KR20230101710A - Method and appratus for manufacturing artificial marble - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided in the present invention is a method for manufacturing artificial marbles and an apparatus for manufacturing artificial marbles, wherein the method comprises the following steps: discharging a marble resin composition using a multi-axis nozzle into a mold; discharging a base resin composition on the discharged marble resin composition; and curing the marble resin composition and the base resin composition.

Description

Method and apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble {METHOD AND APPRATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL MARBLE}

This application claims the benefit of the filing date of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0191120 filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on December 29, 2021, all of which are incorporated herein.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble.

Natural marble is used as an interior and exterior material for buildings. However, it is commercialized through various processes such as a rough stone cutting process and a polishing process, and has a large load, so construction is cumbersome, and the unit price of the product is considerable, so there is a problem of cost burden during construction.

Thus, the development of products that can replace natural marble is being attempted.

In the case of artificial marble developed as an alternative to natural marble, a resin composition is molded into a plate shape and then cured, and the manufacturing process is simple, the product weight is light, the construction is easy, and the product unit price is low.

As a manufacturing method for implementing a marble pattern like natural marble on the artificial marble, a base resin composition for forming a base part and a colored resin composition for forming a marble pattern are prepared, respectively, and then the colored resin composition is added to the base resin composition and then cured. method is being used. Specifically, patterned artificial marble is manufactured by immersing a nozzle in a base resin composition to mold a marble resin composition including pigments and/or chips, partially mixing, and then curing. However, in this case, the interface between the base and the marble pattern is unnatural, and there are limitations in implementing the desired marble pattern due to concerns about contamination of the surrounding area and mixing of air bubbles due to the submerged nozzle.

In addition to artificial marble, even in the case of tiles, patterns are printed on inorganic substrates, and these printed products have limitations in that they cannot have patterns on the side or cross section of the product.

As a substitute for natural marble, it is necessary to develop a product that can produce a natural and luxurious decorative effect like natural marble.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2010-0092098

In the exemplary embodiments of the present application, the interface between the base and the marble pattern is natural, there is no contamination of the nozzle by the base resin, and there is no effect on the pattern due to the movement of the nozzle part in the base resin composition during formation of the marble pattern, so there is no marble pattern defect. It is intended to provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble that is improved and less likely to generate bubbles.

An exemplary embodiment of the present application includes discharging a marble resin composition using a multi-axial nozzle in a mold; discharging a base resin composition onto the discharged marble resin composition; and curing the marble resin composition and the base resin composition.

Another exemplary embodiment of the present application is a mold; a marble resin composition ejection unit comprising a nozzle for discharging the marble resin composition into the mold and moving the nozzle multiaxially; and a base resin composition discharge unit provided to discharge the base resin composition onto the marble resin composition discharged from the marble resin composition discharge unit.

Another embodiment of the present application provides artificial marble manufactured by the method for manufacturing artificial marble according to the above-described embodiment.

Another exemplary embodiment of the present application provides an acrylate-based artificial marble including a Y-shaped pattern.

According to the exemplary embodiments of the present application, when forming a marble pattern of artificial marble, there is no contamination of the nozzle by the base resin, and there is little concern about the generation of air bubbles. In addition, when the marble pattern is formed, it is possible to prevent a marble pattern defect from occurring because the pattern shape is affected by the movement of the nozzle part in the base resin composition, and a natural pattern can be realized because the influence between the base resin composition and the marble resin composition is small. And more diverse pattern types can be implemented. In addition, a Y-shaped branched marble pattern may be implemented.

Figure 1 (a) is a marble pattern forming step according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 (b) is a marble pattern forming step according to another embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a schematic view of an apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a plan view of an apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view of a marble resin composition discharge unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a schematic view of an apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a photograph of the marble pattern shape of the artificial marble produced in Example.
FIG. 7(a) is a plan view showing an artificial marble according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C′ of FIG. 7(a).

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings. However, the accompanying drawings are for exemplifying the above embodiments, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

An exemplary embodiment of the present application includes discharging a marble resin composition in a mold using a multi-axial nozzle (S10), discharging a base resin composition on the discharged marble resin composition (S20), and the marble resin composition and the base resin composition. It provides a method for manufacturing artificial marble comprising the step (S30) of curing.

According to the above embodiment, by discharging the marble resin composition into the mold before discharging the base resin composition, there is no contamination of the nozzle by the base resin composition during formation of the marble pattern, there is little risk of bubble generation, and even if the nozzle moves left and right, the nozzle is discharged first. Since it does not interfere with the marble pattern, pattern defects can be prevented.

In addition, by discharging the marbled resin composition using a multi-axis nozzle, the degree of freedom in pattern implementation is high and relatively various pattern designs are possible. In addition, since the marble resin composition is first discharged as described above, a clear marble pattern can be formed without the influence of the base resin composition even when a multi-axis nozzle is used.

In the present specification, a multi-axis nozzle means that one or more nozzles are coupled to one marble resin composition ejection unit, and means that the marble resin composition ejection unit is movable up, down, left, and right by being coupled to a separate shaft or moving means.

The step of discharging the marble resin composition is a step of forming a marble pattern on the artificial marble. The mold may include a transfer plate provided on a conveyor that is transferred in one direction (Y direction).

Figure 1 (a) is a marble pattern forming step according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 (b) is a marble pattern forming step according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In the step of discharging the marbled resin composition (M) according to an embodiment, a multi-axis nozzle may include one nozzle. In addition, the step of discharging the marble resin composition (M) is the step (11a) of ejecting the marble resin composition (M) while the multi-axial nozzle moves in a first direction (①), and the multi-axial nozzle proceeds in the first direction (①). It may include a step (11b) of returning in a direction opposite to the first direction (①) and a step (11c) of discharging the marble resin composition (M) while proceeding in the second direction (②) of the returned multi-axis nozzle.

At this time, the first direction (①) and the second direction (②) may overlap at least a part, and the area where the first direction and the second direction overlap is controlled by the discharge amount of the marble resin composition (M) to be discharged to achieve the first It is possible to reduce the discharge amount and deviation of the marbled resin composition in the area where the direction (①) and the second direction (②) overlap and do not overlap.

In the step of discharging the marbled resin composition M according to another embodiment, the multiaxial nozzle may include two nozzles (hereinafter referred to as a first nozzle and a second nozzle). In addition, the step of discharging the marbled resin composition (M) is the step (12a) of discharging the marbled resin composition (M) by the first nozzle in a first direction (①) and the step (12a) of discharging the marbled resin composition (M) by the second nozzle in a second direction (②). and discharging the marbled resin composition (12b). At this time, the first direction (①) and the second direction (②) may share at least one intersection point.

And, although FIG. 1 shows the marble pattern in the shape of Y, the marble pattern is not particularly limited as long as it has a branched structure.

Discharging the base resin composition (S20) is a step of discharging the base resin composition on the marble resin composition. The mold may be moved from one side to the other side by a conveyor. Accordingly, the conveyor may move the base resin composition from one side to the other side.

In the step of discharging the base resin composition (S20), curing conditions may be selected according to the composition of the resin composition, and may be cured at a temperature of, for example, 70°C to 140°C.

The base resin composition (B) may include a base resin and an inorganic filler, and may further include a pigment and other additives if necessary.

The base resin may be an unsaturated polyester resin, an acrylic resin, an epoxy resin, or the like, and preferably an acrylic resin having excellent processability and weather resistance. The acrylic resin may include PMMA (poly methyl methacrylate), and may further include an acrylic monomer if necessary.

The inorganic filler may be used by mixing one or two or more of inorganic powders such as aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, calcium aluminate, alumina, and silica.

The inorganic filler may be included in an amount of 30 to 75 parts by weight, preferably 60 to 70 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the base resin.

The pigment may be an organic pigment or an inorganic pigment, and its type and color are not particularly limited. The pigment may be included in an amount of 5 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the base resin.

The other additives may be at least one selected from the group consisting of a polymerization initiator, an antifoaming agent, a coupling agent, an ultraviolet absorber, a release agent, a polymerization inhibitor, an antioxidant, and a catalyst. The content of the other additives is not particularly limited, and a person skilled in the art may add and use an appropriate amount to adjust the physical properties of artificial marble. The content of each of the additives may be determined as needed, and for example, may be included in an amount of 10 parts by weight or less, specifically 0.001 part by weight to 10 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the base resin.

According to one example, the base resin composition (B) may include an acrylic resin, an acrylic monomer, an inorganic filler, a pigment, and an antioxidant.

The base resin composition (B) may exist in the form of a cured product of the composition in artificial marble by the curing step described above. Here, the cured product means a state in which the components included in the resin composition are polymerized and/or dried according to curing conditions or as is. Here, polymerization means that the components in the resin composition chemically react with each other according to the curing conditions given in the curing step. Polymerization may vary depending on components added to the resin composition and/or curing conditions.

Meanwhile, the viscosity of the base resin composition (B) may be 20 to 120 Ps. When the viscosity of the base resin composition (B) is 20 Ps or more, it is not easily mixed with the marble resin composition and is advantageous in forming a marble pattern having a clear boundary. When the viscosity of the base resin composition (B) is 120 Ps or less, it is possible to implement an atypical marble pattern.

Optionally, the base resin composition (B) may further include chips.

The chip may be an uncolored transparent chip, or a transparent chip or opaque chip colored in a different color from the base resin or marble pattern, and a chip pattern may be formed due to the shape, color, and transparency of the chip itself. The chip may be manufactured by following a conventional chip manufacturing method for artificial marble, and as an example, it may be manufactured by molding the resin composition for chip manufacturing into a plate shape and then pulverizing the plate material obtained by curing the chip.

The marble resin composition may be the same resin composition as the base resin composition (B) except that the color is different due to the presence or absence of a pigment, the type and/or content of the pigment, and may be different from the base resin composition (B). It may be a resin composition. One example of using different resin compositions is that the base resin is the same, but the specific gravity is reduced or increased by adjusting the content of the inorganic filler, or another example may be that a different base resin is used. The marble resin composition ejected from the multi-axis nozzle ejecting the marble resin composition may be the same or different. For example, a plurality of marble resin compositions may be compositions capable of forming marble patterns of different colors.

In addition, the manufacturing method of artificial marble according to the present invention may further include a step (S0) of discharging the base resin composition (B) before discharging the marble resin composition (M) into the mold 10.

In the step (S0) of discharging the base resin composition (B), the base resin composition (B) may be discharged into the mold 10 to a thickness greater than 0 and less than or equal to 5 mm. Preferably, the base resin composition (B) may be ejected in a thickness of 1 mm to 3 mm, and more preferably, the base resin composition (B) may be ejected in a thickness of 1 mm to 2 mm.

By discharging the base resin composition (B) before discharging the marble resin composition (M) into the mold 10 to form a base layer (cured product of the base resin composition (B)) satisfying the above thickness, the surface of the artificial marble is A pattern (cured product of the marble resin composition (M)) can appear clearly.

In other words, the base resin composition (B) has a configuration in which the marble resin composition (M) penetrates, and when the thickness of the base resin composition (B) exceeds 5 mm, the surface and pattern of the artificial marble even after the marble resin composition (M) penetrates. The thickness of the SAI base layer is thick, so the pattern may not be visible on the surface of the artificial marble.

In addition, by discharging the base resin composition (B) before discharging the marble resin composition (M) into the mold 10 to form a layer having a certain thickness, the entire surface of the artificial marble is a cured product of the base resin composition (B). Concerning the occurrence of air bubbles and pinholes on the surface of the artificial marble and patterns included in the artificial marble can be reduced.

Hereinafter, an apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble capable of performing the above-described method for manufacturing artificial marble will be described. However, in order to avoid redundant description, descriptions, examples, operating principles, and effects related to the above manufacturing method may be applied to the following devices.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an artificial marble manufacturing apparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a plan view of an artificial marble manufacturing apparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a plan view of the present invention It is a perspective view of the marble resin composition discharge unit 20 according to an exemplary embodiment.

The artificial marble manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present invention continuously manufactures artificial marble, and may include a mold 10, a marble resin composition discharge unit 20 and a base resin composition discharge unit 30. there is.

The mold 10 may include a transfer plate provided on the conveyor 1 that is transferred in one direction. The mold 10 moves from right to left by the conveyor 1. At this time, after the marble resin composition (M) is discharged through the nozzle 61, the base resin composition (B) is discharged thereon. Conveyor 1 moves the base resin composition (B) in one direction (direction from right to left in FIG. 2). The conveyor is capable of automatically moving the base resin composition (B) seated thereon in one direction by traveling by the rotation of the roller 2 driven by a motor (not shown). At this time, the transfer plate on the conveyor 1 may be composed of a flat plate, and may be applied to a curing process immediately after transfer.

The marbled resin composition ejection unit 20 includes a nozzle 21 for discharging the marbled resin composition M into the mold 10, and the nozzle 21 can be moved multiaxially. Accordingly, the marble resin composition ejection unit 20 may include a nozzle 21, a dispenser 22 for supplying the marble resin composition to the nozzle 21, and a moving means 23 for controlling the position of the dispenser.

The nozzle 21 may have a tubular shape for discharging the marbled resin composition M. The material of the nozzle 21 may be determined to have required physical properties in consideration of process conditions, for example, physical properties such as the viscosity of the base resin composition, transport speed, physical properties of the marble resin composition to be discharged, and the shape of the marble pattern to be formed. there is. As an example, the nozzle 21 may be made of a Teflon material. Teflon has excellent slip properties, chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, compressive strength and tensile strength, and is advantageous for processing into shapes. In addition to Teflon, nozzles made of polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP) materials may be used. The nozzles 21 may have the same shape and/or material, or may be different from each other. The caliber of each nozzle 21 may be variously set as needed.

One or more nozzles 21 may be included. For example, when the marble resin composition dispensing unit 20 includes two or more nozzles 21, the marble resin composition discharged from each nozzle 21 has one of color, particle size, viscosity, and composition. Ideals may be different. In addition, each nozzle 21 may have a different diameter of a discharge port through which the marble resin composition M is discharged. Accordingly, the nozzle may discharge the marble resin composition at various angles and thicknesses to form oblique pattern patterns having various angles and thicknesses.

When the marble resin composition discharge unit 20 includes two or more nozzles 21, the nozzles 21 may be spaced apart from each other at an interval of less than 1 cm. Also, the nozzles 21 may be spaced apart from each other in a direction (X direction) perpendicular to the moving direction (Y direction) of the conveyor.

The nozzle 21 may intermittently discharge the marble resin composition according to the shape of a marble pattern to be formed, if necessary. For intermittent discharge, the nozzle may control the opening time of the discharge port by operating the nozzle valves 22a and 22b. Here, "intermittent" is an expression opposite to "continuous", and the discharge timing and cycle may be determined as needed.

According to one example, the nozzle 21 may be controlled to discharge the marble resin composition M at a height of 0.5 cm to 3 cm from the bottom surface of the mold 10 .

Although only one marble resin composition ejection unit 20 including the nozzle 21 may be provided, two or three or more may be provided.

5 is a schematic view of an apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble according to another embodiment of the present invention. Two or more marble resin composition discharge units 20 may be disposed in a direction parallel to the flow direction of the conveyor. FIG. 2 shows an example in which one marble resin composition discharge unit 20 is provided, and FIG. 5 shows an example in which two marble resin composition discharge units 20 are provided, but three or more units are shown if necessary. may be provided.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present application, the position of the nozzle 21 in the aforementioned exemplary embodiment may be controlled by the moving means 23 . The driving of the moving means 23 may be controlled by a mold robot.

The moving means 23 moves the nozzle 21 in any one or more directions of the Y direction (the conveyor moving direction), the X direction (the direction in which the nozzles 21 are arranged), and the Z direction. At this time, the movement may be performed intermittently, and the movement direction and movement width may be determined as needed. According to Figures 3 and 4, the moving means 23 is a movable unit (23a) that moves in any one or more directions of the X, Y and Z directions by the drive of the driving body (not shown on the drawing); and a support part 23b supporting the movable part 23a.

The moving unit 23 may move the nozzle 21 based on a pre-stored pattern by the user. The moving means 23 may form a marble pattern having a branched structure by adjusting the shape of the marble pattern while moving in the X and Y directions. Here, the branching structure may include any one or more of a branch pattern and a Y-shaped pattern.

Also, the moving unit 23 may adjust the thickness of the marble pattern by moving the nozzle in the Z direction. The moving means 23 may perform 2-axis movement in any one of XY, XZ, and YZ directions, or 3-axis movement in XYZ directions.

2, a dispenser 22 provided between the moving means 23 and the nozzle 21 is provided. The dispenser 22 may serve to supply the marble resin composition to the nozzle 21 . The type and amount of the marbled resin composition supplied to the nozzle 21 may be the same, but may be adjusted differently from each other.

At this time, one side of the movable part 23a may be fixed to the dispenser 22 or, if necessary, directly fixed to the nozzle 21 to control the position of the nozzle. The other side of the movable part 23a is fixed to the support part 23b.

The driving body for moving the movable part 23a may be of any conventional structure and method as long as it can move the movable part 23a in one or more directions among the X, Y, and Z directions. May be a cylinder, another example may be a rack and pinion driven by a motor.

In one embodiment, when the marble resin composition ejection unit 20 includes one nozzle 21, the movable unit 23a moves the nozzle 21 in a first direction to form a main shaft part (on the drawing) of the marble pattern. not shown) can be formed. In addition, the movable part 23a may move the nozzle 21 to the starting position and then move it in the second direction to form a branching part (not shown in the drawing) branched from the main shaft part.

In another embodiment, when the marble resin composition discharge unit 20 includes two nozzles 21, the nozzle valves 22a and 22b included in the dispenser 22 are adjusted to supply the marble resin composition only to the first nozzle. is supplied, and the first nozzle moves in a first direction to form a main axis part of the marble pattern. Thereafter, the supply of the marbled resin composition to the first nozzle may be stopped, and then the marbled resin composition may be supplied to the second nozzle to move the second nozzle in a second direction to form branching portions in the marble pattern.

The marble resin composition ejection unit 20 according to another embodiment may supply marble resin compositions having at least one different color, particle size, viscosity, and composition to the first and second nozzles, respectively.

Further, the marble resin composition discharge unit 20 according to another embodiment may move in a first direction, move in a direction opposite to the first direction to a position 1/3 to 2/3 of the main shaft, and then move in a second direction. there is.

Alternatively, in the marble resin composition ejection unit 20, the first nozzle and the second nozzle may move in the first direction and the second direction, respectively. In other words, the first nozzle and the second nozzle may be coupled to the dispenser through separate shafts.

The base resin composition discharge unit 30 may discharge the base resin composition (B) into the mold 10 from which the marble resin composition is discharged by using an inclined plate. Specifically, the base resin composition (B) flows downward by the inclined plate. As long as one end of the inclined plate is positioned lower than the other end so that the base resin composition (B) can flow downward, the inclination angle is not particularly limited, for example, an inclination angle of 0 to 40 °, preferably 5 to 25 °. It can have an inclination angle.

According to one embodiment, the artificial marble manufacturing apparatus 100 further includes a curing unit for curing the marble resin composition (M) and the base resin composition (B).

The curing part may include a curing means. The curing means may be determined according to curing conditions, and in the case of thermal curing, means for heating or heating may be provided. Although a curing means is not shown in FIG. 2, after the base resin composition (B) is discharged in FIG. 2, it is cured by applying curable conditions to the composition contained in the mold 10, for example, a temperature condition of 70° C. to 140° C. can be done

According to an exemplary embodiment, the artificial marble manufacturing apparatus 100 includes an input unit through which the user inputs the shape of the marble pattern or the moving direction of the marble resin composition ejection unit 20, and the shape of the marble pattern or the marble resin composition in the input unit. The controller may further include a control unit that receives movement direction data of the discharge unit 20 and controls the movement of the marble resin composition discharge unit 20 and the on/off of the nozzle valves 22a and 22b.

According to a further embodiment, an artificial marble manufactured by the manufacturing method according to the above-described embodiment is provided. The artificial marble may have a marble pattern having a Y-shaped branching structure on the surface.

The marble pattern having a branched structure may include a main shaft portion and a branch portion branched off from the main shaft portion. In addition, at least one of color, particle size, and composition of the main shaft portion and the branch portion may be different from each other.

According to another embodiment, the artificial marble may include acrylate-based artificial marble including a Y-shaped pattern.

At this time, the Y-shaped pattern may be formed as a line having a width of 20 to 30 mm. In addition, the Y-shaped pattern may be formed in a size of 1 cm or more in width and 30 cm or more in length, preferably 0.5 cm or more in width and 20 cm or more in length. Here, the width of the Y-shaped pattern may mean the shortest length from one end to the other end, and the length may mean the longest length.

Further, the Y-shaped pattern includes a main shaft portion and a branch portion branched from the main shaft portion, and the main shaft portion and the branch portion may differ in at least one of color, particle size, and composition.

Acrylate-based artificial marble may include a resin and an inorganic filler, and may further include a crosslinking agent, a crosslinking accelerator, and the like, if necessary. At this time, the resin may include an acrylic resin and an acrylic monomer, and may include 10 to 50% by weight of the acrylic resin and 50 to 90% by weight of the acrylic monomer.

The acrylic monomer is selected from the group consisting of methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, benzyl methacrylate and glycidyl methacrylate, alone or in combination with two It is a mixture of more than one species, and the acrylic resin may include at least one polymer of the acrylic monomer.

Also, the artificial marble according to the present invention includes a first area A1 having a first color and a second area A2 having a second color. 7(a) is a plan view showing an artificial marble 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C′ of FIG. 1(a) .

The artificial marble 1000 is a cured product of a composition including a resin and an inorganic filler, and the first area and the second area A2 are a cured product of a composition including a resin and an inorganic filler.

The first area A1 may be connected seamlessly in three dimensions. In other words, when the first area A1 included in the artificial marble 1000 is connected in the width, thickness, and length directions of the artificial marble 1000, it can be seamlessly connected. Accordingly, when cross sections are cut in a direction perpendicular to or horizontal to the surface of the artificial marble 1000, the first area A1 may be included in all cross sections.

Here, the thickness of the artificial marble 1000 means the distance between the two facing surfaces of the artificial marble 1000, that is, the front and back surfaces. Also, the width and length of the artificial marble 1000 refer to the horizontal and vertical lengths of the surface of the artificial marble 1000.

The second area A2 is an area independently positioned by being isolated by the first area A1. That is, the second area A2 may be surrounded by the first area A1. All surfaces of the second area A2 may directly contact the first area A1. In addition, the artificial marble 1000 may include one or more second regions A2.

The second area A2 may be visible to the naked eye from the surface of the artificial marble 1000 .

The second area A2 may be an invasion pattern that invades the first area A1. In a cross section including the second area A2 in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the artificial marble 1000, the first area A1 is between one end of the second area A2 and the surface of the artificial marble 1000 and It may be located between the other end of the second region A2 and the back surface of the artificial marble 1000. In this case, the second area A2 may be positioned to invade the first area A1 positioned between one end of the second area A2 and the surface of the artificial marble 1000 .

In addition, one or more second areas A2 included in the artificial marble 1000 may all have the same invasion direction. That is, one or more second regions A2 may be invaded in the surface direction of the artificial marble 1000 .

The second area A2 may have a vein pattern. A vein pattern refers to a pattern resembling a vein or a branch, and refers to a pattern that is continuous to have a certain length or more. That is, the second area A2 may extend in a predetermined longitudinal direction, and the one or more second areas A2 may have different extending directions. Also, the second area A2 may have a specific curved shape rather than a straight line shape.

For example, if the first area A1 is a base area, that is, a cured product of the base resin composition, the second area A2 may be a pattern area in which the pattern resin composition is cured.

The artificial marble may further include a third area A3 having a third color. The third area A3 may be positioned adjacent to the first area A1 and the second area A2. That is, the third area A3 may extend from the boundary of the second area A2 to the first area A1. The boundary between the second area A2 and the third area A3 can be distinguished by a difference in brightness of color coordinates (L ^* , a ^* , b ^* ) of the CIE LAB color space. In the color coordinates (L ^* ₂ , a ^* ₂ , b ^* ₂ ) of the CIE LAB color space of the second area A2, the point where the lightness (L*) is different is the difference between the second area A2 and the third area A3. can be a boundary.

In an embodiment, the value of the color coordinates (L ^* ₁ , a ^* ₁ , b ^* ₁ ) of the CIE LAB color space of the first area A1 is the color coordinate (L of the CIE LAB color space of the second area A2). ^* ₂ , a ^* ₂ , b ^* ₂ ). That is, the first area A1 may have a brighter color than the second area A2.

The third color of the third area A3 may include one or more colors. In more detail, the value of the color coordinates (L ^* ₃ , a ^* ₃ , b ^* ₃ ) of the CIE LAB color space of the third area A3 may increase from the second area A2 to the first area A1. there is. In this case, a ^* ₃ and b ^* ₃ of the third area A3 may be the same as a ^* ₂ and b ^* ₂ of the second area A2. That is, only the brightness of the third area A3 may increase from the boundary line with the second area A2 toward the first area A1.

Alternatively, the color coordinates (L ^* ₁ , a ^* ₁ , b ^* ₁ ) of the CIE LAB color space of the first area A1 and the color coordinates (L ^* ₃ , a ^* ₃ , b ^* ₃ ) of the third area A1 The color difference ΔE calculated by ΔE may increase from the second area A2 to the first area A1.

That is, the second area A2 and the third area A3 become pattern areas, and the third area A3 has a bright gradation in the direction from the boundary surface with the second area A2 to the boundary surface with the first area A1. It can be.

In another embodiment, the value of the color coordinates (L ^* ₁ , a ^* ₁ , b ^* ₁ ) of the CIE LAB color space of the first area A1 is the color coordinate (L of the CIE LAB color space of the second area A2). ^* ₂ , a ^* ₂ , b ^* ₂ ). That is, the first area A1 may have a darker color than the second area A2.

The third color of the third area A3 may include one or more colors. In more detail, the value of the color coordinates (L ^* ₃ , a ^* ₃ , b ^* ₃ ) of the CIE LAB color space of the third area A3 decreases from the second area A2 to the first area A1. can In this case, a ^* ₃ and b ^* ₃ of the third area A3 may be the same as a ^* ₂ and b ^* ₂ of the second area A2. That is, only the brightness of the third area A3 may decrease from the boundary line with the second area A2 toward the first area A1.

Alternatively, the color coordinates (L ^* ₁ , a ^* ₁ , b ^* ₁ ) of the CIE LAB color space of the first area A1 and the color coordinates (L ^* ₃ , a ^* ₃ , b ^* ₃ ) of the third area A1 The color difference ΔE calculated by ΔE may decrease from the second area A2 to the first area A1.

That is, the second area A2 and the third area A3 become pattern areas, and the third area A3 has a dark gradation from the boundary surface with the second area A2 toward the boundary surface with the first area A1. It can be.

Here, the color difference (ΔE) may be calculated by any one of the following equations.

[Equation 1]

[Equation 2]

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail through examples. However, the following examples are intended to illustrate the present invention, and are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention thereby.

<Preparation of base resin composition>

Preparation of a base resin composition comprising 20 parts by weight of polymethyl methacrylate, 40 parts by weight of methyl methacrylate, 50 parts by weight of aluminum hydroxide, 3 parts by weight of pigment, 1 part by weight of polymerization initiator, 20 parts by weight of chips, and 3 parts by weight of additives did

<Preparation of Marble Resin Composition>

A first marble resin composition (M1) comprising 20 parts by weight of polymethyl methacrylate, 40 parts by weight of methyl methacrylate, 50 parts by weight of aluminum hydroxide, 3 parts by weight of pigment, 1 part by weight of polymerization initiator, and 3 parts by weight of additives manufactured.

A second marble resin composition (M2) having the same composition as the first marble resin composition (M1) but adding 3 parts by weight of a pigment of a different color was prepared.

A third marble resin composition (M3) having the same composition as the first and second marble resin compositions (M1 and M2) but adding 3 parts by weight of a pigment of a different color was prepared.

<Manufacture of artificial marble having a marble pattern>

As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyor on which the mold 10 is installed was moved in one direction. The first and second marble resin compositions were ejected vertically and left and right to a mold robot equipped with nozzle valves 22a and 22b disposed on top of the conveyor to realize a pre-designed pattern as shown in FIG. 6 . The nozzle 21 of FIG. 2 may be discharged intermittently or continuously through the nozzle valves 22a and 22b.

The mold robot in which the nozzle valves 22a and 22b are installed is a facility capable of biaxial movement, and can move up and down, left and right, or diagonally at designated coordinates.

The width of the pattern implemented using the first to third marble resin compositions may be 1.5 to 3 levels, and if necessary, a pattern having a width of 3 to 10 cm may be implemented by mixing two or more marble resin compositions. .

In the mixing of the marbled resin composition, two or more kinds of the marbled resin composition may be mixed and supplied to the dispenser 22, or the marbled resin composition may be mixed by controlling the discharge port of the nozzle 21 to come into contact with each other.

Artificial marble having a marble pattern having a Y-shaped branching structure as shown in FIG. 6 was manufactured.

100: manufacturing apparatus for artificial marble
1: Conveyor
2: roller
10: mold
20: marble resin composition discharge unit
21: nozzle
22: dispenser
22a, 22b: nozzle valve
23: means of transportation
23a: moving part
23b: support
30: base resin composition discharge unit
M: marble resin composition
B: base resin composition

Claims (30)

discharging a marble resin composition using a multi-axial nozzle into a mold;
discharging a base resin composition onto the discharged marble resin composition; and
A method for producing artificial marble comprising curing the marble resin composition and the base resin composition. The method of claim 1, wherein the mold is a transfer plate provided on a conveyor that is transferred in one direction. The method of claim 1, wherein the ejecting of the marbled resin composition comprises ejecting the marbled resin composition while the multi-axial nozzle moves in a first direction, and the multi-axial nozzle that has traveled in the first direction returns in a direction opposite to the first direction. and repeating the steps of ejecting the marble resin composition while the returned multi-axis nozzle moves in a second direction. The method of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the first and second directions overlap. The method of claim 1, wherein the discharging of the marbled resin composition includes discharging the marbled resin composition while a first nozzle included in the multi-axial nozzle moves in a first direction, and a second nozzle included in the multi-axial nozzle moves in a first direction. A method for producing artificial marble comprising the step of discharging the marble resin composition in two directions. Mold;
a marble resin composition ejection unit comprising a nozzle for discharging the marble resin composition into the mold and moving the nozzle multiaxially; and
An apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble comprising a base resin composition discharge unit provided to discharge a base resin composition onto the marble resin composition discharged from the marble resin composition discharge unit. The apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble according to claim 6, wherein the mold is a transfer plate provided on a conveyor that is transferred in one direction. The apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble according to claim 6, comprising a dispenser for supplying the marble resin composition to the nozzle and a moving means for controlling the position of the dispenser. The apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble according to claim 8, wherein the dispenser includes a nozzle valve for adjusting the amount of the marble resin composition supplied to each nozzle. The apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble according to claim 6, wherein two or more of the marble resin composition dispensing units are disposed. The apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble according to claim 7, wherein the base resin composition discharging unit is disposed at a rear end of the marble resin composition discharging unit in the conveying direction of the conveyor. The apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble according to claim 11, wherein the base resin composition discharge unit includes an inclined plate through which the base resin composition flows downward. The apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble according to claim 6, further comprising a curing unit for curing the marble resin composition and the base resin composition. The apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble according to claim 6, wherein the multi-axis is a 2-axis or 3-axis nozzle. The apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble according to claim 6, wherein the manufacturing apparatus for artificial marble continuously performs the process. The apparatus for manufacturing artificial marble according to claim 6, wherein the marble resin composition ejection unit ejects the marble resin composition in a pattern including a branched structure. An artificial marble manufactured by the manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The artificial marble according to claim 17, wherein the artificial marble has a marble pattern having a Y-shaped branching structure on its surface. The artificial marble of claim 18, wherein the marble pattern includes a main shaft portion and a branch portion branched off from the main shaft portion, and the main shaft portion and the branch portion are different from each other in at least one of color, particle size, and composition. Acrylate-based artificial marble containing a Y-shaped pattern. The method according to claim 20, wherein the acrylate-based artificial marble includes a resin and an inorganic filler,
The resin is an acrylate-based artificial marble comprising 10% to 50% by weight of an acrylic resin and 50% to 90% by weight of an acrylic monomer. The acrylate-based artificial marble according to claim 20, wherein the Y-shaped pattern has a width of 1 cm or more and a length of 30 cm or more. The acrylate-based artificial marble according to claim 20, wherein the Y-shaped pattern has a width of 0.5 cm or more and a length of 20 cm or more. The method according to claim 20, wherein the Y-shaped pattern includes a main shaft portion and a branch portion branched from the main shaft portion, and the main shaft portion and the branch portion are different in at least one of color, particle size, and composition. artificial marble. The method according to claim 20, wherein the acrylate-based artificial marble includes a first region having a first color and a second region having a second color, and is a cured product of a composition containing a resin and an inorganic filler,
The first region is three-dimensionally seamlessly connected,
The second region is one or more independent regions isolated by the first region, acrylate-based artificial marble. The first region of claim 25, wherein the second region is located between one end of the second region and the surface of the artificial marble in a cross section including the second region in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the artificial marble. Acrylate-based artificial marble that is an invasion pattern invaded by. The method according to claim 20, wherein the acrylate-based artificial marble includes a third region having a third color,
The third color of the third region includes at least one color of acrylate-based artificial marble. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the lightness (L * 1) of the color coordinates (L ^* _{1 ,} a ^* ₁ , b ^* ₁ ) of the CIE ^LAB color space of the first region is the color coordinate (L of the CIE LAB color space of the second region) ^* ₂ , a ^* ₂ , b ^* ₂ ) Acrylate-based artificial marble that is larger or smaller than the lightness (L ^* ₂ ). _The method according to claim 28, wherein the lightness (L * 3) of the color coordinates (L ^* ₃ , a ^* ₃ , b ^* ₃ ) of the CIE LAB color space ^of the third region increases from the second region to the first region, or Acrylate-based artificial marble that gets smaller. The method according to claim 28, wherein the color coordinates (L ^* ₁ , a ^* ₁ , b ^* ₁ ) of the CIE LAB color space of the first region and the color coordinates (L ^* ₃ , a ^* ₃ , b ^* ₃ ) of the third region The calculated color difference (ΔE) increases or decreases from the second area to the first area.

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