3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Terence D Neavin

Stephen A Johnson

Robert M Biegler

Andrew John Ouderkirk

Timothy J Lindquist

William T Fay

Martin B Wolk

Yaoqi Joe Liu

Jennifer L Trice

Onur Sinan Yordem

Michael Albert Haase

Olester Benson, Jr

Catherine A Leatherdale

Robert L Brott

Patrick R Fleming

Robert A Yapel

Sergey Lamansky

John P Baetzold

William J Kopecky

Robert B Secor

Diane North

Thomas R Hoffend, Jr

Kristopher K Biegler

Keith R Bruesewitz

Richard J Thompson

Pentti K Loukusa

John Allen Wheatley

Matthew T Scholz

Michael F Weber

Audrey A Sherman

Timothy J Nevitt

William Ward Merrill

Carl A Stover

Timothy J Hebrink

Paul C Thomas

Christopher Stewart Lyons

Fred Boyle McCormick

James M Jonza

Mark A Roehrig

Ta-Hua Yu

Kristopher J Derks

Stephen P Maki

Tommie W Kelley

Steven P Swanson

Scott J Jones

Joseph C Spagnola

David J Rowe

Bruce A Nerad

Semra Colak Atan

Ethan B Secor

Kevin D Hagen

Arthur L Fry

Gregory D Kostuch

Gary B Hanson

Jeffrey A Boettcher

Semra Colak

Richard J Foss

Michael R Harms

Kelly M Roscoe

Andrew M Mevissen

Kenneth L Looney

Fred B Mc-Cormick

Multilayered polymer films are configured so that successive constituent layer packets can be delaminated in continuous sheet form from the remaining film. The new films are compatible with known coextrusion manufacturing techniques, and can also be made without the use of adhesive layers between layer packets that are tailored to be individually peelable from the remainder of the film. Instead, combinations of polymer compositions are used to allow non-adhesive polymer layers to be combined in such a way that delamination of the film is likely to occur along a plurality of delamination surfaces corresponding to interfaces between particular pairs of layers for which the peel strength is reduced relative to the peel strength at other layer interfaces within the film. The absence of an adhesive between peelable layer packets results in the delamination being irreversible.

Coextruded polymer film configured for successive irreversible delamination

Multilayered polymer films are configured so that successive constituent layer packets can be delaminated in continuous sheet form from the remaining film. The films are compatible with known coextrusion manufacturing techniques, and can be made without adhesive layers between layer packets that are tailored to be individually peelable from the film. Instead, combinations of polymer compositions are used to allow non-adhesive polymer layers to be combined such that irreversible delamination of the film is likely to occur at interfaces between layer packet pairs. Some polymer layers, including at least one embedded layer, may include an ultraviolet (UV) light stabilizer such as a UV absorber, antioxidant, or hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS), and these layers may be positioned at the front of each layer packet. After the UV-stabilized layer of one packet has been used, the packet can be peeled away to expose a new UV-stabilized layer of the next layer packet.

Successively peelable coextruded polymer film with extended UV stability

Multilayered polymer films are configured so that successive constituent layer packets can be delaminated in continuous sheet form from the remaining film. The films are compatible with known coextrusion manufacturing techniques, and can be made without adhesive layers between layer packets that are tailored to be individually peelable from the remainder of the film. Instead, combinations of polymer compositions are used to allow non-adhesive polymer layers to be combined such that irreversible delamination of the film is likely to occur at interfaces between layer packets pairs. Some of the polymer layers, including at least one embedded layer, comprise an antimicrobial agent, and these layers may be positioned at the front of each layer packet. After the antimicrobial layer of one layer packet has been used, the packet can be peeled away to expose a pristine antimicrobial layer of the next layer packet. The antimicrobial agent may be organic.

Successively peelable coextruded polymer film with embedded antimicrobial layer(s)

Barrier assemblies including ultrathin barrier laminates and methods of making the barrier assemblies are provided. A barrier assembly includes a thermoplastic polymer skin layer having opposite first and second major surfaces, and a barrier stack coated on the first major surface of the thermoplastic polymer skin layer to form an integral protective layer having a thickness no greater than about 0.5 mil (about 12.7 microns). The removable carrier film has a major surface releasably attached to the second major surface of the thermoplastic polymer skin layer. In some cases, the removal of the carrier film results in ultrathin barrier laminates.

Ultrathin barrier laminates and devices

A feedblock including a first packet creator that forms a first packet including a first plurality of polymeric layers, the first plurality of layers including at least four first individual polymeric layers; and a second packet creator that forms a second packet including a second plurality of polymeric layers, the second plurality of layers including at least four second individual polymeric layers, wherein the first and second packet creators are configured such that, for each packet creator, respective individual polymeric layers of the plurality of polymeric layers are formed at approximately the same time. The feedblock may include a packet combiner that receives and combines the first and second primary packets to form a multilayer stream. In some examples, at least one of the first and second primary packets may be spread in the cross-web direction prior to being combined with one another.

Feedblock for manufacturing multilayer polymeric films

A method of controlling a slot die comprises, while continuing to pass the extrudate through the fluid flow path and out the applicator slot, changing the position of the actuators with the controller to either increase the cross-directional thickness of the fluid flow path adjacent each of the actuators or substantially close the fluid flow path adjacent the actuators, and after changing the cross-directional thickness of the fluid flow path adjacent each of the actuators, while continuing to pass the extrudate through the fluid flow path and out the applicator slot, repositioning each of the actuators with the controller according to the set of discrete settings to resume operating the slot die with the actuators positioned according to the set of discrete settings.

Slot die position adjustment and return to baseline

Apparatus for manufacturing multilayer polymeric films

A method is disclosed that includes forming a plurality of polymer layers via a plurality of slots, wherein the plurality of layers are combined to generate a multilayer polymer flow stream; and controlling heat flow to the plurality of slots in conjunction with the formation of the plurality of polymer layers. The multilayer polymer flow stream may be used to generate a multilayer film. In some embodiments, the cross-web layer thickness profile may be controlled by controlling heat flow to the plurality of slots that form the plurality of polymer layers.

Controlling cross-web layer profile of a multilayer polymer film

An interdigitated electrode film co-extruded with bus bars for thin film electronics or other devices. First electrode layers are located between first and second major surfaces of the film with a first bus bar electrically connecting and integrated with the first electrode layers. Second electrode layers are located between the first and second major surfaces with a second bus bar electrically connecting and integrated with the second electrode layers. The first electrode layers are interdigitated with the second electrode layers, and insulating layers electrically isolate the first bus bar and electrode layers from the second bus bar and electrode layers. The electrode films include multilayer films with vertical bus bars and multilane films with horizontal bus bars.

Film constructions for interdigitated electrodes with bus bars and methods of making same

Substrate films, thermal mass transfer donor elements, and methods of making and using the same are provided. In some embodiments, such substrate films and donor elements include at least two dyads, wherein each dyad includes an absorbing first layer and an essentially non-absorbing second layer. Also provided are methods of making a donor element that includes an essentially non-absorbing substrate, an absorbing first layer, and a non-absorbing second layer, wherein the composition of the essentially non-absorbing substrate is essentially the same as the composition of the essentially non-absorbing second layer.

Thermal mass transfer substrate films, donor elements, and methods of making and using same

A composite polymer fiber comprises a polymer filler material and a plurality of polymer scattering fibers disposed within the filler material. At least one of the filler material and the scattering fibers is formed of a birefringent material. The refractive indices of the filler material and the scattering fibers can be substantially matched for light incident in a first polarization state on the composite polymer fiber and unmatched for light incident in an orthogonal polarization state. The scattering fibers may be arranged to form a photonic crystal within the composite fiber. The composite fibers may be extruded and may be formed into a yarn, a weave or the like. If the filler material is soluble, it may be washed out of the yarn or weave, and the scattering fibers may then be infiltrated with a resin that is subsequently cured.

Polymer photonic crystal fibers

An optical element is formed by co-extruding to have an arrangement of polymer scattering fibers within a polymer matrix. The scattering fibers lie substantially parallel to a first axis. The scattering fibers are arranged at positions across the cross-section of the polymer matrix to scatter light transversely incident on the optical element in a direction substantially orthogonal to the first axis. The positions of the scattering fibers across the cross-section of the optical element may be selected so as to form a two-dimensional photonic crystal structure for light transversely incident on the optical element.

Polymeric photonic crystals with co-continuous phases

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Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Terence D Neavin