Method of producing a multilayered product
In embodiments, the present invention relates to a method of producing a multilayered printed item, comprising: (a) providing a coating of curable composition comprising a polymer powder, at least one plasticizer, and at least one monomer and/or oligomer, onto the substrate or a thereon previously applied layer or coating; (b) heating the curable coating composition to a temperature of about 70-120° C., to provide a gelled curable coating; (c) providing a coating of curable composition comprising a polymer powder, at least one plasticizer, and at least one monomer and/or oligomer, onto the previously applied layer or coating; (d) heating the other curable as above, to provide second gelled curable coating; (e) before crosslinking is performed, the multilayer-coated substrate formed is heated to a temperature of about 130-160° C.; and (f) crosslinking the heated multilayer-coated substrate, by irradiation and/or subjection to heat at a temperature of about 165-190° C.
1. A method of producing a multilayered printed indicia or stencil with a process including a crosslinking step, comprising the steps of:
providing a substrate with a polymeric release film forming a surface thereon;
providing a coating of a curable composition comprising a polymer powder, at least one plasticizer, and at least one monomer and/or oligomer, onto the polymeric release film surface or a thereon previously applied layer or coating;
heating the curable coating composition to a temperature of about 70° C. to about 120° C., to provide a gelled curable coating;
providing a coating of another curable composition comprising a polymer powder, at least one plasticizer, and at least one monomer and/or oligomer, onto the previously applied layer or coating;
heating the other curable coating composition to a temperature of about 70° C. to about 120° C., to provide second gelled curable coating;
before crosslinking is performed, a multilayer-coated substrate formed by said providing and heating steps is further heated to a temperature of about 130° C. to about 160° C.; and
performing the crosslinking on the heated multilayer-coated substrate, by irradiation and/or subjection to heat at a temperature of about 165° C. to about 190° C.,
wherein, one or both said curable compositions is a curable composition A that comprises:
40-about 68 wt % polymer powder,
15-about 40 wt % plasticizer,
about 1-25 wt % monomer and/or oligomer,
about 0.5-about 5 wt % initiator.
2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising providing a printing ink layer onto said polymeric release film surface and/or onto said gelled polymer coating.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a pressure sensitive adhesive composition coating is provided to the polymeric release film surface on the substrate before further coatings are applied, or is provided to the gelled polymer coating which was last formed, if more than one is present, wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises one or the other of the following:
PSA composition 1 comprising:
about 30-about 95 wt % copolymer(s),
about 0.5-about 15 wt % propylene glycol,
about 1-about 50 wt % solvent(s),
about 1-about 15 wt % silicon dioxide, and
about 10-about 50 wt % rosin,
or PSA composition 2 comprising:
about 20-about 65 wt % urethane acrylate(s),
about 1-about 30 wt % alkyl acrylate(s),
about 1-about 30 wt % hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin(s),
about 1-about 15 wt % reactive monomer diluent(s),
about 1-about 15 wt % vinyl amide monomer(s),
about 1-about 15 wt % silica, and
about 0.1-about 5 wt % UV photoinitiator(s).
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive composition comprises PSA composition 1.
5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein when the pressure sensitive adhesive composition coating is provided to the gelled polymer coating which was last formed, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition coating is after the curing provided with a protective substrate.
6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive composition comprises PSA composition 2.
7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein all applied structural layers of the printed indicia or stencil are polymeric films.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric release film surface has a surface tension in the range of about 5 to about 45 Dyne/cm.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second gelled polymer coating is provided with a coating of yet another polymer powder containing curable coating composition, which is heated to a temperature of about 70 to about 120° C., to provide a third gelled curable coating before crosslinking is performed.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said curable curable composition A comprises:
about 0.5-3 wt % initiator.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said initiator is selected from photoinitiators, and thermal initiators selected from the group consisting of benzophenone, acetophenone, o-methoxybenzophenone, pinacols, azo compounds, thiurams, organic peroxides, and any combination thereof.
12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said curable composition A further comprises:
about 0.5-about 20 wt % dyes and/or pigments,
about 0.5-about 5 wt % stabilizers, and
about 0.5-about 5 wt % fillers.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein curable composition A comprises at least one of:
the dyes and/or pigments are selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, red iron oxide, black iron oxide, and carbon black;
the stabilizers are selected from the group consisting of metal containing stabilizers; and
the fillers are selected from the group consisting of clays, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, titanium oxide, barium sulfate, zinc white, silicic acid, mica powder talc, silica, diatomaceous earth, glass powder, graphite powder, alumina, metal powder, and talc.
14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said polymer powder comprises acrylate polymers and/or vinyl polymers.
15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the acrylate and/or vinyl polymers are selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate, and homopolymers and/or copolymers of C 3-25 alkyl acrylates and/or C 2-25 alkyl methacrylates.
16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of polyglycol benzoate, trimellitate, pyromellitic acid ester, phosphates, adipates, sebacates, alkyl-substituted diphenyl, alkyl-substituted terphenyl, partially hydrogenated alkyl terphenyl, and any combination thereof.
17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said plasticizer is phthalate free.
18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said monomer and/or oligomer is selected from acrylate monomers and acrylate oligomers, respectively.
19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the heating to provide a gelled curable coating is performed for a time period of about 10 seconds to about 2 minutes.
20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the crosslinking of the gelled polymer coating(s) is performed for a time period of about 10 seconds to about 2 minutes.
21. The method according to claim 1 , wherein all applied structural layers printed indicia or stencil are polymeric films.
22. A multilayered printed indicia or stencil obtained according to the method of claim 1 .
23. A method of producing a multilayered printed indicia or stencil with a process including a crosslinking step, comprising the steps of:
providing a substrate with a polymeric release film forming a surface thereon;
providing a coating of a curable composition comprising a polymer powder, at least one plasticizer, and at least one monomer and/or oligomer, onto the polymeric release film surface or a thereon previously applied layer or coating;
heating the curable coating composition to a first temperature effective to provide a gelled curable coating;
providing a coating of another curable composition comprising a polymer powder, at least one plasticizer, and at least one monomer and/or oligomer, onto the previously applied layer or coating;
heating the other curable coating composition to a second temperature, which can be the same as the first, effective to provide a second gelled curable coating;
before crosslinking is performed, a multilayer-coated substrate is formed by said providing and heating steps is further heated to a third temperature, higher than the first or second temperature, effective to dissolve polymer powder in the gelled curable coatings; and
performing the crosslinking on the heated multilayer-coated substrate, by irradiation and/or subjection to heat at a fourth temperature effective to effect crosslinking,
wherein, one or both said curable compositions comprise:
40-about 68 wt % of the polymer powder,
15-about 40 wt % plasticizer,
about 1-25 wt % monomer and/or oligomer, and
about 0.5-about 5 wt % initiator.