Articles comprising a release liner having a high coefficient of friction and good roll stability

Abstract

The present invention relates to articles comprising a substrate, a release liner and an adhesive layer sandwiched between the substrate and release liner and methods of manufacturing such articles. The release liner has a relatively high coefficient of friction and has shrinkage properties that are substantially the same as or greater than the substrate. The article exhibits good roll stability, being substantially free of defects when supplied in a roll form.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An article comprising an adhesive layer disposed between a substrate and a liner, the liner having an adhesive-facing surface releasably adhered to the adhesive; 
 wherein the adhesive-facing surface has a coefficient of friction of at least about 0.30;    the substrate exhibits shrinkage;    and the liner exhibits shrinkage ranging from substantially the same as to greater than the substrate.    
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1  wherein said article exhibits good roll stability.  
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the substrate has a force per unit width of at least two to three times greater than the liner.  
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the substrate has a force per unit width of at least 1×10 3  Newtons/cm greater than the liner.  
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the substrate has a force per unit width of at least 1×10 4  Newtons/cm greater than the liner.  
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the coefficient of friction is at least about 0.40.  
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the coefficient of friction is at least about 0.45.  
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the coefficient of friction is at least about 0.50.  
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the substrate comprises acrylic, poly(vinyl chloride), poly(vinyl fluoride), polyurethane, polyolefin, polyester, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 9  wherein the substrate comprises acrylic or polyolefin.  
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive is a heat-stable.  
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive is crosslinked.  
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive is acrylate based.  
     
     
         14 . The article of  claim 1  wherein said adhesive is substantially free of photoinitiator.  
     
     
         15 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the substrate is retroreflective sheeting.  
     
     
         16 . The article of  claim 15  wherein the retroreflective sheeting comprises polymethylmethacrylate.  
     
     
         17 . The article of  claim 15  wherein the retroreflective sheeting comprises an enclosed-lens, an encapsulated lens, or cube-corner construction.  
     
     
         18 . The article of  claim 15  wherein the retroreflective sheeting comprises an encapsulated lens construction.  
     
     
         19 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the release liner comprises a backing and a release coating compositions on said adhesive-facing surface wherein said release coating composition comprises a cure-on-demand moisture curable composition having reactive silane functionality.  
     
     
         20 . The article of  claim 19  wherein the moisture-curable compositions comprises a compound comprising molecules bearing reactive silane functional groups and an acid generating material that is free of ammonium salt.  
     
     
         21 . An article comprising a substrate having an encapsulated lens retroreflective viewing surface and an opposing surface, an adhesive layer disposed between said opposing surface of the substrate and a liner, and the liner having an adhesive-facing surface releasably adhered to said adhesive; wherein the adhesive-facing surface of the liner has a coefficient of friction of at least about 0.30.  
     
     
         22 . The article of  claim 21  wherein the substrate exhibits shrinkage.  
     
     
         23 . The article of  claim 21  wherein the liner exhibits shrinkage ranging from substantially the same as the substrate to greater than the substrate.  
     
     
         24 . The article of  claim 21  wherein the substrate comprises polymethylmethacrylate.  
     
     
         25 . The article of  claim 21  wherein the adhesive is a heat-stable.  
     
     
         26 . The article of  claim 21  wherein the adhesive is crosslinked.  
     
     
         27 . The article of  claim 21  wherein the adhesive is acrylate based.  
     
     
         28 . The article of  claim 21  wherein said adhesive is substantially free of photoinitiator.  
     
     
         29 . A method of making an article comprising: 
 a) providing a substrate that exhibits shrinkage;    b) providing a liner that exhibits shrinkage ranging from substantially the same as the substrate to greater than the substrate and a coefficient of friction of greater than 0.30;    c) coating the substrate with an adhesive composition;    d) contacting the liner to the adhesive composition forming an article; and    e) winding the article into a roll.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein said article exhibits good roll stability.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the substrate is retroreflective  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising exposing the adhesive to an electron beam energy source.  
     
     
         33 . A method of making an article comprising: 
 a) providing a substrate that exhibits shrinkage;    b) providing a liner that exhibits shrinkage ranging from substantially the same as the substrate to greater than the substrate and a coefficient of friction of greater than 0.30;    c) coating the liner with an adhesive composition;    d) contacting the substrate to the adhesive composition forming an article; and    e) winding the article into a roll.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein said article exhibits good roll stability.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the substrate is retroreflective.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising exposing the adhesive to an electron beam energy source.  
     
     
         37 . A method of making an article comprising: 
 a) providing a substrate that exhibits shrinkage;    b) providing a first liner;    c) coating the first liner with an adhesive composition;    d) contacting the substrate to the adhesive composition;    e) stripping the first liner exposing the adhesive;    f) contacting the adhesive to a second liner that exhibits shrinkage ranging from substantially the same as the substrate to greater than the substrate and a coefficient of friction of greater than 0.30 forming an article; and    g) winding the article into a roll.    
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said article exhibits good roll stability.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the substrate is retroreflective.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37  further comprising exposing the adhesive to an electron beam energy source.