Film for forming sheet materials and sheet materials

Abstract

The present invention provides a film for forming a high-quality patterned plate-like material that possesses abrasion resistance and acceptable manufacturing costs. [Solution] A film for forming a plate-like material having a structured surface by applying the film to a decorative substrate, the film comprising: an abrasion protection group including a connecting layer designed to be connected to a decorative layer or group of decorative layers, a transparent substrate on the connecting layer, and a surface layer on the transparent substrate; a first lacquer layer formed on the surface layer of the abrasion protection group and containing a mixture of solid particles; and a second lacquer layer provided on the first lacquer layer and containing a mixture of silica particles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a film for forming a plate material by attaching a film to a decorative base material, particularly a base material made of a material having higher rigidity than the film. Further, the present invention relates to this type of plate material, particularly a flooring material.

Background Art

[0002] Sheet materials are widely used as building, furniture, decorative, and construction materials. In this case, such sheet materials are often provided in the form of so-called laminated boards having a laminated layer covering a base material. In this case, the laminated layer provides a desired appearance and desired surface properties, and the base material provides mechanical stability. Therefore, the requirements for the surface can be separated from the mechanical requirements, and multiple advantages can be obtained in terms of efficiency, cost, weight, etc.

[0003] In this case, the requirements for the surface of such a plate material include not only optical requirements related to the optical and visual impressions to be achieved, but also tactile properties, particularly wear resistance and resistance. In this case, the first-mentioned properties should include not only properties that can be perceived tactilely, but also general properties of the surface structure. The latter properties are related to wear due to the use of the plate material, i.e., wear in general due to use as a flooring material, for example.

[0004] The above objectives cannot always be achieved simultaneously to a satisfactory extent. In particular, providing a high-quality pattern with satisfactory wear resistance and acceptable manufacturing costs is often a problem. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a film for forming a plate material by applying a film to a decorative base material, and this film has high-quality decorativeness and high wear resistance in cost-effective manufacturing. A further object of the present invention is to provide it in the form of a corresponding plate material, particularly a flooring element.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] The aforementioned objective is achieved by the film formed by attaching a film to the substrate described in claim 1, and by the sheet material described in claim 16. Other advantageous embodiments of the present invention are provided in the dependent claims.

[0006] This provides a film for forming a plate material having a structured surface. The film is applied to a decorative substrate and includes an abrasion protection group. The abrasion protection group includes a connecting layer designed to be connected to a decorative layer or group of decorative layers, a transparent base layer on the connecting layer, a surface layer on the transparent base layer, a first lacquer layer on the surface layer of the abrasion protection group (the first lacquer layer includes a mixture of solid particles), and a second lacquer layer on the first lacquer layer (the second lacquer layer includes a mixture of silica particles).

[0007] Furthermore, this specification provides a plate-like material comprising a film according to any embodiment described herein and a substrate made of a material with higher rigidity than the film. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following drawings. In this case, the corresponding drawings are merely for the purpose of providing a better understanding of the teachings of the invention and the related advantages, and should not be interpreted restrictively in any way.

[0009] [Figure 1A] Figure 1A shows the schematic essential structure of a film according to a general embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] Figure 1B shows the schematic essential structure of a film according to a general embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 schematically shows how a portion of the film is co-extruded according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3A] Figure 3A schematically shows the formation of a plate-like material using a film according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3B] Figure 3B schematically shows the formation of a plate-like material using a film according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a board material in the form of a flooring element manufactured from a board material according to one of the embodiments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Figure 1A shows an overview of a film according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, film 1 is provided to form a plate-like material having a structured surface. In this case, film 1 comprises an abrasion protection group 10 consisting of a connecting layer 11, a transparent base layer 12 on the connecting layer 11, and a surface layer 13 on the transparent base layer 12. In this case, the surface layer 13 is preferably embossable, i.e., remoldable, in order to provide a large portion of the embossed surface layer of the finished product. The connecting layer 11 is configured to connect to a decorative layer or group of decorative layers, which will be described later. In particular, the connecting layer 11 may contain polypropylene grafted with maleic anhydride to enable good adhesion to melamine resin. This allows melamine resin to be advantageously used as a decorative substrate.

[0011] Therefore, the surface layer 13 provides good embossing capability, particularly for different structures such as wood grain and stone patterns, good lacquer coating capability, and already considerable abrasion resistance on the lacquer side. The PP block copolymer used as a raw material can ensure good durability of the corona pretreatment to ensure good paintability and ultimately favorable surface embossing. As a thermoplastic elastomer, the raw material is relatively softer than the components of other films and sheet materials, which can greatly improve surface embossing. The surface layer 13 can withstand UV exposure occurring in the internal region, so UV stabilizers can preferably be added. This can prevent, or at least significantly delay, yellowing and embrittlement. Furthermore, antiblocking additives can be added to the surface layer 13 to avoid blocking during winding during transport and / or processing.

[0012] In this case, the transparent base layer 12, in particular, can be combined with the surface layer 13 to provide good embossability for various structures such as wood grain and stone patterns. Furthermore, the transparent base layer 12 ensures good transparency, thereby achieving a good appearance of the underlying decoration. In other words, the transparent base layer 12 particularly supports the decorative image facing outwards. In addition, the transparent base layer 12 has relatively high toughness, contributing to the entire film 1 withstanding the pressing process (see Figures 3A and 3B). Random copolymers, block copolymers, and homopolypropylene copolymers can be used as raw materials to obtain good embossability, transparency, and toughness. Furthermore, elastomers can be added to further enhance embossability. It is desirable that the transparent base layer 12 contains a combination of UV stabilizers and UV absorbers to prevent yellowing and embrittlement of the film 1 itself, and to protect the printed image beneath the film 1 from ultraviolet rays with UV absorbers. In embodiments where protection of the decoration is unnecessary or not required, it is also possible to incorporate only pure UV stabilizers into the transparent base layer 12.

[0013] The abrasion protection group 10 is preferably a co-extruded film structure in which the connecting layer 11, transparent substrate layer 12, and surface layer 13 are assembled in a single step from their respective molten raw materials. That is, the connecting layer 11 is melted from a first raw material pellet 1001, the transparent substrate layer 12 from a second raw material pellet 1002, and the surface layer 13 from a third raw material pellet 1003, and the molten materials are assembled by fusing them in a roller assembly (see also Figure 2). In this case, the connecting layer 11 can be made of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (PP) as an adhesion-promoting layer, thereby achieving particularly good adhesion to decorative elements or layers in the form of melamine resin paper, for example, in subsequent manufacturing and finishing processes.

[0014] In this case, the thicknesses d11, d12, and d13 of each layer can be flexibly selected and adapted to their respective applications. However, generally, the thickness d12 of the transparent base layer 12 can be greater than the thickness d11 of the connecting layer 11 and the thickness d13 of the surface layer 13. In this case, it may be advantageous that d11 < 2 × d12 and d13 < 2 × d12. For example, the following ranges can be specified for each layer thickness, and these ranges provide advantageous solutions, especially in flooring applications: 1000 μm <d11 1000μm、1000μm<d12 1000μm、および1000μm<d13 1000μm。

[0015] Film 1 further has a first lacquer layer 21 on the surface layer 12 of the abrasion protection group 10, and the first lacquer layer 21 contains a mixture of solid particles 210. Furthermore, film 1 has a second lacquer layer 22 on the first lacquer layer 21, and the second lacquer layer 22 contains a mixture of silica particles 220. The lacquer layers 21 and 22 applied to the abrasion protection group 10 can also be provided in multilayer structures. That is, the first lacquer 21 and / or the second lacquer 22 are applied in one or more layers, depending on the desired properties of each. Generally, a single lacquer layer is 15 g / m². 2 It may have an area density exceeding [a certain value]. The solid particles may contain corundum, preferably with an average diameter in the range of 2 μm to 20 μm, more preferably in the range of 3 μm to 19 μm. The average diameter of the silica particles is in the range of 2 μm to 20 μm, more preferably in the range of 3 μm to 19 μm. To enhance scratch resistance, boron nitride, chromium oxide, glass beads, and / or silicon carbide (SiC) may be used separately from or in addition to corundum.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the first lacquer 21 is applied and pre-cured / fixed using an ultraviolet irradiation device to improve adhesion with the second lacquer 22, but is not fully cured during this process. Subsequently, the second lacquer 22 is applied on top of the first lacquer 21. The film blank can then be passed through a known PAC station to pre-cure the second lacquer 22. This pre-curing allows the bending depth in the subsequent curing process to be controlled by a known excimer station. This treatment by the excimer station causes wrinkle formation on the paint surface, which can impart a matte appearance and particularly excellent scratch resistance to the surface. In this case, the latter may be further improved compared to a mixture containing additional solid particles, i.e., solid particles other than silica 222. Subsequent curing of the lacquer structures 21, 22 can be carried out by ultraviolet irradiation.

[0017] The notable features of the structure manufactured in this way are particularly improved scratch resistance and / or chemical resistance, and the matte appearance achieved during the process. Furthermore, this structure can be structured particularly well not only in a single step during the formation of the sheet material, but rather in the process of obtaining the matte surface appearance. Details regarding this point are explained in relation to Figures 3A and 3B. Generally, the first lacquer 21 may consist of a 100% system of UV-curable acrylic tracker containing, for example, solid particles 210 of corundum. The particle size of the solid particles 210 can exceed 10 μm. The second lacquer 22 may consist of a 100% UV-curable acrylic tracker system that does not contain solid particles (e.g., corundum), but instead contains silica particles 220. The particle size of the silica particles 220 can be less than 10 μm.

[0018] Generally, the material for film 1 can be selected to withstand further processing at temperatures above 160°C, particularly for forming sheet materials by pressing with a substrate. Therefore, possible compositions of the starting material include, for example, toughblock PP copolymers, homo-PP polymers, and mixtures thereof. Furthermore, random PP polymers and / or thermoplastic elastomers can also be used. Such temperatures are particularly necessary when curing decorative elements or decorative layers of sheet materials. Therefore, the above temperatures are also advantageous for curing melamine resin-based decorative layers, especially for forming high-quality sheet materials. Moreover, these properties enable processing within acceptable limits or within a constant cycle time.

[0019] Figure 1B schematically shows the essential structure of a film according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to this, a film 1' is provided, which initially has the same components as film 1 in Figure 1A. The above description applies similarly to film 1'. Film 1' further has a fourth additional layer 14 between the connecting layer 11 and the transparent base layer 12. This additional layer further improves embossing ability and, if necessary, expands the spectrum of possible structures such as wood and stone, achieving further improved properties with respect to abrasion resistance and transparency. In particular, the additional layer 14, with a corresponding additional layer thickness d14 ranging from 5 μm to 50 μm, can maintain a greater embossing depth during the pressing process. This allows the final product to withstand the manufacturing process and provide a more realistic structure. Random, block, and / or homopolypropylene copolymers can be used as raw materials to obtain good embossing ability, transparency, and toughness. Preferably, the toughness / hardness of the additional layer 14 is increased compared to the transparent base layer 12 and / or surface layer 13. This allows for maintaining a relatively large embossing depth in stages, i.e., layer by layer, without adversely affecting the adhesive properties of the connecting layer 11.

[0020] Furthermore, in order to further enhance the embossing ability, elastomers can also be used as raw materials. Also, the additional layer 14 may contain a UV stabilizer, a UV absorber, or a combination thereof in order to protect the film 1' itself from yellowing and embrittlement and at the same time protect the printed image under the film 1' from ultraviolet rays (UV absorber).

[0021] Generally, one or more of the layers of the films 1, 1' or the layers 11 to 14 can contain an antistatic additive in order to advantageously simplify the separation process and the supply to a processing machine (e.g., a press). Not only permanent antistatic agents but also mobile antistatic agents and slip additives can be used. In a further embodiment in this regard, in the layer structure, the connecting layer is already structured upward, that is, in the direction of subsequent layers 12 or 14, 13, etc., and this structure continues upward even before embossing. Thereby, the so-called glass plate effect can be effectively prevented, which is beneficial in terms of improving separation and processing. Furthermore, an appropriate flame retardant can be added to the lacquer layer and / or the film layer.

[0022] FIG. 2 schematically shows the coextrusion of parts 10, 10' of the films 1, 1' according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to this, the corresponding melts 1011, 1021, 1031 are produced from the pellets of the raw materials 1001, 1002, 1003, that is, the combination of the said materials and substances, and are processed in a rolling mill W to form the film 1 in one step. Thereby, films 10, 10' having a connecting layer 11 from the melt 1011, a transparent base layer 12 from the melt 1012, and a surface layer 13 from the melt 1013 are obtained. In order to manufacture a four-layer or multi-layer structure, the corresponding additional melts are supplied to the corresponding positions. For example, one melt is supplied to form the additional layer 14 between the connecting layer 11 and the transparent base layer 12.

[0023] Figures 3A and 3B schematically show the formation of a plate material having a film according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to this, a film 1 (or 1'), for example, a decorative layer 3 in the form of a printed and decorated melamine resin paper, and a base material 3 are laminated. An embossing tool 9 having a structure S is placed on this laminate, and pressure and optionally heat are applied using a press or a short-cycle press P to perform pressure bonding. As a result, as shown in Figure 3B, by applying the films 1, 1' onto the decorative base materials 3, 4, a plate-like material 5 having a surface with a corresponding structure S' can be formed. As an example, the film 1 is reshaped using a pressing plate 9 in the press P, and wood grain, stone grain, and other structures are introduced. In this case, the final product particularly advantageously maintains a matte appearance. By reshaping a paint that has already been cured later, much better results in terms of scratch resistance are obtained compared to an embossing film for applying paint to the structure.

[0024] Figure 4 shows floor covering elements 5-1, 5-2 made of a plate material manufactured according to any of the examples. As floor covering elements, the plate materials 5-1, 5-2 should particularly provide a visual and tactile impression 30 provided by the embossed films 1, 1'. Further, the floor covering elements 5-1, 5-2 can be provided with tongue grooves or other fixing elements 500, particularly to provide an entire floor surface made of a plate material according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 shows an embodiment having a so-called click connection. However, the plate material according to the present invention can also be configured as a flexible roll material for bonding with an adhesive (without a click system).

[0025] Therefore, embodiments of the present invention can generally provide a transparent, smooth abrasion layer made of PP, which is then co-extruded to provide a three- or four-layer structure finished with two or more paint layers, preferably during machine operation, using a paint application apparatus. The semi-finished products are then cut, laminated, repackaged, and transported for further processing. Specifically, they are pressed with coated support plates using a (short-cycle) press. A printed melamine resin paper or transparent melamine resin intermediate layer can be placed between the support plate and the film. As a final step, individual elements, such as the flooring elements shown in Figure 4, can be manufactured from boards of the corresponding size. The present invention particularly enables the manufacture of flooring (design flooring) with a cover layer of PP / plastic material using a (short-cycle) press, as an alternative to conventionally used melamine resin overlays (laminated flooring). In this case, conventional machines, especially widely used short-cycle presses, can still be used. Flooring obtained by this method can achieve some of the advantageous properties of laminate flooring and can further benefit from the addition of a plastic abrasion layer (e.g., in the form of films 1, 1'). Further advantages include its warm and soft feel underfoot and its low impact noise. Furthermore, opaque film can be used as a component for furniture such as kitchen cabinets. This type of opaque film can also be printed with decorations before painting.

[0026] The examples described are generally intended to enhance the understanding of the present invention. However, this description is not intended to limit the scope of protection, which is determined solely by the individual claims.

Claims

1. A film for forming a plate-like material having a structured surface by applying the film to a decorative substrate, The aforementioned film is A wear protection group comprising a connecting layer designed to connect to a decorative layer or group of decorative layers, a transparent substrate on the connecting layer, and a surface layer on the transparent substrate, A first lacquer layer is formed on the surface layer of the wear protection group and comprises a mixture of solid particles, A second lacquer layer is provided on the first lacquer layer and contains a mixture of silica particles. A film characterized by having the following features.

2. The film according to claim 1, characterized in that the solid particles contain corundum and preferably have an average diameter in the range of 2 μm to 20 μm.

3. The film according to claim 1, characterized in that the average diameter of the silica particles is in the range of 2 μm to 20 μm.

4. The film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the transparent base layer of the abrasion protection group has an embossed surface, and its edges preferably have a bending radius of at least 10 μm.

5. The film according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the connecting layer of the decorative layer group comprises at least a portion of a block copolymer, a random copolymer, a ternary copolymer, or an elastomer.

6. The film according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the decorative base layer of the decorative layer group comprises at least a portion of a polyolefin-based plastic material, preferably polypropylene.

7. The film according to claim 6, characterized in that the decorative base layer contains a coloring component.

8. The film according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the decorative support layer of the decorative layer group comprises at least a portion, preferably entirely, a block copolymer and / or a PP homopolymer.

9. The film according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the decorative layer comprises a colorant in a casein-based, polyurethane-based, or acrylic-based binder, and the decorative layer is applied as an aqueous and / or organic solvent-based color system in a conventional printing method such as intaglio printing or digital printing.

10. The film according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the further connecting layer of the abrasion protection group comprises a thermoplastic elastomer, a polyolefin-based plastic material, polypropylene and / or polyethylene.

11. The film according to claim 10, characterized in that the further connecting layer contains an adhesion promoter, preferably maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene.

12. The film according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the transparent substrate of the abrasion protection group comprises at least a portion, preferably all, a random copolymer.

13. The film according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the transparent base layer of the abrasion protection group is softer than the surface layer and preferably contains an elastomer.

14. It is a board, A plate material characterized by comprising a film according to any one of claims 1 to 13 and a base material made of a material having higher rigidity than the film.

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