ADHESIVE TAPE, IN PARTICULAR WRAPPING TAPE

Abstract

Hybrid fibers or filaments are extruded from a granulate mixture of bio-based polymers with petrochemical-based plastic polymers to form a textile substrate band and the band is then provided with an adhesive coating on at least one face of the substrate band to form an adhesive tape. This tape is then wound helically around a cable bundle to form a longitudinally extending wrap of the bundle and impart to the cable bundle an abrasion resistance of at least class C according to LV 319 (2009).

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of: extruding hybrid fibers or filaments from a granulate mixture of bio-based polymers with petrochemical-based plastic polymers to form a textile substrate band; providing an adhesive coating on at least one face of the substrate band to form an adhesive tape; and winding the adhesive tape helically around a cable bundle to longitudinally wrap the bundle and impart to the cable bundle an abrasion resistance of at least class C according to LV 319 (2009).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the filaments or fibers are of a mass fraction in the band of at least 5% by mass of bio-based polymers.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein up to 100% by mass of the textile substrate band consists essentially of the bio-based polymers.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polymer fibers and/or filaments form a nonwoven, a knitted fabric, a woven fabric or a combination thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the textile substrate band is formed as a single layer.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the textile substrate band is a multilayer laminate.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bio-based polymer is polyethylene terephthalate.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate band has a surface weight of 20 g/m.sup.2 to 500 g/m.sup.2.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the substrate band is less than 0.8 mm.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive coating has an application weight of 20 g/m.sup.2 to 200 g/m.sup.2.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive coating is a synthetic-rubber adhesive, a hot-melt adhesive, an acrylic-based adhesive, or has a silicone, polyurethane, polyether and/or polyolefin base.

Description

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] For a particularly advantageous and resource-saving variant, the procedure is such that the textile substrate band is completely or almost entirely made from bio-based polymers with an associated mass fraction of up to 100% by mass. The above-described mixture of bio-based polymers and of course, synthetic-resins also include embodiments in which the textile substrate band is, for example, completely made from the bio-based polymers also has for example a film coating on one or both faces. This also includes multilayer substrate bands, in which, for example, one textile substrate band is of bio-based polymers and the other textile substrate band is made of synthetic-resin polymers. This explains the various conceivable hybrid forms and also the automatically resulting different mass fractions.

[0016] That is to say, the substrate band can be formed by a monolayer substrate band or as a single layer. In the context of the invention, however, the textile substrate band can also be a multilayer laminate. In this way, at least the abrasion class B according to LV 312 (2009) is attained. Abrasion class B means that the tape in question can be stressed by a 5 mm mandrel taking into account a weight load by at least 100 strokes of 10 N until it is worn through, as described for example in DE 20 2012 103 975 [U.S. Pat. No. 10,351,734]. At least abrasion Class C is preferably reached.

[0017] For this purpose, the adhesive tape or the substrate band has a surface density in the range from 20 g/m.sup.2 to 500 g/m.sup.2. A range from 50 g/m.sup.2 to 200 g/m.sup.2 for the surface weight of the substrate band is preferred. The material thickness of the substrate band is mostly below 0.8 mm. A thickness of the substrate band of less than 0.5 mm is preferred.

[0018] The adhesive coating that is generally applied in an application weight in the range of approx. 20 g/m.sup.2 to 200 g/m.sup.2 and in particular in the range from about 50 g/m.sup.2 to 150 g/m.sup.2. These have proven to be suitable adhesives based on a synthetic rubber adhesive, hot-melt adhesive or those based on acrylate (with or without solvents) as special proven favorable. Adhesives of silicone, polyurethane, polyether and polyolefin base are conceivable. The adhesives in question can be used after coating if necessary.

[0019] The adhesive coating as such can be applied over the entire area of at least one face of the substrate band. But it is just as good to apply the coating as one or more stripes on one of faces of the substrate band. In addition, adhesives in powder form, dispersion adhesives or in general solvent-based adhesives are conceivable. The adhesive or the adhesive coating is generally applied as a so-called direct coating worked on a contact basis. In addition, there is a transfer coating or also contactless coating according to the curtain coating method conceivable.

[0020] The textile substrate band is generally made of bio-based polymer fibers and/or threads. The bio-based polymer fibers are for example staple fibers, that is to say fibers of finite length. But they can also be continuous filaments, that form the textile substrate band. In addition, bio-based multifilament threads are also conceivable and are also included, i.e. those made up of several continuous fibers or filaments. The fineness of the polymer filaments/fibers may be in the range from 10 dtex to several 100 dtex. Typical thread counts are in the range from 10 threads/cm to 50 threads/cm for one fabric.

[0021] The individual fibers or continuous filaments are regularly produced by extrusion. It is also conceivable to color code the fibers or filaments in the extrusion process by addition of color pigments. Also mixed forms of shape can be realized by extruding from granules bio-based polymers with synthetic-resins petrochemical basis that are mixed and in this way quasi hybrid fibers or filaments are produced. In this case, the textile substrate band produced in this way also meets requirements, namely at least partially based on bio-based polymers with a mass fraction in the substrate band of at least 5% by mass.

[0022] The bio-based polymers are preferably bio-based polyethylene (PE). But it is also possible, other bio-based polymers such as polylactides (PLA), polyesters of the type PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), cellulose materials made from chemically modified cellulose, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) from bioethanol or for example to use a sugar cane base. Likewise a bioethanol base, for example from sugar cane polypropylene or bio-polypropylene (PP) can be used in the same way as bio-polyethylene. In addition, specific polyamides (PA) are also conceivable that can be produced from castor oil, for example. Also specific polyester such as PDO (bio-propanediol) is conceivable. Furthermore, other bio-based polymers such as for example PS (polystyrene), PVA (polyvinyl acetate), PA (polyamide) and polyurethane are possible. Likewise, of course, any combinations are covered by the invention.

[0023] Suitable textile substrate band is, for example, have proven to be fleece, knitted fabrics, woven fabrics or combinations have proven to be beneficial. In principle, there are also hybrid forms, for example the textile substrate band is multilayered as a combination weave/fleece or weave/weave or weave/knit. The textile substrate band can also be solid, as is known for nonwoven-based supports. Customary consolidation methods such as chemical and/or physical consolidation are used. In the case of chemical bonding, the fleece is additionally solidified with a binder. The physical consolidation uses needling, for example, which can also be done with the help of water jets. In addition, the fleece in question can also be calendered.

[0024] Overall, the invention is based on the discovery that it so far it was not considered possible that bio-based polymers cannot just be extruded into films or packaging, but also fibers or threads extruded in this manner can in turn be used as a basis for textile substrate bands of appropriately structured adhesive tapes. In fact, the invention takes up in this context so-called drop-in bioplastics, that is, bio-based polymers whose chemical structure is more familiar with those of conventional identical synthetic resins. These only include examples like bio-based PE (polyethylene) or bio-based PET (polyethylene terephthalate). The basic building blocks of these bio-based polymers are made from renewable raw materials instead of petroleum, as has already been explained above. Due to the identical chemical structure, for the further processing into end products and consequently also into the in the adhesive tapes described in this context, one can use the same machines and processes as for previously realized synthetic-resins or fossil-based counterparts.

[0025] For example, a mass-produced plastic such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is used by polycondensation of monoethylene glycol (or ethylene glycol) and theraphthalic acid. So far, only partially bio-based PET has been proposed, in which the monoethylene glycol (about 30 wt. %) is derived from sugar cane. The theraphthalic acid has so far been mainly made from petrochemicals.

[0026] In the meantime, however, the theraphthalic acid can also be used economically in a bio-based process, so that in the future too the mass market can be served economically. This is where the main advantages can be seen.