Lighter than air balloon made from a biaxially oriented polyester film
View Patent ↗A long life balloon formed from a lamination. The lamination includes a polyester film with a total thickness of 4 μm to 12 μm. The polyester film includes a biaxially oriented polyester core layer and at least one amorphous copolyester skin layer. The lamination also includes a sealant layer and a gas barrier layer on an opposite side of the polyester film from the sealant layer. The oxygen transmission rate of the balloon is less than 0.1 cc/100 sqin/day, a bonding strength of the gas barrier layer to the surface of the polyester film is more than 300 g/in at dry conditions, a sealing strength of the balloon is more than 3.5 kg/in, and a floating time of the balloon is more than 20 days.
1. A balloon formed from a lamination, the lamination comprising;
a polyester film with a total thickness of 4 μm to 12 μm comprising a biaxially oriented polyester core layer comprising high crystalline polyester and at least one amorphous copolyester skin layer;
a sealant layer adjacent to the amorphous copolyester skin layer;
a first gas barrier layer on an opposite side of the polyester film from the sealant layer; and
a second gas barrier layer on the first gas barrier layer;
wherein an oxygen transmission rate of the balloon is less than 0.02 cc/100 sqin/day, a sealing strength of the balloon is more than 3.5 kg/in, and a floating time of the balloon is more than 40 days.
2. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the first or second gas barrier layer is a metal or ceramic layer.
3. The balloon of claim 2 , wherein the first or second gas barrier layer comprises a polymer.
4. The balloon of claim 3 , wherein the first or second gas barrier layer comprises an ethylene-vinyl alcohol polymer, a poly vinyl alcohol polymer, or a poly vinyl amine copolymer.
5. The balloon of claim 4 , wherein the gas barrier layer comprising a polymer further comprises at least one cross-linker.
6. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the sealant layer comprises a low density polyethylene.
7. The balloon of claim 1 , further comprising an anchor layer between the sealant layer and the amorphous copolyester skin layer.
8. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the first gas barrier layer is on a surface of the biaxially oriented core layer.
9. The balloon of claim 1 , further comprising a primer layer between the biaxially oriented core layer and the first gas barrier layer.
10. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the biaxially oriented core layer is co-extruded with the amorphous copolyester skin layer.
11. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the amorphous copolyester skin layer has a melting point of less than 210° C.
12. The balloon of claim 1 wherein, the amorphous copolyester skin layer contains no added particles.
13. The balloon of claim 1 wherein, the floating time of the balloon is more than about 50 days.