Abrasive article including a polyvinyl carbamate coating, and methods for making and using the same

Abstract

An abrasive article comprising: (a) a backing having a first major surface; (b) an abrasive layer coated on the first major surface, the abrasive layer comprising (i) an organic-based bond system, and (ii) a plurality of abrasive particles adhered in the bond system; and (c) an outermost coating layer comprising a poly(vinyl carbamate) polymer at least partially coated over said abrasive layer, and a method of making and using the abrasive article.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An abrasive article comprising: (a) a backing having a first major surface;   (b) an abrasive layer coated on the first major surface, the abrasive layer comprising (i) an organic-based bond system, and   (ii) a plurality of abrasive particles adhered in the bond system; and     (c) an outermost coating layer comprising a poly(vinyl carbamate) polymer at least partially coated over said abrasive layer.   
     
     
       2. The abrasive article of claim 1 wherein said bond system comprises a make coating and a size coating. 
     
     
       3. The abrasive article of claim 2 wherein said abrasive layer further comprises a peripheral coating positioned on the size coating. 
     
     
       4. The abrasive article of claim 1 wherein said abrasive layer comprises an abrasive composite. 
     
     
       5. The abrasive article of claim 4 wherein said abrasive layer further comprises a peripheral coating positioned on the abrasive composite. 
     
     
       6. The abrasive article of claim 1 wherein said outermost coating layer comprising said poly(vinyl carbamate) polymer has a thickness no greater than about 100 μm. 
     
     
       7. The abrasive article of claim 6 wherein the thickness is no greater than about 25 μm. 
     
     
       8. The abrasive article of claim 6 wherein the thickness is between 0.1 and 1.0 μm. 
     
     
       9. The abrasive article of claim 1 wherein said poly(vinyl carbamate) polymer is the reaction product of poly(vinyl alcohol), or a copolymer thereof, and a monofunctional isocyanate having the formula R-NCO wherein R is an alkyl group. 
     
     
       10. The abrasive article of claim 9 wherein said alkyl group is a branched or straight chain alkyl group having at least six carbon atoms in its main chain. 
     
     
       11. The abrasive article of claim 9 wherein said alkyl group is a branched or straight chain alkyl group having at least fourteen carbon atoms in its main chain. 
     
     
       12. The abrasive article of claim 9 wherein R is an octadecyl group. 
     
     
       13. The abrasive article of claim 9 wherein said poly(vinyl alcohol) comprises a poly(vinyl alcohol)-poly(vinyl acetate) copolymer having a poly(vinyl alcohol) content of at least 2% by weight. 
     
     
       14. The abrasive article of claim 1 wherein said poly(vinyl carbamate) polymer comprises a polymer of formula (I): ##STR2## wherein a is a number fraction of vinyl acetate monomer units and ranges from about 0.02 to about 0.98, b is a number fraction of carbamate monomer units and ranges from about 0.98 to about 0.02, n is a degree of polymerization and ranges from about 200 to about 2,500, and R is an alkyl group. 
     
     
       15. The abrasive article of claim 14 wherein R is an octadecyl group. 
     
     
       16. The abrasive article of claim 1 further comprising a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer coated on a second major surface of said backing opposite said first major surface. 
     
     
       17. The abrasive article of claim 16 wherein said pressure-sensitive adhesive comprises an adhesive selected from the group consisting of latex crepe, rosin, isobutylene polymers, cumarone resins, acrylic-based copolymers, vinyl ethers, alkyl adhesives, polyacrylate esters, poly(isobutylene), poly(vinyl isopropylene), poly(butylacrylate), poly(vinyl n-butyl ether), and natural and synthetic rubber based adhesives. 
     
     
       18. An abrasive article of claim 17 wherein said pressure-sensitive adhesive is an acrylic-based copolymer. 
     
     
       19. An article comprising a plurality of pressure-sensitive adhesive-backed abrasive articles, each pressure-sensitive adhesive-backed article comprising (a) a backing having a first major surface;   (b) an abrasive layer coated on the first major surface, the abrasive layer comprising (i) an organic-based bond system, and   (ii) a plurality of abrasive particles adhered in the bond system; and     (c) an outermost coating layer comprising a poly(vinyl carbamate) polymer at least partially coated over said abrasive layer   (d) a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface coated on a second major surface of said backing opposite said first major surface, said pressure-sensitive adhesive-backed abrasive articles being relatively disposed so that at least a portion of said outermost coating layer of one pressure-sensitive adhesive-backed abrasive article contacts at least a portion of the pressure-sensitive adhesive surface of at least another underlying pressure-sensitive adhesive-backed abrasive article.     
     
     
       20. The article of claim 19 wherein the plurality of pressure-sensitive adhesive-backed abrasive articles are disposed in the form of a stack. 
     
     
       21. The article of claim 19 wherein the plurality of pressure-sensitive adhesive-backed abrasive articles are disposed in the form of a roll. 
     
     
       22. The article of claim 19 further comprising a support member upon which is mounted one or more of said plurality of pressure-sensitive adhesive-backed abrasive articles. 
     
     
       23. A method of abrading a workpiece using an abrasive article comprising the steps of: providing an abrasive article comprising (a) a backing having a first major surface; (b) an abrasive layer coated on the first major surface, the abrasive layer comprising (i) an organic-based bond system, and (ii) a plurality of abrasive particles adhered in the bond system; and (c) an outermost coating layer comprising a poly(vinyl carbamate) polymer at least partially coated over said abrasive layer;   bringing the abrasive article into forcible contact with a surface of the workpiece; and   creating relative movement between the workpiece and the abrasive article.