Pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions and adhesive articles including the same

1. A pressure-sensitive adhesive composition comprising a polyvinyl ether polymer, wherein the polyvinyl ether polymer comprises 2-alkylalkoxyethylene monomeric units independently represented by the formula

wherein R 1 and R 2 represent alkyl groups, and wherein taken together R 1 and R 2 have from 8 to 30 carbon atoms, wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition has a glass transition temperature of less than or equal to +10° C.

2. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition of claim 1 wherein the polyvinyl ether polymer is crosslinked.

3. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the average number of carbon atoms in the 2-alkylalkoxyethylene monomeric units is from 12 to 24.

4. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyvinyl ether polymer further comprises at least one of:

a) cyclic or branched alkoxyethylene monomeric units independently having from 5 to 11 carbon atoms; or

b) linear alkoxyethylene monomeric units independently represented by the formula

 wherein R 6 represents a linear alkyl group having from 1 to 16 carbon atoms.

5. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition of claim 1 , further comprising acidic monomeric units.

6. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition of claim 1 , further comprising non-acidic polar monomeric units.

7. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein at least one of R 1 or R 2 is branched.

8. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition of claim 7 , wherein R 1 and R 2 each independently have from 3 to 9 carbon atoms, inclusive.

9. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyvinyl ether polymer comprises:

a) from 0.1 to 99 parts by weight of 2-alkylalkoxyethylene monomeric units having from 12 to 34 carbon atoms;

b) from 1 to 49 parts by weight of:

i) cyclic or branched alkoxyethylene monomeric units independently having from 5 to 11 carbon atoms; or

ii) linear alkoxyethylene monomeric units independently represented by the formula

 wherein R 6 represents a linear alkyl group having from 1 to 16 carbon atoms;

c) 0 to 20 parts by weight of acidic monomeric units; and

d) 0 to 30 parts by weight of non-acidic polar monomeric units.

10. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition of claim 9 , wherein the polyvinyl ether polymer comprises from 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of the acidic monomeric units.

11. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition of claim 9 , wherein the polyvinyl ether polymer comprises from 0.5 to 10 parts by weight of the non-acidic polar monomeric units.

12. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition of claim 1 , further comprising a tackifier.

13. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition of claim 12 , wherein the tackifier comprises from 20 to 150 parts by weight, of the tackifier for every 100 parts by weight of the polyvinyl ether polymer.

14. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition of claim 12 , wherein the tackifier is selected from hydrogenated rosin resins, hydrogenated and esterified rosin resins, hydrogenated terpene resins, aliphatic petroleum resins, aromatic petroleum resins, and alicyclic petroleum resins.

15. An adhesive article comprising a layer of the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition of claim 1 disposed on a substrate.