Radiation-Cured Polyurethane Top-Layer for PVC Flooring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring products face limitations in gloss retention, wear and abrasion resistance, stain resistance, scuff resistance, and chemical agent resistance, with conventional plasticizers like phthalates migrating to the surface and causing exudation, and existing solutions do not adequately address volatile organic compound (VOC) release and phthalate-free alternatives.
Innovation Solution
A decorative surface covering with a polyurethane top-layer obtained from radiation curing of an aqueous polyurethane dispersion, applied over multiple PVC layers, featuring a mechanical embossed structure and comprising anionic or cationic salt groups, which reduces VOC emission and prevents plasticizer migration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional plasticizers like phthalates are used in PVC flooring products, then the flooring products achieve adequate flexibility and processability, but plasticizer migration and exudation occur, causing environmental and health issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes phthalate-based plasticizers from the PVC formulation entirely and replaces them with alternative plasticizers that do not migrate or exude. This extraction of the harmful component resolves the plasticizer migration issue while maintaining the necessary flexibility through carefully selected substitute plasticizers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the plasticizer system by switching from phthalate-based to alternative plasticizer chemistries. This parameter change eliminates the migration and exudation problems associated with phthalates while preserving the functional requirements for flexibility and processability.
2Ease of manufacture
If thermoplastic layers made from PVC plastisols are used, then the flooring products are easy to manufacture and process, but insufficient gloss retention, wear and abrasion resistance, stain resistance, scuff resistance, and chemical agent resistance are achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining PVC plastisol layers with a radiation-cured polyurethane top coat. This composite material approach leverages the ease of processing of PVC while adding the superior durability, gloss retention, and chemical resistance provided by the crosslinked polyurethane layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material properties to different layers: the PVC plastisol provides ease of manufacture and flexibility, while the radiation-cured polyurethane top coat provides enhanced wear resistance, stain resistance, and gloss retention. This local differentiation of material qualities resolves the contradiction between ease of manufacture and reliability.
3Reliability
If a radiation-cured polyurethane top coat is applied over PVC layers, then wear resistance, stain resistance, and gloss retention are improved, but VOC emission and plasticizer migration prevention requirements must be met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the formulation parameters of the polyurethane top coat to ensure low or zero VOC content. This parameter change allows the top coat to provide enhanced durability and gloss retention while meeting environmental requirements for low VOC emission, resolving the contradiction between performance improvement and environmental harm.
4Ease of manufacture
If phthalate-based plasticizers are used, then adequate flexibility is achieved, but stringent performance and environmental requirements cannot be met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes phthalate-based plasticizers from the formulation, replacing them with alternative plasticizers that meet environmental requirements. This extraction eliminates the harmful environmental impact while maintaining the necessary flexibility through carefully selected substitute plasticizers that satisfy both performance and environmental criteria.
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 achieves a significant reduction in VOC emission, improved wear and stain resistance, and prevents plasticizer migration, meeting stringent performance and environmental requirements while eliminating the need for phthalate-based plasticizers.
Implementation Method 1
a polyurethane top-layer obtained from radiation curing of an aqueous polyurethane dispersion
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is related to decorative surface coverings, in particular floor or wall coverings, exhibiting low VOC emission, comprising one or more adjacent plasticized polyvinyl chloride layers and a polyurethane top-layer, said top-layer being obtained from the actinic irradiation of an aqueous ethylenically unsaturated polyurethane dispersion after evaporation of the water part. The decorative surface coverings comprise a mechanical embossed textured and/or patterned structure.