Surface material

Abstract

To provide a surface material which is enhanced in designability due to that prints partially exist, has both sufficient smoothness and sufficient raising feeling, and is excellent in touch feeling.SOLUTION: With respect to a surface material in which prints partially exist at least on one principal surface of a fabric, the touch feeling of the principal surface in which prints partially exist in the surface material is influenced by a distribution state of print patterns existing on the principal surface. When the surface material has print patterns whose CV value calculated by a measuring method regulated by the invention and capable of quantitatively evaluating the distribution state of the print patterns is less than 0.38, the surface material having both sufficient smoothness and sufficient raising feeling and excellent in touch feeling can be provided.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a surface material that can be used to construct the interior of an automobile or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as a surface material that can be used to configure the interior of an automobile or the like, a surface material that has a fabric (e.g., a fiber web, a nonwoven fabric, a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, etc.) and a print that contains a resin, and has the print on at least one main surface of the fabric, has been used. As such a surface material, for example, the technology disclosed in JP 2015-104848 (Patent Document 1) and JP 2016-147466 (Patent Document 2) is known. In addition, when the print is partially present to form a print pattern, a surface material rich in design can be provided. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2015-104848 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2016-147466 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The applicant of the present application has studied the feel of the surface material according to the above-mentioned conventional technology, that is, the surface material having a print on at least one of the main surfaces of the fabric. In particular, the applicant has studied the feel of the surface material having a print partially present on at least one of the main surfaces of the fabric, in order to provide a surface material rich in design.

[0005] As a result of the investigation, it was found that, on the main surface of the surface material on which the print is partially present, the portion without the print has the exposed fabric and therefore plays a role in giving a feeling of nap to the person without giving a feeling of smoothness, whereas the portion with the print has the role of giving a feeling of smoothness to the person without giving a feeling of nap to the person without giving a feeling of nap to the person, since the exposed fabric is not present. From these viewpoints, it was thought that if the total area of ​​the prints present on the main surface of the surface material is increased, the smoothness will be improved and the raised feeling will be decreased, and if the total area of ​​the prints present on the main surface of the surface material is decreased, the smoothness will be decreased and the raised feeling will be improved. Therefore, it was thought that if the total area of ​​the prints present on the main surface of the surface material was optimized, a surface material with an excellent feel, which has both sufficient smoothness and sufficient raised feeling, could be realized.

[0006] However, when the applicant of the present application prepared and compared surface materials with the same total area of ​​print but different print pattern sizes and spacing between print patterns, the tactile sensations of the main surfaces of the surface materials where the prints are partially present were not the same but different. From this result, it was found that the tactile sensation of the main surface of the surface material where the prints are partially present does not depend only on the print area, contrary to initial assumption. Therefore, in order to realize a surface material with excellent tactile sensation, it was considered necessary to find new factors that contribute to improving the tactile sensation and to optimize the factors.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a surface material that is rich in design due to the partial presence of prints, and has an excellent feel to the touch, having both sufficient smoothness and sufficient raised texture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a surface material having a print partially present on at least one main surface of a fabric, The print is composed of a plurality of print patterns, and the size of each print pattern constituting the print and the intervals between the print patterns are irregular, The percentage of the print area partially present on one main surface of the fabric is 20 to 50%; The CV value calculated by the following measurement method is 0.26 or less That is, the surface material. Note 1. A total of 10 micrographs are prepared by taking 30 times magnified micrographs of the main surface of the surface material on which the print is present at different locations on the main surface, and the main surface is adjusted so that it appears in the micrographs as a rectangle or larger with a long side of 10.2 mm and a short side of 7.6 mm. 2. Draw a rectangle (long side 10.2 mm, short side 7.6 mm) on the principal surface shown in each micrograph. 3. Calculate the print area present within the rectangle. 4. The area of ​​the part enclosed by the rectangle (area: 77.52 mm 2 Calculate the proportion of the print area in the total area of ​​the printed area. 5. Calculate the ratio for each of the 10 micrographs using the methods described in items 3 and 4 above. 6. Using the average value of the calculated 10 points and the standard deviation of the calculated 10 points, calculate the CV value according to the following formula: CV value=standard deviation of the said ratio for 10 points / average value of the said ratio for 10 points.” Effect of the Invention

[0009] The applicant of the present application has discovered that, for a surface material having a print partially present on at least one of the main surfaces of the fabric, the feel of the main surface on which the print is partially present is affected by the distribution state of the print pattern present on the main surface. The inventors have discovered that when a surface material has a print pattern in which the CV value, which is calculated by the measurement method defined in the present invention and which allows for quantitative evaluation of the distribution state of the print pattern, is less than 0.38, it is possible to provide a surface material which has both sufficient smoothness and a sufficient raised feel and which has an excellent texture. As described above, the present invention can provide a surface material that is rich in design due to the partial presence of print, and has an excellent feel to the touch, being both sufficiently smooth and having a sufficient raised texture.

[0010] Furthermore, the applicant has found that a surface material satisfying the constitution according to the present invention is one that is resistant to fuzzing on the main surface on which the print is present, and therefore the present invention can provide a surface material that is resistant to fuzzing, thereby preventing deterioration of the tactile feel, and thus providing an excellent tactile feel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] In the present invention, various configurations, such as the following configurations, can be appropriately selected. The various measurements described in the present invention were performed under normal pressure and at a temperature of 25° C., unless otherwise specified. The results of the various measurements described in the present invention were obtained by measurement to a value one digit smaller than the desired value, and the value was rounded off to calculate the desired value, unless otherwise specified. As a specific example, when the desired value is to the first decimal place, the value was obtained to the second decimal place by measurement, and the obtained value to the first decimal place was rounded off to calculate the value to the first decimal place, and this value was used as the desired value. The upper limit values ​​and lower limit values ​​exemplified in the present invention can be arbitrarily combined.

[0012] The surface material of the present invention comprises a fabric and a print, the print being partially present on at least one of the main surfaces of the fabric.

[0013] The fabric in the present invention is, for example, a fiber web, a nonwoven fabric, or a sheet-like fiber assembly such as a woven fabric or a knitted fabric. Since the surface material of the present invention contains a fabric, it is possible to provide a surface material that is highly flexible and has excellent moldability, such as excellent conformity to a mold, and has an excellent feel. In particular, a surface material having a fabric (particularly a nonwoven fabric) in which all constituent fibers are randomly entangled is preferable because it can provide a surface material that is more flexible, has excellent moldability, and has an excellent feel.

[0014] The constituent fibers of the fabric are, for example, polyolefin resins (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethylpentene, polyolefin resins having a structure in which a portion of the hydrocarbon is substituted with a nitrile group or a halogen such as fluorine or chlorine, etc.), styrene resins, polyvinyl alcohol resins, polyether resins (e.g., polyether ether ketone, polyacetal, modified polyphenylene ether, aromatic polyether ketone, etc.), polyester resins (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polybutylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, polyarylate, wholly aromatic polyester resins, etc.), polyimide resins, The resin may be made of known resins such as polyamideimide resin, polyamide resin (e.g., aromatic polyamide resin, aromatic polyetheramide resin, nylon resin, etc.), resin having a nitrile group (e.g., polyacrylonitrile, etc.), urethane resin, epoxy resin, polysulfone resin (e.g., polysulfone, polyethersulfone, etc.), fluorine resin (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, etc.), cellulose resin, polybenzimidazole resin, acrylic resin (e.g., polyacrylonitrile resin copolymerized with acrylic acid ester or methacrylic acid ester, modacrylic resin copolymerized with acrylonitrile and vinyl chloride or vinylidene chloride, etc.). These resins may be either linear or branched polymers, may be block copolymers or random copolymers, and may have any three-dimensional structure or crystallinity, without any particular limitation. Furthermore, it may be a mixture of multiple component resins.

[0015] When flame retardancy is required for the surface material, it is preferable that the constituent fibers of the fabric contain a flame retardant resin. Examples of such flame retardant resins include modacrylic resins, vinylidene resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, polyvinylidene fluoride resins, novoloid resins, polychlar resins, polyester resins copolymerized with phosphorus compounds, acrylic resins copolymerized with halogen-containing monomers, aramid resins, and resins kneaded with halogen-based, phosphorus-based, or metal compound-based flame retardants. Also, fibers prepared by kneading pigments or dyed fibers may be used. Also, the flame retardant may be supported by using a binder or the like.

[0016] The constituent fibers may be made of one type of resin or a plurality of types of resin. Fibers made of a plurality of types of resin may be generally called composite fibers, such as core-sheath type, sea-island type, side-by-side type, orange type, bimetal type, and the like.

[0017] When the fabric contains heat-fusible fibers as constituent fibers, the fibers are heat-fused together to impart strength and dimensional stability to the fabric. Such heat-fusible fibers may be fully fusible heat-fusible fibers or partially fusible heat-fusible fibers such as the composite fibers described above. As a component (resin) that exhibits heat fusibility in the heat-fusible fibers, for example, heat-fusible fibers containing low-melting polyolefin resins or low-melting polyester resins can be appropriately selected and used.

[0018] When the fabric contains crimpable fibers, the fabric has increased elasticity, and is excellent in conformity to a mold, and a surface material with excellent tactile feel can be provided. Examples of such crimpable fibers include crimpable fibers that have expressed the crimp of latent crimpable fibers and fibers that have crimps.

[0019] These constituent fibers may include irregular cross-section fibers other than the roughly circular and elliptical fibers. The irregular cross-section fibers may have a fiber cross section of a hollow shape, a polygonal shape such as a triangular shape, an alphabetic shape such as a Y-shape, an irregular shape, a multi-lobed shape, a symbolic shape such as an asterisk shape, or a shape in which a plurality of these shapes are combined.

[0020] The fineness of the constituent fibers is not particularly limited, but in order to provide a surface material with an excellent feel, it is preferably 0.1 to 50 dtex, more preferably 0.5 to 30 dtex, and even more preferably 1.0 to 10 dtex.

[0021] The fiber length of the constituent fibers is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20 mm or more, more preferably 25 mm or more, and even more preferably 30 mm or more, so as to provide a surface material with an excellent feel. On the other hand, if the fiber length exceeds 110 mm, fiber clumps tend to form during preparation of the fabric, which may make it difficult to provide a surface material with an excellent feel, so the fiber length is preferably 110 mm or less, and more preferably 60 mm or less. The "fiber length" refers to a value measured in accordance with JIS L1015 (2010), 8.4.1c) direct method (C method).

[0022] The constituent fibers can be obtained by known methods such as melt spinning, dry spinning, wet spinning, direct spinning (melt blowing, spunbonding, electrostatic spinning, etc.), a method of extracting fibers having a small fiber diameter by removing one or more resin components from composite fibers, and a method of beating fibers to obtain split fibers.

[0023] When the fabric is a fiber web or nonwoven fabric, it can be prepared by, for example, a dry method in which the above-mentioned fibers are fed into a carding device or an air-laying device to entangle the fibers; a wet method in which the fibers are dispersed in a solvent and laid into a sheet to entangle the fibers; or a method in which the fibers are spun using a direct spinning method (such as a melt-blowing method, a spunbonding method, an electrostatic spinning method, or a method in which a spinning solution and a gas flow are discharged in parallel to spin the fibers (for example, the method disclosed in JP-A-2009-287138)) and the fibers are collected.

[0024] The constituent fibers of the prepared fiber web can be entangled and / or integrated to prepare a nonwoven fabric. Examples of methods for entangling and / or integrating the constituent fibers include a method of entangling with a needle or a water flow, and a method of subjecting the fiber web to a heat treatment so that the constituent fibers are bonded and integrated or melt-integrated with each other by a binder or adhesive fiber.

[0025] The heat treatment method can be appropriately selected, and examples of the method that can be used include heating or heating and pressurizing with a roll, heating by subjecting the material to a heater such as an oven dryer, a far-infrared heater, a dry heat dryer, or a hot air dryer, and heating the resin contained therein by irradiating the material with infrared rays without pressure.

[0026] A binder may be used to bond the fibers that make up the fabric together. The type of binder that can be used is appropriately selected, but examples that can be used include polyolefins (such as modified polyolefins), ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers, ethylene-acrylate copolymers such as ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymers, various rubbers and their derivatives (styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), fluororubbers, urethane rubbers, ethylene-propylene-diene rubbers (EPDM), etc.), cellulose derivatives (carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, etc.), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl butyral (PVB), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), epoxy resins, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF), vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene copolymers (PVdF-HFP), acrylic resins (acrylic acid ester resins, acrylonitrile styrene copolymer resins, etc.), and polyurethane resins. When the binder contains an acrylic resin, it is appropriately softened during thermal molding using a mold, such as heat pressing, and therefore a surface material with excellent conformability to the mold can be provided. In addition to the above-mentioned resins, the binder may contain additives such as flame retardants, fragrances, pigments, antibacterial agents, antifungal agents, photocatalyst particles, emulsifiers, dispersants, surfactants, and thickeners.

[0027] The basis weight of the binder contained in the fabric is appropriately selected, but the smaller the amount of binder, the more flexible the surface material tends to be. Therefore, the basis weight of the binder in the fabric is set to 50 g / m 2 It is preferable that the thickness is less than 30 g / m 2 It is preferable that the thickness is less than 10 g / m 2 or less, and more preferably the fabric is binder-free. When the fabric is a woven or knitted fabric, the woven or knitted fabric can be prepared by weaving or knitting the fibers prepared as described above.

[0028] In addition to the fiber web, nonwoven fabrics or fabrics such as woven fabrics and knitted fabrics may also be subjected to the above-mentioned method of entangling and / or integrating the constituent fibers.

[0029] The various configurations of the fabric, such as the thickness and basis weight, are not particularly limited and may be adjusted as appropriate. The thickness of the fabric may be 0.5 to 5 mm, 1 to 3 mm, or 1.1 to 1.9 mm. The basis weight of the fabric may be, for example, 50 to 500 g / m 2 and can be 80 to 300 g / m 2 and 100 to 250 g / m 2 In the present invention, the thickness is 20 g / cm in the direction perpendicular to the main surface. 2 This refers to the length in the vertical direction when a compressive load is applied, and the basis weight is the weight per square meter on the surface (principal surface) with the widest area of ​​the object being measured. 2 This refers to the mass per unit.

[0030] The print in the present invention refers to a layer that is partially present on at least one of the main surfaces of the fabric and contains a resin that mainly plays a role in improving the design and feel of the surface material. The print in the present invention may be present on the main surface of the fabric by directly contacting the main surface of the fabric, or may be present on the main surface via another resin layer (e.g., another resin layer). Specifically, in addition to a surface material having a structure of fabric-print from one main surface to the other, a surface material having a structure of fabric-another resin layer-print can also satisfy the structure of the present invention.

[0031] The type of resin constituting the print can be appropriately selected, and the same resin as the binder described above can be used. In particular, since the resin moderately softens during thermoforming such as heat pressing using a mold, it is possible to provide a surface material that conforms to the mold and has excellent formability, and also provides a surface material with excellent tactile feel, so it is preferable that the resin constituting the print contains an acrylic resin. In addition to the resin, the print may contain additives such as flame retardants, fragrances, pigments, antibacterial agents, antifungal agents, photocatalysts, emulsifiers, dispersants, surfactants, and thickeners.

[0032] The print according to the present invention may contain particles (solid particles or hollow particles). The particles can impart color to the print to improve the design of the surface material, or impart unevenness to the main surface of the surface material to improve the tactile feel. The average particle size of the particles contained in the print is adjusted as appropriate, but in order to obtain a surface material with excellent tactile feel, the average particle size of the particles is preferably 106 μm or less, and preferably 85 μm or less. The lower limit of the average particle size can be selected as appropriate, but it is practical to set it to 30 μm or more, and it is preferably greater than 35 μm. In the present invention, the average particle size of the particles refers to a value calculated by the following method.

[0033] (Method of calculating average particle size) (1) Collect multiple particles from the print of the surface material, place them in a room temperature (25℃) atmosphere, and take an optical microscope photograph of the collected particles at 200x magnification. Then, randomly select 10 particles from the particles shown in the photograph. (2) The particle diameter of each of the selected 10 particles is calculated, and the average of the calculated values ​​is regarded as the average particle diameter. The diameter of a circle having the same area as the area of ​​the particle shown in the photograph is calculated, and the value of this diameter is regarded as the particle diameter of the particle. In addition, when the type of particles to be measured is known and their average particle size (for example, the average particle size after heating in the case of thermally expandable particles) is described in a catalog or specification, the average particle size of the particles can be calculated based on the described value.

[0034] When the print of the surface material according to the present invention comprises particles, the type of the particles can be appropriately selected, and may be solid or hollow particles, but it is preferable to adopt hollow particles, since it is easy to provide a surface material with improved tactile feel. The constituent components of the particles can also be appropriately selected, and may be, for example, inorganic particles composed of inorganic components such as silica or alumina, organic particles composed of resin, or particles having a composition containing resin and inorganic components.

[0035] The hollow particles referred to here mean particles having a cavity inside. Hollow particles are more easily deformed in the particle diameter direction than solid particles, so when a person touches the main surface of a surface material containing hollow particles, the person feels the touch of touching something elastic rather than the touch of touching something hard. As a result, it is possible to provide a surface material with improved touch due to the fact that flexibility is easily felt when touching the main surface of the surface material.

[0036] The components constituting the particles can be appropriately selected. When the particles are hollow particles, it is preferable that the components constituting the hollow particles contain a resin so that the hollow particles are easily deformed in the particle diameter direction. In addition, when hollow particles having a composition containing a resin and an inorganic component are used as the hollow particles, it becomes easy to prepare a printing liquid in which the hollow particles are uniformly dispersed in a dispersion medium. As a result, by applying the printing liquid to a fabric, a surface material with higher quality and excellent tactile feel, which has a print in which the hollow particles are uniformly distributed, can be efficiently provided as intended, which is preferable.

[0037] Specific examples of hollow particles include MFL-81GTA, MFL-81GCA, MFL-SEVEN, MFL-HD30CA, MFL-HD60CA, MFL-100MCA, and MFL-110CAL manufactured by Matsumoto Yushi Seiyaku Co., Ltd. Also, particles that expand when heated may be used. Examples of such particles include 920DU40, 909DU80, and 930DU120 manufactured by Nippon Phillite Co., Ltd., which expand thermally to become hollow particles.

[0038] The print may contain multiple types of particles, but in order to provide a surface material with a superior feel, it is preferable that the surface material has a print that contains only hollow particles having the above-mentioned configuration as particles that contribute to improving the design and feel.

[0039] The particles may be present only on the exposed main surface of the print, or may be present both inside the print and on the exposed main surface.

[0040] The form of the print present on one main surface of the fabric can be adjusted as appropriate so long as the print does not cover the entire main surface but is present partially. For example, the print can be a pattern having parallel lines or a lattice pattern, a pattern having a dot pattern, or an irregular pattern such as a leather grain pattern. The size of each print pattern (the average value of the maximum length of a line segment that can be drawn in each print pattern) can be adjusted as appropriate, and can be 0.1 to 15 mm, 0.1 to 8 mm, or 0.1 to 2.0 mm. The interval between print patterns (the average value of the shortest distance between adjacent print patterns) can be adjusted as appropriate, and can be 0.1 to 5 mm, 0.3 to 3 mm, or 0.5 to 1.0 mm.

[0041] In addition, in a surface material having a regular print pattern, people can easily judge that the difference in the feel felt when touching the part where the print is present and the feel felt when touching the part where the print is not present (the part where the fabric is exposed) is in harmony with the regular pattern of the print pattern. As a result, the print pattern may unintentionally affect the evaluation of the quality of the feel felt when touching the surface material, which may make it difficult to unintentionally provide a surface material with excellent feel. Therefore, in order to easily provide a surface material with excellent feel, it is preferable that the size of each print pattern constituting the print and the spacing between the print patterns are irregular (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as an irregular print pattern). An example of a surface material with such an irregular print pattern is a surface material with a leather grain print.

[0042] The percentage of the print area partially present on one main surface of the fabric can be appropriately adjusted so as to provide a surface material with an excellent feel, as long as it is more than 0% and less than 100%. Specifically, it can be 20 to 90%, 30 to 80%, 40 to 70, or 50 to 60. In particular, as will be apparent from the examples described later, a percentage of 20 to 50% is preferable because it provides a surface material with an even better feel.

[0043] The percentage can be calculated as follows. 1. Take 30x micrographs of the main surface of the surface material on which the print is present at different locations on the main surface to obtain a total of 10 micrographs. Adjust the micrographs so that the main surface appears as a rectangle with a long side of 10.2 mm and a short side of 7.6 mm or larger. 2. Draw a rectangle (long side 10.2 mm, short side 7.6 mm) on the relevant main surface of each micrograph. 3. Calculate the area of ​​the print that is present within the rectangle for each micrograph. 4. Substitute the average value of each print area calculated into the following formula to calculate the percentage. Percentage = 100 x (average of each print area / 77.52)

[0044] The applicant has discovered that when a surface material having a print partially present on at least one of the main surfaces of the fabric has a print pattern whose CV value, which is calculated by the measurement method specified in the present invention and allows for a quantitative evaluation of the distribution state of the print pattern, is less than 0.38, it is possible to provide a surface material having an excellent feel that is both sufficiently smooth and sufficiently raised.

[0045] The closer the CV value of a surface material is to 0, the more likely it is that the print patterns constituting the print are of equal size and are arranged at equal intervals. Note that a surface material in which the print patterns constituting the print are of equal size and are arranged at equal intervals has a CV value of 0, which makes it difficult to feel a sufficient raised texture, and therefore may be difficult to provide a surface material with an excellent feel. Therefore, the lower limit of the CV value is preferably greater than 0, and is preferably 0.03 or greater.

[0046] On the other hand, a surface material with a larger CV value, such as 0.38 or more, means that the size of each print pattern constituting the print and the spacing between the print patterns tend to be irregular. According to the applicant's investigation, if the CV value is too large, it is not possible to provide a surface material with an excellent feel that has both sufficient smoothness and sufficient raised feel, so the CV value is less than 0.38, and the upper limit of the CV value is preferably 0.35 or less, more preferably 0.30 or less, and more preferably 0.26 or less.

[0047] The CV value can be calculated by the following method. 1. Take 30x micrographs of the main surface of the surface material on which the print is present at different locations on the main surface to obtain a total of 10 micrographs. Adjust the micrographs so that the main surface appears as a rectangle with a long side of 10.2 mm and a short side of 7.6 mm or larger. 2. Draw a rectangle (long side 10.2 mm, short side 7.6 mm) on the relevant main surface of each micrograph. 3. Calculate the print area that exists within the area surrounded by the rectangle. 4. The area of ​​the part enclosed by the rectangle (area: 77.52 mm 2 ) and calculate the percentage of the print area. 5. Calculate the percentage for each of the 10 micrographs using the methods described in items 3 and 4 above. 6. Using the average value (unitless) of the calculated 10 points of the ratio and the standard deviation (unitless) of the 10 points of the ratio, calculate the CV value (unitless) based on the following formula. CV value = Standard deviation of the 10 points / Average of the 10 points

[0048] The print may comprise a layer containing one type of resin, or may comprise multiple layers containing one or more types of resin, and more specifically may comprise multiple prints with the same or different patterns, resins or inclusions.

[0049] As long as the print is partially present on one of the main surfaces of the fabric, the print may be partially present on both main surfaces of the fabric. In addition to the embodiment in which the print is present only partially on the main surface of the fabric, the print may also have a configuration in which a portion of the components (such as resin) constituting the print penetrates between the constituent fibers constituting the fabric.

[0050] The weight of the print on the surface material is appropriately selected, for example, 2 to 50 g / m 2 and 5 to 30 g / m 2 It can be.

[0051] The various configurations of the surface material, such as the thickness and basis weight, are not particularly limited and are adjusted as appropriate. The thickness of the surface material can be 0.5 to 5 mm, 1 to 3 mm, or 1.1 to 1.9 mm. The basis weight of the fabric is, for example, 50 to 500 g / m 2 and can be 80 to 300 g / m 2 and 100 to 250 g / m 2 It can be.

[0052] The surface material of the present invention may further comprise other components such as a porous body, a film, a foam, etc. These components are preferably laminated on a main surface of the surface material other than the main surface on which the print is present.

[0053] Next, a method for manufacturing the surface material of the present invention will be described. Note that a description of the same configuration as that of the surface material described above will be omitted. The method for manufacturing the surface material of the present invention can be appropriately selected, but as an example, 1. preparing a fabric; 2. A process of preparing a printing liquid by mixing a resin capable of forming a print with a solvent or dispersion medium; 3. A step of partially applying a printing liquid onto at least one main surface of the fabric; 4. A process of removing the solvent or dispersion medium contained in the printing liquid from the fabric to which the printing liquid has been applied; The method for producing a surface material can include the steps of:

[0054] Step 1 will be described. As the fabric, for example, a sheet-like fabric such as a fiber web, a nonwoven fabric, or a woven or knitted fabric is prepared. The fineness and fiber length of the constituent fibers in the fabric, and the thickness and basis weight of the fabric can be those values ​​described above.

[0055] Step 2 will now be described. The type of dispersion medium can be appropriately selected, but it is preferable to adopt a solvent in which the resin capable of forming the print dissolves, or to adopt a dispersion medium in which the resin capable of forming the print does not dissolve but can disperse, so that the printing liquid can be suitably applied onto one of the main surfaces of the fabric. In addition to the resin, the printing liquid may contain additives such as particles (solid particles or hollow particles), flame retardants, fragrances, pigments, antibacterial agents, antifungal agents, photocatalysts, emulsifiers, dispersants, surfactants, and thickeners, dissolved or dispersed therein. In particular, it is preferable for the printing liquid to contain a pigment, since this can provide a surface material with excellent design properties.

[0056] Step 3 will be described. The method of applying the printing liquid onto one of the main surfaces of the fabric can be appropriately selected, and examples of the method include applying the printing liquid, either as is or in a foamed state, to one of the main surfaces of the fabric partially using a spray or gravure roll to form a pattern, or applying the printing liquid by printing. In addition to applying one type of printing liquid, multiple types of printing liquids may be applied. When applying multiple types of printing liquids, the application mode of each printing liquid (composition of particles contained, pattern, composition of printing liquid) may be different.

[0057] Step 4 will be described. The method of removing the solvent or dispersion medium to prepare a fabric with a print can be appropriately selected. For example, the solvent or dispersion medium can be evaporated and removed by heating in a heater such as an oven dryer, far-infrared heater, dry heat dryer, or hot air dryer, or by leaving the fabric at room temperature or under reduced pressure. The heating temperature when removing the solvent or dispersion medium is a temperature at which the dispersion medium can volatilize, and the upper limit of the heating temperature is selected so that the shape and function of the components such as the resin that constitutes the fabric or print are not unintentionally reduced. In addition, when the fabric is a fiber web, the component fibers may be bonded together in this step (by bonding with a molten binder, or by melting and bonding the thermoplastic component contained in the component fibers).

[0058] The above-mentioned method for manufacturing a surface material may further include various secondary processes, such as a process for laminating other components such as a porous body, film, foam, etc., and a process for processing by punching out a shape according to the purpose or mode of use. These components may be laminated on a main surface of the surface material other than the main surface on the print side. In addition, the surface may be subjected to a pressure treatment process, such as a reliant press treatment, to smooth the surface. EXAMPLES

[0059] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. The smoothness, nap feeling (touch), and fuzzing resistance of each surface material prepared as described below were evaluated using the following methods.

[0060] (Method of evaluating smoothness and brushed feel (touch)) One of the main surfaces of the surface material (in the case of a surface material with a print, the main surface on which the print is exposed) was scored for smoothness and nap when touched by a person. The measurements were carried out by the same 10 monitors for each surface material. Smoothness: felt 2 points, slightly felt 1 point, rough and not smooth 0 points Brushed feel: felt 2 points, slightly felt 1 point, not felt 0 points Next, the average score for each of the evaluation scores for smoothness and nap was calculated. Note that a higher average score for smoothness means that the surface material has a main surface with excellent smoothness, and a higher average score for nap means that the surface material has a main surface with excellent nap. Those with an average smoothness value of 1.0 or more and less than 1.5 points calculated as described above were evaluated as being smooth and given a rating of "◯", and those with an average smoothness value of 1.5 or more and 2.0 points or less were evaluated as being even smoother and given a rating of "◎". On the other hand, those with an average smoothness value of less than 1.0 point were evaluated as being less smooth and given a rating of "×". Moreover, those having an average value of the raised feeling calculated as described above of 1.0 or more and less than 1.5 points were evaluated as having a rich raised feeling and given a rating of "◯", and those having an average value of the raised feeling of 1.5 or more and less than 2.0 points were evaluated as having a richer raised feeling and given a rating of "◎". On the other hand, those having an average value of the raised feeling of less than 1.0 point were evaluated as having a poor raised feeling and given a rating of "×".

[0061] (Method for evaluating the resistance to pilling) According to JIS K7204:1999 (Plastics - Abrasion test method using abrasive wheels), one of the main surfaces of each surface material (in the case of a surface material with a print, the main surface on which the print is exposed) was evaluated for its tendency to cause fuzzing. The abrasion tester, rotational friction speed, abrasive wheels used, load applied to the abrasive wheels, and number of abrasion cycles were as follows. (1) Abrasion tester: Rotary abrasion tester (Toyo Seiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd.) (2) Rotational friction speed: 70 r / min (3) Wear wheel No.: CS-10 (4) Load on the abrasive wheel: 2.45N (5) Number of wear cycles: 50 After the test, the surface material was visually inspected at the portion of the main surface where the abrasive wheel had been treated, and rated according to the following criteria: The larger the number, the less likely the surface material is to develop fuzz on the main surface. Grade 4: No pilling was observed. Grade 3: Small fluff was observed, but no large fluff formed by the fluff joining together was observed. Grade 2: Small fuzz was observed, and in some places, larger fuzz was observed due to the fuzz connecting with each other. Grade 1: Small fluff was observed, and further, larger fluff formed by the fluff joining together was observed to form a circle and to have occurred over the entire area of ​​the part.

[0062] (Preparing the fabric) 100% of dyed polyester fibers (fineness: 1.3 dtex, fiber length: 38 mm) were fed to a carding machine to open the fibers and form a fiber web. One side of the fiber web was then needle-punched to form a needle-punched nonwoven fabric (basis weight: 180 g / m 2 , thickness: 1.5 mm) was prepared.

[0063] (Preparing printing fluid) A printing liquid was prepared in the following proportions. Acrylic acid ester resin emulsion (Tg of acrylic acid ester resin: -40°C, solid content of acrylic acid ester resin emulsion: 50% by mass): 20 parts by mass Thickener (solid content: 1.5% by weight): 25 parts by weight Defoamer (solid content: 14% by weight): 0.5 parts by weight Silicone resin emulsion (solid content: 33.8% by weight): 3 parts by weight ·Pigment (solid content: 3.8% by mass): 0.1 part by mass 25% ammonia water: 1 part by weight ·Water: 50.4 parts by mass

[0064] (Reference example 1) The needle-punched nonwoven fabric was used as the surface material as it was.

[0065] (Reference example 2) The printing liquid was printed on the entire surface of one of the main surfaces of the needle-punched nonwoven fabric. Thereafter, the needle-punched nonwoven fabric was dried in a dryer at a temperature of 160°C, resulting in a surface material (basis weight: 205 g / m2) with a print derived from the printing liquid on the entire surface of one of the main surfaces of the needle-punched nonwoven fabric. 2 , thickness: 1.5 mm) was prepared. In addition, the surface material prepared in this manner had a print present over the entire surface of one of the main surfaces of the binder-bonded nonwoven fabric, and the percentage of the printed area present on that main surface was 100%.

[0066] The physical properties of the reference examples and the results of the evaluation method for tactile sensation are summarized in Table 1. Note that the configurations that were not provided are marked with a "-" in the table. Additionally, the percentage of the print area present on the main surface of the surface material is shown in the "Print area percentage" column in the table.

[0067] [Table 1]

[0068] Example 1 The printing liquid was partially printed onto one of the main surfaces of the needle-punched nonwoven fabric using a cylinder having a leather grain pattern on its surface. The fabric was then dried using a dryer at a temperature of 160°C, resulting in a surface material (basis weight: 185 g / m2) with a print partially derived from the printing liquid over the entire surface of one of the main surfaces of the needle-punched nonwoven fabric. 2 , thickness: 1.5 mm) was prepared. The surface material thus prepared had a print consisting of a leather grain pattern printed over the entire surface of one of the main surfaces of the needle-punched nonwoven fabric, and the percentage of the printed area present on the main surface was 20%. The CV value of the print on the surface material thus prepared was as shown in Table 2.

[0069] (Example 2, Comparative Examples 1-2) A surface material (basis weight: 185 g / m2) having a print derived from a printing liquid partially formed on the entire surface of one main surface of a needle-punched nonwoven fabric was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the shape of the convex portion of the cylinder was changed. 2 , thickness: 1.5 mm) was prepared. The surface material thus prepared had a print consisting of a leather grain pattern printed over the entire surface of one of the main surfaces of the needle-punched nonwoven fabric, and the percentage of the printed area present on the main surface was 20%. The CV value of the print on the surface material thus prepared was as shown in Table 2.

[0070] The physical properties of the comparative examples and examples, and the results of the evaluation method for tactile sensation, are summarized in Table 2. Note that the absence of a feature is indicated with a "-" in the table. Additionally, the percentage of the print area present on the main surface of the surface material is indicated in the "Print area percentage" column in the table.

[0071] [Table 2]

[0072] Example 3 A surface material (basis weight: 188 g / m) partially provided with a print derived from a printing liquid on the entirety of one main surface of a needle-punched nonwoven fabric was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the shape of the convex portion of the cylinder was changed. 2 , thickness: 1.5 mm) was prepared. The surface material thus prepared had a print consisting of a leather grain pattern printed over the entire main surface of one of the needle-punched nonwoven fabrics, and the percentage of the print area present on the main surface was 30%. The CV value of the print on the surface material thus prepared was as shown in Table 3.

[0073] (Examples 4 to 5, Comparative Example 3) A surface material (basis weight: 188 g / m) partially provided with a print derived from a printing liquid on the entirety of one main surface of a needle-punched nonwoven fabric was prepared in the same manner as in Example 3, except that the shape of the convex portion of the cylinder was changed. 2 , thickness: 1.5 mm) was prepared. The surface material thus prepared had a print consisting of a leather grain pattern printed over the entire main surface of one of the needle-punched nonwoven fabrics, and the percentage of the print area present on the main surface was 30%. The CV value of the print on the surface material thus prepared was as shown in Table 3.

[0074] The physical properties of the comparative examples and examples, and the results of the evaluation method for tactile sensation, are summarized in Table 3. The absence of a feature is indicated with a "-" in the table. The percentage of the print area present on the main surface of the surface material is also shown in the "Print area percentage" column in the table.

[0075] [Table 3]

[0076] Example 6 A surface material (basis weight: 190 g / m) partially provided with a print derived from a printing liquid on the entirety of one main surface of a needle-punched nonwoven fabric was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the shape of the convex portion of the cylinder was changed. 2 , thickness: 1.5 mm) was prepared. The surface material thus prepared had a print consisting of a leather grain pattern printed over the entire main surface of one of the needle-punched nonwoven fabrics, and the percentage of the printed area present on the main surface was 40%. The CV value of the print on the surface material thus prepared was as shown in Table 4.

[0077] (Examples 7 to 8, Comparative Example 4) A surface material (basis weight: 190 g / m) having a print derived from a printing liquid partially formed on the entire surface of one main surface of a needle-punched nonwoven fabric was prepared in the same manner as in Example 6, except that the shape of the convex portion of the cylinder was changed. 2 , thickness: 1.5 mm) was prepared. The surface material thus prepared had a print consisting of a leather grain pattern printed over the entire main surface of one of the needle-punched nonwoven fabrics, and the percentage of the printed area present on the main surface was 40%. The CV value of the print on the surface material thus prepared was as shown in Table 4.

[0078] The physical properties of the comparative examples and examples, and the results of the evaluation method for tactile sensation, are summarized in Table 4. Note that the absence of a feature is indicated with a "-" in the table. Additionally, the percentage of the print area present on the main surface of the surface material is indicated in the "Print area percentage" column in the table.

[0079] [Table 4]

[0080] Example 9 A surface material (basis weight: 193 g / m) partially provided with a print derived from a printing liquid on the entirety of one main surface of a needle-punched nonwoven fabric was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the shape of the convex portion of the cylinder was changed. 2 , thickness: 1.5 mm) was prepared. The surface material thus prepared had a print consisting of a leather grain pattern printed over the entire main surface of one of the needle-punched nonwoven fabrics, and the percentage of the print area present on the main surface was 50%. The CV value of the print on the surface material thus prepared was as shown in Table 5.

[0081] (Examples 10 to 11, Comparative Example 5) A surface material (basis weight: 193 g / m) partially provided with a print derived from a printing liquid on the entirety of one main surface of a needle-punched nonwoven fabric was prepared in the same manner as in Example 9, except that the shape of the convex portion of the cylinder was changed. 2 , thickness: 1.5 mm) was prepared. The surface material thus prepared had a print consisting of a leather grain pattern printed over the entire main surface of one of the needle-punched nonwoven fabrics, and the percentage of the print area present on the main surface was 50%. The CV value of the print on the surface material thus prepared was as shown in Table 5.

[0082] The physical properties of the comparative examples and examples, and the results of the evaluation method for tactile sensation, are summarized in Table 5. The absence of a feature is indicated with a "-" in the table. The percentage of the print area present on the main surface of the surface material is also shown in the "Print area percentage" column in the table.

[0083] [Table 5]

[0084] It has been found that the present invention can provide a surface material that is rich in design due to the partial presence of print, and that has an excellent feel to the touch, being both sufficiently smooth and having a sufficiently raised texture.

[0085] Furthermore, from the results of comparing Examples 1-2 with Comparative Examples 1-2, the results of comparing Examples 3-5 with Comparative Example 3, the results of comparing Examples 6-8 with Comparative Example 4, and the results of comparing Examples 9-11 with Comparative Example 5, it was found that when a print is partially present on at least one of the main surfaces of the fabric and the CV value is less than 0.38, pilling is less likely to occur on the main surface of the surface material where the print is partially present. Therefore, it was found that the present invention also has the effect of preventing deterioration of the tactile feel by making fuzzing less likely to occur, and providing a surface material with an excellent tactile feel. [Industrial Applicability]

[0086] The surface material of the present invention is a surface material that can be used to prepare various interior materials, particularly interior materials such as vehicle ceilings, pillar garnishes, doors, instrument panels, steering wheels, shift levers, console boxes, tonneau covers, luggage floors, and luggage sides.

Claims

1. A surface material having a print partially present on at least one main surface of a fabric, The print is composed of a plurality of print patterns, and the size of each print pattern constituting the print and the intervals between the print patterns are irregular, a percentage of a print area partially present on one of the main surfaces of the fabric is 20 to 50%; A surface material having a CV value of 0.26 or less, as calculated by the following measurement method. Note 1. A total of 10 micrographs are prepared by taking 30 times magnified micrographs of the main surface of the surface material on which the print is present at different locations on the main surface, and the main surface is adjusted so that it appears in the micrographs as a rectangle or larger with a long side of 10.2 mm and a short side of 7.6 mm.

2. Draw a rectangle (long side 10.2 mm, short side 7.6 mm) on the main surface shown in each micrograph.

3. Calculate the print area that is present within the rectangle.

4. The area of ​​the part enclosed by the rectangle (area: 77.52 mm ２ Calculate the ratio of the print area to the total print area.

5. Calculate the ratio for each of the 10 micrographs using the methods described in items 3 and 4 above.

6. Calculate the CV value based on the following formula using the average value of the calculated 10 points and the standard deviation of the calculated 10 points. CV value = standard deviation of the ratios of 10 points / average value of the ratios of 10 points.

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