Non-polar Thermoplastic Composite Dye Sublimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current construction materials, such as PVC and metal substrates with dye sublimation printed images, are limited by high processing temperatures and material constraints, making them costly and unsuitable for widespread use in building applications, especially for mimicking natural wood aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
A composite of non-polar thermoplastic polymers, like polyolefins and polyvinyl chloride, combined with fillers having polar groups, allows for the direct application of dye sublimation images at lower temperatures, enabling the creation of aesthetically appealing, durable construction materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional dye sublimation processes are used on metal substrates, then image quality is improved, but processing temperature and cost increase making them unsuitable for widespread construction use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the substrate by using non-polar thermoplastic polymers with specific filler combinations, enabling dye sublimation to occur at lower temperatures (below the polymer's melting point) while maintaining image quality. This resolves the contradiction by modifying material parameters rather than process parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining non-polar thermoplastic polymer with specific fillers (such as metal oxides or organic compounds) that facilitate dye sublimation at reduced temperatures. The composite structure enables both good image quality and lower processing temperatures simultaneously.
2Ease of manufacture
If non-polar thermoplastic polymers are used as substrates, then cost and suitability for construction applications are improved, but their inability to take sharp DSP images at typical temperatures worsens image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the thermal and chemical parameters of the non-polar thermoplastic polymer substrate by incorporating specific fillers that enable DSP image formation at temperatures below the polymer's melting point, thereby achieving both cost effectiveness and image sharpness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces filler substances as intermediaries between the non-polar thermoplastic polymer and the dye sublimation process. These fillers facilitate dye transfer and image formation at lower temperatures, enabling sharp images on cost-effective polymer substrates.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If elevated temperatures of 170-200°C are applied for DSP imaging, then image penetration and durability are improved, but polymer deformation and distortion increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition of the substrate to include non-polar thermoplastic polymers with specific fillers that enable dye sublimation at lower temperatures, thereby achieving image durability without causing polymer deformation or shape distortion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates local quality differences within the substrate by incorporating fillers that concentrate heat and facilitate dye sublimation in the surface region where the image is formed, allowing lower overall temperatures that prevent bulk polymer deformation while still achieving durable images.
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 method provides a cost-effective, long-lasting, and aesthetically pleasing synthetic construction material that withstands environmental exposure, overcoming the limitations of high-temperature dye sublimation processes and material constraints.
Implementation Method 1
dye sublimation printed (DSP) images
Implementation Method 2
filler having polar groups enabling the adherence or integration of an image accepting layer directly onto the composite
Data Source
AI summary
An article is comprised of a composite substrate comprising a non-polar thermoplastic polymer such as a polyolefin or polyvinyl chloride and a filler having polar groups, the composite having a dye sublimation image in a layer adhered or integral to a surface of the composite. The article may be made by exposing the aforementioned composite substrate to a temperature above 100° C., which is typically above the melt temperature of the non-polar thermoplastic polymer, to about 250° C. and pressing a dye sublimation film onto the composite substrate for a time to imprint the dye sublimation image into the accepting layer forming the article. The article may be used for applications having aesthetic or structural requirements in the construction arts such as railing, decking or fencing.