CA1135127A - Process for sealing fiber web of open structure - Google Patents
Process for sealing fiber web of open structureInfo
- Publication number
- CA1135127A CA1135127A CA000348923A CA348923A CA1135127A CA 1135127 A CA1135127 A CA 1135127A CA 000348923 A CA000348923 A CA 000348923A CA 348923 A CA348923 A CA 348923A CA 1135127 A CA1135127 A CA 1135127A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- mat
- layer
- foamed
- flexible
- mils
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06N—WALL, FLOOR, OR LIKE COVERING MATERIALS, e.g. LINOLEUM, OILCLOTH, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, ROOFING FELT, CONSISTING OF A FIBROUS WEB COATED WITH A LAYER OF MACROMOLECULAR MATERIAL; FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06N7/00—Flexible sheet materials not otherwise provided for, e.g. textile threads, filaments, yarns or tow, glued on macromolecular material
- D06N7/0005—Floor covering on textile basis comprising a fibrous substrate being coated with at least one layer of a polymer on the top surface
- D06N7/0007—Floor covering on textile basis comprising a fibrous substrate being coated with at least one layer of a polymer on the top surface characterised by their relief structure
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Textile Engineering (AREA)
- Laminated Bodies (AREA)
- Synthetic Leather, Interior Materials Or Flexible Sheet Materials (AREA)
- Manufacture Of Porous Articles, And Recovery And Treatment Of Waste Products (AREA)
- Casting Or Compression Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
- Molding Of Porous Articles (AREA)
- Floor Finish (AREA)
Abstract
PROCESS FOR SEALING FIBER WEB OF OPEN STRUCTURE
AND PRODUCT RESULTING THEREFROM
Abstract Fiber web of open structure is coated with a layer of heat curable, mechanically frothed, flexible thermoplastic vinyl polymer foam. The web is then heated to between the fusion temperature and the decomposition temperature of the polymer to fuse and collapse the foam. The resulting product is a suitable substrate for decorative sheet type covering material.
AND PRODUCT RESULTING THEREFROM
Abstract Fiber web of open structure is coated with a layer of heat curable, mechanically frothed, flexible thermoplastic vinyl polymer foam. The web is then heated to between the fusion temperature and the decomposition temperature of the polymer to fuse and collapse the foam. The resulting product is a suitable substrate for decorative sheet type covering material.
Description
1135~7 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to decorative sheet-type covering material and especially to a method for preparing suitable substrate for such material by sealing a fiber mat or web of open structure.
Decorative, flexible sheet-type covering materials such as wall or floor coverings are well known. Frequently, such coverings involve the use of a chemically blown foamable plastic applied in a liquid state to a substrate. The foamable liquid is then gelled, frequently printed with a design, and expanded by heat to e.g. three times its original thickness. Conventional use of such chemically foamed material is described for instance in United States Patent 3,458,337 and United States Patent 3,293,094.
While the use of chemically foamed plastic over substrates in the production of sheet covering materials is well known and has been extensively practiced, the resulting products have not always been entirely satisfactory. Where porous substrates or irregular substrates have been used, results have been less than satisfactory since penetration of the foamable liquid coating into the supporting substrate fre~uently results in magnified surface distortions in the finished product. This is especially noticeable where printed patterns are formed on the foamed layer or are printed onto an unfoamed layer prior to foaming of the layer.
s ll~S~7 The use of non-foamable material for sealing and coating a porous or irregular substrate has been generally unsatisfactory due to penetration of the coating material into the openings in the porous substrate.
In addition to chemically foamed plastics of the type mentioned above, mechanically foamed plastics in which air or other gas is introduced into the plastic as by beating or other forms of mechanical aeration are well known, as exemplified for instance in United States Patent 3,511,788. Such mechanically foamed plastics have been suggested for a variety of purposes such as in very thin layers for application to a variety of substrates as suggested in the above-mentioned Patent 3,511,788.
Such foams have also been utilized as backing for sheet covering materials, especially flooring to provide resiliency under foot.
It is also quite common in the flooring industry to make an embossed foam product either by use of chemical means such as suppresent inks, etc., in the manner taught by the above-mentioned United States Patents or by mechanical embossing of the foamed layer or completed product. Mechanical embossing is a well known technique as exemplified for instance by the more detailed descriptions in United States Patents 3,345,234, 3,748,151 and 3,887,678.
SUMM~RY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to provide a process for making substrate for decorative, flexible sheet-type covering material. The process of the invention comprises:
~351~7 a) coating at least one side of a flexible porous mat with a layer between about 10 and about 150 mils thick of heat curable mechanically frothed, flexible, foamed thermoplastic vinyl polymer; and b) then heating the layer of foamed polymer to a temperature between the fusion temperature and the decomposition temperature of the polymer to thereby cause the foam to thermally collapse into a continuous fused film wherein;
i) said mat has openings which average between about 1 and about 20 mils in the smallest linear dimension with at least about 50% of such openings having smallest linear dimensions between about 2 and about 10 mils; and ii) the foam as applied to the mat has a viscosity between about 3000 and about 25,000 cp.
Product of the invention is decorative, flexible, sheet-type covering material comprising of a flexible, porous mat having adhered to at least one face thereof a layer between about 2 and about 50 mils thick of thermally collapsed and fused mechanically frothed, flexible, foamed thermoplastic vinyl polymer wherein:
a) the crushed layer has a continuous, non-porous surface conforming to the general contour of the porous mat; and b) the openings in the porous mat average between about 1 and about 20 mils in the smallest linear dimension with at least about 50% of such openings having smallest linear dimensions between about 2 and about 10 mils.
1~35~
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
-While the invention is applicable to porous mats made from any flexible material, the preferred material is glass fibers in woven or non-woven form with non-woven glass fiber mats being especially preferred.
The mats to which the invention is appli-cable are those which are sufficiently porous so that ordinary plastisol or organosol sealing materials penetrate the openings of the matt, thereby making it difficult or impossible to obtain a smooth coating of plastic on the mat. Mats suitable for use in the present invention are those in which the openings in the mat average between about 1 and about 20 mils in the smallest linear dimension with at least about 50%
of such openings having smallest linear dimensions between about 2 and about 10 mils. Preferred mats include those having a thickness between about 10 and about 40 mils and a density between about 0.5 and about 4 lbs. per 100 square feet. Such mats may be manufactured by conventional techniques used for manufacturing non-woven glass mats with the glass fibers used preferably having an average diameter between about 5 and about 20 microns, more preferably between about 7 and 15 microns, and fiber lengths between about 0.2 and about 1.5 inch. Binders con-ventionally used for coating glass fibers may be used and where used are normally present in amounts between about 1 and about 50 wt% of the mat. Suitable binders for coating glass fibers of the mats used in the invention include, for instance, ureaformalde-hyde, latexes, thermosetting resins such as poly-ester resins, epoxy resins and the like and may - 1135~27 include, among other conventional binders, those mentioned in United States Patent 3,554,851 to Modigliani. The binder may, of course, be applied to the glass fibers in the conventional manner.
As mentioned, the foam used in forming product of the invention by the process of the invention comprises thermoplastic vinyl polymer with vinyl chloride polymers and copolymers being especially preferred. Vinyl polymers suitable for use in the invention include a wide variety of vinyl materials such as those described in the above-mentioned United States Patent 3,511,788 as well as those conventional polyvinyl chloride (PVC) materials known in the art for use in chemically foamed materials, including for instance those described in the above-mentioned United States Patents 3,458,337 and 3,293,094. Similar vinyl polymers in latex form are also suitable. Mechanically foamed PVC plastisols and organosols are the preferred materials for the thermally collapsed layer of the product of the invention.
The mechanically frothed and thermally collapsed foam layer of the product of the invention provides smoother surfaces on porous substrates than the previously used chemically foamed plastics and less porous surfaces than mechanically foamed plastics applied and cured without collapsing. Thermally collapsed foam layers of the invention are also more suitable for this purpose than the relatively low density crushed foams which are conventionally used as backing for draperies and upholstery fabrics in the textile industry.
~3SlZ7 As mentioned the present invention relates to flexible sheet-type covering material suitable for covering walls and floors. In order to achieve the necessary flexibility in the finished product it is necessary that the substrate as well as the collapsed foam layer and other optional layers of the invention be flexible rather than rigid. Plastic materials are considered sufficiently flexible for this purpose when, in the form of a foamed and cured unreinforced 1/4" foam sheet, they can be bent 180- around a 1"
mandrell without permanent set. Such materials are generally known to those skilled in the flooring and textile industries as are the various types of sub-strates and other materials which are suitable for use in making flexible decorative wall or floor covering materials.
While flexible porous mats of the invention having a layer of mechanically frothed and thermally collapsed heat cured flexible plastic foam thereon may for some purposes be suitable as substrates for sheet-type covering material without further treatment, itis in many cases desirable to apply to the crushed foam layer a conventional sealing coat of suitable material such as PVC plastisol or organosol. In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the layer of mechanically frothed and thermally col-lapsed flexible plastic foam is further covered with a conventional layer of foamed plastic such as foamed PVC
plastisol or organosol. This provides desired resili-ency to the finished product. It will be understood that additional foamed or unfoamed layers of conven-tional materials for use in flooring, e.g. PVC plasti-sols or organosols as well as layers of printing or other decorative effects may be also used all in a conventional manner. Conventional vinyl wear layers 1135~Z7 for optional use on products on the invention may, for instance, comprise any of the PVC resin materials normally used in connection ~Jith the manufacture of sheet vinyl flooring and may specifically include but are not limited to those described in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent 3,458,337. Where used, such - vinyl wear layers are typically on the order of between 5 and 25 mils thick for flooring materials and may be opaque, translucent or transparent as desired. Other layers of sealer, pigmented layers, plastisols, wear layers, etc., known in the art may also be used.
PVC plastisol or organosol used in forming the - optional foamed layer of the product of the invention described above may be any of the conventional PVC
materials known in the art for use as foamed layers on flooring materials and include for instance those described in the above-mentioned patents 3,458,337 and 3,293,094. The foaming or blowing agent incorporated ¦ in the optional foamable plastisol may also be a conventional blowing agent or catalyst-activated blowing agent such as are well known in the art for producing foamed plastisols or organosols. Suitable blowing agents include, for instance, azodicarbonamide (ABFA) and other conventional blowing agents such as those enumerated in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent 3,293,094.
While a wide variety of thermoplastic vinyl foam materials are suitable for use in the mechanically frothed and thermally collapsed heat cured foamed thermoplastic layer of the invention, selection of a particular plastic for a given application preferably takes into account such factors as the nature of the porous mat to be coated, the desired viscosity of the ,, , 1135~Z7 . .
foam material as applied to the mat, the viscosity of the foamed plastic as applied, the particle size of PVC
resin, degree of solvation of the plastisol, etc.
While the viscosity of foamed thermoplastics utilized in making products of the invention by the process of the invention may vary widely depending upon the type of mat and coating and collapsing conditions used, preferrred viscosity of the foam as applied to the mat is between about 3,000 and about 25,000 centipoises (cp) as measured ona Brookfield RVF
viscosimeter with a TA T-bar spindle at 4 RPM.
While coating of the flexible porous mat with mechanically foamed plastic in accordance with the invention is frequently carried out at room temperature, this is by no means critical and coating temperatures between about 50 and 150F. are suitable with many of the commonly used plastics.
':
Coating of the mechanically frothed foamed plastic onto the porous substrate in accordance with the invention may be accomplished by any suitable means such as, knife coating or extrusion. After the porous mat is coated with mechanically foamed plastic in accordance with the invention, the foamed plastic is heated to thermally collapse the foam into a continuous fused (cured) film. This is accomplished by subjecting the foamed plastic to a temperature between the fusion temperature and the decomposition temperature of the particular plastic involved. For best results the temperature used for thus thermally collapsing the plastic foam will be in the range of from about 20F
above the fusion temperature of the plastic to about 20F below the decomposition temperature of the , g ~ .
~i plastic. Suitable temperatures for thermally ¦ collapsing foam in accordance with the invention will of course vary widely depending upon the melt temperature and decomposition temperature of the particular plastic used, but for the preferred polyvinyl chloride plastisols and organosols will frequently range between about 375 and about 425F.
Likewise, exposure times may vary considerably but will frequently range between about 1 and about 5 minutes to ~ 10 achieve complete collapsing and fusing of the foamed -: material.
The primary objective of the process of the invention is to produce a product wherein the porous mat is sealed with a plastic coating which would be difficult to apply by other means. The process of the , invention is especially useful in sealing porous mats ¦ with plastisols and organosols which in the unfoamed ~ condition would normally penetrate the mat excessively -¦ due to their relatively low viscosity. By applying such materials in the form of mechanically frothed ; foams, the significantly higher viscosity of the foamed - 1 material is utilized to prevent excessive penetration - of the coating material-into the mat. It will be appreciated that while the coating of the present invention does not penetrate the porous web or mat excessively, some limited penetration is normal and desirable so that the continuous plastic film resulting from the process of the invention is partially embedded in the fiber matrix. As the foam collapses due to heating as required by the process of the invention, the resulting continuous, nonporous plastic film assumes the general contour of the surface of the open fiber web being coated. Relatively smoother surfaces may be obtained by coating the web with relatively thicker layers of plastic. In applications where a . . .
smooth, level substrate surface is required, it is therefore frequently desirable to apply to the surface formed by the process of the invention a conventional base coat, prime coat or smooth coat. Any conventional smooth coat such as that described in U.S. Patent 3,519,469 can be used for this purpose.
-The following example is intended to illustratea preferred embodiment of the invention without limiting the scope of the invention.
, 10Example A simulated floor covering material of the invention was prepared by applying approximately 20 mils of mechanically frothed PVC organosol foam to one , face of a non-woven fiberglass mat approximately 18 , 15mils thick and weighing 1.1 lb/100 ft2. The foam as coated onto the mat had a density of 0.7 g/cc and a viscosity of 9000 cp. The composition of the organosol was as follows:
Parts by Weight .
PVC-polyvinyl acetate copolymer resin 40 PVC homopolymer suspension resin 60 Plasticizer . 75 Kerosine Diluent 7 Stabilizer 1.0 Limestone Filler 40 Silicone Surfactant 4 ~3S~7 After application of the foamed organosol to the mat, the foam coated mat was heated for three minutes in an oven operated at 370-F. in a first zone and 350-F. in a second zone. The foam collapsed completely in the oven and the organosol cured as a continuous fused film partially embedded in the fiber matrix. The thus sealed mat was then smooth coated as described in U.S. Patent 3,549,469 by coating with non-foamable PVC organosol, passing the coated sheet through the compression nip between a back-up roll and a steel drum operating at 320-F. and gelling the organosol in a short wrap on the steel drum beyond the nip.
After smooth coating, chemically foamable PVC organosol was coated onto the gelled organosol with a coating bar and gelled in an oven operated at 275-F. Non-foamable PVC organosol was then coated on-to the gelled foamable organosol in the same amount and the sheet was heated for two and a half minutes in the 370-350-F. oven. The decorative printed layer normally included in such constructions was omitted;
~owever, the sample sheet was identical to conven-tional rotogravure cushion sheet vinyl floor covering in all other respects. This sheet was free of blis-ters, craters and pinholes and had the smooth, even surface normally desired in a floor covering material.
i~35:~27 The glass mat used in this example was made up of glass fibers having an average diameter of about 9 microns and an average length of about 0.75". The fibers were coated with urea-formaldehyde binder with the binder making up about 15 wt% of the mat. The openings in the porous mat had smallest linear dimen-sions averaging about 5 mils with almost all of such openings having smallest linear dimensions be-tween about 2 and about 10 mils.
While the invention has been described with respect to certain embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without depart-ing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
This invention relates to decorative sheet-type covering material and especially to a method for preparing suitable substrate for such material by sealing a fiber mat or web of open structure.
Decorative, flexible sheet-type covering materials such as wall or floor coverings are well known. Frequently, such coverings involve the use of a chemically blown foamable plastic applied in a liquid state to a substrate. The foamable liquid is then gelled, frequently printed with a design, and expanded by heat to e.g. three times its original thickness. Conventional use of such chemically foamed material is described for instance in United States Patent 3,458,337 and United States Patent 3,293,094.
While the use of chemically foamed plastic over substrates in the production of sheet covering materials is well known and has been extensively practiced, the resulting products have not always been entirely satisfactory. Where porous substrates or irregular substrates have been used, results have been less than satisfactory since penetration of the foamable liquid coating into the supporting substrate fre~uently results in magnified surface distortions in the finished product. This is especially noticeable where printed patterns are formed on the foamed layer or are printed onto an unfoamed layer prior to foaming of the layer.
s ll~S~7 The use of non-foamable material for sealing and coating a porous or irregular substrate has been generally unsatisfactory due to penetration of the coating material into the openings in the porous substrate.
In addition to chemically foamed plastics of the type mentioned above, mechanically foamed plastics in which air or other gas is introduced into the plastic as by beating or other forms of mechanical aeration are well known, as exemplified for instance in United States Patent 3,511,788. Such mechanically foamed plastics have been suggested for a variety of purposes such as in very thin layers for application to a variety of substrates as suggested in the above-mentioned Patent 3,511,788.
Such foams have also been utilized as backing for sheet covering materials, especially flooring to provide resiliency under foot.
It is also quite common in the flooring industry to make an embossed foam product either by use of chemical means such as suppresent inks, etc., in the manner taught by the above-mentioned United States Patents or by mechanical embossing of the foamed layer or completed product. Mechanical embossing is a well known technique as exemplified for instance by the more detailed descriptions in United States Patents 3,345,234, 3,748,151 and 3,887,678.
SUMM~RY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to provide a process for making substrate for decorative, flexible sheet-type covering material. The process of the invention comprises:
~351~7 a) coating at least one side of a flexible porous mat with a layer between about 10 and about 150 mils thick of heat curable mechanically frothed, flexible, foamed thermoplastic vinyl polymer; and b) then heating the layer of foamed polymer to a temperature between the fusion temperature and the decomposition temperature of the polymer to thereby cause the foam to thermally collapse into a continuous fused film wherein;
i) said mat has openings which average between about 1 and about 20 mils in the smallest linear dimension with at least about 50% of such openings having smallest linear dimensions between about 2 and about 10 mils; and ii) the foam as applied to the mat has a viscosity between about 3000 and about 25,000 cp.
Product of the invention is decorative, flexible, sheet-type covering material comprising of a flexible, porous mat having adhered to at least one face thereof a layer between about 2 and about 50 mils thick of thermally collapsed and fused mechanically frothed, flexible, foamed thermoplastic vinyl polymer wherein:
a) the crushed layer has a continuous, non-porous surface conforming to the general contour of the porous mat; and b) the openings in the porous mat average between about 1 and about 20 mils in the smallest linear dimension with at least about 50% of such openings having smallest linear dimensions between about 2 and about 10 mils.
1~35~
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
-While the invention is applicable to porous mats made from any flexible material, the preferred material is glass fibers in woven or non-woven form with non-woven glass fiber mats being especially preferred.
The mats to which the invention is appli-cable are those which are sufficiently porous so that ordinary plastisol or organosol sealing materials penetrate the openings of the matt, thereby making it difficult or impossible to obtain a smooth coating of plastic on the mat. Mats suitable for use in the present invention are those in which the openings in the mat average between about 1 and about 20 mils in the smallest linear dimension with at least about 50%
of such openings having smallest linear dimensions between about 2 and about 10 mils. Preferred mats include those having a thickness between about 10 and about 40 mils and a density between about 0.5 and about 4 lbs. per 100 square feet. Such mats may be manufactured by conventional techniques used for manufacturing non-woven glass mats with the glass fibers used preferably having an average diameter between about 5 and about 20 microns, more preferably between about 7 and 15 microns, and fiber lengths between about 0.2 and about 1.5 inch. Binders con-ventionally used for coating glass fibers may be used and where used are normally present in amounts between about 1 and about 50 wt% of the mat. Suitable binders for coating glass fibers of the mats used in the invention include, for instance, ureaformalde-hyde, latexes, thermosetting resins such as poly-ester resins, epoxy resins and the like and may - 1135~27 include, among other conventional binders, those mentioned in United States Patent 3,554,851 to Modigliani. The binder may, of course, be applied to the glass fibers in the conventional manner.
As mentioned, the foam used in forming product of the invention by the process of the invention comprises thermoplastic vinyl polymer with vinyl chloride polymers and copolymers being especially preferred. Vinyl polymers suitable for use in the invention include a wide variety of vinyl materials such as those described in the above-mentioned United States Patent 3,511,788 as well as those conventional polyvinyl chloride (PVC) materials known in the art for use in chemically foamed materials, including for instance those described in the above-mentioned United States Patents 3,458,337 and 3,293,094. Similar vinyl polymers in latex form are also suitable. Mechanically foamed PVC plastisols and organosols are the preferred materials for the thermally collapsed layer of the product of the invention.
The mechanically frothed and thermally collapsed foam layer of the product of the invention provides smoother surfaces on porous substrates than the previously used chemically foamed plastics and less porous surfaces than mechanically foamed plastics applied and cured without collapsing. Thermally collapsed foam layers of the invention are also more suitable for this purpose than the relatively low density crushed foams which are conventionally used as backing for draperies and upholstery fabrics in the textile industry.
~3SlZ7 As mentioned the present invention relates to flexible sheet-type covering material suitable for covering walls and floors. In order to achieve the necessary flexibility in the finished product it is necessary that the substrate as well as the collapsed foam layer and other optional layers of the invention be flexible rather than rigid. Plastic materials are considered sufficiently flexible for this purpose when, in the form of a foamed and cured unreinforced 1/4" foam sheet, they can be bent 180- around a 1"
mandrell without permanent set. Such materials are generally known to those skilled in the flooring and textile industries as are the various types of sub-strates and other materials which are suitable for use in making flexible decorative wall or floor covering materials.
While flexible porous mats of the invention having a layer of mechanically frothed and thermally collapsed heat cured flexible plastic foam thereon may for some purposes be suitable as substrates for sheet-type covering material without further treatment, itis in many cases desirable to apply to the crushed foam layer a conventional sealing coat of suitable material such as PVC plastisol or organosol. In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the layer of mechanically frothed and thermally col-lapsed flexible plastic foam is further covered with a conventional layer of foamed plastic such as foamed PVC
plastisol or organosol. This provides desired resili-ency to the finished product. It will be understood that additional foamed or unfoamed layers of conven-tional materials for use in flooring, e.g. PVC plasti-sols or organosols as well as layers of printing or other decorative effects may be also used all in a conventional manner. Conventional vinyl wear layers 1135~Z7 for optional use on products on the invention may, for instance, comprise any of the PVC resin materials normally used in connection ~Jith the manufacture of sheet vinyl flooring and may specifically include but are not limited to those described in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent 3,458,337. Where used, such - vinyl wear layers are typically on the order of between 5 and 25 mils thick for flooring materials and may be opaque, translucent or transparent as desired. Other layers of sealer, pigmented layers, plastisols, wear layers, etc., known in the art may also be used.
PVC plastisol or organosol used in forming the - optional foamed layer of the product of the invention described above may be any of the conventional PVC
materials known in the art for use as foamed layers on flooring materials and include for instance those described in the above-mentioned patents 3,458,337 and 3,293,094. The foaming or blowing agent incorporated ¦ in the optional foamable plastisol may also be a conventional blowing agent or catalyst-activated blowing agent such as are well known in the art for producing foamed plastisols or organosols. Suitable blowing agents include, for instance, azodicarbonamide (ABFA) and other conventional blowing agents such as those enumerated in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent 3,293,094.
While a wide variety of thermoplastic vinyl foam materials are suitable for use in the mechanically frothed and thermally collapsed heat cured foamed thermoplastic layer of the invention, selection of a particular plastic for a given application preferably takes into account such factors as the nature of the porous mat to be coated, the desired viscosity of the ,, , 1135~Z7 . .
foam material as applied to the mat, the viscosity of the foamed plastic as applied, the particle size of PVC
resin, degree of solvation of the plastisol, etc.
While the viscosity of foamed thermoplastics utilized in making products of the invention by the process of the invention may vary widely depending upon the type of mat and coating and collapsing conditions used, preferrred viscosity of the foam as applied to the mat is between about 3,000 and about 25,000 centipoises (cp) as measured ona Brookfield RVF
viscosimeter with a TA T-bar spindle at 4 RPM.
While coating of the flexible porous mat with mechanically foamed plastic in accordance with the invention is frequently carried out at room temperature, this is by no means critical and coating temperatures between about 50 and 150F. are suitable with many of the commonly used plastics.
':
Coating of the mechanically frothed foamed plastic onto the porous substrate in accordance with the invention may be accomplished by any suitable means such as, knife coating or extrusion. After the porous mat is coated with mechanically foamed plastic in accordance with the invention, the foamed plastic is heated to thermally collapse the foam into a continuous fused (cured) film. This is accomplished by subjecting the foamed plastic to a temperature between the fusion temperature and the decomposition temperature of the particular plastic involved. For best results the temperature used for thus thermally collapsing the plastic foam will be in the range of from about 20F
above the fusion temperature of the plastic to about 20F below the decomposition temperature of the , g ~ .
~i plastic. Suitable temperatures for thermally ¦ collapsing foam in accordance with the invention will of course vary widely depending upon the melt temperature and decomposition temperature of the particular plastic used, but for the preferred polyvinyl chloride plastisols and organosols will frequently range between about 375 and about 425F.
Likewise, exposure times may vary considerably but will frequently range between about 1 and about 5 minutes to ~ 10 achieve complete collapsing and fusing of the foamed -: material.
The primary objective of the process of the invention is to produce a product wherein the porous mat is sealed with a plastic coating which would be difficult to apply by other means. The process of the , invention is especially useful in sealing porous mats ¦ with plastisols and organosols which in the unfoamed ~ condition would normally penetrate the mat excessively -¦ due to their relatively low viscosity. By applying such materials in the form of mechanically frothed ; foams, the significantly higher viscosity of the foamed - 1 material is utilized to prevent excessive penetration - of the coating material-into the mat. It will be appreciated that while the coating of the present invention does not penetrate the porous web or mat excessively, some limited penetration is normal and desirable so that the continuous plastic film resulting from the process of the invention is partially embedded in the fiber matrix. As the foam collapses due to heating as required by the process of the invention, the resulting continuous, nonporous plastic film assumes the general contour of the surface of the open fiber web being coated. Relatively smoother surfaces may be obtained by coating the web with relatively thicker layers of plastic. In applications where a . . .
smooth, level substrate surface is required, it is therefore frequently desirable to apply to the surface formed by the process of the invention a conventional base coat, prime coat or smooth coat. Any conventional smooth coat such as that described in U.S. Patent 3,519,469 can be used for this purpose.
-The following example is intended to illustratea preferred embodiment of the invention without limiting the scope of the invention.
, 10Example A simulated floor covering material of the invention was prepared by applying approximately 20 mils of mechanically frothed PVC organosol foam to one , face of a non-woven fiberglass mat approximately 18 , 15mils thick and weighing 1.1 lb/100 ft2. The foam as coated onto the mat had a density of 0.7 g/cc and a viscosity of 9000 cp. The composition of the organosol was as follows:
Parts by Weight .
PVC-polyvinyl acetate copolymer resin 40 PVC homopolymer suspension resin 60 Plasticizer . 75 Kerosine Diluent 7 Stabilizer 1.0 Limestone Filler 40 Silicone Surfactant 4 ~3S~7 After application of the foamed organosol to the mat, the foam coated mat was heated for three minutes in an oven operated at 370-F. in a first zone and 350-F. in a second zone. The foam collapsed completely in the oven and the organosol cured as a continuous fused film partially embedded in the fiber matrix. The thus sealed mat was then smooth coated as described in U.S. Patent 3,549,469 by coating with non-foamable PVC organosol, passing the coated sheet through the compression nip between a back-up roll and a steel drum operating at 320-F. and gelling the organosol in a short wrap on the steel drum beyond the nip.
After smooth coating, chemically foamable PVC organosol was coated onto the gelled organosol with a coating bar and gelled in an oven operated at 275-F. Non-foamable PVC organosol was then coated on-to the gelled foamable organosol in the same amount and the sheet was heated for two and a half minutes in the 370-350-F. oven. The decorative printed layer normally included in such constructions was omitted;
~owever, the sample sheet was identical to conven-tional rotogravure cushion sheet vinyl floor covering in all other respects. This sheet was free of blis-ters, craters and pinholes and had the smooth, even surface normally desired in a floor covering material.
i~35:~27 The glass mat used in this example was made up of glass fibers having an average diameter of about 9 microns and an average length of about 0.75". The fibers were coated with urea-formaldehyde binder with the binder making up about 15 wt% of the mat. The openings in the porous mat had smallest linear dimen-sions averaging about 5 mils with almost all of such openings having smallest linear dimensions be-tween about 2 and about 10 mils.
While the invention has been described with respect to certain embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without depart-ing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
Claims (9)
1. Process for making substrate suitable for decorative, flexible sheet type covering material comprising the steps of:
a) coating at least one side of a flexible porous mat with a layer between about 20 and about 150 mils thick of heat curable mechanically frothed, flexible, foamed thermoplastic vinyl polymer;
and b) then heating the layer of foamed polymer to a temperature between the fusion temperature and the decomposition temperature of the polymer to thereby cause the foam to thermally collapse into a continuous fused film wherein;
i) said mat has openings which average between about 2 and about 20 mils in the smallest linear dimension with at least about 50% of such openings having smallest linear dimensions between about 2 and about 10 mils; and ii) the foam as applied to the mat has a viscosity between about 3000 and about 25,000 cp.
a) coating at least one side of a flexible porous mat with a layer between about 20 and about 150 mils thick of heat curable mechanically frothed, flexible, foamed thermoplastic vinyl polymer;
and b) then heating the layer of foamed polymer to a temperature between the fusion temperature and the decomposition temperature of the polymer to thereby cause the foam to thermally collapse into a continuous fused film wherein;
i) said mat has openings which average between about 2 and about 20 mils in the smallest linear dimension with at least about 50% of such openings having smallest linear dimensions between about 2 and about 10 mils; and ii) the foam as applied to the mat has a viscosity between about 3000 and about 25,000 cp.
2. Process according to Claim 1 wherein the porous mat is a non-woven mat of glass fibers having average diameters between about 5 and about 20 microns and average lengths between about 0.2 and about 1.5 inch and the mat is between about 10 and about 40 mils thick and has a density between about 0.5 and about 4 1b/100 ft2.
3. Process according to Claim 2 wherein the temperature to which the layer of foamed polymer is heated to collapse the foam is in the range of from about 20°F. above the fusion temperature of the poly-mer to about 20°F below the decomposition temperature of the polymer.
4. Process according to Claim 2 wherein the foamed vinyl polymer is polyvinyl chloride plastisol or organosol.
5. Product produced according to the process of Claim 1.
6. Decorative, flexible, sheet-type cover-ing material comprising a flexible, porous mat having adhered to at least one face thereof a layer between about 2 and about 50 mils thick of thermally collapsed and fused, mechanically frothed, flexible, foamed thermoplastic vinyl polymer wherein:
a) the crushed layer has a continuous, non-porous surface conforming to the general contour of the porous mat; and b) the openings in the porous mat aver-age between about 1 and about 20 mils in the smallest linear dimension with at least about 50% of such openings having smallest linear dimensions between about 2 and about 10 mils.
a) the crushed layer has a continuous, non-porous surface conforming to the general contour of the porous mat; and b) the openings in the porous mat aver-age between about 1 and about 20 mils in the smallest linear dimension with at least about 50% of such openings having smallest linear dimensions between about 2 and about 10 mils.
7. Covering material according to Claim 6 wherein the porous mat is a non-woven mat of glass fibers having average diameters between about 5 and about 20 microns and average lengths between about 0.2 and 1.5 inch and wherein the mat is between about 20 and about 40 mils thick and has a density between about 0.5 and about 4 lbs. per square foot.
8. Covering material according to Claim 7 further including a layer of foamed plastic material adhered to the layer of crushed thermoplastic and a decorative pattern applied to the surface of the foamed plastic layer.
9. Covering material according to Claim 7 wherein the vinyl polymer comprises cured polyvinyl chloride plastisol or organosol.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US3660479A | 1979-05-07 | 1979-05-07 | |
| US036,604 | 1979-05-07 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1135127A true CA1135127A (en) | 1982-11-09 |
Family
ID=21889542
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000348923A Expired CA1135127A (en) | 1979-05-07 | 1980-04-01 | Process for sealing fiber web of open structure |
Country Status (8)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPS55150353A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU535465B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1135127A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3017018A1 (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2455986A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2049486B (en) |
| IE (1) | IE50219B1 (en) |
| NL (1) | NL8002607A (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL8700011A (en) * | 1986-01-09 | 1987-08-03 | Conoco Inc | PROCESS FOR SPREADING ANTI-CORROSION-COMPOSING COMPOUNDS |
| CA2340451C (en) * | 1998-09-08 | 2009-12-15 | Building Materials Investment Corporation | Foamed facer and insulation boards made therefrom |
Family Cites Families (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3607341A (en) * | 1969-11-28 | 1971-09-21 | Gaf Corp | Process for producing a coated substrate |
-
1980
- 1980-04-01 CA CA000348923A patent/CA1135127A/en not_active Expired
- 1980-04-24 AU AU57775/80A patent/AU535465B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1980-05-02 DE DE19803017018 patent/DE3017018A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1980-05-06 IE IE93880A patent/IE50219B1/en unknown
- 1980-05-06 FR FR8010053A patent/FR2455986A1/en active Granted
- 1980-05-07 NL NL8002607A patent/NL8002607A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1980-05-07 JP JP5957080A patent/JPS55150353A/en active Granted
- 1980-05-07 GB GB8015148A patent/GB2049486B/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JPS55150353A (en) | 1980-11-22 |
| IE800938L (en) | 1980-11-07 |
| AU535465B2 (en) | 1984-03-22 |
| FR2455986B1 (en) | 1983-08-12 |
| AU5777580A (en) | 1980-11-13 |
| GB2049486A (en) | 1980-12-31 |
| FR2455986A1 (en) | 1980-12-05 |
| IE50219B1 (en) | 1986-03-05 |
| NL8002607A (en) | 1980-11-11 |
| DE3017018A1 (en) | 1980-11-20 |
| GB2049486B (en) | 1983-06-15 |
| JPS6129250B2 (en) | 1986-07-05 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US4844849A (en) | Method of making embossed decorative sheets | |
| US3674611A (en) | Decorative surface coverings | |
| US4022943A (en) | Sheet type covering material with metallic luster and process for making same | |
| US4018957A (en) | Coated fabric sheet-type material having resilient backing and process for making same | |
| CA2413504C (en) | Polyurethane coated resilient surface covering having improved fidelity of texture and process of manufacture | |
| US4794020A (en) | Process for manufacturing inlaid types of sheet materials | |
| US2918702A (en) | Method of producing resilient plastic surface covering | |
| US3870591A (en) | Dimensionally stable, flexible plastic surface coverings | |
| US4456643A (en) | Decorative laminate | |
| US4175154A (en) | Sheet backing for decorative covering material | |
| US3943018A (en) | Decorative surface coverings | |
| US3196030A (en) | Decorative foam surface covering and process therefor | |
| US3574659A (en) | Process of textured resinous sheet preparation | |
| US4547245A (en) | Method for making decorative laminate | |
| US3464934A (en) | Selectively expanded plastic articles,their process of manufacture and an ink composition used in their manufacture | |
| US4273820A (en) | Embossed sheet type covering material | |
| US4242397A (en) | Flexible sheet-type covering material | |
| CA1266548A (en) | Printable composition for making embossed decorative sheets | |
| US3310422A (en) | Smooth wear-resistant resilient floor covering and method of making same | |
| US3819438A (en) | Method for preparing dimensionally stable plastic surface coverings | |
| US4198456A (en) | Multi-level embossed cellular surface covering and process for producing same | |
| US4288486A (en) | Flexible sheet-type covering material and process for making same | |
| US4122224A (en) | Wall and floor coverings | |
| CA1135127A (en) | Process for sealing fiber web of open structure | |
| US3552997A (en) | Process of preparing cellular laminates having a noncellular surface stratum |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |