Vapor-permeable, substantially water-impermeable multilayer article
This disclosure relates to an article (e.g., a vapor-permeable, substantially water-impermeable multilayer article) that can include a nonwoven substrate and a film supported by the nonwoven substrate. The film can include a polyolefin grafted with an anhydride, an acid, or an acrylate.
1. An article comprising:
a nonwoven substrate; and
a film supported by the nonwoven substrate, the film comprising a mixture of:
a first polymer that comprises a polyolefin grafted with an anhydride, an acid, or an acrylate selected to improve adhesion to the nonwoven substrate;
a second polymer that is different from the first polymer, the second polymer being capable of absorbing and desorbing moisture and providing a barrier to aqueous fluids, the second polymer is selected from the group consisting of maleic anhydride block copolymers, glycidyl methacrylate block copolymers, polyether block copolymers, polyurethanes, polyethylene-containing ionomers, and mixtures thereof; wherein the second polymer comprises from 30% by weight to 35% by weight of the film; and
from at least about 1% by weight to at most about 10% by weight of a polar compound, the polar compound comprises a polytheramine;
wherein the film is a monolithic film.
2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the first polymer comprises a polyethylene, a polypropylene, a poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate), or a poly(ethylene-co-acrylate).
3. The article of claim 1 , wherein the first polymer comprises a low-density polyethylene grafted with an anhydride, a linear low-density polyethylene grafted with an anhydride, a high-density polyethylene grafted with an anhydride, a polypropylene grafted with an anhydride, a poly(ethylene-co-acrylate) grated with an anhydride or an acid, and a poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) grafted with an anhydride, an acid, or an acrylate.
4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the film comprises from about 1% by weight to about 20% by weight of the first polymer.
5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the second polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(olefin-co-acrylate-co-maleic anhydride), poly(olefin-co-acrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate), polyether ester block copolymers, polyether amide block copolymers, poly(ether ester amide) block copolymers, and polyurethanes.
6. The article of claim 5 , wherein the second polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyether ester block copolymers, poly(ethylene-co-acrylate-co-maleic anhydride), and poly(ethylene-co-acrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate).
7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the film further comprises a vinyl polymer.
8. The article of claim 7 , wherein the vinyl polymer comprises a copolymer formed between a first comonomer and a second comonomer, the first comonomer comprises ethylene, and the second commoner comprises alkyl methacrylate, alkyl acrylate, or vinyl acetate.
9. The article of claim 8 , wherein the vinyl polymer comprises a poly(ethylene-co-methyl acrylate), a poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate), a poly(ethylene-co-ethyl acrylate), or a poly(ethylene-co-butyl acrylate).
10. The article of claim 7 , wherein the film comprises from about 20% by weight to about 50% by weight of the vinyl polymer.
11. The article of claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven substrate comprises randomly disposed continuous polymeric fibers, at least some of the fibers being bonded to one another.
12. The article of claim 1 , wherein the adhesion between the nonwoven substrate and the film is at least about 200 gram-force/in.
13. A construction material, comprising the article of claim 1 .
14. The construction material of claim 13 , wherein the construction material is a housewrap or a roofwrap.
15. The article of claim 1 , wherein:
the adhesion between the nonwoven substrate and the film is at least about 200 gram-force/in.
16. The article of claim 1 , wherein the film comprises from about 1.5% by weight to at most about 3% by weight of the polar compound.
17. The article of claim 1 , wherein the first polymer comprises a polyolefin grafted with an anhydride.
18. The article of claim 17 , wherein the film comprises from about 1.5% by weight to at most about 3% by weight of the polar compound.
19. The article of claim 1 , wherein the film comprises a first weight ratio between the first polymer to the polar compound comprising from about 5.6:1 to about 4:1, and wherein a sum of the first polymer, the second polymer, and the polar compound comprises from about 50 to 55% by weight of the film.
20. The article of claim 19 , wherein the article has a moisture vapor transmission rate of at least about 8.5 perms.
21. An article of claim 1 further comprising
an intermediate film comprising a third polymer comprising polyolefin grafted with an anhydride, an acid, or an acrylate selected to improve adhesion to the nonwoven substrate; wherein the third polymer is the same or different than the first polymer; and
the intermediate film being between the nonwoven substrate and the monolithic breathable film;
the intermediate film comprises an intermediate-film-thickness, the monolithic breathable film comprises a monolithic-breathable-film-thickness, and a ratio between the monolithic-breathable-film-thickness and the intermediate-film-thickness comprises from about 150:1 to about 50:1;
wherein the article comprises a moisture vapor transmission rate from at least about 5 perms to about 20 perms.
22. The article of claim 21 , wherein the third polymer comprises a polyethylene, a polypropylene, a poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate), or a poly(ethylene-co-acrylate).
23. The article of claim 21 , wherein the third polymer comprises a low-density polyethylene grafted with an anhydride, a linear low-density polyethylene grafted with an anhydride, a high-density polyethylene grafted with an anhydride, a polypropylene grafted with an anhydride, a poly(ethylene-co-acrylate) grated with an anhydride or an acid, and a poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) grafted with an anhydride, an acid, or an acrylate.
24. The article of claim 21 , wherein the intermediate film comprises about 100% by weight of the third polymer.
25. The article of claim 21 , wherein the second polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(olefin-co-acrylate-co-maleic anhydride), poly(olefin-co-acrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate), polyether ester block copolymers, polyether amide block copolymers, poly(ether ester amide) block copolymers, and polyurethanes.
26. The article of claim 25 , wherein the second polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyether ester block copolymers, poly(ethylene-co-acrylate-co-maleic anhydride), and poly(ethylene-co-acrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate).
27. The article of claim 21 , wherein the monolithic breathable film further comprises a vinyl polymer.
28. The article of claim 27 , wherein the vinyl polymer comprises a copolymer formed between a first comonomer and a second comonomer, the first comonomer comprises ethylene, and the second commoner comprises alkyl methacrylate, alkyl acrylate, or vinyl acetate.
29. The article of claim 28 , wherein the vinyl polymer comprises a poly(ethylene-co-methyl acrylate), a poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate), a poly(ethylene-co-ethyl acrylate), or a poly(ethylene-co-butyl acrylate).
30. The article of claim 28 , wherein the monolithic breathable film comprises from about 20% by weight to about 80% by weight of the vinyl polymer.
31. The article of claim 28 , wherein the nonwoven substrate comprises randomly disposed continuous polymeric fibers, at least some of the fibers being bonded to one another.
32. The article of claim 21 , wherein the article has a hydrostatic head of at least about 55 cm.
33. The article of claim 21 , wherein the adhesion between the nonwoven substrate and the intermediate film is at least about 50 gram-force/in.
34. A construction material, comprising the article of claim 21 .
35. The construction material of claim 34 , wherein the construction material is a housewrap or a roofwrap.
36. The article of claim 21 , wherein:
the article has a hydrostatic head of at least about 55 cm; and
the adhesion between the nonwoven substrate and the intermediate film is at least about 50 gram-force/in.