LABEL FACE STOCK

Abstract: A multilayer label stock structure comprising a label stock of polypropylene film having on one side thereof a highly printable blend of (A) alkylene acrylate copolymer and (B) an interpolymer of an alkyl acrylate, an alkyl methacrylate and an alkyl acrylate acid.

Description: LABEL FACE STOCK This invention relates to the field of label face stock. More particularly, this invention relates to polymeric film structures which may be used to provide adhesively adhered labels. In recent years polymeric films have been utilized to take the place of paper in materials such as product labels. Synthetic film labels are stronger and, in some respects, easier to handle in automatic machinery employed for applying labels to products. A typical system employs a release layer which carries one or more labels removable therefrom. The label carried by the release layer has a pressure sensitive adhesive on one side and product identifying indicia or other information on the other. The release layer is composed of a substrate which has a surface to which the label adhesive will not aggressively adhere. The release characteristics of the substrate and the adhesive are such that when the substrate is bent through a certain angle, the stiffness of the label will cause it to separate from the release surface in spite of the presence of the adhesive. This will permit a container or product to be interfaced with the adhesive layer so that the label will transfer from the release surface to the product to be labeled. This technique happens rapidly and sequentially in automated mechanisms. One shortcoming with the use of polymeric films in label face stock is that they may not have excellent printability with high speed dot matrix and thermal transfer printers. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a polymeric film label face stock having excellent printability. According to the present invention, there is provided a multilayer label film comprising: i) a base structure which comprises a film of an olefin polymer; ii) on one side of i) ; a blend of (A) one or more alkylene acrylate copolymers and (B) an interpolymer of (a) an a , β- monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid with (b) a neutral monomeric (i) acrylate ester and (ii) methacrylic ester; and iii) on the other side of i) , an adhesive layer. For use for label face stock purposes the base structure (i) may be transparent or opaque, preferably white opaque. It is desirable that the film comprising the base structure (i) is oriented, preferably biaxially oriented. The film comprising the base structure (i) is suitably a multilayer coextruded structure, preferably one which comprises a comparatively thick core layer and a comparatively thin skin layer on at least one side thereof. A preferred base structure (i) is one wherein the olefin polymer comprises a propylene polymer, suitably homopolymeric polypropylene. A particularly preferred core material comprises isotactic polypropylene containing at least 80% by weight of isotactic polypropylene. It is also preferred that the polypropylene has a melt flow index from 2 to 10 g/10 min. Opacity, which may be provided by opacifying pigment and/or a voided core structure, provides an excellent contrasting background for printed material applied to the outer surface of the label face stock. A preferred transparent base structure (i) comprises a multilayer coextruded structure as herein defined. The or each skin layer may be filled or unfilled with one or more additives. A preferred opaque base structure (i) comprises an oriented multilayer coextruded structure as herein defined and preferably comprises a cavitated (or voided) core layer. A particularly preferred opaque base structure (i) comprises a voided core layer comprising a polypropylene matrix in which are dispersed void- initiating solid particles which are phase-distinct from the polypropylene matrix and about which particles are located opacifying voids so as to produce a pearlescent opaque appearance. A material of this type is described in US 4377616. Where a voided core structure is desirable, it is preferred that the average diameter of the void- initiating particles is from 0.1 to 10 microns. These particles may be of any desired smooth shape, although it is preferred that they be substantially spherical. The voided core structure preferably has skin material coextruded onto at least one surface of the core. It is preferred that this is a medium density polyethylene, desirably having a density from 0.926 to 0.945, as disclosed in US 5194324. It is also contemplated that one side may carry the medium density polyethylene layer while the opposite surface may carry no skin layer or may have any one of a variety of other skin surfaces. For example, the opposite skin material can be noncavitated polypropylene, a copolymer of ethylene and propylene, where the proportion of ethylene is preferably from 2 to 8%; or a terpolymer of ethylene, propylene and butene-1. This skin surface can be any material which will aggressively receive thereon a coating of a pressure sensitive adhesive. This aggression must be sufficient to maintain the adhesive in contact with the skin layer when separation occurs between the adhesive and a release surface carrying the same. The essence of the present invention involves employing a particular polymeric blend (ii) which results in a layer having excellent receptivity to impact and thermal printing methods. The resulting surface can be printed with high speed equipment that is present in the industry, i.e., 400 lines per minute. The resulting coating has excellent ink adhesion and smear resistance both dry and in the presence of water. This ensures that bar coding is not jeopardized by ambient conditions. This polymeric blend is a combination of a mixture of (A) and (B) . (A) is one or more alkylene acrylate copolymer. These copolymers have an alkylene group having 2-6 carbon atoms and an alkyl ester group having from 1-8 carbon atoms. These compounds are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,700,731 and 3,845,163 both references incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. This type of polymer is prepared by copolymerizing an olefin, for example, ethylene or propylene, with one or more of the following monomers: a C1-C8 alkyl acrylate, for example, methacrylate, ethylacrylate, hexylacrylate and the like; a C1-C8 alkyl methacrylate, for example, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, hexyl methacrylate and the like; and acrylic acid or methacrylic acid. Preferred are copolymers of ethylene with an alkyl ester of acrylic acid. In general, the acrylate content or methacrylate content of the copolymer may be from approximately 10 to approximately 30% by weight. The olefin content of the copolymer may be from approximately 70 to approximately 90% by weight. An example of the last-mentioned copolymer is an ethylene-ethylacrylate copolymer with a weight ratio of ethylene to ethylacrylate of approximately 4.1 to 1. Commercially available material of this type includes ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer identified as Chevron Chemical Company PE 2205, having a methylacrylate content of 20% by weight, and a melt flow index of 2.4 gm/10 min. (ASTM D-1238) , ethylene-acrylate acid copolymer having an acrylic acid content of about 6.5% and a melt flow index of 9.0 gm/10 min., available as Dow Primacor 3340 grade; ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer available as Dow Primacor 1430; and ethylene acrylic acid copolymer available as Dow Primacor 5991. A particularly preferred copolymer is obtained as a water emulsion from Michelman, Incorporated and is a 25% solids dispersion of Dow Primacor 5980. This material consists of ethylene copolymerized with acrylic acid. The (B) component of the blend is typified by an interpolymer of (a) from 2.5 to about 6 parts by weight of an alpha-beta monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid and mixtures thereof and (b) from about 97.5 to about 94 parts by weight of neutral monomer esters, said neutral monomer esters comprising (1) methyl acrylate or ethyl acrylate and (2) methyl methacrylate, said interpolymer comprising from about 30% to about 55% by weight of methyl methacrylate when said alkyl acrylate is methylacrylate, and from about 52.5% to about 69% by weight of methyl methacrylate when said alkyl acrylate is ethyl acrylate; said mixture containing inert inorganic fillers; and on the other side thereof an adhesive layer. Material of this type is described in U.S. Patent 3,753,769 the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety. A preferred material is that described in Example 1 of the '769 patent. The polymeric blend of (A) and (B) is prepared as a water based coating formulated as a 20-40% solids dispersion, preferably 30% solids dispersion. The composition can include absorptive, opacifying or whitening inert particles, such as, absorptive silica, calcium carbonate, Ti02, etc. A typical coating composition can include the following: COATING INGREDIENT PERCENT DRY (A) alkylene acrylate copolymer 35-55% (B) interpolymer 4-10 Silica 20-40 Calcium carbonate 5-20 This coating composition is applied to the selected base or core material. For example, a product sold by Mobil Chemical Company and identified as 140LL302 LabelLyte R can be employed. This product is a 3 mil, white opaque label product consisting of a cavitated homopolymer polypropylene core with skin layers on opposite surfaces. The layer which is coated with the polymer blend of the present invention is a medium density polyethylene with a titanium dioxide filler. The opposite skin layer is a homopolymer polypropylene with a calcium carbonate filler. The coating can be applied in a secondary coating process. This refers to a process by which the film is coated in a process separate from the process forming the base or core material. A polymer blend composition can be applied by rod coating technology or by reverse direct gravure techniques. The coating weight of the label stock material can range from approximately 1-5 grams, preferably 2 grams per MSI. In many instances the adhesive in adhesive layer (iii) will be a pressure sensitive adhesive. In other cases the adhesive may be one activatable by any means such as, heat or solvent. For its best utility the above described label structure is carried by a release surface wherein the release characteristics of the surface of the release sheet permits the label stock to be readily removed therefrom so as to be applied to some other surface. The following Example illustrates the invention. EXAMPLE A 3 mil thick three layer LabelLyte R film as described above, was coated on the medium density polyethylene side with 2 grams per MSI of the following 30% solids water based composition: (A) Dow 5980-ethylene copolymerized with acrylic acid, % dry 45%; (B) the interpolymer of methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, and methacrylic acid, % dry 5%, silica 35% and calcium carbonate 15%. This coating structure has been found to be excellently compatible with impact and thermal printing methods and can be printed at 400 lines per minute. In the art of labeling, the label which is to be applied to a surface or a product is normally carried by a release sheet or surface. A common example of this type of label structure, familiar to most automobile owners, is the county or city registration sticker which must be applied to the windshield of a car. This type of structure comprises a release sheet, one side of which has a release surface of a silicon material or the like. Carried on this surface is a pressure sensitive adhesive and applied to the pressure sensitive adhesive is the label or decal to be applied to the windshield. The adhesive may be applied either to the label or the release liner. When the decal or label is separated from the release sheet the pressure sensitive adhesive preferentially adheres to the label or decal and by this means is affixed to the windshield of the car. For the labeling of cans or bottles, obviously a more automated system must be employed. Providing for a more or less continuous labeling system, a continuous release roll is prepared by applying to one side of a continuous substrate which is preferably a polymeric film and still more preferably a polypropylene film and which may be of a single or multiple layers, a release coating of silicon or the like. Thereafter, for example, the release face of the release liner of the type described above is coated with a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive. Thereafter, a label stock as described above which has been or will be printed with the appropriate label indicia, is brought into mating contact with the pressure sensitive adhesive. Following this mating, printing can be accomplished, if not already completed and individual labels can be die-cut severed in a manner well known to the art. Following this procedure, labels then can be sequentially, individually applied to a product surface by causing the individual labels to separate from the release surface and having the adhesive side of the label contact and product to be labeled. As indicated above, instead of a pressure sensitive adhesive, activatable adhesives can be employed for certain labeling techniques. For instance, when a label is to be applied about the full circumference of a package or bottle, a water or other solvent can activate an adhesive stripe or strip applied to one end of the label. The label is then fixed in place by a slight overlap of the other end of the label.

Claims: CLAIMS I 1. A multilayer label film comprising: i) a base structure which comprises a film of an olefin polymer; ii) on one side of i) , a blend of (A) one or more alkylene acrylate copolymers and (B) an interpolymer of (a) an α,β- monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid with (b) a neutral monomeric (i) acrylate ester and (ii) methacrylic ester; and iii) on the other side of i) , an adhesive layer. 2. A label film according to claim 1 wherein the base structure is transparent or opaque. 3. A label film according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the film comprising the base structure (i) is oriented. 4. A label film according to any preceding claim wherein the film comprising the base structure (i) is a multilayer coextruded structure. 5. A label film according to claim 4 wherein the multilayer coextruded structure comprises a comparatively thick core layer and a comparatively thin skin layer on at least one side thereof. 6. A label film according to any preceding claim wherein the olefin polymer comprises polypropylene. 7. A label film according to any preceding claim wherein the base structure is opaque and comprises a cavitated core layer. 8. A label film according to any preceding claim wherein one skin layer comprises medium density polyethylene to which blend (ii) has been applied. 9. A label film according to any preceding claim wherein the other skin layer comprises polypropylene. 10. A label film according to any preceding claim wherein the or each skin layer comprises an inorganic filler. 11. A label film according to any preceding claim wherein, in blend ii) , (A) comprises at least one copolymer which is poly(ethylene acrylic acid) ; poly(ethylene methylmethacrylate) ; poly(ethylene ethylacrylate) ; poly(ethylene butylacrylate) ; or poly(ethylene propylacrylate) . 12. A label film according to any preceding claim wherein, in blend (ii) , (B) comprises an interpolymer of (a) at least one unsaturated carboxylic acid which is acrylic acid or methacrylic acid. 13. A label film according to any preceding claim wherein in blend (ii) , (B) comprises an interpolymer of at least one of (bi) methylacrylate or ethylacrylate and (bii) methyl methacrylate. 14. A label film according to any preceding claims wherein blend (ii) comprises an inert inorganic film. 15. A label film according to any preceding claim wherein blend (ii) comprises from 30 to 60% by weight of the total blend of inert inorganic filler. 16. A label film according to any preceding claim wherein, in blend (ii) , (A) comprises from 70 to 95% and, correspondingly, (B) comprises from 30 to 5% by weight of the total amount of (A) and (B) . 17. A label film according to any preceding claim wherein the adhesive comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive. 18. A label comprising a label film according to any preceding claim contiguous with a release sheet. 19. A use of a blend of (A) one or more alkylene acrylate copolymers and (B) an interpolymer of (a) an ,β- monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid with (b) a neutral monomeric (i) acrylate ester and (ii) methacrylic ester to confer improved printability on a film of an olefin polymer. 20. A use according to claim 19 wherein the blend comprises an inert inorganic filler.

Inventors: WEBER RALPH HOHANNES, WEBER, RALPH, HOHANNES
Applicants: MOBIL OIL CORP, MOBIL OIL CORPORATION
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B32B3
IPC codes: B32B3, B32B7, B32B27, C08F20, C08L33, C09J7