Stretchable and formable lighter than air balloons made from a biaxially oriented polyester film
View Patent ↗Described are stretchable and formable lighter than air balloons including a high barrier lamination. The stretchable and formable balloons stretch when overinflated instead of failing. The balloons are formed from a lamination including a polyester film with a total thickness of 4 μm to 12 μm including a biaxially oriented polyester core layer and at least one amorphous copolyester skin layer. The polyester film has an Elongation % in the transverse direction (TD) or machine direction (MD) of greater than 125%.
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 and at least one amorphous copolyester skin layer,
wherein the polyester film has an Elongation % in the transverse direction (TD) or machine direction (MD) of greater than 125%.
2. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the polyester film has a tensile strength of 30-40 KPsi in the TD or MD direction.
3. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the polyester film has a Young's Modulus of 420-480 KPsi in the TD or MD direction.
4. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the polyester film has an Elongation % in the transverse direction (TD) and machine direction (MD) of greater than 125%.
5. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the lamination further comprises:
a sealant layer adjacent to the amorphous copolyester skin layer; and
a gas barrier layer on an opposite side of the polyester film from the sealant layer,
wherein an oxygen transmission rate of the balloon is less than 0.1 cc/100 sqin/day, a dry bonding strength of the gas barrier layer to the surface of the polyester film is more than 300 g/in, 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.
6. The balloon of claim 5 , wherein the gas barrier layer is a metal or ceramic layer.
7. The balloon of claim 5 , wherein the sealant layer comprises a low density polyethylene.
8. The balloon of claim 5 , wherein the lamination further comprises an anchor layer between the sealant layer and the amorphous copolyester skin layer.
9. The balloon of claim 5 , wherein the lamination further comprises a primer layer between the biaxially oriented core layer and the gas barrier layer.
10. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the 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 5 , wherein the dry bonding strength of the gas barrier layer is more than 600 g/in.
14. A deformable 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 and at least one amorphous copolyester skin layer,
wherein the polyester film has an Elongation % in the transverse direction (TD) or machine direction (MD) of greater than 125%, has a tensile strength of 30-40 KPsi in the TD or MD direction, and has a Young's Modulus of 420-480 KPsi in the TD or MD direction.
15. The deformable balloon of claim 14 , wherein the lamination further comprises:
a sealant layer adjacent to the amorphous copolyester skin layer; and
a gas barrier layer on an opposite side of the polyester film from the sealant layer,
wherein an oxygen transmission rate of the balloon is less than 0.1 cc/100 sqin/day, a dry bonding strength of the gas barrier layer to the surface of the polyester film is more than 300 g/in, 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.
16. The deformable balloon of claim 15 , wherein the gas barrier layer is a metal or ceramic layer.