Decorative Laminate Metallic Layer for Crack-Resistant Gloss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Decorative sheets with metallic layers formed using glittering pigments lack genuine metallic gloss and are prone to appearance failure due to cracking when stretched or bent, while metal vapor deposition layers suffer from reduced gloss and potential cracking.
Innovation Solution
A decorative laminate with a metallic layer containing metal pigment particles of specific size distribution and a binder, applied using a shear-applying method to ensure uniform orientation and alignment, enhancing metallic gloss and preventing cracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a metal vapor deposition layer is formed on a base material to achieve metallic gloss, then metallic glossiness is improved, but the layer causes cracking when stretched or bent and reduces reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and composition parameters by using metal pigment particles suspended in a resin binder rather than continuous metal vapor deposition. This allows the metallic layer to maintain flexibility and crack resistance while achieving metallic gloss through the specific particle size (D50: 5-25 μm, D90: 10-30 μm) and resin composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite metallic layer by combining metal pigment particles with a resin binder. This composite structure provides both the metallic appearance from the pigment particles and the flexibility/crack resistance from the resin matrix, resolving the contradiction between gloss and reliability.
2Reliability
If a metallic layer is formed using glittering pigment to avoid cracking, then reliability is improved, but metallic glossiness is reduced compared to metal vapor deposition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the particle size parameters of the metal pigment particles (D50: 5-25 μm, D90: 10-30 μm) to achieve the right balance between metallic gloss and crack resistance. This specific size range allows the particles to provide gloss while the resin binder prevents cracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure of metal pigment particles in a resin binder that maintains both reliability (crack prevention) and metallic glossiness by combining the advantages of both materials.
3Ease of manufacture
If metal pigment particles are applied without shear force to simplify the process, then ease of manufacture is improved, but uniform alignment and metallic gloss are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies shear force during the coating application process to align the metal pigment particles in the direction of coating flow. This mechanical action during application creates uniform particle orientation and improves metallic gloss without complicating the overall manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the application process parameter by applying shear force during coating to achieve uniform particle alignment. This parameter change in the application method ensures consistent metallic gloss and particle distribution while maintaining ease of manufacture.
Data Source
AI summary
A decorative laminate includes a metallic layer that has excellent metallic glossiness and can reduce or prevent appearance failure, and a method of producing the same, and a metallic coating composition that can form the metallic layer. A decorative laminate includes: at least one selected from the group consisting of a substrate and a release liner; and a metallic layer containing metal pigment particles and a binder, the metal pigment parciles having a particle diameter D50 of from approximately 5 to approximately micrometers and a particle diameter D90 of from approximately 10 to approximately 30 micrometers, the metallic layer having an L* value of approximately 85 or greater.