Preparation of acrylic hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesives from aqueous disperse systems

1. A process for preparing a hot-melt pressure sensitive adhesive comprising polymerizing polyacrylate precursor monomers in an aqueous dispersion to yield a concentrated aqueous dispersion comprising between 68% and 87% by weight of the concentrated aqueous dispersion of gel-free, molecularly-dispersed, meltable polyacrylate particles having an at least bimodal size distribution in the range between 0.5 μm and 1000 μm, and

dewatering the concentrated aqueous dispersion under subatmospheric pressure during kneading and/or extrusion.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the monomers comprise:

a) 60-99.5% by weight, based on the total weight of monomers, of (meth)acrylic esters C 4 -C 12 ester radicals;

b) 0-10% by weight, based on the total weight of monomers, of (meth)acrylic acid or methacrylamide, and

c) up to 40% by weight, based on the total weight of monomers, of one or more hardening monomers.

3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more hardening monomers are selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylic C 1 -C 3 esters, vinyl C 1 -C 3 esters, styrene and other copolymerizable monomers having functional groups of thermal stability sufficient to survive the process.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the polymerizing polyacrylate precursor monomers in aqueous dispersion is conducted in the presence of one or more stabilizers present in said aqueous dispersion in a concentration of up to 4% by weight based on the total weight of the aqueous dispersion, and the one or more stabilizers are selected from the group consisting of water-soluble substances which are stable at a melting temperature of the polyacrylate and nonionic and anionic low-foam emulsifiers.

5. The process according to claim 4 , wherein the water-soluble substances which are stable at a melting temperature of the polyacrylate are selected from the group consisting of short-chain polymers which carry amide groups.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the polymerizing polyacrylate precursor monomers in aqueous dispersion is conducted in the presence of one or more polyacrylate chain-length-regulating substances present in amounts of up to 10% by weight based on the weight of the polyacrylate.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the one or more polyacrylate chain-length-regulating substances are selected from the group consisting of vinyl ethers, fumaric esters, maleic esters, styrene and hydrophilic resins.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the polymerizing polyacrylate precursor monomers in aqueous dispersion is conducted in the presence of one or more linearly polymerizing, water-insoluble initiators which are soluble in the monomers in amounts of up to 1% by weight based on the weight of the monomers.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the initiators are azo initiators.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the polyacrylate is soluble without gel in an organic solvent and has a relative viscosity at 25° C. in toluene of 1680-5000 and a melting range between 80° C. and 170° C.

11. The process according to claim 1 , which further comprises a) dewatering the concentrated aqueous dispersion to form a homogeneous, molecularly-disperse polyacrylate melt, and b) filming the homogeneous, molecularly-disperse polyacrylate melt to form a film by pressing the homogeneous, molecularly-disperse polyacrylate melt through a slot die, and

wherein, the homogeneous, molecularly-disperse polyacrylate melt, was polymerized from at least one acrylate monomer comprising an ester group with between 6 and 12 carbon atoms.

12. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the concentrated aqueous dispersion in dewatered in a kneading device or extruder having a devolatizing means operating at a temperature between 90-160° C. to form the homogeneous, molecularly-disperse polyacrylate melt, or b) the homogeneous, molecularly-disperse polyacrylate melt is filmed to form a film by pressing the homogeneous, molecularly-disperse polyacrylate melt through a slot die by means of toothed wheel pumps and/or extruder screws.

13. The process according to claim 11 , wherein prior to dewatering, one or more natural rubber lattices or synthetic rubber lattices are added to the concentrated aqueous dispersion in amounts of up to 70% by weight based on the polyacrylate, and/or before or after the dewatering, one or more inorganic fillers are added to the concentrated aqueous dispersion in amounts up to 40% by weight based on the polyacrylate and/or one or more polyacrylate-compatible plasticizers are added to the concentrated aqueous dispersion in amounts up to 30% by weight based on the polyacrylate.

14. The process according to claim 11 , wherein after dewatering, one or more tackifier resins are added to the concentrated aqueous dispersion in amounts up to 50% by weight based on overall polymer or up to 35% by weight based on the polyacrylate.

15. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the one or more tackifier resins are selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons having aromatic fractions.

16. The process according to claim 11 , wherein after dewatering, one or more UV photoinitiators are added to the concentrated aqueous dispersion and/or incorporated into the polyacrylate by copolymerization in amounts of up to 2% by weight of the polyacrylate, and/or one or more polyunsaturated (meth)acrylic monomers are incorporated into the polyacrylate by copolymerization in amounts up to 5% by weight of the polyacrylate, and the film is crosslinked by subjecting the film to 2-10 J/cm 2 UV radiation and/or 10-100 kGy electron beams to yield an insoluble of up to 95% by weight of crosslinked acrylic polymer.

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the polyacrylate precursor monomers comprises an ester group with between 6 and 12 carbon atoms.