3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Michael R Kesti

Frank Thomas Sher

David James Yarusso

Danny Leroy Fleming

Ronald S Steelman

Michael D Crandall

John R David

James E Garbe

Richard J Goetz

Katherine A Brown

Richard L Peloquin

John A Nielsen

Koji Saito

Jeffrey O Emslander

James P Endle

Hidetoshi Abe

Joseph M McGrath

Spencer F Silver

Joaquin Delgado

Bruce A Nerad

Larry A Meixner

Yoshinori Araki

Dawud H Tan

Terrence E Cooprider

Edward G Stewart

Shinji Ikeda

Patrick J Yeshe

Shinya Ohtomo

Stephen J Aden

Danny L Fleming

A method of making an adhesive backed web, wherein the adhesive layer of such web has partially embedded filaments projecting therefrom. The filaments may comprise a thermoplastic material or a hot melt adhesive. The filaments are contacted to a major surface of a liner material then pressed partially thereinto. An adhesive layer, as from an adhesive backed film, is then laminated to the filament-containing liner, allowing the adhesive layer to pick up the filaments.

Method of making web with partially embedded fibers

Ink jet technology is used to deposit an ink stabilizing agent at the time of ink deposition (printing), upon a substrate. The stabilizing agent and the ink mix on the substrate. The amount of stabilizing agent is varied based on the needs of the inks being printed.

Method for improving durability of ink jet printed ink

The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing the laminated film that is BSPC (Back Side Printable Clear) and has excellent interlayer adhesion. The method involves a first UV curing step and a second UV curing step and the laminated film includes a transparent film layer, a UV curable ink layer, and an adhesive layer. The first UV curing step includes disposing the UV curable ink layer on the transparent film layer and partially curing the UV curable ink layer by performing a first UV irradiation. The second UV curing step includes disposing the adhesive layer on a surface of the UV curable ink layer opposite the transparent film layer, and further curing the UV curable ink layer by performing a second UV irradiation.

Method for manufacturing a laminated film

The present application is directed to adhesive articles and release liners. Namely, the present application is directed to an article comprising an adhesive layer with a structured surface. The structured surface comprises a first groove and a second groove recessed into the adhesive layer from a reference plane defined by the adhesive surface on either rim of the groove. In some embodiments, the second groove is contained within the first groove, and in other embodiments the grooves are separate. The first groove and the second groove have walls. The wall angle of the first groove with respect to the reference plane is non-zero and is smaller than the wall angle of the second groove with respect to the reference plane. The application is also directed to release liners for the adhesive article, wherein the surface of the release liner is the inverse of the adhesive surface.

Adhesive articles and release liners

Methods of applying film to substrates are provided wherein the film matingly conforms to the configuration of the substrate, including areas adjacent protrusions or depressions in the substrate. In certain embodiments, the film is punctured by a probe and a vacuum is applied to the probe in order to aspirate air and urge the film toward a position of compliance with the substrate. Optionally, the film is softened by heat in order to facilitate conformance with the shape of the substrate.

Method of conforming a film to a surface

Films are closely conformed to substrates by reducing the air pressure to a subatmospheric level in at least one airflow pathway that is present in the film or the substrate. The reduced air pressure enables the film to tightly contact the substrate in locations where protrusions or depressions on the substrate are present. The method is particularly useful for conforming film containing graphics to a variety of substrates such as the sides of semi-trailers or concrete block walls, even in instances where the semi-trailer sides include rivets and/or grooves and where the concrete block wall is relatively rough.

Method of conforming an adherent film to a substrate by application of vacuum

Microspheres comprise a polymer or copolymer including one or more of 1) a plurality of C or larger alpha-olefin units wherein the polymer has an average number of branch points less than one per monomer unit, and 2) a plurality of C alpha-olefin units wherein the polymer has an average number of branch points greater than 0.01 per monomer unit, the microspheres having an average diameter in the range of 1 to 300 micrometers. Optionally, the polymer of the microspheres can be crosslinked. The microspheres can be prepared by suspension or dispersion polymerization processes using aqueous or organic reaction media.

Polyolefin microspheres

Microspheres comprise a polymer including one or more of 1) a plurality of C,or larger alpha-olefin units wherein the C,or larger alpha-olefin units are incorporated into the polymer so as to give an average number of less than one branch point per C,or larger alpha-olefin unit, 2) a plurality of C,alpha-olefin units wherein the C,alpha-olefin units are incorporated so as to give an average number of branch points greater than 0.01 per C,alpha-olefin unit, and 3) cyclopentene or substituted cyclopentene, the microspheres having an average diameter in the range of 1 to 300 micrometers. Optionally, the polymer of the microspheres can be crosslinked. The microspheres can be prepared by suspension or dispersion polymerization processes using aqueous or organic reaction media. Powder coatings can be prepared from the microspheres.

Composite pressure sensitive adhesive microspheres are provided comprising two or more water insoluble polymers that are mixed wholly within the boundaries of polymeric microspheres. The range of monomers and polymers are chosen to tailor the properties of the composite pressure sensitive adhesive microspheres for specific performance and/or application requirements. Any polymer that can be dissolved into a solvent monomer or mixture of solvent monomers can be used to prepare the composite pressure sensitive adhesive microspheres. Pressure sensitive adhesive microspheres according to this invention can be prepared using free radical suspension polymerization.

Composite pressure sensitive adhesive microspheres

Stabilized microsphere adhesive composition comprising: a plurality of polymeric, elastomeric microspheres wherein the microspheres are the reaction product of reactants comprising polymerizable starting materials comprising at least one C.sub.4 -C.sub.14 alkyl (meth)acrylate monomer and optionally at least one comonomer, at least one vinyl-unsaturated additive having both an ionic moiety and a hydrophobic moiety and containing at least 5 but not more than 40 carbon atoms in an amount about 0.1 to 3 parts by weight of the microspheres; optionally, a polymeric stabilizer in an amount of between about 0.1 and about 3 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the microspheres; a surfactant in an amount of no greater than about 5 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the microspheres; optionally a modifier, wherein the modifier is at least one of a chain transfer agent, a tackifier, a solvent or the like in an amount that is sufficient to provide microspheres with a n-heptane soluble portion in the range of 30-98%; and (f) an initiator in an amount effective to catalyze the polymerization reaction present in amounts ranging from about 0.1 to approximately 2 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the polymerizable monomer starting material.

Stabilized adhesive microspheres

An adhesive composition is provided comprising:

Growing community of inventors

Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Michael R Kesti