Decorative Sheet Hardness and Weather Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing decorative sheets used for exterior members and fittings suffer from poor long-term weather resistance due to minute cracks that expand over time, leading to deterioration of the surface-protecting layer and exposure to direct sunlight, which exacerbates weathering and reduces scratch resistance.
Innovation Solution
A decorative sheet comprising a base material and a surface-protecting layer, where at least one of the base material or the surface-protecting layer contains a white pigment, and the surface-protecting layer is a cured product of a curable resin composition with a Martens hardness of 9 N/mm² to 25 N/mm², which suppresses the photocatalytic effect of titanium oxide and enhances weather resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a flexible material is used to achieve excellent work characteristics, then bending work can be performed without cracking, but scratch resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The decorative sheet is divided into multiple functional layers: a base material layer (flexible for work characteristics) and a surface-protecting layer (hard for scratch resistance). This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specialized function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining a flexible base material (such as resin or metal) with a hard surface-protecting layer (containing white pigment and curable resin). This composite material approach integrates the advantages of both flexible and hard materials to simultaneously achieve excellent work characteristics and scratch resistance.
2Ease of manufacture
If the decorative sheet is used for exterior members exposed to direct sunlight, then it provides favorable initial appearance, but long-term weather resistance deteriorates due to photocatalytic effect
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful photocatalytic effect into a beneficial one by using a white pigment (such as titanium oxide) that reflects ultraviolet rays. The surface-protecting layer containing this white pigment transforms UV radiation from a harmful factor that causes decomposition into a reflected factor that protects the underlying layers from photocatalytic degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface-protecting layer is specifically designed with different properties than the base material. It contains white pigment concentrated in the surface layer to provide localized UV reflection and photocatalytic protection exactly where sunlight first contacts the decorative sheet, while the base material maintains its original flexibility and workability.
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 decorative sheet achieves excellent work characteristics, weather resistance, and scratch resistance, preventing minute cracks and maintaining the integrity of the surface-protecting layer even under severe outdoor conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the surface-protecting layer is a cured product of a curable resin composition
Implementation Method 2
when the ultraviolet rays in the sunlight reach the titanium oxide in such a layer, a photocatalytic effect is revealed due to excitation of the titanium oxide by ultraviolet rays, the resin constituting the base material, the decorative layer, and the like is decomposed and denatured
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The present invention provides a decorative sheet having excellent work characteristics, weather resistance, and scratch resistance and a decorative material using the same. Disclosed are a decorative sheet including a base material and a surface-protecting layer, wherein at least one of the base material and the surface-protecting layer contains a white pigment, the surface-protecting layer is a cured product of a curable resin composition, and a Martens hardness of the decorative sheet is 9 N/mm2 or more and 25 N/mm2 or less; and a decorative material using the same.