Role of a micro-patterned adhesive interface on the performance of thermoformable multi-layered decorative polymeric film laminates

The influence of micro-patterning the adhesive interface of decorative films was studied to improve their formability in emerging in-mold forming technologies. The formability of a model polycarbonate (PC) based film/substrate laminate system at elevated temperature was tested using different pressure sensitive adhesives and different micro-scaled patterns. The contact morphology established by the adhesive to the film and sheet substrate layers as a result of lamination and subsequent forming trials at different temperatures and levels of strains was found to dictate the ultimate adhesion. The tack and the shear resistance properties of the adhesive was found to play an important role in maintaining the integrity of the structured patterns, controlling the nature of failure through the interface and tuning the adhesion to different levels without replacing the adhesive.