Pressure-sensitive adhesive having broad useful temperature range

Claim 2

An adhesive composition consisting essentially of (a) a first component consisting essentially of a water-emulsifiable, tacky adhesive selected from the group consisting of rubber-based adhesives, polyvinyl acetate modified acrylics, and polyvinyl acetates, and (b) a second component consisting essentially of a copolymer formed from (i) from 95 to 99.8 parts by weight of at least one terminally unsaturated vinyl monomer, 60 to 100 weight percent of said vinyl monomer being selected from the class of nontertiary alkyl acrylates wherein each alkyl group has at least half of its carbon atoms in a single chain and the average length of the alkyl chain is at least 4 and not more than 12, and (ii) from 0.2 to 5 parts by weight of at least one vinyl-unsaturated, homopolymerizable emulsifier monomer which is a surfactant having both a hydrophobic and hydrophilic moiety, contains at least 5 but not more than 40 carbon atoms, and is water dispersible, the total parts by weight of (i) and (ii) being 100.

Claim 3

The adhesive composition of claim 1 wherein said second component is present in an amount sufficient to provide said adhesive composition with higher tack at 0° C. than said first component would exhibit if it were alone.

Claim 4

The adhesive composition of claim 1 wherein said emulsifier monomer being a monovalent salt of a styrene sulfonate.

Claim 5

The composition of claim 1 further including an antioxidant.

Claim 6

The composition of claim 1 further including a material that enhances resistance to ultraviolet light.

Claim 7

The composition of claim 1 further including a tackifier.

Claim 8

The composition of claim 1 wherein the adhesive of said first component rubber based adhesive comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.

Claim 9

The composition of claim 7 wherein said thermoplastic elastomer is a block coploymer selected from the group consisting of styrene-butadiene-styrene, styrene-isoprene-styrene, and styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene.

Claim 10

The composition of claim 1 wherein the adhesive of said first component comprises a silicone elastomer or a silicone gum.

Claim 11

The composition of claim 1 wherein the adhesive of said first component comprises polyvinly acetate.

Claim 12

The composition of claim 1 wherein the ratio of said first component to said second component ranges from about 5:1 to about 1:5.

Claim 13

The composition of claim 11 wherein the ratio of said first component to said second component ranges from about 1:1 to about 1:3.

Claim 14

Method of preparing the adhesive of claim 1 comprising the steps of: dissolving said frist component in a solvent; providing an aqueous emulsion of said dissolved first component; providing an aqueous emulsion of said second component; combining said aqueous emulsion of said dissolved first component and said aqueous emulsion of said second component; removing the water and solvent from said aqueous emulsion combination.

Claim 15

An adhesive composition consisting essentially of: (a) a first component consisting essentially of a water-emulsifiable, tacky adhesive selected from the group consisting of rubber-based adhesives, polyvinyl acetate modified acrylics, and polyvinyl acetates, and (b) a second component consisting essentially of copolymer formed from monomers consisting essentially of (i) from 88 to 99 parts by weight of at least one terminally unsaturated vinyl monomer, 70 to 100 weight percent of said vinyl monomer being selected from the class of non-tertiary alkyl acrylates wherein each alkyl group has at least half of its carbon atoms in a single chain and the average length of the alkyl chain is more than 4 and not more than 12, (ii) from 0.2 to 5 parts by weight of at least one vinyl-unsaturated, homopolymerizable emulsifier monomer which is a surfactant having both a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic moiety, contains at least 5 but not more than 40 carbon atoms and is nonionic and/or water-dispersible, and (iii) from 0 to 10 parts by weight of at least one zwitterion monomer having a free radically polymerizable unsaturated group. the total parts by weight of (ii) plus (iii) being at least 1 and not more than 12, and the total parts by weight of (i) plus (ii) plus (iii) being 100.

Claim 16

An adhesive composition consisting essentially of: (a) a first component consisting essentially of a water-emulsifiable, tacky adhesive selected from the group consisting of rubber-based adhesives, polyvinyl acetate modified acrylics, and polyvinyl acetates, and (b) a second component consisting essentially of copolymer formed from monomers consisting essentially of (i) from 88 to 99 parts by weight of at least one terminally unsaturated vinyl monomer, 70 to 100 weight percent of said vinyl monomer being selected from the class of non-tertiary alkyl acrylates wherein each alkyl group has at least half of its carbon atoms in a single chain and the average length of the alkyl chain is more than 4 and not more than 12, (ii) from 0.2 to 5 parts by weight of at least one vinyl-unsaturated, homopolymerizable emulsifier monomer which is a surfactant having both a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic moiety, contains at least 5 but not more than 40 carbon atoms and is nonionic and/or water-dispersible, and (iii) from 0 to 10 parts by weight of at least one zwitterion monomer having a free radically polymerizable unsaturated group. the total parts by weight of (ii) plus (iii) being at least 1 and not more than 12, and the total parts by weight of (i) plus (ii) plus (iii) being 100.

Claim 17

The composition of claim 14 wherein the adhesive of said first component rubber based adhesive comprises a silicone elastomer or a silicone gum.