Radiation-curable poly(alpha-olefin) adhesives containing pendant olefinic functionality

Claim 2

The composition of claim 1 wherein the α-olefin polymer(s) has a T g less than about 0°C.

Claim 3

The composition of claims 1 or 2 wherein the α-olefin polymer(s) has the general formula: wherein: x, y, and z are numbers designating the relative molar amounts of M¹, M², and M³ units that are randomly located in the backbone chain of the polymer such that the polymer has a weight average molecular weight in the range of 50,000 to 5 million, x is from 45 to 98 mole percent of ( x+y+z ), y is from about 1 to 40 mole percent of ( x+y+z ), and z is from 0.1 to 15 mole percent of ( x+y+z ). M¹, is an ethanediyl repeat unit having a pendent alkyl group having 4 to 8 carbon atoms; M² is an ethanediyl repeat unit, different from M¹, selected from ethylene and units having a pendent group selected from linear and branched alkyl groups having 1 to 3 carbon atoms. M³ is an ethanediyl repeat unit having a pendent, non-conjugated ethylenically-unsaturated aliphatic or aryl group selected from the group consisting of 1) linear and branched mono- and polyethylenically-unsaturated hydrocarbyl groups having 3 to 18 carbon atoms, 2) aryl groups substituted by mono- or polyethylenically-unsaturated groups having a total of 7 to 18 carbon atoms, 3) cycloalkylene groups having 6 to 18 carbon atoms wherein the cyclic group has at least 6 carbon atoms in the ring, and 4) monocyclic polyene groups having 4 to 18 carbon atoms, provided that the ethylenically-unsaturated moiety is not bonded directly to a backbone carbon atom.

Claim 4

The composition of claim 3 wherein the α-olefin polymers have the general formula: wherein x, y, z' and z'' are numbers designating the relative molar amounts of monomer units comprising the backbone chain of the polymer such that the polymer has a weight average molecular weight in the range of 50,000 to 5,000,000, x is from 45 to 98 mole percent of ( x+y+z'+z'' ), y is from about 1 to 40 mole percent of ( x+y+z'+z'' ), and (z'+z'') is from 0.1 to 15 mole percent of ( x+y+z'+z'' ) and either of z' or z'' can be zero; z of Formula I equals (z'+z'') of Formula II; R¹ is an alkyl group having 4 to 8 carbon atoms; R² is hydrogen or a group selected from linear and branched alkyl groups having 1 to 3 carbon atoms; R³ is an unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbyl group having 3 to 18 carbon atoms, the unsaturated group of which is separated from the of the α-olefin polymer backbone by at least one carbon atom, preferably selected from linear and branched alkenyl groups having 3 to 18 carbon atoms, non-conjugated polyethylenically-unsaturated aliphatic groups having 6 to 18 carbon atoms, cyclic alkenyl groups having 5 to 18 carbon atoms, and cyclic non-conjugated polyethylenically-unsaturated groups having 6 to 18 carbon atoms, or R³ can also be ―Q―R⁷, wherein R⁷ is a C₂ to C₁₀ monovalent hydrocarbyl group containing one or more ethylenically unsaturated groups and Q is a divalent radical, ―O― or wherein R⁸ and R⁹ are the same or different C₁ to C₁₂ monovalent organic groups selected from alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkaryl, alkoxy, and aryloxy groups; and R⁴ is hydrogen or R⁴ together with R³ and the carbon atoms to which they are attached forms an unsaturated or non-conjugated polyunsaturated monocyclic ring system having 6 to 18 carbon atoms, the unsaturated groups of which are separated from the of the α-olefin polymer backbone by at least one carbon atom; R⁵ is hydrogen or a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms or cyclic alkyl group having 5 to 18 carbon atoms; and R⁶ is a linear or branched ethylenically- or non-conjugated polyethylenically-unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 18 carbon atoms, or a cyclic ethylenically or non-conjugated polyethylenically-unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbyl group having 5 to 18 carbon atoms.

Claim 5

The adhesive composition of claims 1 to 4 wherein said photoactive crosslinking agent is selected from the group consisting of aldehydes, ketones, quinones, thioxanthones and s-triazines.

Claim 6

The adhesive composition of claims 1 to 5 further comprising a tackifying resin.

Claim 7

The adhesive composition of claims 1 to 6 wherein said composition has been crosslinked.

Claim 8

An article comprising the adhesive composition of claims 1 to 7 coated on a substrate, said composition optionally being crosslinked.

Claim 9

A method of preparing the radiation cured adhesive composition of claim 1 comprising the steps: a. providing the polymerisation product of one or more C₆-C₁₀ α-olefin monomers, one or more C₂-C₅ α-olefin monomers, and at least one non-conjugated polyene monomer selected from 1) a linear or branched polyene having 5 to 42 carbon atoms, 2) a monocyclic polyene having 6-20 or more carbon atoms, 3) a polycyclic polyene having 8 to 20 carbon atoms, 4) alkenyl aryl or arylene alkenyl substituted by mono- or polyethylenically unsaturated groups having 9 to 20 carbon atoms, or a combination of one or more of the foregoing, wherein said resultant polymer comprises 45 to 98 mole percent C₆-C₁₀ α-olefin repeat units, 1 to 40 mole percent C₂-C₅ α-olefin repeat units and 0.1 to 15 mole percent non-conjugated polyene repeat units; and then adding an effective amount of a photoactive cross-linking agent; and b. subjecting the admixture to sufficient actinic radiation to provide a cross-linked polymer.