A process for the manufacturing of a thermosetting laminate

DESCRIPTION

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING A THERMOSURED LAMINATE

The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of a decorative thermolaminate having a damping layer designed to lower the sound level.

Thermosetting laminate coated products are common today. They are mainly used when the demands on abrasion resistance are high, but also when resistance to different chemicals and moisture is required. Examples of such products may be floors, baseboards, work surfaces, desk tops and wall partitions.

thermosetting laminate most often consists of several base sheets with decorative sheet arranged closest to the surface. The decorative sheet may be provided with a desired decoration or pattern. These laminates are very hard to withstand the wear they are exposed to. Unfortunately, this leads to a high noise level when hard objects are suddenly delayed by the laminate surface, such as hard heels against a laminate surface.

It is desirable to be able to muffle the sound level in places with a laminate floor surface, especially where shoes are normally worn.

WO 99/17930 describes an abrasion-resistant laminate comprising a decorative, abrasion-resistant thermosetting laminate layer, a polymeric substrate forming a base layer of the laminate layer and optionally, under the polymeric substrate, an equilibrium layer which reduces corrugation and / or deformation of the laminate and improves its sound damping characteristics.

It has been possible through the present invention to achieve the above desires and a thermosetting laminate having a lower noise level has been obtained. Accordingly, the present invention provides a process for the manufacture of a decorative laminate comprising the steps of:

(i) pressing a decorative abrasion-resistant thermosetting laminate layer, a core support layer and an equilibrium layer to join the layers forming a laminate wherein the support core is between the equilibrium and thermosetting laminate layers (ii) cutting the resulting laminate into panels and (iii) providing the edge-cut panels suitable for bonding; wherein the balance layer prevents distortion of said decorative laminate and provides acoustic damping, and comprises a polymer layer; characterized in that (a) the support core consists of fiberboard or chipboard; (b) the thermosetting laminate layer has a thickness of 0.3-1.2 mm and a density of 1250-1500 kg / m2, and (c) the balance layer has a longitudinal elasticity coefficient of 0.5. -2.7 MPa, a thickness of 0.1-5 mm and a density of 50-400 kg / nA

The thermosetting laminate is preferably comprised of one or more melamine-formaldehyde resin impregnated decorative papers and one or more melamine-formaldehyde impregnated coating sheets arranged on the decorative papers. The thermosetting laminate may further optionally consist of one or more conventional resin impregnated lining papers arranged under the decorative paper or decorative papers, which lining papers preferably contain phenol-formaldehyde resin. The different papers are laminated together at high pressure and high temperature. At least one of the thermosetting resin impregnated sheets, preferably the outermost one, has hard particles of, for example, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide and / or silicon carbide with an average size of 1-100 pm. preferably about 5-60 pm. The thermosetting laminate suitably has a thickness in the range 0.1 mm-1.2 mm, preferably 0.3 mm 0.9 mm and a density in the range 1250-1500 kg / kg. m ^.

The support core consists of a chipboard or a fiberboard.

The balance layer is suitably constituted by a thermoplastic elastomer. The equilibrium layer has a longitudinal elasticity coefficient in the range 0.5-2.7 MPa, preferably 0.8-2.0 MPa determined according to ISO 3386-1 in addition to ISO 7214. The balance layer has a thickness in the range of 0.1-5 mm, preferably 0.21 mm. The equilibrium layer is suitably comprised of a physically expanded closed cell cross-linked polyolefin and has a density in the range of 50-400 kg / m 2, thus

<td>preferred</td><td> 80-330</td><td>kg / m 2.</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td>

<td>In</td><td>wake up</td><td>with another form</td><td>of achievement</td><td colspan="2">preferred</td><td>gives</td>

<td>invention,</td><td colspan="2">the balance sheet is</td><td>consisting of</td><td>an</td><td>fiber</td><td>no</td>

<td colspan="2">willing woven</td><td>about a leaf</td><td>of polyolefin.</td><td>THE</td><td>fiber</td><td>no</td>

The woven fabric is suitably comprised of polypropylene, polyester, viscose or the like, while the polyolefin sheet is suitably polyethylene. The balancing layer suitably has an average unloaded thickness in the range 0.3-5 mm and an unloaded density in the range 150-800 kg / m2.

According to one embodiment of the invention the balance sheet further comprises a conductive material. The purpose of this conductive material is to reduce the risk of static charge accumulation. The conductive material may be carbon black or carbon fiber. It is also possible to use a conductive material which is comprised of a vacuum metallized layer. This metallized layer is then suitably made of aluminum. The conductivity is preferably better than 500 kQcm.

The balance layer and the thermosetting laminate are suitably bonded to the support core by a sizing and pressing agent. The sizing agent may here consist of a water-soluble running glue or a so-called melt glue. In the latter case the balancing layer, the supporting core and the thermosetting laminate are joined by heat and pressure. It is also possible for the balance layer to function itself as a melt glue layer. The balance layer is in this case suitably unexpanded and will then have a density in the range of 400-900 kg / m2.

As an alternative to having conductive materials in the balance sheet it is also possible to use a glue comprising a conductive material. This glue may then contain a conductive material which is carbon black or carbon fiber. Also here, suitably, the conductivity is better than 500 kQcm.