VEHA Copolymer Adhesive Composition Balancing Adhesion and Cohesion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) copolymers struggle to balance adhesion and cohesion, with improvements in one property often leading to a reduction in the other, making it difficult to achieve high levels of both tack and cohesion simultaneously.

Innovation Solution

The use of vinyl ester of 2-ethyl hexanoic acid (VEHA) in copolymer formulations, reacted with (meth)acrylic acid monomers and/or vinyl acetate, and other copolymerizable vinyl monomers, to create a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition with a specific weight percentage range that maintains a low glass transition temperature, enhancing both adhesion and cohesion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Force

If pure acrylic resins with low glass transition temperature are used to achieve adequate adhesion, then adhesion is improved, but cohesion is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadhesionVSAvoidcohesion
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs composite polymer architecture by combining acrylic resin base polymers with specific copolymers containing vinyl ester of 2-ethyl hexanoic acid (VEHA) and vinyl acetate. This composite structure integrates the adhesive properties of low Tg acrylic resins with the cohesive enhancement from VEHA-containing copolymers, achieving both adequate adhesion and high cohesion simultaneously. The composite material approach allows optimization of both properties that cannot be achieved with single-component systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes parameter changes by carefully controlling the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the copolymer within a specific range of -50°C to -10°C, and optimizing the weight percentages of VEHA (20-80%) and vinyl acetate (5-30%). These parameter optimizations enable the adhesive composition to achieve the desired balance between adhesion and cohesion, transforming the trade-off relationship into a optimized performance state.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Strength

If VEHA content is increased to improve cohesion, then cohesion is improved, but adhesion may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecohesionVSAvoidadhesion
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the VEHA content parameter within the range of 20-80% by weight to achieve the desired balance between cohesion and adhesion. This parameter optimization ensures that sufficient VEHA is present to provide high cohesion through enhanced polymer-polymer interactions, while maintaining adequate adhesion properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite system where VEHA-containing copolymers are combined with acrylic resin base polymers and optional vinyl acetate. This composite approach allows the VEHA to contribute to cohesion while the acrylic resin base polymer and vinyl acetate contribute to adhesion, resolving the trade-off between these two properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Force

If glass transition temperature is reduced to improve adhesion, then adhesion is improved, but cohesion is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadhesionVSAvoidcohesion
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the glass transition temperature parameter of the copolymer within the specific range of -50°C to -10°C. This Tg optimization enables the adhesive to achieve adequate adhesion through sufficient chain mobility at service temperatures, while maintaining high cohesion through the specific copolymer composition containing VEHA and vinyl acetate that provides strong intermolecular interactions despite the low Tg.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS9587149B2Pressure sensitive adhesive copolymer compositions
Publication Date: 2017.03.07 HEXION INC

AI summary

This invention relates to a copolymer composition comprising vinyl ester of 2-ethyl hexanoic acid (VEHA), and particularly to pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions based on VEHA reacted with (meth)acrylate monomers. The present adhesive compositions provide a film with high cohesion and adhesion values, and more particularly to pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions based on VEHA reacted with (meth)acrylate monomers and VeoVa 10. The present adhesive compositions provide a film with high cohesion and adhesion values with Peel on Teflon of at least 2 N/inch.