STYRENE COPOLYMER COMPOSITE FILM

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composite film comprising a styrene copolymer layer (a), a metal layer (b), optionally a coloured layer (c), and a transparent polymer layer (d), wherein (b) is located between (a) and (d) and optionally (c) is located between (b) and (d). Moreover, the present invention refers to a method for producing a composite film and to the use of such composite film for laminating a surface or a part thereof. Finally, the present invention further relates to a product that is at least partly laminated by a composite film according to the present invention.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A composite film comprising: (a) a styrene copolymer layer; (b) a metal layer; (c) optionally a coloured layer; and (d) a transparent polymer layer, wherein layer (b) is located between layers (a) and (d) and optionally layer (c) is located between layers (b) and (d).

18. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein the styrene copolymer layer (a) is an acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) copolymer layer, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) copolymer layer or a styrene-butadiene copolymer layer.

19. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein the styrene copolymer layer (a) comprises optionally texturized pattern.

20. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein the styrene copolymer layer (a) has a thickness of 50-1000 μm.

21. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein the metal layer (b) is an aluminium layer.

22. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein the metal layer (b) has a thickness of 0.1-50 μm.

23. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein said composite film comprises a coloured layer (c) that is a printed layer, which is optionally a pattern printed, pattern embossed or pattern printed and embossed layer, or a hologram in case of no texturized pattern on the styrene copolymer layer (a).

24. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein said composite film comprises a coloured layer (c) that has a thickness of 0.1-50 μm.

25. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein the transparent polymer layer (d) is a protective layer characterized in that it is a UV-protective, scratch resistant, glossy, chemically inert or weatherproof layer; in that it has an elongation of break of at least 10% in a stress/strain test according to ISO 527, or in that it is a UV-protective, scratch resistant, glossy, chemically inert or weatherproof layer that has an elongation of break of at least 10% in a stress/strain test according to ISO 527.

26. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein the transparent polymer layer (d) has a thickness of 0.1-100 μm.

27. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein said composite film comprises a layer structure of (a)-(b)-(c)-(d) and has a thickness of 100-350 μm.

28. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein said composite film is an adhesive composite film, further comprising at least one adhesive coating on at least one of the two outer surfaces of said composite film.

29. A method for preparation of a composite film, comprising the steps: (i) providing a styrene copolymer film, optionally comprising texturized pattern; (ii) metallizing said styrene copolymer film with a metal layer to a styrene copolymer-metal composite film; (iii) optionally depositing a coloured layer on the metallized surface of the styrene copolymer-metal composite film obtained from step (ii); and (iv) coating said metallized surface of the styrene copolymer-metal composite film obtained from step (ii) or said coloured layer by printing, embossing or a combination thereof on the surface of said styrene copolymer-metal composite film according to step (iii) with a transparent polymer layer.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising: (v) coating the composite film obtained from step (iv) with at least one adhesive coating on at least one of the two outer surfaces of said composite film; and optionally (vi) covering said at least one adhesive coating of step (v) reversibly by a strippable non-adhesive film.

31. A product that is at least partly laminated by a composite film according to claim 17, wherein said product is selected from the group consisting of: an article of furniture or a part of one of the aforementioned; a domestic appliance or a part of one of the aforementioned; an electronic device, a consumer electronics device, a professional electronic device or a part of one of the aforementioned; a consumer good or food packing or a part of one of the aforementioned; an interior or exterior part of a building or a part of one of the aforementioned; an interior or exterior part of a vehicle or a part of one of the aforementioned; an interior or exterior part of an aircraft or a part of one of the aforementioned; a part of a piece of sports equipment or a part of one of the aforementioned; and a lamp.

32. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein the styrene copolymer layer (a) has a thickness of 100-300 μm.

33. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein the metal layer (b) has a thickness of 1-10 μm.

34. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein said composite film comprises a coloured layer (c) that has a thickness of 1-10 μm.

35. The composite film according to claim 28, wherein the at least one adhesive coating is reversibly covered by a strippable non-adhesive film.

36. The composite film according to claim 17, wherein said composite film comprises a layer structure of (a)-(b)-(c)-(d) and has a thickness of 100-350 μm, wherein (a) the styrene copolymer layer (a) has a thickness of less than 200 μm; (b) the metal layer (b) has a thickness of less than 15 μm; (c) the coloured layer (c) a thickness of less than 15 μm; (d) the transparent polymer layer (d) a thickness of less than 20 μm.

37. The composite film according to claim 19, wherein the texturized pattern is a stainless steel hairline pattern.

38. A product that is at least partly laminated by a composite film obtained by a method according to claim 29, wherein said product is selected from the group consisting of: an article of furniture or a part of one of the aforementioned; a domestic appliance or a part of one of the aforementioned; an electronic device, a consumer electronics device, a professional electronic device or a part of one of the aforementioned; a consumer good or food packing or a part of one of the aforementioned; an interior or exterior part of a building or a part of one of the aforementioned; an interior or exterior part of a vehicle or a part of one of the aforementioned; an interior or exterior part of an aircraft or a part of one of the aforementioned; a part of a piece of sports equipment or a part of one of the aforementioned; and a lamp.

Description

EXAMPLES

[0208]

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Two different composite films according to the invention are prepared. Example Components Example 1 (a) Luran S 757RE layer of a thickness of 250 μm (b) sputtered aluminium film of a thickness of 5 μm (c) pattern printing of a thickness of 5 μm (d) UV protective transparent polymer layer of a thickness of approximately 10-15 μm Example 2 (a) Luran S 757RE layer of a thickness of 200 μm (b) sputtered aluminium film of a thickness of 5 μm (c) pattern printing of a thickness of 5 μm (d) UV protective transparent polymer layer of a thickness of approximately 10-15 μm Luran S is an ASA-copolymer of Styrolution (Germany)

[0209] These coatings are tested by the following test methods:

[0210] Erichsen Test:

[0211] Cross cutting 5 mm interval pushing by 8 mm in depth in Erichsen tester

[0212] Boiling Test: Contacting with water of 95° C. for 2 h, subsequently maintain it for 1 h at room temperature and cross cutting base on

[0213] Bending Test:

[0214] Bending by 180° in a curved manner

[0215] Constant temperature humidity test: Incubating the composite film at a humidity of 90% at 60° C. for 24 h after Erichsen Test

[0216] Pencil hardness:

[0217] Using Mitsibishi Uni pencil, checking pencil trace mark when down at 45° direction with 500 g, comparison with common pencil hardness degrees B, 2B, HB, H, etc.

[0218] The following results are obtained:

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Results Example Test method Result Example 1 Erichsen Test no peeling Boiling Test no change on the surface Bending Test no change Constant temperature humidity test no peeling Pencil hardness approximately 2B Example 2 Erichsen Test no peeling Boiling Test no change on the surface Bending Test no change Constant temperature humidity test no peeling Pencil hardness >2B