WO2008153418A1

WO2008153418A1 - Decor laminate and process

Info

Publication number: WO2008153418A1
Application number: PCT/NZ2008/000137
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marie Joo Le Guen; Roger Huntly Newman; Evamaria Constanze Clauss; James Edward Philip Carpenter; Alice Osorio
Original assignee: Marie Joo Le Guen; Roger Huntly Newman; Evamaria Constanze Clauss; James Edward Philip Carpenter; Alice Osorio
Priority date: 2007-06-11
Filing date: 2008-06-11
Publication date: 2008-12-18

Abstract

A decorative laminate comprises fibres of lignocellulosic material such as plant leaf material, typically in a random pattern, within a transparent or translucent décor layer, such as encapsulated by a transparent or translucent polymer resin. A process for forming the decorative laminate is disclosed.

Description

"DECOR LAMINATE AND PROCESS"

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to a decorative laminate, a decor sheet for a decorative laminate, and a process for forming a decorative laminate and/ or decor sheet.

BACKGROUND

Low pressure decorative laminates are usually formed from a paper decor sheet, which might be a solid colour or might have a design, e.g., a reproduction of natural materials such as wood, marble or leather printed on its surface. The decor sheet is impregnated with a thermosetting resin, e.g., melamine-formaldehyde resin, and pressed onto a substrate, e.g., fibreboard.

High-pressure decorative laminates are made from a plurality of layers of paper impregnated with thermosetting resins. In normal practice, the assembly consists of a plurality of base sheets, a decor sheet and a protective overlay sheet. The decor sheet might be a solid colour or might have a printed pattern, as in a low-pressure decorative laminate.

Decorative additives are sometimes incorporated into the decor sheet. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,220 describes addition of pearl pigment to the furnish for decor sheets, in order- to provide a controlled level of opacity. A typical laminate includes a number of such sheets. When viewed by an observer, the incident light is reflected from various layers of the laminate, providing a 3-dimensional effect. U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,922 describes addition of mica chips to decor sheets in order to achieve a desired decorative effect. U.S. Pat. No.5213883 describes addition of cellulose acetate fibres to the furnish for decor sheets, in order to increase the opacity.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In one aspect in broad terms the invention comprises a decorative laminate which comprises fibres of lignocellulosic material within a transparent or translucent decor layer.

In another aspect the invention comprises a decor sheet (hereinafter often also referred to as a decor layer) for use in forming a decorative laminate, which comprises fibres of lignocellulosic material within a transparent or translucent layer.

Preferably the decor layer comprises the fibres of lignocellulosic material impregnated with and encapsulated by a transparent or translucent polymer resin.

Preferably the fibres are fibres of plant material. Preferably the fibres are fibres of leaf plant material. Preferably the fibres comprise a mixture of relatively shorter and finer fibres and relative longer and coarser fibres.

Preferably the fibres are line fibres, as referred to subsequently herein. In a particularly preferred form the fibres are of leaf material from a plant of the order

Asparagales, more preferably harakeke (Phomήtm tenax).

The fibres may comprise mixtures of relatively short and fine fibre cells and relatively long and coarse bundles of vascular cells released from plant leaf fibre bundles by combinations of pulping and beating. The fibres may be in their natural colours, may be partly bleached, and/or may be coloured with one or more dyes.

Optionally the decor layer may include a monochrome or multi-chromatic and/or patterned underlay beneath the fibres.

The decorative laminate may be in one form be of the type generally referred to herein as a low pressure decorative laminate, comprising the decor layer on a structural substrate such as for example a wood fibre substrate such as fibre board.

The decorative laminate may in another form be of the type generally referred to herein as a high pressure decorative laminate, comprising the decor layer on a substrate composed of a plurality of individual layers of for example paper impregnated with a polymer impregnate such as a thermoset resin.

In either case the decorative laminate may include a protective overlayer, over the decor layer.

In another aspect in broad terms the invention comprises a process for producing a decorative laminate or a decor sheet, which comprises forming the decor layer of the decorative laminate or the decor sheet to comprise fibres of a lignocellulosic material in a transparent or translucent polymer.

Preferably the process comprises impregnating and encapsulating the fibres of Hgnocellulosic material with a transparent or translucent polymer resin.

Preferably the fibres are fibres of plant material. Preferably the fibres are fibres of leaf plant material.

Preferably the fibres comprise a mixture of relatively shorter and finer fibres and relative longer and coarser fibres.

Preferably the fibres are line fibres, as referred to subsequently herein. Preferably the process includes producing the fibres by cutting plant material and most preferably plant leaf material, to shorter lengths, forming a pulp of the plant material, subsequently forming a mat of the pulp, drying the fibres before or after forming the mat, and impregnating the mat with a polymer resin to form the decor layer.

Preferably the fibres are produced under conditions such as pulping and/ or beating conditions which produce a mixture of relatively short and fine fibre cells and relatively long and coarse bundles of vascular cells. Preferably the plant material is taken from leaves, to contain an optimum of bundles of vascular cells.

The plant material is preferably in the form of line fibre, and reasonably free from adhering parenchymal or epidermal cells.

The fibre is preferably taken from a plant of the order Asparagales, more preferably harakeke (Phormium tenax).

Preferably pulping involves treatment with aqueous alkali at a temperature below about 170 °C, to cause substantially complete disintegration of the fibre bundles, and above die boiling point of the liquor used (such as used in kraft paper-making processes). Preferably the temperature is preferably in the range 120 ⁰C to 160 °C, most preferably 140 ⁰C. In at least preferred embodiments of the invention coarse natural fibres are used to create a random pattern within a fibre mat. Embedding a mixture of coarse and fine fibres in a transparent or translucent resin gives a three-dimensional visual effect. An optimum mixture of coarse and fine fibres can be produced by pulping leaf fibres.

In a further aspect the invention comprises a mat of fibres of plant material comprising a mixture of relatively shorter and finer fibres and relative longer and coarser fibres.

Preferably the fibres are fibres of leaf plant material.

Preferably the fibres are line fibres, as referred to subsequently herein.

The plant material is preferably in the form of line fibre, and reasonably free from adhering parenchymal or epidermal cells. The fibres are preferably taken from a plant of the order Asparagales, more preferably harakeke (Phomium tenax).

Preferably the fibres are produced as described above.

In another aspect the invention comprises a liquid or semi-liquid pulp-polymer mixture for use in manufacturing which comprises fibres of lignocellulosic material and a transparent or translucent liquid or semi-liquid polymer or polymer combination.

Preferably the fibres are line fibres, as referred to subsequently herein.

In a particularly preferred form the fibres are of leaf material from a plant of the order Asparagales, more preferably harakeke {Phorminm tenax).

The fibres may comprise mixtures of relatively short and fine fibre cells and relatively long and coarse bundles of vascular cells released from plant leaf fibre bundles by combinations of pulping and beating.

The fibres may be in their natural colours, may be partly bleached, and/or may be coloured with one or more dyes.

Preferably the fibres are produced as described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the accompanying figures: Fig. 1 is an image of a sample of a decor layer produced as described in following

Example 1.

Fig. 2 is an image of a sample of a decor layer produced as described in following Example 2.

Fig. 3 is an image of a sample of a decor layer produced as described in following Example 5.

Fig. 4 is an image of a sample of a decor layer produced as described in following Example 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION As stated the invention includes a decorative laminate and decor sheet in which fibres of lignocellulosic material such as of plant leaf material and preferably line fibres are within a transparent or translucent decor layer.

The invention also includes a process for producing the decorative laminate or a decor sheet. Typically the fibres are in the form of a non-woven mat, comprising a mixture of relatively short and fine fibre cells and relatively long and coarse bundles of vascular cells released from plant leaf fibre bundles by processing such as by pulping and or beating. The mixture of fibres are left in their natural colours, or partly bleached, and/or coloured with organic dyes, and wet-laid to form non-woven mats. When the mats are combined with transparent or translucent resins to make decorative laminates, the composite products display a pleasing visual effect imparted by the random patterns of the relatively dark bundles of vascular cells, yet also display mechanical properties that are not greatly decreased relative to those achieved with fully disintegrated pulps. Such mats may be produced by pulping line fibre taken from mature leaves such as from the leaves of harakeke (Phommm tenax) plants for example. Decorative laminates could also be produced from for example, sisal (Agave sisalanά), henequen {Agave fourcrqydes) and the blue agave (Agape tequilana).

The structure of a mature leaf fibre differs from the structures of wood, bast or seed-hair fibres. In the case of a leaf fibre, vascular tissue is surrounded by fibre cells. The vascular tissue comprises both xylem and phloem cells. In the case of harakeke {Phormimn tenax), a cross-section through a typical piece of line fibre shows more than 100 fibre cςlls surrounding the vascular tissue. We have found that the vascular tissue is relatively resistant to pulping, so that coarse^' bundles of vascular cells can persist even after most of the fibre cells have been separated into a fine pulp. The proportion of persistent coarse fibres can be increased by lowering the pulping temperature. Each coarse fibre comprises a bundle of vascular cells with adhering fibre cells. The coarse fibres are brown, and are darker than the fine fibres that become separated from the bundles during pulping.

It is preferable that the pulp be made from line fibre, since pulping entire leaves produces other types of fragments with different shapes and colours that detract from the visual appearance of a simple mixture of coarse and fine fibres. It is also desirable that the line fibre be cut to shorter lengths before pulping. Long and coarse fibres produce a tangled pattern rather than the desired swirling pattern. Very short and coarse fibres produce a less appealing pattern.

Pulping involves treatment with aqueous alkali at a temperature cooler than the value of 170 °C which can cause complete disintegration of the fibre bundles, yet hotter than the boiling liquor used in some kraft paper-making processes. The temperature is preferably in the range 120 °C to 160 ⁰C₅ most preferably 140 ⁰C.

The fibre cells are mechanically separated from fibre bundles by for example beating, e.g., with a flat paddle rotating in a bowl. Beating preferably continues until more than half of the fibre cells are separated from each other and from the bundles of vascular cells, and ceases before more than half of the bundles of vascular cells have been disintegrated. The pulp is wet-laid to make mats with grammage between 20 g m^"2 and 200 g m^"2, preferably between 50 g m^"2 and 100 g m^"2.

The mats are dried and pressed and used as decor sheets in decorative laminates with a pleasing visual effect imparted by the random patterns of coarse fibres, yet with mechanical properties sufficient for fabrication of free-standing laminated structures without a backing panel. The visual effect can be improved by partly bleaching the fibres, and/ or colouring the fibres with fabric dyes.

EXAMPLES The invention is further illustrated by the following examples.

Example 1

Approximately one kilogram of raw harakeke line fibre was cut into lengths of approximately 2.5 cm, soaked in water overnight, and placed in a stainless-steel digester. Aqueous solutions of sodium hydroxide (625 g) and anthroquinone (1.8 g) were added, along with further water to bring the ratio of liquor to fibre to 16:1 by weight. The temperature of "the digester was raised from ambient to 140⁰C over 80 minutes, held at approximately 140°C over a period of 180 minutes, then allowed to cool. The pulp was washed with cold water and stored at 4°C. Never-dried pulp with a dry-weight equivalent of approximately 2.4 g was beaten with an electric egg beater for 10 minutes to break up the bundles of fibres. A mat was formed by wet- laying the pulp in a rectangular mould and decide with inner dimensions of approximately 45 cm by 25 cm. The mat was dried between of layers of cotton cloth, and pressed with a domestic iron. The final grammage of the mat was 22 g m^"~. The mat contained relatively coarse and long fibres distributed in a network of relatively fine and short fibres. To determine the relative proportions of coarse and fine fibres, twelve 8 cm by 8 cm squares were cut. The coarse fibres .were plucked from each square, oven-dried and weighed. The remaining fine fibres were also oven-dried and weighed. The mean content of coarse fibres was 32% of total weight, with a standard deviation of 10%. A panel of medium-density fibreboard was painted white, and fibre mat (8 cm by 8 cm) was laminated onto the panel by hand using Pro-Fusion H-834-60 polyester resin. The brown colour of the coarse fibres became more obvious (Fig. 1). The fine fibres became translucent, so that the coarse fibres became more clearly visible.

Example 2

Harakeke fibre was pulped and beaten using procedures similar to that described in Example 1, except that the line fibre was cut to lengths of approximately 5 cm. DYLON 26

Royal Blue (33 g) was dissolved in a solution of 330 g of table salt in eight litres of water at 50 °C, then wet fibres (330 g) were added to the mixture. During the first 15 minutes, the fibres were stirred. They were then left standing for 45 additional minutes. The fibres were washed with cold water until the water remained transparent. The dyed fibres were stored in plastic bags, then wet-laid to form mats. A medium-density fibreboard panel was sprayed with white paint. Epoxy resin (ADR 245) and hardener (ADH 28) were mixed in proportions 4:1 by weight. A thin layer of resin was brushed onto the panel to ensure adhesion between the surface and the mat. A harakeke pulp mat (27 cm x 15 cm) was then painted with a brush, on both sides, while supported on a glass plate. The mat was then placed on the panel. The panel and mat were placed between two sheets of baking paper, and the stack was placed between two metal plates and pressed. A Siempelkamp press was used, with the following nominal settings: temperature 100°C, pressure 100 IdSI, time 1 h (Fig. 2). The product shows coarse, brown fibres in a matrix of resin reinforced with fine, blue fibres.

Example 3

Harakeke fibre was pulped and beaten using procedures similar to that described in Example 1, except that the line fibre was cut to lengths of approximately 5 cm and no anthraquinone was added to the pulping liquor. Mats were formed by wet laying, and pressed to a mean bulk density of 305 kg m^"2 in a Siempelkamp press at 50 °C. A composite panel was produced from a stack of 20 mats and an unsaturated polyester resin (Pro-Fusion H-834-60) using resin infusion on a glass surface. The initiator was methyl ethyl ketone peroxide. The composite panel was 3.9 mm thick, with a fibre weight fraction of 0.28. The flexural properties of 7 specimens were measured by three-point bending. The mean flexural modulus was 5.3 GPa (standard deviation 0.3 GPa) and the flexural strength was 114 MPa (standard deviation 9 MPa). For comparison, the flexural modulus of plywood is typically 9 GPa, and the flexural strength is •typically 60 MPa. The decorative laminate was therefore stronger than plywood, although not as stiff.

Example 4 Chopped Harakeke line fibre fibre (2cm in length) was soaked in water under vacuum overnight. The water uptake was measured and allowed for in making up the pulping liquor. The liquor-to-fibre ratio was 8:1, with a NaOH charge of 18% of the oven-dried weight of harakeke fibres. Anthroquinone was added at 0.1% of the oven-dried weight of harakeke fibres. The temperature was raised to required temperature over 90 minutes and held for a cooking time of 40 minutes. The pulp was cooled and washed with water, then kept wet in plastic bag until required. A change of the pulp colour was noticed. The fibres pulped at 100°C tend to be yellow unlike the fibres pulped at 160 which tend to be purple. A mould and deckle were made from wood, using aluminium mesh for the mould and screen. The mesh was fly-screen grade. Pulp suspensions were prepared by adding never-dried pulp to water at a solids content of appiOximately 0.2%. The suspension was beaten for 5 minutes to break up clumps of fibres. Mats were hand laid at a grammage of approximately 50g/m2 corresponding to approximately 44 g m^"2 on an oven-dried basis. The fibre fraction of the composite was aimed at 0.45. A low- viscosity epoxy system was made by mixing Nuplex resin R300, based on the diglycidyl ethers of bisphenol A and Novolac, and Nuplex hardener H310, containing triethylatnine tetramine and isophorone diamine, in proportions 5:1 by weight. The preforms were oven dried Ih at 103°C, and then pressed at room temperature with 2mm stops during 30 minutes at 500 KPa. Then the preforms were impregnated with epoxy resin in a vacuum bag, pressed in a waxed leaky mould and left overnight to cure and post-cured at 60 °C for 48 h.

Example 5

Sisal fibres were cut to 25 mm length and soaked in water under vacuum overnight. The water uptake was measured and allowed for in making up the pulping Hquor. The liquor-to-fibre ratio was 8:1, with a NaOH charge of 18% of the oven-dried weight of sisal. Anthroquinone was added at 0.1% of the oven-dried weight of sisal. The temperature was raised to 140 ⁰C over 90 minutes and held for a cooking time of 40 minutes. The pulp was cooled and washed with water. A portion of 100 g of squeezed pulp was soaked into two litres of warm water (approximately 55°C) with 100 g of table salt and 1O g of Dylon 26 Royal Blue cloth dye. The suspension was stirred and left to soak two hours at room temperature. Afterwards, the pulp was washed with water until there was no trace of dye in the rinsing water. The dyed pulp was kept wet until the mat formation. A mould and deckle were made from wood, using aluminium mesh for the mould and screen. The mesh was fly-screen grade. The inner dimensions of the decide were 59 cm by 39 cm. Pulp suspensions were prepared by adding never-dried dyed pulp to water at a solids content of approximately 0.2%. The suspension was beaten for 10 minutes to break up clumps of fibres.The mould and deckle were semi-submerged in water in a plastic container. A suspension of pulp was prepared and poured into the deckle. The fibre was stirred and moved about gently with fingers for an even coverage over the screen. The decide was removed from the water and held while water drained from the fibre. The screen was then released from under the decide, and die wet mat of fibre transferred to a sheet of polyester voile. A second sheet of polyester voile was placed over the mat. Mats were stacked on an aluminium tray, with sheets of cotton fabric interspersed between mats in the stack to absorb water. An aluminium tray was placed over the top of the stack and a weight of several kilograms was used to compress the stack. Production of two mats used each 50 g of wet fibres, corresponding to a grammage of the air-dry mats was approximately 50 g m^"2. The mat contained relatively coarse and long fibres distϊibuted in a network of relatively fine and short fibres. The mean content of coarse fibres was 43% of total weight, with a standard deviation of 3%. Composites were made by resin infusion under vacuum. A low-viscosity polyester system was made by mixing Nuplex resin Pro-Fusion H834-60 and Nuplex catalyst organic peroxide type D liquid (composed of methyl ethyl peroxide ketone at 45% in dimethyl phthalate solution) in proportions 100:2 by weight. Cotton fabric (grammage around 128g/m²) and glass fibre chopped-strand mat (grammage around 200 g/m²) were used. Two rectangles of 200 mm wide and 290 mm long were cut from one sisal mat. Three rectangles of glass fibre chopped strand mat (CSM) were cut at the same dimensions. The preform was composed of 2 plies of sisal mat on the outside faces and 3 plies of CSM in the inside. The mass proportion of the sisal mat was 6.3 odg and 35.7g for the CSM. The composite was left on the table under vacuum around 2 hours and then infused at 500 mbars. After infusion the composite was left overnight on the table and was then post cured 3h at 60°C.Two rectangles of 200 mm wide and 300 mm long were cut from one sisal mat. Four rectangles of cotton fabric were cut at the same dimensions. The preform was composed of two plies of sisal mat on the outside faces and four plies of cotton fabric in the inside. The mass proportion of the sisal mat was 6.2 odg and 30.8 odg for the CSM. The composite was left on the table under vacuum around 2 hours and then infused at 500 mbars. After infusion the composite was left overnight on the table and was then post cured 3h at 60°C. Figures 3 and 4 are photographs taken in transmitted light showing the structures of the fibre networks. The sisal reinforcing mats are formed from a mixture of relatively long, coarse, dark fibres and short, fine, pale fibres.The glass chopped-strand mat causes a speckled effect in Fig. 3, while the cotton gives a brown tint and adds flecks of black in Figure 4.

Claims

1. A decorative laminate which comprises fibres of lignocellulosic material within a transparent or translucent decor layer.

2. A decor sheet (hereinafter often also referred to as a decor layer) for use in forming a decorative laminate, which comprises fibres of lignocellulosic material within a transparent or translucent layer.

3. A decor laminate or sheet according to either claim 1 or claim 2 comprising the fibres of lignocellulosic material impregnated with and encapsulated by a transparent or translucent polymer resin.

4. A decor laminate or sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the fibres are fibres of plant material.

5. A decor laminate or sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the fibres are fibres of leaf plant material.

6. A decor laminate or sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the fibres comprise a mixture of relatively shorter and finer fibres and relative longer and coarser fibres.

7. A decor laminate or sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the fibres are line fibres.

8. A decor laminate or sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the fibres are of leaf material from a plant of the order Asparagales.

9. A decor laminate or sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the fibres are of leaf material from harakeke (Phomήum tenax).

10. A decor laminate or sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the fibres are of leaf material from sisal.

11. A decor laminate or sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the fibres comprise mixtures of relatively short and fine fibre cells and relatively long and coarse bundles of vascular cells released from plant leaf fibre bundles by combinations of pulping and beating.

12. A decor laminate or sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the fibres are in their natural colour (s).

13. A decor laminate or sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the fibres are at least partly bleached.

14. A decor laminate or sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the fibres^' are coloured with one or more dyes.

15. A decor laminate or sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 14 including a monochrome or multi-chromatic and/or patterned underlay beneath the fibres.

16. A decor laminate or sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 15 on a structural substrate.

17. A decor laminate or sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 16 including a protective overlayer over the decor layer.

18. A process for producing a decorative laminate or a decor sheet, which comprises forming the decor layer of the decorative laminate or the decor sheet to comprise fibres of a Hgnocellulosic material in a transparent or translucent polymer.

19. A process according to claim 18 comprising impregnating and encapsulating the fibres of Hgnocellulosic material with a transparent or translucent polymer resin.

20. A process according to either claim 18 or claim 19 wherein the fibres are fibres of plant material.

21. A process according to either claim 18 or claim 19 wherein the fibres are fibres of leaf plant material.

22. A process according to any one of claims 18 to 21 wherein the fibres comprise a mixture of relatively shorter and finer fibres and relative longer and coarser fibres.

23. A process according to any one of claims 18 to 22 wherein the fibres are line fibres.

24. A process according to any one of claims 18 to 23 including producing the fibres by cutting plant material to shorter lengths, forming a pulp of the plant material, subsequently forming a mat of the pulp, drying the fibres before or after forming the mat, and impregnating the mat with a polymer resin to form the decor layer.

25. A process according to any one of claims 18 to 23 including producing the fibres by cutting plant leaf material to shorter lengths, forming a pulp of the plant material, subsequently forming a mat of the pulp, drying the fibres before or after forming the mat, and impregnating the mat with a polymer resin to form the decor layer.

26. A process according to any one of claims 18 to 25 wherein the fibres comprise mixtures of relatively short and fine fibre cells and relatively long and coarse bundles of vascular cells released from plant leaf fibre bundles by pulping.

27. A process according to any one of claims 18 to 25 wherein the fibres comprise mixtures of relatively short and fine fibre cells and relatively long and coarse bundles of vascular cells released from plant leaf fibre bundles by pulping including treatment with aqueous alkali at a temperature below about 170 ⁰C, to cause substantially complete disintegration of the fibre bundles, and above the boiling point of a liquor used in the pulping.

28. A process according to claim 28 wherein said pulping is carried out at a temperature in the range 120 °C to 160 ⁰C.

29. A process according to any one of claims 24 to 28 including beating the fibres after pulping.

30. A process according to any one of claims 18 to 29 wherein the fibres are of leaf material from a plant of the order Asparagales.

31. A process according to any one of claims 18 to 28 wherein the fibres are of leaf material from harakeke (Phorminm tenax).

32. A process according to any one of claims 18 to 28 wherein the fibres are of leaf material from sisal.

33. A process according to any one of claims 18 to 32 including distributing the fibres to create a random pattern.

34. A mat of fibres of plant material comprising a mixture of shorter and finer fibres and relative longer and coarser fibres.

35. A mat according to claim 34 wherein the fibres are are of leaf material from a plant of the order Asparagales.

36. A mat according to claim 34 wherein the fibres are of leaf material from a plant of the order Asparagales.

37. A mat according to claim 34 wherein the fibres are of leaf material from harakeke (Phomiinm tenax).

38. A mat according to claim 34 wherein the fibres are of leaf material from sisal.

39. A liquid or semi-liquid pulp-polymer mixture for use in manufacturing which comprises fibres of lignocellulosic material and a transparent or translucent liquid or semi-liquid polymer or polymer combination.

40. A pulp-polymer mixture according to claim 40 wherein the fibres are fibres of plant material.

41. A pulp-polymer mixture according to claim 40 wherein the fibres are fibres of leaf plant material.

42. A pulp-polymer mixture according to any one of claims 39 to 41 wherein the fibres comprise a mixture of relatively shorter and finer fibres and relative longer and coarser fibres.

43. A pulp-polymer mixture according to any one of claims 39 to 42 wherein the fibres are line fibres.

44. A pulp-polymer mixture according to any one of claims 39 to 43 wherein the fibres are of leaf material from a plant of the order Asparagales.

45. A pulp-polymer mixture according to any one of claims 39 to 43 wherein the fibres are of leaf material from harakeke (Phomήim? tenax).

46. A pulp-polymer mixture according to any one of claims 39 to 43 wherein the fibres are of leaf material from sisal.

47. A pulp-polymer mixture according to any one of claims 39 to 46 wherein wherein the fibres comprise mixtures of relatively short and fine fibre cells and relatively long and coarse bundles of vascular cells released from plant leaf fibre bundles by combinations of pulping and beating.

48. A pulp-polymer mixture according to any one of claims 39 to 47 wherein the fibres are in their natural colour (s).

49. A pulp-polymer mixture according to any one of claims 39 to 48 wherein the fibres are at least partly bleached.

50. A pulp-polymer mixture according to any one of claims 39 to 49 wherein the fibres are coloured with one or more dyes.