transfer material containing a first (interior) meltable layer, a second (surface) meltable layer, and a release coating layer separating the first and second meltable layers. During a transfer process, the first (interior) meltable layer, release coating layer, and second (surface) meltable layer penetrate into the yarn interstices, or other undulations, of a given substrate to be coated. Only the second (surface) meltable layer transfers to the substrate, resulting in a thinner transfer coating compared to conventional coatings. The present invention is also directed to a method of making a printable heat transfer material and a method of forming an image-bearing coating on a surface of a substrate using the printable heat transfer material in a hot or cold peelable transfer process.
1. A heat transfer material comprising:
a base substrate;
a first layer overlying the base substrate;
a second layer overlying the first layer, wherein the first and second layer are melt-flowable at a transfer temperature, the second layer further being transferable to a receiving substrate at the transfer temperature; and
a release layer separating the first and second layers, wherein the release layer has essentially no tack at the transfer temperature.
2. The heat transfer material of claim 1 , wherein the base substrate comprises a nonwoven web or a polymeric film.
3. The heat transfer material of claim 1 , wherein the base substrate comprises paper.
4. The heat transfer material of claim 1 , wherein the first layer comprises an extruded film.
5. The heat transfer material of claim 1 , wherein the first layer has a melt flow index of less than about 500 and a softening temperature of less than about 400° F.
6. The heat transfer material of claim, 1 , wherein the first layer has a melt flow index of from about 0.5 to about 100, and a softening temperature of from about 150° F. to about 300° F.
7. The heat transfer material of claim 1 , wherein the first layer has a melt flow index of from about 2 to about 50, and a softening temperature of from about 200° F. to about 250° F.
8. The heat transfer material of claim 1 , wherein the second layer has a melt flow index of more than about 10, and a softening temperature of less than about 350° F.
9. The heat transfer material of claim 1 , wherein the second layer has a melt flow index of from about 20 to about 20,000, and a softening temperature of from about 150° F. to about 300° F.
10. The heat transfer material of claim 1 , wherein the second layer has a melt flow index of from about 30 to about 10,000, and a softening temperature of from about 200° F. to about 250° F.
11. The heat transfer material of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional layers, wherein the one or more layers comprise a sub-coating layer on a surface of the release layer, a top coating layer on a surface of the second layer, or a combination thereof.
12. The heat transfer material of claim 1 , further comprising an image printed on the second layer.
13. The heat transfer material of claim 1 , in combination with a fabric.
14. The heat transfer material of claim 13 , wherein the second layer has a basis weight of less than about 40 gsm.
15. The heat transfer material of claim 13 , wherein the second layer has a basis weight of less than about 30 gsm.
16. The heat transfer material of claim 13 , wherein the second layer has a basis weight of less than about 20 gsm.
17. A heat transfer material comprising:
a base substrate;
a first layer overlying the base substrate, wherein the first layer has a melt flow index of less than about 500 and a softening temperature of less than about 400° F.;
a second layer overlying the first layer, wherein the second layer has a melt flow index of more than about 10 and a softening temperature of less than about 350° F., wherein the second layer is transferable to a receiving substrate at the transfer temperature; and
a release layer separating the first and second layers, wherein the release layer has essentially no tack at the transfer temperature.
18. The heat transfer material of claim 17 , wherein the first layer comprises an extruded film.
19. The heat transfer material of claim 17 , wherein the first layer has a melt flow index of from about 0.5 to about 100 and a softening temperature of from about 150° F. to about 300° F., and wherein the second layer has a melt flow index of from about 20 to about 20,000 and a softening temperature of from about 150° F. to about 300° F.
20. The heat transfer material of claim 17 , wherein the first layer has a melt flow index of from about 2 to about 50 and a softening temperature of from about 200° F. to about 250° F., and wherein the second layer has a melt flow index of from about 30 to about 10,000 softening temperature of from about 200° F. to about 250° F.