Cleanly removable tapes and methods for the manufacture thereof

#This invention relates to a cleanly removable tape, in particular, a stretch-releasable tape, for joining two substrates or for securing a floor covering, such as carpet, to a substrate and to methods of making the tape.

#Adhesive materials, including pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs), are commercially available for use in any of a variety of applications and industries such as in the construction of mounting tapes, carpet tapes and the like. Some carpet tapes comprise a backing, such as, for example, a cloth or film backing, with an adhesive coating on each of the major surfaces of the backing. Adhesives used in carpet tape applications have typically been pressure sensitive adhesives having (1) aggressive and permanent tack, (2) adherence to both a substrate and an adherend (e.g., a carpet backing) with no more than finger pressure, and preferably (3) being removable from the adherend. Pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes, such as carpet tapes, provide a strong bond to substrates because separation of the tapes from the substrates is neither intended, nor desired. When removal of the carpet is desired, pressure sensitive carpet tapes made with aggressively tacky PSAs have been very difficult to remove from a substrate and may result in damage to the substrate or may leave a tacky adhesive residue. Substrate damage is especially problematic for aerospace carpet tape applications where the substrate, e.g., a floor panel, may be costly to replace. Moreover, during the life of a carpet, dirt is ground into the carpet fabric and, over time, penetrates through the carpet to damage the underlying tape by causing nicks, cuts or small tears in the tape backing. When the carpet is subsequently removed, the damage to the backing can cause the tape to break, making it more difficult to remove from the substrate.

#Some pressure sensitive adhesives have been specifically formulated to allow clean and easy removal from substrates after use, such as, for example, the adhesive used for Post-It® brand removable notes, available from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company of St. Paul, Minn. These adhesives, however, do not possess sufficient tack to provide a level of holding power sufficient for use in carpeting applications, for example. In general, adhesives that are formulated to provide a substantial level of adhesion, e.g., for holding a carpet to a substrate, are difficult to remove from a substrate without significant effort.

#In describing the various features of the preferred embodiment, reference is made to the various Figures, in which like reference numerals indicate like features and wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing showing a tape, according to the invention;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective drawing showing a tape, according to another aspect of the invention;

#The invention provides a cleanly removable tape that can be used as a joining and mounting tape such as, for example, a carpet tape. The tapes are provided in layered constructions with stretch release properties to enable removal from a substrate without leaving significant residue on the surface of the substrate. The tapes comprise a core layer and at least a first adhesive layer adhered to at least a portion of the core layer. The tapes may be single sided tapes or double sided tapes. Single sided tapes are tapes having adhesive properties on one side only. Double sided tapes are tapes having adhesive properties on both sides.

#The first adhesive layer is provided as a skin adhesive on at least a portion of a first major surface of the core layer while the other major surface of the core layer may be provided with its own adhesive properties. Alternatively, a second adhesive layer may be provided to a portion of the core layer as another skin adhesive which may be the same adhesive as the first adhesive layer, or it may be a different than the first adhesive layer. The tapes of the invention may be dual sided tapes in that they are adhesively tacky on both sides of the core layer to permit the simultaneous adhesion of the tape to two different surfaces such as an article (e.g., a carpet backing) and a substrate (e.g., a floor).

#A fibrous reinforcing material may be dispersed in the core layer, the adhesive layer(s), or both the core layer and the adhesive layer(s) to provide stretch release properties to the construction. The tape of the invention may include a core layer and a fire retardant in at least one of the adhesive layer, or the core layer. The fire retardants most desired in the present invention are those containing no antimony or polybrominated biphenyls, such as, pentabromodiphenylether (penta-BDE), octabromodiphenylether (octa-BDE), and decabromodiphenylether (deca-BDE).