A platinum-gold relief hot transfer film and a method of making the same

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application discloses a platinum relief heat transfer film and a preparation method thereof. The platinum relief heat transfer film comprises, from bottom to top, a substrate layer, a release layer, a printing layer, a coating layer, a molding layer, an aluminum plating layer, a protective layer and a viscose layer. The present application sets the protective layer between the aluminum plating layer and the viscose layer, which can increase the surface toughness and the adhesion between the viscose layer and the aluminum plating layer, so that the aluminum plating layer is not easy to fall off during heat transfer, and the photoetching texture is not easy to lose details. The process provided by the present application can meet the production requirements of large quantities of products, reduce the loss and reduce the processing cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of heat transfer film technology, specifically to a platinum embossed heat transfer film and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional heat transfer films typically feature two-dimensional graphic designs, resulting in a lack of three-dimensional visual appeal. However, with advancements in technology, 3D lithography, previously used in cigarette packaging anti-counterfeiting, can now be applied to heat transfer films. This allows the designs to achieve a 3D effect, enhancing the visual impact and providing additional anti-counterfeiting capabilities.

[0003] Photolithography is achieved by pressing a specially treated photolithographic micro-engraved plate onto a molding layer using a molding process. In contrast, heat transfer film requires hot pressing at temperatures exceeding 200°C onto a substrate. Previously, molding layers were not heat-resistant, leading to the loss of fine photolithographic textures and a weakening or even disappearance of the visual effect after transfer. Furthermore, the secondary lamination of the transferred photolithographic texture layer causes micro-cracks on the coating surface, significantly reducing surface adhesion and making it difficult to meet quality adhesion tests.

[0004] In view of this, the present invention is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, embodiments of the present invention provide a platinum relief heat transfer film and its preparation method to solve the problem of poor platinum relief effect caused by loss of molding texture and poor adhesion of photolithographic platinum relief heat transfer film in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present invention provide the following technical solutions:

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a platinum embossed heat transfer film, which, from bottom to top, comprises a substrate layer, a release layer, a printing layer, a coating layer, a molding layer, an aluminum plating layer, a protective layer, and an adhesive layer.

[0008] In some preferred embodiments, the substrate layer is made of PET film, OPP film or CPP film, and its thickness is 15μm-20μm.

[0009] In some preferred embodiments, the release layer is made by drying an aqueous coating, which is composed of the following raw materials in weight percentages: 15-30% lipids, 10-30% alcohols, and 40-60% water; the thickness of the release layer is 0.1 μm-1 μm.

[0010] In some preferred embodiments, the printed layer is formed by flexographic printing, gravure printing or spraying ink, and its thickness is 0.1μm-1μm.

[0011] In some preferred embodiments, the coating layer is a resin coating composed of the following raw materials in weight percentages: 5-30% acrylic acid, 3-5% maleic anhydride, 5-10% hydroxyacrylic acid, 10-30% nitrocellulose, 1-5% polyurethane resin, 20-40% ethyl acetate, 10-30% n-propyl acetate, 20-30% methyl ethyl ketone, 0.0005-0.002% defoamer, and 0.0005-0.003% leveling agent;

[0012] The thickness of the coating layer is 6μm-8μm.

[0013] In some preferred embodiments, the molding layer is formed by imprinting holographic image information from a holographic nickel plate onto a coating layer, and its thickness is 0.1 μm-6 μm.

[0014] In some preferred embodiments, the aluminum plating layer is formed by vacuum aluminum plating, and its thickness is 0.5μm-2μm.

[0015] In some preferred embodiments, the protective layer is made of a resin material, which is selected from one or more of acrylic resin, vinyl chloride resin, and polyurethane resin;

[0016] The thickness of the protective layer is 0.1μm-1μm.

[0017] In some preferred embodiments, the adhesive layer is a transfer adhesive, which is composed of the following raw materials in weight percentages: 5-20% acrylic acid, 5-20% chloroacetic acid resin, 3-5% aldehyde-ketone resin, 1-5% rosin resin, 20-40% ethyl acetate, 15-30% n-propyl acetate, and 20-30% methyl ethyl ketone.

[0018] The thickness of the adhesive layer is 0.1μm-1μm.

[0019] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a method for preparing a platinum relief heat transfer film as described in any of the preceding claims, the method comprising the following steps:

[0020] (1) Apply water-based coating to the surface of the substrate layer and dry it to form a release layer on the surface of the substrate layer;

[0021] (2) The pattern is printed by means of flexible printing, gravure printing or ink spraying to form a printing layer on the surface of the release layer;

[0022] (3) A coating layer is formed on the surface of the printed layer by applying a resin coating;

[0023] (4) Imprint the holographic image information on the holographic nickel plate onto the coating layer to form a molding layer on the surface of the coating layer;

[0024] (5) Vacuum aluminum plating machine is used to perform vacuum aluminum plating, and the unwanted part is removed by washing aluminum to form an aluminum plating layer on the surface of the molding layer.

[0025] (6) A protective layer is formed on the surface of the aluminum plating layer by applying a resin material;

[0026] (7) By applying transfer adhesive, an adhesive layer is formed on the surface of the protective layer, thus obtaining the platinum relief heat transfer film material.

[0027] The embodiments of the present invention have the following advantages:

[0028] This invention increases surface toughness and adhesion between the adhesive layer and the aluminum plating layer by setting a protective layer between the aluminum plating layer and the adhesive layer, which makes it easier for the aluminum plating layer to fall off during heat transfer, thereby ensuring that the photolithographic texture is not easily lost.

[0029] This invention improves the formulation of the coating layer and adhesive layer, making the platinum relief effect more perfect in detail, preventing the loss of fine lines and textures due to heat transfer, and enhancing the surface firmness.

[0030] The process provided by this invention can meet the requirements of mass production of products, while reducing waste and lowering processing costs. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can derive other embodiments based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a platinum relief heat transfer film provided by the present invention;

[0033] In the diagram: 1-Base layer; 2-Release layer; 3-Printing layer; 4-Coating layer; 5-Molding layer; 6-Aluminum plating layer; 7-Protective layer; 8-Adhesive layer. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] join Figure 1 This invention provides a platinum embossed heat transfer film, which comprises, from bottom to top, a base layer 1, a release layer 2, a printing layer 3, a coating layer 4, a molding layer 5, an aluminum plating layer 6, a protective layer 7, and an adhesive layer 8. The base layer is typically made of PET film, OPP film, or CPP film, with a thickness of 15μm-20μm.

[0036] The release layer is a water-based coating formed by mixing lipids, alcohols, and water in a certain proportion. It is evenly applied to the surface of the substrate layer using an anilox roller and then dried to form a surface coating with a thickness of 0.1 μm-1 μm. In some specific embodiments, acrylic resin is used as the lipid, and ethanol is used as the alcohol. This release layer exhibits good peelability, allowing the graphic layer (including the printing layer, molding layer, and metallized layer) to peel completely and smoothly from the substrate layer during the heat transfer process. It also possesses high surface tension, meeting the printing adhesion requirements of subsequent processes.

[0037] The printed layer is created by printing the pattern onto the release layer surface according to the required design of the product. Various printing methods can be used, such as flexographic printing, gravure printing, or ink spraying. The thickness of the printed layer ranges from 0.1μm to 1μm.

[0038] The coating layer is formed by applying a resin coating onto the surface of the printed layer, creating a molding coating for molding. The thickness of the coating layer is 6μm-8μm. The resin coating used consists of the following raw materials in weight percentages: acrylic acid 5-30%, maleic anhydride 3-5%, hydroxyacrylic acid 5-10%, nitrocellulose 10-30%, polyurethane resin 1-5%, ethyl acetate 20-40%, n-propyl acetate 10-30%, methyl ethyl ketone 20-30%, defoamer 0.0005-0.002%, and leveling agent 0.0005-0.003%. The defoamer and leveling agent are conventional reagents used in the art. For example, the defoamer can be CK1 from Shanghai Weikai, XWC-K6876 / from Xinwancheng, or KMT-2025 from Foshan Kening; the leveling agent can be GS-5666 from GS and KMT-5517 from Foshan Kening. The coating layer provided by this invention has the following characteristics: high plasticity, suitable for the requirements of platinum relief and holographic laser microstructure optical texture; high temperature resistance, able to meet the high temperature of about 200°C during heat transfer; good toughness, resistant to folding and does not crack; good adhesion, with good bonding between the coating and the electroplating layer; and meets environmental protection requirements.

[0039] The embossed layer refers to an engraved nickel plate with platinum relief or holographic microstructure optical textures created using laser lithography to achieve the desired 3D effect. The microstructure optical texture of the embossed nickel plate is then molded onto the coating layer under specific temperature and pressure (in some preferred embodiments, temperature 170℃-190℃, pressure 0.15MPa-0.25MPa) using a positioning photoelectric sensor for identification and correction, forming an embossed coating. Typically, the production of the embossed plate requires determining the circumference of the printing press cylinder, the width of the printing plate, and the imposition method. It also requires the creation of positioning crosshairs and positioning photoelectric sensor color blocks to ensure registration accuracy does not exceed ±0.2mm. The depth of platinum relief lithography textures is typically 5μm-6μm, while the depth of holographic laser textures is 0.2μm-0.8μm. The embossed layer is a holographic image layer, formed by pressing a thin film coating layer and a holographic nickel plate together and applying specific temperature and pressure to imprint the holographic image information from the holographic nickel plate onto the coating layer. The thickness of the embossed layer ranges from 0.1μm to 6μm. The embossed layer is formed by embossing on the surface of the coating layer, and the surface after embossing the coating layer is called the embossed layer for easy distinction.

[0040] During the production process, static electricity generated by friction between the heat transfer film and each guide roller is eliminated. Water-cooled rollers are used, and LEDUV molding technology is employed to avoid heat deformation of the heat transfer film caused by high temperatures. The production workshop maintains an ambient temperature between 18℃ and 20℃ and a relative humidity of 50% to 70%.

[0041] The aluminum plating layer refers to the process of vacuum-plating aluminum onto the surface of the transfer film molded layer after the embossing pattern is completed. In this process, the vacuum aluminum plating machine melts aluminum wire under high temperature and vacuum conditions, causing the aluminum vapor to deposit and accumulate on the surface of the molded layer, thus giving the coating a metallic effect. The thickness of the aluminum plating layer ranges from 0.5μm to 2μm.

[0042] After aluminum plating is completed according to product requirements, the unwanted parts need to be removed – this is called aluminum washing. This is usually done by water washing. The process involves printing a layer of washable ink on the coating surface before molding. The aluminum-plated parts are coated with this washable ink, while the remaining parts are perforated. After washing, the surface of the heat transfer film is dried.

[0043] Protective Layer: The protective layer material is selected from one or more resin materials chosen from polypropylene resin, vinyl chloride resin, and polyurethane resin. The protective layer increases surface toughness and adhesion between the adhesive layer and the aluminum plating layer, making it less likely for the aluminum plating layer to peel off during heat transfer and preventing the loss of detail in the photolithographic texture. Furthermore, depending on product requirements, a printing layer can be omitted, and a heat transfer process using a transfer film followed by surface spraying for color application can be used instead.

[0044] Adhesive Layer: A transfer adhesive is applied to the heat transfer film after the aluminizing or aluminum washing process, resulting in an adhesive layer with a thickness of 0.1μm-1μm. The transfer adhesive consists of the following raw materials in weight percentages: acrylic acid 5-20%, vinyl chloride resin 5-20%, aldehyde-ketone resin 3-5%, rosin resin 1-5%, ethyl acetate 20-40%, n-propyl acetate 15-30%, and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) 20-30%.

[0045] This invention is primarily applied to ballpoint pen barrels made of ABS material. The transfer machine temperature requirement is above 200℃. Since the heat transfer process must maintain a transfer temperature between 200-260℃, high temperature resistance is required for the film and surface treatment, especially the coating layer. This is to prevent the photolithographic microstructure from melting during the high-temperature transfer process, which could lead to loss of layered structure or weakened 3D effects. Furthermore, photolithographic heat transfer films often fail to transfer completely to the substrate surface or exhibit poor adhesion, failing to meet the quality standards for mass production inspection, including tape adhesion testing, artificial sweat testing, and palm oil testing.

[0046] Example 1

[0047] This embodiment provides a platinum embossed heat transfer film, which, from bottom to top, includes a substrate layer (15 μm thick), a release layer (0.4 μm thick), a printing layer (0.8 μm thick), a coating layer (7 μm thick), a molding layer (5 μm thick), an aluminum plating layer (1 μm thick), a protective layer (0.6 μm thick), and an adhesive layer (0.5 μm thick).

[0048] The base layer is made of PET film.

[0049] The release layer is made by drying a water-based coating, which is composed of the following raw materials in weight percentages: 30% acrylic resin, 20% ethanol, and 50% water.

[0050] The coating layer is a resin coating composed of the following raw materials in weight percentage: 10% acrylic acid, 4% maleic anhydride, 7% hydroxy acrylic acid, 12% nitrocellulose, 1.997% polyurethane resin, 25% ethyl acetate, 18% n-propyl acetate, 22% methyl ethyl ketone, 0.001% defoamer, and 0.002% leveling agent.

[0051] The protective layer is made of acrylic resin.

[0052] The adhesive layer is a transfer adhesive, composed of the following raw materials in weight percentages: 10% acrylic acid, 10% chloroacetic acid resin, 5% aldehyde-ketone resin, 3% rosin resin, 28% ethyl acetate, 20% n-propyl acetate, and 24% methyl ethyl ketone.

[0053] The preparation method of the above-mentioned platinum relief heat transfer film includes:

[0054] (1) Apply water-based coating to the surface of the substrate and dry it for 10-12 seconds at oven temperatures of 70-90-100-90-80℃ and machine speed of 75-85m / min to form a release layer on the surface of the substrate.

[0055] (2) The pattern is printed by means of flexible printing, gravure printing or ink spraying to form a printing layer on the surface of the release layer.

[0056] (3) Apply resin coating to form a coating layer on the surface of the printed layer;

[0057] (4) Under the conditions of temperature 180℃ and pressure 0.2MPa, the holographic image information on the holographic nickel plate is imprinted onto the coating layer to form a molding layer on the surface of the coating layer.

[0058] (5) Vacuum aluminum plating machine is used for vacuum aluminum plating, and then aluminum is washed to remove the unwanted parts, forming an aluminum plating layer on the surface of the molding layer;

[0059] (6) A protective layer is formed on the surface of the aluminum plating layer by coating with acrylic resin;

[0060] (7) By applying transfer adhesive, an adhesive layer is formed on the surface of the aluminum-plated layer, thus obtaining the platinum relief heat transfer film material.

[0061] Example 2

[0062] This embodiment provides a platinum embossed heat transfer film, which, from bottom to top, includes a substrate layer (15 μm thick), a release layer (0.5 μm thick), a printing layer (0.8 μm thick), a coating layer (7 μm thick), a molding layer (5 μm thick), an aluminum plating layer (1 μm thick), a protective layer (0.6 μm thick), and an adhesive layer (0.5 μm thick).

[0063] The base layer is made of OPP film.

[0064] The release layer is made by drying a water-based coating, which is composed of the following raw materials in weight percentages: 15% acrylic resin, 30% ethanol, and 55% water.

[0065] The coating layer is a resin coating composed of the following raw materials in weight percentage: 6% acrylic acid, 4.5% maleic anhydride, 5% hydroxy acrylic acid, 18% nitrocellulose, 3.498% polyurethane resin, 20% ethyl acetate, 15% n-propyl acetate, 28% methyl ethyl ketone, 0.001% defoamer, and 0.001% leveling agent.

[0066] The protective layer is made of vinyl chloride resin.

[0067] The adhesive layer is a transfer adhesive, composed of the following raw materials in weight percentages: 7% acrylic acid, 15% chloroacetic acid resin, 3% aldehyde-ketone resin, 5% rosin resin, 32% ethyl acetate, 18% n-propyl acetate, and 20% methyl ethyl ketone.

[0068] The preparation method of the above-mentioned platinum relief heat transfer film is the same as that in Example 1.

[0069] Example 3

[0070] This embodiment provides a platinum embossed heat transfer film, which, from bottom to top, includes a substrate layer (15 μm thick), a release layer (0.5 μm thick), a printing layer (0.8 μm thick), a coating layer (7 μm thick), a molding layer (5 μm thick), an aluminum plating layer (1 μm thick), a protective layer (0.6 μm thick), and an adhesive layer (0.5 μm thick).

[0071] The base layer is made of CPP film.

[0072] The release layer is made by drying a water-based coating, which is composed of the following raw materials in weight percentages: 22% acrylic resin, 18% ethanol, and 60% water.

[0073] The coating layer is a resin coating composed of the following raw materials in weight percentage: 18% acrylic acid, 5% maleic anhydride, 5% hydroxy acrylic acid, 15% nitrocellulose, 2.995% polyurethane resin, 20% ethyl acetate, 16% n-propyl acetate, 20% methyl ethyl ketone, 0.002% defoamer, and 0.003% leveling agent.

[0074] The protective layer is made of polyurethane resin.

[0075] The adhesive layer is a transfer adhesive, composed of the following raw materials in weight percentages: 18% acrylic acid, 5% chloroacetic acid resin, 5% aldehyde-ketone resin, 1% rosin resin, 30% ethyl acetate, 16% n-propyl acetate, and 25% methyl ethyl ketone.

[0076] The preparation method of the above-mentioned platinum relief heat transfer film is the same as that in Example 1.

[0077] Comparative Example 1

[0078] This comparative example provides a platinum embossed heat transfer film, which differs from Example 1 only in that it does not contain a protective layer.

[0079] Test Example 1

[0080] Performance tests were conducted on the platinum embossed heat transfer films of Examples 1-3 and Comparative Example 1.

[0081] The testing method is as follows:

[0082] High temperature resistance test: The heat transfer machine rotates at 20 pens / minute and the roller hardness is 85°. Heat transfer films made according to different coating layer formulas are transferred to 30 ballpoint pens each at temperatures of 235℃ / 245℃ / 255℃. The clarity of the photolithographic pattern is observed and compared to see if there is any change.

[0083] Tape test: Apply 3M tape to the surface of the transferred pen barrel, test the same position 3 times, and observe whether the printed font and pattern on the surface are correct and clear, and whether the film does not peel off.

[0084] Artificial sweat test: At room temperature, soak the pen in artificial sweat for 8 hours. If the sweat does not change color, immediately rinse the pen with tap water, let it dry for 30 minutes, and then wipe it 50 times with a paper towel. If the printing does not peel off, it is considered qualified.

[0085] Palm oil test: Place the sample coated with palm oil into a sealed container and put it in a 50℃ constant temperature oven for 2 hours. After taking it out, wipe the printed area with a paper towel. If the film does not peel off, it is qualified.

[0086] The test results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0087] Table 1

[0088] sample High temperature resistance test Tape test Artificial sweat test Palm oil testing Example 1 qualified qualified qualified qualified Example 2 qualified qualified qualified qualified Example 3 qualified qualified qualified qualified Comparative Example 1 Unqualified Unqualified qualified Unqualified

[0089] The results show that the platinum embossed heat transfer film provided in the embodiments of the present invention has a clear pattern and no film peeling in the tests of high temperature resistance, tape, artificial sweat and palm oil, and has excellent platinum embossed effect.

[0090] Although the present invention has been described in detail above with general descriptions and specific embodiments, modifications or improvements can be made to it, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, all such modifications or improvements made without departing from the spirit of the present invention fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A platinum embossed heat transfer film, characterized in that, From bottom to top, it includes the base layer, release layer, printing layer, coating layer, molding layer, aluminum plating layer, protective layer, and adhesive layer. The coating layer is made of resin paint, which is composed of the following raw materials in weight percentages. Composition: Acrylic acid 5-30%, maleic anhydride 3-5%, hydroxyacrylic acid 5-10%, nitrocellulose 10-30%, polyurethane resin 1-5%, ethyl acetate 20-40%, n-propyl acetate 10-30%, methyl ethyl ketone 20-30%, defoamer 0.0005-0.002%, leveling agent 0.0005-0.003%; The protective layer is made of resin material, which is selected from one or more of acrylic resin, vinyl chloride resin, and polyurethane resin. The coating layer is resistant to high temperatures of 200-260℃; The adhesive layer is made of transfer adhesive, which is composed of the following raw materials in weight percentages. Composition: 5-20% acrylic acid, 5-20% chloroacetic acid resin, 3-5% aldehyde-ketone resin, 1-5% rosin resin, 20-40% ethyl acetate, 15-30% n-propyl acetate, 20-30% methyl ethyl ketone.

2. The platinum embossed heat transfer film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate layer is made of PET film, OPP film or CPP film, and its thickness is 15μm-20μm.

3. The platinum embossed heat transfer film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The release layer is made of water-based coating through drying. The water-based coating is composed of the following raw materials in weight percentage: 15-30% lipids, 10-30% alcohols, and 40-60% water. The thickness of the release layer is 0.1μm-1μm.

4. The platinum embossed heat transfer film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The printed layer is formed by flexographic printing, gravure printing or spraying ink, and its thickness is 0.1μm-1μm.

5. The platinum embossed heat transfer film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the coating layer is 6μm-8μm.

6. The platinum embossed heat transfer film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The molding layer is formed by imprinting holographic image information from a holographic nickel plate onto a coating layer, and its thickness is 0.1μm-6μm.

7. The platinum embossed heat transfer film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aluminum plating layer is formed by vacuum aluminum plating, and its thickness is 0.5μm-2μm.

8. The platinum embossed heat transfer film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the protective layer is 0.1μm-1μm.

9. The platinum embossed heat transfer film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the adhesive layer is 0.1μm-1μm.

10. The method for preparing the platinum relief heat transfer film according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: (1) Apply water-based coating to the surface of the substrate layer and dry it to form a release layer on the surface of the substrate layer; (2) The pattern is printed by means of flexible printing, gravure printing or spraying ink to form a printing layer on the surface of the release layer; (3) A coating layer is formed on the surface of the printed layer by applying a resin coating; (4) Imprint the holographic image information on the holographic nickel plate onto the coating layer to form a molding layer on the surface of the coating layer; (5) Vacuum aluminum plating machine is used to perform vacuum aluminum plating, and the unwanted part is removed by washing aluminum to form an aluminum plating layer on the surface of the molding layer; (6) A protective layer is formed on the surface of the aluminum plating layer by applying a resin material; (7) By applying transfer adhesive, an adhesive layer is formed on the surface of the protective layer, thus obtaining the platinum relief heat transfer film material.

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