Cross-linking method and associated device

1. Self-adhesive article comprising at least a substrate and an adhesive layer, wherein the coating weight of said adhesive layer is between 600 and 1500 g/m 2 , wherein the adhesive layer was applied in one step, said adhesive layer being a cured adhesive composition comprising a silyl-containing polymer, a tackifying resin and a catalyst, and

wherein the self-adhesive article is obtained by a process comprising:

a) conditioning an adhesive composition comprising at least a silyl-containing polymer, a tackifying resin and a catalyst, at a temperature of between 20 and 160° C.;

b) coating in a single step the adhesive composition onto:

b1) at least a part of the substrate; or

b2) onto a non-sticking support;

c) submitting the article obtained at step b) to a temperature between 20 and 200° C. and to a humidity level characterized by an atmosphere in which between 5 and 90% of the molecules are water molecules to obtain the adhesive layer; and

if b2) is chosen, then

d) depositing the substrate onto the adhesive composition before step c) or onto the adhesive layer after step c),

wherein the self-adhesive article has adhesion to a surface characterized by a shear resistance, determined at ambient temperature and under 1 kg, of higher than 1 day.

2. Self-adhesive article according to claim 1 , wherein the coating weight of the adhesive layer is between 800 and 1300 g/m 2 .

3. Self-adhesive article according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer is further covered with a release liner.

4. Self-adhesive article according to claim 1 , wherein the back side of the substrate is a non-sticking layer.

5. Self-adhesive article according to claim 1 , wherein the silyl-containing polymer is a silyl-terminated polyurethane having the following formula (Ia):

wherein:

R 1 represents a hydrocarbon-based divalent radical comprising from 5 to 15 carbon atoms which may be aromatic or aliphatic, linear, branched or cyclic,

R 2 represents a linear or branched alkylene divalent radical comprising from 1 to 4 carbon atoms,

R 3 represents a linear alkylene divalent radical comprising from 1 to 3 carbon atoms,

R 4 and R 5 , which are identical or different, each represent a linear or branched alkyl radical having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, with the possibility, when there are several R 4 (or R 5 ) radicals, that these are identical or different,

n is an integer such that the number-average molecular weight of the polyether block of formula —[OR 2 ]n— is between 300 Da and 30 kDa,

m is an integer such that the number-average molecular weight of the polymer of formula (Ia) is between 600 Da and 60 kDa;

p is an integer equal to 0, 1 or 2.

6. Self-adhesive article according to claim 1 , wherein the silyl-containing polymer is a silyl-terminated polyether having the following formula (Ib):

wherein:

R 1 represents a linear or branched alkylene divalent radical comprising from 1 to 4 carbon atoms,

R 3 represents a linear alkylene divalent radical comprising from 1 to 6 carbon atoms,

R 4 and R 5 , which are identical or different, each represent a linear or branched alkyl radical having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, with the possibility, when there are several R 4 (or R 5 ) radicals, that these are identical or different,

n is an integer such that the number average molecular weight of the polymer of formula (Ib) is between 20 kDa and 40 kDa,

p is an integer equal to 0, 1 or 2.

7. Process for manufacturing the self-adhesive article comprising at least a substrate and an adhesive layer of claim 1 , said process comprising the steps of:

a) conditioning an adhesive composition, comprising at least a silyl-containing polymer, a tackifying resin and a catalyst, at a temperature of between 20 and 160° C.;

b) coating the adhesive composition onto:

b1) at least a part of the substrate; or

b2) onto a non-sticking support;

c) submitting the article obtained at step b) to a temperature between 20 and 200° C. and to a humidity level characterized by an atmosphere in which between 5 and 90% of the molecules are water molecules to obtain an adhesive layer; and

if b2) is chosen, then

d) depositing the substrate onto the adhesive composition before step c) or onto the adhesive layer after step c).

8. Process according to claim 7 , further comprising a step e) of submitting the article obtained after step c) to a temperature between 20 and 200° C.

9. Process according to claim 8 , wherein the article obtained after step c) is submitted to a temperature comprised between 30 and 180° C.

10. Process according to claim 7 , wherein the coating at step b1) is performed onto at least 50% of the substrate.

11. Process according to claim 10 , wherein the coating at step b1) is performed on at least 75% of the substrate.

12. Process according to claim 7 wherein the coating of the substrate is performed onto at least a part of both sides of the substrate.

13. Process according to claim 7 , wherein the substrate is a grid or mesh or a non-woven substrate.

14. Process according to claim 7 , wherein at step b1) or b2) the quantity of adhesive composition coated on the substrate or non-sticking support, is between 10 and 1500 g/m 2 .

15. Process according to claim 14 , wherein at step b1) or b2) the quantity of adhesive composition coated on the substrate or non-sticking support, is between 50 and 1400 g/m 2 .

16. Process according to claim 7 , wherein at step c) the humidity level is characterized by an atmosphere in which between 10 and 90% of the molecules are water molecules and the temperature is between 30 and 180° C.

17. Process according to claim 16 , wherein at step c) the humidity level is characterized by an atmosphere in which between 15 and 70% of the molecules are water molecules and the temperature is between 40 and 160° C.

18. Process according to claim 7 , wherein step c) is performed in an apparatus equipped with an external ventilation circuit comprising a heat exchanger.

19. Process according to claim 18 , wherein steam is injected into the external ventilation circuit.

20. Process for bonding a self-adhesive article according to claim 1 onto a surface comprising the steps of:

a) removing a protective non-sticking layer from said adhesive layer when said protective non-sticking layer is present;

b) applying the article onto the surface; and

c) applying a pressure onto the article.

21. Process according to claim 20 , wherein the adhesion of the self-adhesive article to the surface is characterized by a shear resistance at ambient temperature under 1 kg of higher than 10 minutes.

22. Process according to claim 21 , wherein the adhesion of the self-adhesive article to the surface is characterized by a shear resistance at ambient temperature under 1 kg of higher than 1 day.