Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Forming continuous or indefinite length work – Layered – stratified traversely of length – or multiphase...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-08
2001-05-01
Michl, Paul R. (Department: 1714)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Forming continuous or indefinite length work
Layered, stratified traversely of length, or multiphase...
C427S389900
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224804
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates to a floor covering that causes essentially no unpleasant odors and/or health damaging emissions and furthermore will show no discoloration by aging for a lengthy time period, as well as a method for manufacturing the floor covering.
Rubber-based elastomer coverings are one of the higher quality floor coverings because of their durability and high utility. Vulcanization and processing additives or agents have the tendency to emit chemical elements from the floor covering in their unchanged or chemically altered form.
In general, rubbers of various types that may be vulcanized are used as polymeric binders for floor coverings. These rubbers are mainly SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber), NR (natural rubber), IR, IIR and NBR rubber whereby cross-linking is caused by cross-linking agents like sulfur, in combination with vulcanization additives. These vulcanization additives may be vulcanization accelerators like mercapto compounds, sulfenamides, thiuram, guanidine, dithiocarbamate, and amines; vulcanization decelerators like phthalic anhydride and N-cyclohexyl thiophthalimide, and preservatives like 2-mercapto benzimidazole; masticators like 2,2′-dibenzamido-diphenyl-disulfide; softeners or processing oils, strengthening resins like phenol-formaldehyde resin and vulcanization activators like zinc oxide. These cross-linking agents and additives are not totally converted during the vulcanization process. Thereby these additives or the by-products generated during the vulcanization process remain partially in the system or are emitted from this rubber system. This emission process may last for a long time period. This occurs in floor covering mainly when it is removed from packaging and is installed on the floor with an adhesive on a suitable backing. Temperature, humidity and ventilation of an enclosed area further influence the process of emission.
In general, an unpleasant odor derives from the emitting vulcanization additives in the rubber system or from the by-products generated during the vulcanization process and this may also be health damaging in certain concentrations. It also has been shown that emitting substances from rubber-based floor coverings may stain white walls (plaster, wall paints etc.) under certain circumstances. Additionally, rubber-based elastomer floor coverings undergo an aging process that may be noticed as a disadvantage in the discoloring of design floor covering, for example by yellowing.
Therefore, the problem underlying the present invention is to provide a floor covering that is low in emission, resists the aging process, may be designed in variable colors, is aesthetic, is manufactured homogeneously and has elastomeric rubber-like qualities without the presence of vulcanized rubber.
This problem is solved by the embodiments characterized in the patent claims. In particular, a floor covering is provided that contains at least one elastomer based on a polyolefin with a density of <0.918 g/cm
3
as a polymeric binder. The elastomer may be polyethylene with a very low density (PE-VLD) or a copolymer from ethylene with at least one additional olefin, like propene or butene. Preferably, a PE-VLD with a density of about 0.85-0.892 g/cm
3
is used, more preferred is a density of 0.86-0.87 g/cm
3
.
The polyolefin used according to the invention, is cross-linked with a suitable cross-linking agent, an aromatic-free organic peroxide and with process enhancing additives like alkylenealkoxysilanes, trialkylencyanurate as well as dibutyltin dilaurate or mixtures thereof. For example, suitable cross-linking agents are as follows:
Preferred
Range
range
weight
weight
%
%
peroxide
DHBP: 2,5 dimethyl-2,5di-
0-4.0
0.1-1.2
(tert.-butylperoxy) hexan
(e.g. up
(Peroxidchemie Company)
to 0.4)
alkylenealkoxy-
vinyltrimethoxyhydrosilicone or
0-4.0
0-1.0
silanes
vinyltriethoxyhydrosilicone
(e.g. up
(Wacker Company)
to 0.4
trialkylene-
trialkylenecyanurate
0-3.0
0.6-1.0
cyanurate
(Degussa Company)
catalyst
DBTL: dibutyltin dilaurate
0-0.2
0-0.05
(Erbsloeh Company)
The floor covering according to the present invention contains, for example, the above-defined thermoplastic polyolefin and elastomer, respectively, and its preferred ranges are as follows (weight percent):
Preferred
value [%]
Range [%]
example
Binder PE-VLD
DOW XU 5800052
25-75
53.5
DOW DSK 8801
25-75
53.5
Binder PE-VLD
Exxon Exact 4041
25-75
53.5
Exxon exact 4033
25-75
53.5
Furthermore, the floor covering according to the present invention may contain fillers or a mixture thereof. Examples of fillers and their preferred ranges are as follows (weight percent):
Pre-
ferred
value
[%]
ex-
Type
Range
am-
Fillers
example
Supplier
[%]
ple
quartz powder
Sirkon SF 300
Quarzwerke
0-50
22.5
GmbH
kaoline
Nucap EDL 200
Lehmann &
0-20
8.5
Voss & Co
talc
Alpha Talc CT
Alpha-Calcit
0-20
8.0
8/46
Fuellstoffe
GmbH KG
wood dust
Holzmuehle
wood dust type
0-50
25
Westerkamp & Co
120
wood dust
Holzmuehle
wood dust type
0-50
25
Westerkamp & Co
70
dolomite
KL 30
Naintsch
0-40
20
Mineralwerke
Graz
aluminum
Martinal ON 313
Martinswerke
0-30
15
trihydroxide
GmbH
precipitated silica
P 820
Degussa AG
0-40
20
heavy spar
Schwerspat TS
Sachtleben
0-50
22.5
chalk
Omyacarb 6
Omya
0-50
22.5
Furthermore, the following inorganic pigments may be contained, for example, in the floor covering according to the present invention depending on the color scheme and color matching, respectively (weight percent):
Preferred value
Pigments
Supplier
Range [%]
[%] (example)
Kronos 2200
Kronos Titan
0-8
3.5
Bayferrox 140
Bayer AG
0-3
″
Bayferrox 830
Bayer AG
0-3
″
Hostaprint A 2 H 31
Hoechst AG
0-3
″
Optionally, the usual processing agents and process-enhancing additives, respectively, may be contained in the floor covering of the present invention. An example of such a processing agent is shown below (weight percent):
Type
Range
Preferred value
Slip additive
example
Supplier
[%]
[%] (example)
stearic acid
Barolub
Barlocher
0.1-1.5
1.0
FTA
GmbH
In addition, antioxidants, UV stabilizers and such may be contained. Examples are as follows (weight percent):
Type
Range
Preferred value
Stabilizers
example
Supplier
[%]
[%] (example)
antioxidant
Irganox
Ciba Geigy AG
0-0.5
0.1
1010
UV stabilizer
Chimassorb
Ciba Geigy AG
0-0.5
0.1
944 Fl
By the elastomers used as a polymeric binder according to the present invention, the floor covering of the present invention has essentially no unpleasant odors and/or health damaging emissions in comparison to known floor coverings where SBR rubber is used as elastomer. Above all, the floor covering according to the present invention has a very high abrasion resistance in comparison to known rubber-based floor coverings. Surprisingly, the surface energy of the floor covering manufactured in such a manner may be increased by corona treatment so that the primer has better adhesion, which would result in better adhesive strength compared to rubber-based floor coverings. In addition, a lower discoloration (yellowing) during the life of the material has been found in the floor covering of the present invention. Thereby, a sufficiently flexible design and color scheme may be obtained in addition to a sufficiently aging resistance and low emission, while the desired elastomeric qualities still are maintained.
Another object of the present invention is a method for manufacturing the floor covering of the present invention, comprising the steps of providing a backing in form of sheeting and applying the above defined elastomers on one surface of the backing.
All material used for backing in floor covering that has been used up to now can still be used, may it be natural and/or synthetic fabric, woven cloth, or textile fabric. The following may be used, for example: Jute fabric, mixed fabrics made from natural fibers like cotton or viscose staple fiber, fiberglass cloth, fiberglass cloth coated with an adhesive agent, mixed fabrics made from synthetic fibers,
Fischer Bernd
Griesinger Tilman
Olnhausen Heinz Von
Schwonke Karl-Heinz
DLW Aktiengesellschaft
Michl Paul R.
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC
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