Elastomer laminate and method for its production
View Patent ↗An elastomer laminate has an elastomer carrier layer composed of a thermoplastic elastomer, and at least one microtextured cover layer composed of a polymer that has a lower elasticity than the material of the carrier layer. The microtexture is produced by stretching the laminate beyond the elasticity limit of the cover layer and elastic recovery of the stretched laminate. The microtextured cover layer contains a plurality of pores.
1. An elastomer laminate comprising:
a single elastomer carrier layer composed of a thermoplastic elastomer, and
a single layer or at most two layers having a microtexture and being composed of a polymer that has a lower elasticity than a material of the single carrier layer, said single layer or at most two layers containing a plurality of pores, forming a cover layer or cover layers of the elastomer laminate such that the single layer or at most two layers form at least one exterior surface of the elastomer laminate, and said single layer or at most two layers consisting of a foam structure with ruptured pores,
wherein the microtexture consists of wrinkles and pores that are open toward the exterior surface and is produced by stretching the laminate beyond an elasticity limit of the cover layer or cover layers and elastic recovery of the stretched laminate.
2. The elastomer laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the pores are uniformly distributed in the cover layer or layers.
3. The elastomer laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the pores of the foam structure are smaller than a thickness of the cover layer or layers before stretching of the laminate.
4. The elastomer laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the cover layer or layers has a thickness, measured before stretching of the laminate, between 1 μm and 20 μm, and wherein the carrier layer has a thickness between 15 μm and 150 μm, also measured before stretching.
5. The elastomer laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier layer consists of a block copolymer, selected from the group consisting of SIS, SBS, SEBS, and PEBA block copolymers, or of an elastomer polyurethane, or of an elastomer ethylene copolymer.
6. The elastomer laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the cover layer or layers consists of a polyolefin, polystyrene, polyamide, polycarbonate, PMMA, POM, polyethylene terephthalate, PBT, or a mixture of polyolefins, polystyrene, and ethylene vinyl acetate or of a mixture of ethyl butyl acrylate and polystyrene.
7. The elastomer laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the microtexture is formed by uniaxial stretching of the laminate in an extrusion direction.
8. The elastomer laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the microtexture is formed by biaxial stretching of the laminate.