Composite Panel with Cement-Based Coating for Lightweight Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing composite panels for wall and floor coverings face challenges in achieving large-format, low-thickness, and low-weight designs while maintaining stability and surface quality, particularly with ceramic-looking materials, where material brittleness limits thickness options and increases weight, and medium-density fiberboards lack hygienic and waterproof properties.

Innovation Solution

A composite panel comprising a flat substrate component hydraulically bonded with a thin cement-based component, which creates a ceramic-like surface without additional adhesion promoters, allowing for low-weight, large-area formats with improved mechanical strength and water-repellent properties through the use of additives and plastic particles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of stationary object

If large-format ceramic slabs are produced with thin profile to reduce weight, then weight and thickness are improved, but structural stability and surface flatness deteriorate due to material brittleness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepanel weightVSAvoidstructural stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of stationary objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a composite structure combining a fiberboard substrate with a cement-based coating layer. This composite material approach allows the panel to achieve both low weight and high structural stability, as the fiberboard provides lightweight core structure while the cement layer adds surface strength and stability without significant weight increase.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The panel is divided into two functional segments: a fiberboard substrate component providing structural stability and a cement-based coating component providing surface quality. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function while working together to achieve overall panel stability with reduced weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Strength

If additional bonding agents or primers are used to improve adhesion between substrate and cement layer, then bond strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebond strengthVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fiberboard substrate is designed with inherent properties (surface roughness, porosity, and composition) that enable it to bond directly with the cement-based coating without requiring additional bonding agents or primers. The substrate essentially bonds to itself through the cement layer, eliminating the need for separate bonding components and simplifying the manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Weight of stationary object

If MDF is used as substrate to achieve thin profiles, then thickness and weight are improved, but hygienic and waterproof properties deteriorate due to water absorption

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepanel weightVSAvoidwaterproof property
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The fiberboard substrate is treated with water-repellent impregnation to provide local hydrophobic properties at the substrate level. Additionally, the cement-based coating layer provides a waterproof barrier on the surface. This multi-level approach ensures both the substrate and surface have appropriate water resistance while maintaining the lightweight benefits of thin-profile construction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Stability of the object's composition

If ceramic slabs are produced with sufficient thickness to ensure stability, then structural stability is improved, but weight and load-bearing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface flatnessVSAvoidpanel weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The composite structure of fiberboard substrate combined with cement-based coating provides high stiffness-to-weight ratio. The fiberboard core maintains dimensional stability and surface flatness, while the cement layer adds surface hardness and stability, achieving sufficient structural performance without the weight penalty of thick solid ceramic slabs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution enables the production of lightweight, large-format composite panels with improved mechanical strength and hygienic, water-repellent surfaces, reducing the risk of cracks and post-processing costs, suitable for indoor and outdoor applications.

Implementation Method 1

the cement-based component is hydraulically set as a thin layer on the planar substrate component. The bond between the substrate component and the cement-based component is formed by the cement-based component setting directly onto the surface of the substrate component

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydraulic setting:

Data Source

PatentEP3770134A1Composite board and method of making a composite board
Publication Date: 2021.01.27 TECH UNIV BERGAKADEMIE FREIBERG
  • EP3770134A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3770134A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3770134A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention relates to a composite panel (1) comprising a planar substrate component (2) and a cement-based component (3.2), wherein the cement-based component (3.2) is hydraulically set as a thin layer on the planar substrate component (2), and to a method for producing a composite panel (1) comprising the following steps: - providing a planar substrate component (2), - providing a water-moist, cement-based component (3.1) consisting of water, cement, rock flour, and superplasticizer, - applying and homogenizing the water-moist, cement-based component (3.1) on the surface of the planar substrate component (2), and - drying the homogenized water-moist, cement-based component (3.1), wherein the water-moist, cement-based component (3.1) hydraulically sets on the substrate surface.