Double-Sided Adhesive Tape Plasma Pretreatment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heat-activated adhesive tapes face limitations in high temperature stability, solvent resistance, and bond strength, particularly in applications like the automotive sector, where they are required to maintain adhesion under moist heat and high loads, and often suffer from delamination issues.

Innovation Solution

A double-sided adhesive tape with a chemically crosslinked pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and a heat-activated polyolefin layer, where the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is plasma pretreated in a nitrogen or noble gas atmosphere, ensuring strong bonding between layers and resistance to delamination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a heat-activated adhesive tape uses a polyolefin layer with UV-polymerized acrylate PSA, then coating speed is limited and residual monomer content increases, but bond strength and coating efficiency are improved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoating speedVSAvoidbond strength
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent separates the coating process from the polymerization process. The acrylate PSA is applied as a solution coating, and polymerization occurs afterward through thermal initiation (heat treatment). This segmentation allows high coating speeds without limiting polymerization, eliminating the trade-off between coating speed and bond strength present in simultaneous UV-polymerization processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies the acrylate PSA solution to the carrier layer before polymerization. The coating is prepared in advance at high speed, and then thermal initiation is applied subsequently to complete the polymerization and crosslinking. This preliminary coating action enables high productivity while ensuring reliable bond strength through post-coating polymerization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Strength

If the adhesive tape is made sticky on both sides for strong bonding, then bond strength increases, but repositioning capability is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebond strengthVSAvoidrepositioning capability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates different surface properties on the two sides of the carrier layer. One side receives the pressure-sensitive adhesive coating with polymerization, becoming sticky for strong bonding. The other side remains non-sticky, allowing easy repositioning. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between bond strength and repositioning capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If cross-linked acrylate PSA is used for high temperature stability and solvent resistance, then durability improves, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature stabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing process
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs thermal initiation that occurs automatically during or after the coating process through heat treatment. The system uses itself (heat) to trigger polymerization and crosslinking without requiring external catalysts or complex chemical processes. This self-service approach achieves high temperature stability and solvent resistance while keeping the manufacturing process relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides high internal bond strength, maintaining adhesion under destructive loads and moist heat conditions, with cohesive failure within the tape rather than delamination, and allows for high coating speeds and thick layer production.

Implementation Method 1

the surface of layer A, which is in direct contact with layer B, has been plasma pretreated, the plasma pretreatment being carried out in an atmosphere of nitrogen, carbon dioxide or a noble gas or a mixture of at least two of these gases

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPlasma: Plasma

Implementation Method 2

layer A is a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer crosslinked chemically by thermal initiation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChemical crosslinking: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 3

the outer surface of layer B, which is identical to the second outer side of the adhesive tape, is heat-activated

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal softening: Melting

Data Source

PatentEP2705101B1Double-sided adhesive tape comprising a first outer, pressure-sensitive adhesive side, and a second outer side which can be thermally-activated
Publication Date: 2019.09.11 TESA SE
  • EP2705101B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~3

AI summary

The invention relates to a double-sided adhesive tape that has a first outer, pressure-sensitive adhesive side and a second outer, thermally-activatable side, and that comprises an at least dual-layered product construction consisting of layers A and B, layer A being a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer that is chemically cross-linked by thermal initiation, or being a pressure-sensitively adhesive carrier layer chemically cross-linked by thermal initiation, layer B being a thermoplastic synthetic material-based layer, layers A and B being in direct contact with one another, and the surface of layer A, which is in direct contact with layer B, having been corona or plasma pre-treated. The invention is characterised in that said corona or plasma pre-treatment takes place in an atmosphere consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide or a noble gas, or a mixture of at least two of these gases.