3m Innovative Properties Company

Other

Matthew D Wilding

Kenton D Budd

Yu Yang

Eugene H Carlson

Stephen L Lieder

Joseph D Engebretson

Alexander J Kugel

Pamela A Percha

James P Endle

Rajdeep S Kalgutkar

Gregg A Patnode

Vivek Krishnan

Sonja S Mackey

Eugen H Carlson

Suresh S Iyer

The disclosed retroreflective element includes a polymeric core that is loaded with a plurality of first beads and second beads distributed at the perimeter of the core. The first beads are different than the second beads. Because of the beads in the core, the retroreflective element remains useful for returning light even after portions of the core begins to wear away. Further, when the retroreflective elements get wet, water will settle to the bottom of the perimeter of the core. Therefore, using the second beads with a refractive index suited for wet conditions, while the first beads have a refractive index suited for dry conditions allows the retroreflective element to be useful in both wet and dry conditions even while the retroreflective element wears during use.

Durable retroreflective elements with a blend of beads

The disclosed retroreflective element includes a highly durable core with an ionic copolymer and a plurality of beads. These disclosed retroreflective properties remain intact even after continued application of external forces and stresses. Further, the ionic copolymer allows for beads to be loaded into the ionic copolymer of the core, securely disposed around the perimeter of the core, or both.

Durable retroreflective elements with an ionic copolymer core

The present disclosure generally relates to non-conformable thermoplastic pavement marking tapes comprising a backing and an adhesive layer adjacent to the backing. In some embodiments, the backing includes an ionic copolymer. In other embodiments, the non-conformable backing has an inelastic deformation of less than 10% at 25&#xb0; C. In some embodiments, the pavement marking tape is heat-moldable.

Thermoplastic pavement marking tapes

A composition comprises a blend comprising (a) a binder comprising (i) C5 hydrocarbon resin or (ii) a resin comprising rosin acids, rosin esters, modified rosin acids, modified rosin esters or mixtures thereof, and (b) polydimethylsiloxane polyamide copolymer.

Pavement marking compositions

The thermoplastic pavements markers and pavement marking compositions of the present application include a miscible blend of ethylene acrylic acid polymers and have a crystallization onset temperature observed upon cooling of greater than 65.6&#xb0; C. (150&#xb0; F.).

Pavement marking materials and methods

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White Bear Lake, MN, United States of America

Matthew D Wilding