Oxyhalopolymer protective multifunctional appliqués and paint replacement films

The present invention relates generally to halopolymer materials with adhesive surfaces, and more specifically, to protective appliqués as paint replacements for a wide range of substrates. The appliqués are layered structures, or polymeric films, generally halopolymers which have been modified by the introduction of surface hydrogen and oxygen or oxygen-containing functionalities. These reactive sites are suitable for chemically bonding with adhesive materials to form composite structures possessing superior peel strengths, resistance to delamination and protective properties when applied to surfaces, as replacements for the usual protective paint systems widely used in the aerospace, land and marine fields in general, and including the chemical, food processing and transportation industries. More particularly, the appliqués find numerous applications for aircraft and spacecraft parts and assemblies, partial and complete fuselage panels, wings for enhancing laminar flow, reducing ice formation and friction, entire aircraft hulls, aircraft markings and decals; replacements for paints, including architectural or as decorative appliqués suitable for printing, with emblems for use as transfer films and decals for rail cars, highway vehicles, including tractor-trailer rigs; protective films for marine vessels, and so on. The adhesive backed appliqués also have numerous utilities for internal surfaces, such as protective liners for containment vessels in the chemical and food processing industries, to name but a few. Novel appliqués comprising oxyhalopolymer-adhesive composites wherein the adhesive layer of the composite is chemically bonded to reactive sites on at least one side of the oxyhalopolymer layer, possess superior peel strengths, resistance to delamination and protective properties, including protection of surfaces from lightning strike to seamless protective liners for tanks. The appliques are suitable for printing architectural designs thereon. Multilayered specialty appliqués can be fabricated from the above fundamental oxyhalopolymer-adhesive composite structure, including layered adhesives for encapsulating tridimensional mechanical and electrical devices, such as RF, or microwave sensitive antennae for transmitting and receiving communications, providing protection from environmental electromagnetic effects (E), shock and impact resistance, multidimensional deformable structures; housing for temperature control systems, etc. The properties of t