Polyolefin Elastomer Flooring for Dimensional Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vinyl resilient floor coverings face issues with dimensional stability, adhesion, recyclability, and safety concerns, including limited flexural and impact resistance, high production costs, and environmental impact due to chemical additives and waste disposal challenges.
Innovation Solution
A non-vinyl resilient floor covering composed of polyolefin elastomers and fillers, with a backing layer, decorative layer, and wear layer, designed to provide enhanced dimensional stability, adhesion, and recyclability, and featuring a scratch-resistant surface without using vinyl polymers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If vinyl polymers with chemical stabilizers and fiber based additives are used to improve dimensional stability, then dimensional stability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the polymer base from vinyl to polyolefin elastomer, which inherently provides the necessary dimensional stability without requiring additional chemical stabilizers and fiber based additives. This parameter change in the base material eliminates the need for costly additives while maintaining the stability performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure with polyolefin elastomer as the base material combined with fillers to achieve dimensional stability. This composite approach provides the required stability through the material composition itself rather than relying on separate stabilizer additives, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If filler concentration is increased to enhance fire suppression, thermal insulation, and sound dampening properties, then fire suppression and thermal insulation are improved, but flexural and impact resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the base polymer to polyolefin elastomer, which maintains excellent flexural and impact resistance even at high filler concentrations. This parameter change in the base material allows the formulation to achieve fire suppression through fillers without sacrificing the mechanical strength that would normally be lost with high filler loading.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system where polyolefin elastomer serves as the continuous phase and fillers are dispersed within it. This composite structure allows the fillers to provide fire suppression, thermal insulation, and sound dampening properties while the polyolefin elastomer matrix maintains flexural and impact resistance, resolving the trade-off between filler concentration and mechanical strength.
3Force
If conventional adhesives are used to secure vinyl flooring to subfloor, then adhesion is achieved, but chemical incompatibility causes degradation over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the flooring material from vinyl to polyolefin elastomer, which is chemically compatible with conventional adhesives. This parameter change eliminates the chemical incompatibility issue that causes degradation over time, while still achieving the necessary adhesion to the subfloor through standard adhesive applications.
4Quantity of substance
If vinyl flooring is installed to provide flooring coverage, then flooring function is achieved, but environmental impact and waste disposal problems increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the polymer material from vinyl to polyolefin elastomer, which is recyclable. This parameter change in the base material enables the flooring to be recycled at the end of its service life, eliminating the environmental impact and waste disposal problems associated with vinyl flooring while maintaining the same flooring coverage function.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are resilient floor coverings made from non-vinyl materials and methods for manufacturing same. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.