Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
21 77433
PLASTIC-PAPER COMPOSITE D~ FOIL FORM
AND ITS USE FOR PRODUCING WEATHERP~OOF LAMINATED SHEETS
W~H SURFACE PROTECTION
The invention relates to a plastic-paper composite in foil form as well as
S its use for producing ~,v~ o~r laminated sheets with surface protection.
State of th~
Laminated sheets are produced by Co~ Jlc~iulg a stack comprised of a
quantity of resin-covered paper strips. A decorated paper strip illl~lC/,, ' ~ with
melamine resin is placed on one of the two surfaces of a stack that is made up,
for example, of several papers iullplc~lldL~d with phenol resin, and is then
~;~,I.I~I~;,i,~d with it. As a result of this measure, the laminated sheet is provided
with a very hard, scratch-proof, strong decorated surface.
These decorated laminated sheets are used indoors for ,.,A""rA. ll";"g
furniture, but can be used outdoors as well. In outdoor use, however, it has been
found that the decorated laminated sheets tend to get scratched off, whereby thevisual dl,~cal~ ce of the cover is c~Jllsidcldl,ly impaired.
It has long been an object, therefore, to produce decorative laminated
sheets for outdoor use that are weatherproof. Thus, weather protection can be
provided in the form of a lacquer layer or a foil. Preferred materials are thosebased on acrylic resins which make durable w~ of ing possible. By using
acrylic resin lacquer for producing the wcdLIlcll,.uur outer sheets, according to
EP-A-281586, one or both outer layers of the stdcks consisting of the paper layers
illl~llC~, ' 1 with plastic resin are covered with an acrylic lacquer and then
cvllll,lci,~cd in a press at an increasing pressure and t~ .tulc. The acrylic
resin lacquer, however, has the disddv~lllL~ that steel plates, matrices, or
separating papers can adhere to the Culll~ iOII equipment, which leads to the
formation of decorative surfaces with Ulld~Lldl,LiVC visual qualities.
When using foils with an acrylate base, for example, it has been
llll"~ d that they are difficult to handle during the ~ulll~ ioll operation,
since they rip easily, wrinkle, and roll up. This often leads to the necessity of
21 77433
using manual assistance, which is costly, and can lead to faulty production
processes as well.
It is also known that plastic foils can be used as carrier material for
~._a~ uof lacquers, especially acrylic resin lacquer, which are applied on one
or both sides of the stack consisting of paper layers i~ " ' with synthetic
resin, and can be compressed together with them. After the ~UIIIL~ aiUn
operation, the carrier material is peeled off from the acrylic resin sheet, which
now forms the weatherproof outer surface of the laminated sheet. Since this
allallb~ .l consisting of the carrier material and the acrylic resin sheet is very
thin, it is difficult to handle and easily slips off the pressing stack. Additional
pattern producers, such as pressing plates or matrices, are needed in order to
ûbtain a decorated surface for the w~;alllel~luof laminated sheet. The surface
hardness of acrylic resin sheets is also less than that of melamine surfaces, so that
during ILdlli~lJOI Laliull between processes during production, and also when handled
by the user, especially during the cutting and mounting of plates of up to 70 Kg,
the acrylic resin sheet can be damaged.
The object of the invention is then to provide a plastic-paper combination
foil of the type described above that can be used as carrier material for the acrylic
sheet provided with w~a~ JIuof protection that does not exhibit the known
di~ad~allLabe~, and which serves as a shaper - in-iPpPn~lPn~ from its function as
carrier material - during the pressing operation, and, at the same time, which
builds a removable surface protection provided with a weatherproof protection,
for example, for llal~OILaLiull.
D~.. ', ' of the Invention
According to the invention, a plastic-paper composite is proposed, which
is in foil form and is made up of a paper layer, a polypropylene layer, and a
polyester layer, and wherein the polyester layer forms one of the two surface
layers of the plastic-paper composite.
2 1 77433
The plastic-paper composite of the invention is further characterized in that
the layers of the plastic-paper composite are connected with one another by means
of a non-th~l~uu~ld~Li,, adhesive which is, to its advantage, an acrylic adhesive.
The plastic-paper composite according to the invention has a polyester
5layer which is made of polyethylene I~ LI-àlaL~.
Another av~allia~UU~ feature of the invention of the plastic-paper
composite is that the thickness of the polyethylene terephthalate layer is 6 to 100
,um, preferably 12 to 25 ~m; that the paper used for the paper layer has a weight
of 25 to 2~0 g/m3, preferably 30 to 100 g/m3; and that the thickness of the
10poly~lu~yl~lle layer is 12 to 100 ,um, preferably 12 to 25 ~m.
The plastic-paper composite according to the invention is further
chald.,~ ,d in that it has an acrylate layer on the polyethylene l~lc~l.ll.dlatclayer with a thickness of at least 30 ~m, wherein the acrylate layer is in foil form
or in the form of a lacquer layer.
15The plastic-paper composite of the invention is used advantageously for
producing a ~v~a~ luur press plate layer with surface protection.
The invention further refers to a process for producing a ~Iv~aLll~l~lvOf
laminated sheet with surface protection, wherein an acrylic layer is applied over
a plastic-paper composite in foil form, so that the foil ~vulbillàliull~ obtained in
20this way can be made up, on one or both sides, from several papers illl~ llaL~d
with resin, forming a stdck wherein the acrylate layer(s) are applied to the outer
paper layer(s); this stack is ~,ull~l~l. ,,s~d under pressure and increasing L~IIlLu~la ul~
so that a laminated sheet provided with surface protection is obtained that has the
plastic-paper composite produced, with the acrylate serving as ~v.,aLll~l~lvof
25protection applied to one or both outer sides, and the produced laminated sheet
of plastic-paper composite that is protected with a surface protection can be
peeled from the acrylate layer, tnus obtaining a laminated sheet with a
ill~ J,vof protection.
A further variation of the process according to the mvention consists in
producing a ~._a~ lvur laminated sheet with surface protection wherein an
~ ' 21 77433
acrylate layer is applied in the form of a lacquer painted onto the polyester layer
of a plastic-paper composite, and this composite is stacked with several papers
iUllL~ lldk~d with synthetic resin and the acrylate layer(s) lies (lie) on the outer
paper layer(s); this stack is culll~l~ai,ed under pressure and increasing
t~ )CldlUI~, SO that a laminated sheet provided with surface protection is
produced with the plastic-paper composite on which the acrylate layer, which
serves as w~ luof protection, is applied on one or both sides, and the layer
of the laminated sheet of the plastic-paper composite, which is provided with
surface protection, is lined with the acrylate layer so that a laminated sheet
provided with w~ lell~luof protection is produced.
In the process for producing w~d~ loof laminated sheets, the plastic-
paper composite functions as a carrier for a wcidillel~luurlllg outer layer in the
form of an acrylate layer with a surface protection according to the invention, and
it is also a surface protector against damage to the acrylate layer during, for
example, transport of the laminated sheet produced by the ~:olll~ hlg operation.Sul~ hl~ly, it was found that, during the ~:Olu~ SiUll operation, a good
adhesion is produced between the polyethylene terephthalate layer and the acrylate
layer without its being necessary to use an additional adhesive substance which
could come loose during the use of the weatherproof laminated plate; for
example, that the hardened polyethylene terephthalate layer could completely
come off during mounting.
Ful~e~ ol~, the plastic-paper composite provides a structure for the
surface ~,Ulll~)O~ iUII of the decorative layer, so that adding further pattern
producers, for example, patterned pressing plates, becomes ulUl~ dly.
The patterning is provided by the thickness and roughness of the paper
layer, as well as by means of its fibrousness. If the patterning properties are too
high, then an advd lLgeuu~ embodiment permits switching the paper and
propylene layers with each other so that the polypropylene layer is closer to the
decorated surface.
~ ' 21 77433
The invention relates further to a process for producing a ~. a~ ,u.uur
laminated sheet with surface protection wherein a stack of a quantity of layers
of paper illl,UI~ o ' 1 with synthetic resin is built, and one or both outer sides is
(are) provided with a lacquer coating on the basis of an acrylate resin, and a
plastic-paper composite is applied further on one or both sides of this stack,
wherein the polyester layer of the plastic-paper composite lies (lie) on the acrylate
layer(s), and this stack is compressed under pressure and increasing ~el..,ueldtul~
so that a surface protection is provided on the laminated sheet, and so that, when
using the laminated sheet provided with the surface protection, the acrylate layer
is applied to the plastic-paper composite, and a laminated sheet provided with awt;dlllel~loof protection is produced.
The plastic-paper compOSite according to the process of the invention
functions as a surface protector and as a pattern producer as well.
Brief D~.,'. ' ûf the Drawings and Examples
for the li', ,' ~: of fl-~ Tnyç~
The invention is explained in more detail with reference to Figures 1 and
2 as well as Examples 1 through 3.
Fig. 1 shows the plastic-paper composite of the invention according to the
variations of Figs. la, lb, 1c, and ld.
Fig. la shows the plastic-paper composite 1 of the invention comprised by
the paper layer 5, the polypropylene layer 6, and the polyethylene terephthalatelayer 7.
Fig. lb shows the plastic-paper composite 2 of the invention comprised of
the polypropylene layer 6, the paper layer 5, and the ~oly~ylelle te
layer 7.
Fig. 1c shows the plastic-paper composite 3 of the invention comprised by
a plastic-paper composite according to Fig. la wherein an acrylate layer 8 is
applied to the polyethylene ~1~l ' ' Iayer 7.
~ 21 77433
Fig. ld shows the plastic-paper composite 4 of the invention which is a
plastic-paper composite according to Fig. lb wherein the acrylate layer 8 is
applied to the polyethylene Lclc~hlllàlaLc layer 7.
Fig. 2 shows a schematic lI,~JlC~CllLatiUII of the production of a laminated
S sheet 12 provided with surface protection which can be used to produce a
laminated sheet 13 provided with ~,aLh~lJluur protection.
ln Examples 1 and 2, further schematics of a plastic-paper composite 3 are
shown as well as a decorated layer illl~)lCI, ' ' with melamine resin or a surface
provided with barrier papers 9 and a quantity of papers 10 illl,ul~;llaLcd with
phenol resin for the building of a stack which is used in the production of a
laminated sheet 13 provided with a surface protection or w~ .uùr protection.
Example 3 shows a schematic of the production of 12 from a plastic-paper
composite 1 which is culu~lc,~cd with a stack comprised of a decorated layer 9
illl,ulc~;llalcd with melamine resin provided with an acrylate layer 11 and a
quantity of paper strips 10 hlllJlc~llat~l with phenol resin to produce a
w~aLl.c.~luur laminated sheet with surface protection.
E~amples 1 to 3:
Example 1:
According to a variation of the process of the invention, the wcalllcl~luuf
laminated sheet 12 is provided with surface protection. In the case of its use
according to Fig. 2, by removing the composite 1, a laminated sheet 13 provided
with ~a~lcllJIuOf protection is produced. The process conslsts of the following
process steps:
a) A plastic-paper composite 3 comprised of a paper layer 5 with a
thickness of 65 ,um, a polyethylene layer 6 with a thickness of 30 ~bm, and a
polyethylene terephthalate layer 7 with a thickness of 12 ~m are formed. The
layers 5, 6, and 7 are attached to each other by means of a non-thcllllopld~lic
adhesive such as an acrylic adhesive. An acrylic foil 8 is applied by extrusion to
the polyester terephthalate side 7 of this plastic-paper composite 3 and this
~ 2177433
extrusion step is carried out without adding adhesive .~"1,~ , a plastic-paper
composite according to Fig. la is obtained. The inserted acrylate foil 8 can be
colorless if a layer 3 provided with a decoration and i~ le~, 1 with melamine
resin is applied; however, it can itself be a decoration carrier, and the decoration
layer 9 in the form of a paper layer Ull~ with melamine resin can be
omitted.
b) A layered stack is produced in the course of the U~nl~lUi~siUII step.
The series of layers from pressing plate to pressing plate in this stack is as
follows:
Steel plate
Plastic-paper composite 3
(Decorated paper or barrier paper 9 iUll~ , ' ' with melamine
resin)
Core paper layers 10 h~ llaLed with phenol resin
(Decorated paper or barrier paper 9 hll~l~ ,, ., with resin)
Plastic-paper composite 3
Steel plate
Layers 9 can be omitted from the stack when usmg a decorated acrylate foil.
c) The layered stack produced in process step b) is guided into a high-
pressure press.
d) The layered stack produced according to step b) is compressed at
a ~Ill~laLul~ of 130 to 150~C at a pressure of about 70 bar, so that the synthetic
resin hardens the paper strips and, at the same time, the plastic-paper composite
3 adheres by means of the acrylate layer to the paper layer UII~ "' i with the
synthetic resm and is fixed thereon.
e) The composite processed according to step d), which is in the form
of a ~ Lht;l~ L laminated sheet 12 provided with surface protection is cooled
at room l~l"~ldLu,e and guided into a high-pressure press.
f) The laminated sheet 12 is trimmed, smoothed, and cut into the
desired shape, and can be stored or delivered for further processing.
~ 21 77433
g) In a further processing step of the laminated sheet 12, the plastic-
paper composite 1 is peeled from the acrylate layer 8 so that the laminated sheet
13 provided with a wGa~ lvur protection is produced.
Example 2:
5 Process step a)
A plastic-paper composite 1 is applied to the polyethylene terephthalate
layer 7 with an acyrlic lacquer coating 8 whereby the plastic-paper composite 3
is processed according to Fig. lc. The process steps b) to g) are carried out asin Example 1.
Example 3:
Process step a)
A quantity of paper strips illllJlG~ with synthetic resins are stacked
one on top of another, and the outer layer, which can be comprised of a core
paper layer according to 10 or a decorated paper layer 9 illl~LG,, ' 'I with
melamine resin, is provided with an acrylic resin layer 11.
b) A layered stack is formed in the following order:
Steel plate
Composite 1
Decorated layer 9 illll.llGL, ' i with melamine resin provided with
an acrylic resin lacquer coating on core paper layers 10
hll~ , ' with phenol resin
Decorated paper 9 illl~llGL, ' I with melamine resin provided with
an acrylic resin lacquer layer
Composite 1
Steel plate
The process steps c) to g) are carried out as in Example 1.
The examples are considered to be ~Y~ f ' y but not limiting.
- -
~ 21 77433
g
se
The plastic-paper composite of the invention may be used advantageously
for the production of a w~aLl~ our laminated sheet with surface protection.
Weather resistance is achieved by an acrylic layer. The surface protection is
represented by the plastic-paper composite of the invention so that the
w~dLh~ vof laminated sheet provided with the acrylate layer is protected againstdamage caused, for example, during L~ ulLlLiull.
