US5028292A
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US
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Adhesive bonding to quasi-amorphous polymer surfaces
Assignee: 3M Co
•
Filing: 1988-04-27
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Granted: 1991-07-02
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Expires: 2008-04-27
Abstract
Abstract Semicrystalline polymers can have predetermined amounts of their surfaces rendered quasi-amorphous by irradiation. Polymer surfaces which are so modified can display enhanced ability to accept bonding to other materials, particularly adhesives.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph H. Incremona
- 👤 Arthur A. Aamodt
- 👤 Robert W. Warner
- 👤 Andrew J. Ouderkirk
- 👤 Douglas S. Dunn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 09:55
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C66/00; B29C66/01; B29C66/02; B29C59/00; B29C59/16; B29C65/00; B29C65/48; B29C66/70; B29C66/73; B29C66/737; B29C66/7377; B29C66/73771; B29C66/73773; B29C66/739; B29C66/7392; B29C71/00; B29C71/0063; C; C08; C08J; C08J5/00; C08J5/12; C08J5/124; B29C35/00; B29C35/02; B29C35/08; B29C35/0805; B29C2035/0838; B29C2791/00; B29C2791/004; B29C2791/009; B29C65/4805; B29C65/481; B29C65/4815; B29C65/4825; B29C65/483; B29C65/4835; B29C65/484; B29C66/71; B29C66/73921; B29K; B29K2995/00; B29K2995/0037; B29K2995/0039; B29K2995/0041
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
74 words
A process of bonding a polymeric article comprising a semicrystalline polymer having on at least one surface thereof areas having thicknesses of at least 5 nm of the same polymer in a quasi-amorphous state and having an adhesive on said at least one surface, said process comprising contacting said adhesive material to another surface under conditions of heat, pressure or other applied energy sufficient to cause bonding of said adhesive to said another surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
74 words
A process of bonding a polymeric article comprising a semicrystalline polymer having on at least one surface thereof areas having thicknesses of at least 5 nm of the same polymer in a quasi-amorphous state and having an adhesive on said at least one surface, said process comprising contacting said adhesive material to another surface under conditions of heat, pressure or other applied energy sufficient to cause bonding of said adhesive to said another surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said conditions comprise heat and pressure.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said adhesive comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive and said conditions comprise pressure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process of claim 1 wherein at least 1% of said at least one surface is quasi-amorphous and the atom/atom, oxygen/carbon ratio of the amorphous areas is the same or greater than that ratio in the semicrystalline polymer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 3 wherein said semi-crystalline polymer is in the form of a layer, sheet, film or coating.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
The process of claim 3 wherein said areas comprise 80 to 100 percent of said at least one surface and the atom/atom, oxygen/carbon ratio of the quasi-amorphous areas is the same or greater than that ratio in the semicrystalline polymer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 5 wherein said areas comprise 90 to 100 percent of said at least one surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 5 wherein the quasi-amorphous area has a thickness of between 20 and 250 nm.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 3 wherein the quasi-amorphous area has a thickness of between 20 and 100 nm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 7 wherein the quasi-amorphous area has a thickness of between 20 and 250 nm.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
41 words
The process of claim 5 wherein said quasi-amorphous area has a thickness in the range of 5 to 10,000 nm and the atom/atom, oxygen/carbon ratio of the quasi-amorphous areas is the same or greater than that ratio in the semicrystalline polymer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
The process of claim 5 wherein said quasi-amorphous area has a thickness in the range of 20 to 500 nm and has an optical density, in the absence of dyes or pigments, which differ from that of the semicrystalline polymer by less than 0.1 in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
The process of claim 2 wherein said semicrystalline polymer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(vinyl chloride), poly(vinylidene chloride), polytetrafluoroethylene, nylon, polyurethane, polyester, polyolefin, and copolymers thereof having substantially no polymer decomposition debris on said at least one surface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 5 wherein said semicrystalline polymer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(vinyl chloride), poly(vinylidene chloride), polythetraluorothylene, nylon, polyurethane, polyester, polyolefin, and copolymers thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 5 wherein said adhesive is an acrylic material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 5 wherein said adhesive is an acrylic material and said semicrystalline polymer is poly(vinyl chloride).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
123 words
A process of bonding a polymeric article comprising a semicrystalline polymer having on at least one surface thereof areas having thicknesses of at least 5 nm of the same polymer in a quasi-amorphous state and having an adhesive on said at least one surface, said process comprising contacting said adhesive material to another surface under conditions of heat, pressure or other applied energy sufficient to cause bonding of said adhesive to said another surface, said areas in a quasi-amorphous state having been formed by laser irradiation of said at least one surface which causes a degradation of less than 0.1% in the treated polymer volume, and the optical density of said areas being within 0.1 optical density units of the bult semicrystalline polymer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
123 words
A process of bonding a polymeric article comprising a semicrystalline polymer having on at least one surface thereof areas having thicknesses of at least 5 nm of the same polymer in a quasi-amorphous state and having an adhesive on said at least one surface, said process comprising contacting said adhesive material to another surface under conditions of heat, pressure or other applied energy sufficient to cause bonding of said adhesive to said another surface, said areas in a quasi-amorphous state having been formed by laser irradiation of said at least one surface which causes a degradation of less than 0.1% in the treated polymer volume, and the optical density of said areas being within 0.1 optical density units of the bult semicrystalline polymer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the optical density of said areas are within 0.1 optical density units of the bult semicrystalline polymer.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 2 wherein the optical density of said areas are within 0.1 optical density units of the bult semicrystalline polymer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 3 wherein the optical density of said areas are within 0.1 optical density units of the bult semicrystalline polymer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the optical density of said areas are within 0.1 optical density units of the bult semicrystalline polymer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 5 wherein the optical density of said areas are within 0.1 optical density units of the bult semicrystalline polymer.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 6 wherein the optical density of said areas are within 0.1 optical density units of the bult semicrystalline polymer.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
98 words
A process of bonding a polymeric article comprising a semicrystalline polymer having a crystallite orientation, said polymer having on at least one surface thereof areas having thicknesses of at least 5 nm of the same polymer in a quasi-amorphous state which when heated would return said areas to the same crystalline orientation of said semicrystalline polymer and said polymer having an adhesive on said at least one surface, said process comprising contacting said adhesive material to another surface under conditions of heat, pressure or other applied energy sufficient to cause bonding of said adhesive to said another surface.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
98 words
A process of bonding a polymeric article comprising a semicrystalline polymer having a crystallite orientation, said polymer having on at least one surface thereof areas having thicknesses of at least 5 nm of the same polymer in a quasi-amorphous state which when heated would return said areas to the same crystalline orientation of said semicrystalline polymer and said polymer having an adhesive on said at least one surface, said process comprising contacting said adhesive material to another surface under conditions of heat, pressure or other applied energy sufficient to cause bonding of said adhesive to said another surface.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process of claim 24 wherein at least 1% of said at least one surface is quasi-amorphous and the atom/atom, oxygen/carbon ratio of the quasi-amorphous areas is the same or greater than that ratio in the semi-crystalline polymer.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process of claim 24 wherein said at least one polymeric article is in the form of a layer, sheet, film or coating and said heating provides said areas with the same crystallite orientation as said semicrystalline polymer.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 25 wherein said at least one polymeric article is in the form of a layer, sheet, film or coating.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
52 words
The process of claim 24 wherein said quasi-amorphous area has a thickness in the range of 20 to 500 nm and has an optical density, in the absence of dyes or pigments, which differ from that of the semicrystalline polymer by less than 0.1 in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
52 words
The process of claim 25 wherein said quasi-amorphous area has a thickness in the range of 20 to 500 nm and has an optical density, in the absence of dyes or pigments, which differ from that of the semicrystalline polymer by less than 0.1 in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
53 words
The process of claim 26 wherein said quasi-amorphous area has a thickness in the range of 20 t 500 nm and has an optical density, in the absence of dyes or pigments, which differ from that of the semicrystalline polymer by less than 0.1 nm in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 26 wherein the crystallite orientation o said semicrystalline polymer is biaxial orientation.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 30 wherein the crystallite orientation of said semicrystalline polymer is biaxial orientation.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-07-01 | 1994-12-31 | 1995-07-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-07-01 | 1998-12-31 | 1999-07-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-07-01 | 2002-12-31 | 2003-07-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |