Patent ID: 7838104

Claim:
An article comprising a carrier having attached, laminated, or coated thereon or therewith a monolithic membrane, which is a multilayer film comprising a vapor barrier layer and a vapor transmission-adjusting layer wherein the article is part of a structural component in the construction or renovation of a building and the structural component is a wall, ceiling or roof; the vapor transmission-adjusting layer comprises or is produced from one or more ethylene copolymer and one or more organic acids having fewer than 36 carbon atoms, or salts thereof and has a high water vapor transmission rate ≧200 g-mil/m 2 -24 hours when measured at 100% relative humidity; the ethylene copolymer comprises an acid copolymer or an ionomer thereof; the ethylene copolymer comprises repeat units derived from ethylene, one or more C 3-8 α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids, and optionally a softening comonomer; the organic acid or salt thereof is present in the vapor transmission-adjusting layer from about 1 to about 50 weight % and the organic acid is optionally substituted with from one to three substituents independently selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 8 alkyl group, OH group, and OR 1 group; each R 1 is independently C 1 -C 8 alkyl group, C 1 -C 6 alkoxyalkyl group, or COR 2 group; each R 2 is independently H or C 1 -C 8 alkyl group; at least 60% acidic groups in the ethylene copolymer and the organic acid are nominally neutralized with one or more metal ions to the corresponding salts; the metal ions present in a mixture comprising at least 50 mole % of alkali metal ions; the carrier includes paper, paper board, nonwoven material, metal, plastic, wood, stone, particle board, chip board, oriented strand board, plywood paneling, standard or fiber reinforced gypsum board, fiber board, cement board, cementitious wood wool board, calcium silica board, fiber insulation batt or slab, foam insulation slab, cloth, or combinations of two or more thereof; and the vapor transmission-adjusting layer has a ratio of wet cup permeance to dry cup permeance greater than 10 when measured according to ASTM E 96-00 at a temperature of 73° F.; the wet cup permeance is determined at an average relative humidity of 75% and the dry cup permeance is determined at an average relative humidity of 25%.