JPS5851067B2 - Method for manufacturing floor coverings - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for producing a novel floor covering material, and more particularly to a method for producing a long and wide floor covering material made of synthetic resin and having a flower-shaped or flyer-like pattern.

Conventionally, long and wide floor covering materials have been used with single colored and unpatterned materials, and foamed materials using chemical embossing methods, but in the case of the former, various performance as a floor covering material,
For example, it has excellent walkability, abrasion resistance, water resistance, and chemical resistance, but it has the disadvantage of poor decorativeness because it is not colored or patterned.

In the latter case, although it has excellent decorative properties, it lacks the basic properties as a floor covering material, that is, wear resistance, water resistance, and chemical resistance.It is used in places where many people walk, such as department stores and station buildings. It is not used on the floors of factories, station buildings, schools, research institutes, etc.

Therefore, there has been a demand for a new floor covering material that has excellent decorative properties and basic characteristics as a floor covering material, but a practical floor covering material has not yet been provided.

The present invention has been made in this background, and an example of its implementation will be explained with reference to the drawings. It is comprised of the following steps.

That is, the main layer 1 is formed of a synthetic resin with a high softening temperature, and one or both sides of the main layer 1 is made of a synthetic resin with a softening temperature lower than that of the main layer, and the main layer is colored. The first step is to prepare a sheet A1 or A2 by providing surface layers 2 and 2' with different colors, and crushing this to obtain fine pellets A3 or A4. The second step is the step of preparing a foamable base layer B by laminating a foamable synthetic resin layer 4 on the top surface of the foamable base layer B. or A
4 or a mixture thereof to a desired thickness by a reverse roll method or a doctor knife method to form a fine pellet layer b1 is the third step, and then the pellet mounting base layer B The fourth step is to introduce the fine pellets into the heating furnace to soften the fine pellets and to foam the foamable synthetic resin layer 4 of the foamable base layer B. While in the sufficiently heated state, the fine pellets are fed between press rolls 6 and 7 having a predetermined roll gap to smooth and homogenize the surface of the fine pellet layer b2. The step of applying the transparent coating film 8 is the sixth step, in which the transparent coating film 8 is heated to gel or dry, and then supplied to an embossing device having a predetermined gap to form the transparent coating film 8 on the transparent coating film 8. The seventh step is the step of applying a fine satin pattern to the surface and adjusting the overall thickness to a predetermined thickness.

This is a manufacturing method consisting of first to seventh steps.

The fine pellets A3 or A4 in the first step are main layer 1
Synthetic resin sheet A1 or A2 laminated with and surface layer 2
This synthetic resin is a soft synthetic resin, such as vinyl chloride resin, or a copolymer resin with other components such as vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer resin, or vinyl chloride resin with NBR or CPE. A soft vinyl chloride resin system whose main component is a mixture of rubber components and other resin components that have an affinity for vinyl chloride resin, and other components such as plasticizers and fillers as necessary are blended with this. is the best.

In this case, the main layer 1 of the synthetic resin sheet A1 or A2 is made to have a high softening temperature by heating, such as by gradually reducing the amount of plasticizer and adding a large amount of filler. Keep it as a combination system.

Of course, such properties can be achieved by increasing the degree of polymerization of the resin itself in addition to the above-mentioned method, so the method is not particularly limited to the above-mentioned method.

In contrast to the main layer 1, the surface layer 2 must be of a formulation with a low softening temperature.

The expressions ``high softening temperature'' and ``low softening temperature'' are extremely ambiguous expressions, but these are determined relatively depending on the temperature at which the fine pellet A3 or A4 is softened, so the absolute value is It is not possible to use expressions such as

However, the main layer 1 is required to soften but not melt under a certain heating temperature and not to fluidize when a pressing force is applied, but the surface layers 2 and 2' layer 1
When a pressing force is applied to the fine pellets, it is necessary to fill the gaps between the fine pellets and promote mutual flow between the fine grains so as to form a dense layer.

Therefore, these relationships can only be understood in terms of the softening state during heating, that is, the level of softening temperature, but in terms of specific blending technology, they can be defined as follows.

That is, the main layer 1 is made of vinyl chloride resin 1 with a degree of polymerization of about 1000.
A suitable composition is approximately 40 parts of a plasticizer such as DOP and 100-150 parts of a filler such as heavy calcium carbonate per 00 parts by weight. DOP for 100 parts by weight of a vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer resin containing about 800 and 5 parts of vinyl acetate, or a combination resin of 70 parts by weight of the copolymer resin and 30 parts by weight of the above vinyl chloride resin. A suitable composition is a composition containing approximately 50 parts of a plasticizer such as the above, and 10 to 50 parts of heavy calcium carbonate.

Furthermore, the expressions "softening temperature is high" or "low" also relate to flexibility at room temperature.

That is, the main layer 1 is hard even at room temperature, so if the decorative layer is composed only of the main layer 1, the overall rigidity is high and there remains a problem in terms of workability, but the presence of the surface layers 2 and 2' Since these stiffnesses are relaxed, a flexible floor covering material can be obtained as a whole.

The foamable synthetic resin layer 4 in the second step basically contains 2
There are two classifications.

In one case, the foamable synthetic resin layer 4 is in a solid phase and is rolled and coated directly onto the backing material 3 by a calendar method, and in the other one, the foamable synthetic resin layer 4 is in a liquid phase, such as PVC paste, and is coated on the backing material 3 by rolling. This is a method carried out by law.

In the former case, the force can be said to be a general method; in the latter case, it is not possible to apply directly onto the backing material 3 such as base fabric, asbestos paper, non-woven fabric, etc. Therefore, once it is applied on the release paper, A method is used in which the material is gelled, and then these backing materials are laminated on top of the material.

Either method can be used in the method of the present invention.

The adhesive 5 is shown in FIG. 7, and this adhesive 5 is used to prevent the fine pellets A3 or A4 from shaking.When softened and melted, the adhesive 5 is used to maintain the adhesion between the fine pellet layer b1 and the foam layer 4'. There is no positive meaning such as improving.

In either case of the calendar method or the PVC paste method, the adhesive layer 5 is not indispensable.

As mentioned above, there are two methods for providing the foamable synthetic resin layer 4, but both of them involve adding a chemical foaming agent such as azodicarbonamide (hereinafter referred to as AC) to the synthetic resin composition. A material that can make the resin layer foamy by generating N2 gas at a temperature of 210-230°C is used.

The role of the foamable base layer B is extremely important in the method of the present invention.

That is, in the third step, fine pellets are spread and placed on the foamable base layer B to form a layer with a predetermined thickness b1, but in this case, the fine pellet layer b1 is formed by the fine pellets colliding with each other. The layers are formed in a very rough arrangement.

In the next fourth step, the fine pellets are placed in a heating furnace to soften and melt, and the base layer is foamed, and in the fifth step, they are compacted by a pressing roll 6.7, but the fine pellets A, Alternatively, the surface of the A4 sheet is compacted by the pressure roll 6, but the inside or back surface cannot be sufficiently compacted due to the presence of the foam layer 4', that is, the foam layer 4' acts as a cushion.

However, instead, the foamed layer 4' enters the space between the fine pellets A3 and A4 and fills the void, so that the void in the fine pellet layer is eliminated.

If this foam layer does not exist, the fine pellet layer b1 will directly receive the pressing force from the pressure roll, so the fine pellets will flow in areas with uneven thickness, especially in areas where the thickness is thick. , the pellet loses its shape and exhibits a marble-like fluidized pattern, and on the other hand, in thinner areas, rough voids remain on the surface because sufficient pressing force is not applied to make the surface smooth. .

Therefore, the presence of the foam layer 4' in the foam base layer B is essential for densifying the fine pellet layer b1 and preserving and maintaining the pellet shape, and plays an extremely important role in the manufacturing method of the present invention. It is the process or structure that it has.

Softening and melting of the fine pellets and foaming of the foamable base material B are usually performed in a hot air heating furnace called a foaming furnace.

This foaming furnace is generally divided into three or four heating zones; the first zone is heated to around 210°C, and the second zone is
The third zone and the fourth zone are heated to a temperature of 20° C. and 230 to 235° C., and softening and foaming occur while passing through these zones for about 2 minutes.

The compacting of the fine pellet layer b1 and the pressing of the foam layer 4' are usually performed immediately after exiting the fourth zone.

However, the positional problem is not so important in the present invention, and the point is that the fine pellet layer b1 is compacted to form a pellet layer b2 with a smooth and uniform surface. Furthermore, it is sufficient that the foam layer 4' enters into the voids inside the pellet layer 2 or in the portion in contact with the foam layer 4' due to this pressure and fills the gaps between the pellets. It is considered that the expression "heated state to such an extent that a state occurs" is sufficient.

When the fine pellet layer b2 after such pressing is expressed through microscopic observation, it is found that the fine pellet layer b2 is fine pellet A3. The main layer 1 of A4 does not show much change in shape, but the surface layer 2
The pellets are melted together with the surface layers 2 of other pellets and press-fitted into the gaps between the main layers 1, and even the smoothed surface portions form a smoother surface due to this phenomenon.

In addition, in the inner layer where the fine pellet layer b2 is in contact with the foam layer 4N, the pellets are not deformed much and the pellets can be seen with a lumpy feel, but the pressed foam layer 4'' has a rough surface. The foamed layer 4'' is in close contact with the foam layer and forms the same boundary surface, and no large voids or gaps are observed, and it is clearly seen that the foam layer 4'' has penetrated and filled these voids and gaps.

Although the surface of the fine pellet layer b2 that has been smoothed and homogenized in this way is densified, this is only a macroscopic expression, and microscopically there are many small voids remaining. In order to fill the voids and further improve the performance as a floor covering material, a transparent resin layer 8 is provided on the upper surface of the fine pellet layer b2.

However, the construction or existence of this transparent resin layer 8 itself is a well-known method other than the present invention, and does not have any particular novelty. In this sense, it can be said to be an indispensable method in the method of the present invention, since it becomes clogged with mud and impairs stain resistance.

After providing this transparent resin film 8, it is heated and dried or gelated, and then embossed using an embossing device (not shown).
A fine satin pattern is applied on the transparent resin layer 8 to give the whole a subdued glossy surface suitable for a floor covering material.

Furthermore, the fine pellets A3゜A4 used in the third step are not limited to one type, and may be mixed with those having surface layers 2 and 2' on both sides, such as A4 with respect to A3, or with the same type. Even if it has an A3 + A4 structure,
It goes without saying that the use of a mixture of fine pellets of different colors should be designed arbitrarily and freely.

Next, specific embodiments of the present invention will be explained using examples.

Example 1 (1) Manufacturing composition of main layer 1 Vinyl chloride resin (degree of polymerization 1000) 100 parts by weight DOP
40 //
Epoxidized soybean oil 2〃Heavy calcium carbonate 150〃Stabilizer 3〃Pigment (dark brown) Appropriate amount Mix the above mixture with an intensive mixer, thoroughly knead with a mixing roll, and use an inverted 4-roll calender to give 0.8 m A brown sheet with a thickness of /m is obtained.

(2) Surface layer lamination and grain refinement 2 Vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer (vinyl acetate content 5%, degree of polymerization 800) 100 parts by weight D OP
50 Epoxidized soybean oil 2 Heavy calcium carbonate
50 〃Stabilizer (liquid) 3 〃 Pigment None The above mixture was mixed with an intensive mixer, thoroughly kneaded with a mixing roll, and laminated on one side of the main layer to a thickness of 0.30 m/m using an inverted 4-roll calender. , total thickness 1.10 m
A 7 m long laminated sheet was obtained.

This laminated sheet is passed through a pulverizer to obtain fine pellets A2 having an average particle size of 15 mesh.

(3) Manufacturing formulation of foamable base material B 3 Vinyl chloride resin (polymerization degree 5OO) OP Epoxidized soybean oil foaming agent (AC) Light calcium carbonate stabilizer titanium oxide (type A) 100 parts by weight 80 〃 3 〃 6 〃Q 20 〃 3 〃 5 〃 After mixing the above mixture with an intensive mixer and thoroughly kneading it with a mixing roll, a 1950 m wide linen cloth (1 inch Number of threads per piece, vertical x horizontal = 19 x 1
8) to obtain a foam base material B having a total thickness of 0.7 m/m.

(4) Spreading and placing fine pellets (formation into a fine pellet layer) The fine pellets A2 with an average particle size of 15 mesh obtained in (2) above were immediately rolled to a thickness of 3.3 mm by a reverse roll method as described above ( 3
) was spread and placed on the foamable base material B obtained in .

In this case no adhesive layer was used. (5) Softening of the fine pellets introduced into the heating furnace and foaming of the base layer.

Furnace length is 32m, first zone 6m, second zone 8m, third zone.
A heating furnace was used, each having a fourth zone of 9 m and the following temperature conditions.

1st zone 205°C 2nd zone 215°C 3rd zone 220°C 4th zone 230°C The introduction speed was 12.8 m/min and the residence time in the furnace was 2.5.

The roll gap created immediately after exiting the 4th zone is 2.2m/
The pellets are fed between suppressing rolls (roll 6 is a metal roll engraved with a satin pattern, roll 7 is a rubber roll) adjusted to a diameter of m to smooth and uniform the pellet surface (fine pellet layer b).
2) and at the same time pressed to a total thickness of 2.3 m/m.

The sheet was cooled and wound into rolls.

(6) Coating formulation of transparent coating layer 4 Vinyl chloride for paste 100 parts by weight DOP
401/ Epoxidized dog bean oil 5 Stabilizer (liquid) 3 Mix the above formulation with a sigma blade mixer, add a viscosity modifier to adjust the viscosity to 2500 cps, defoam, and press the paste as described above. 0.1m/m on the sheet surface
The paste is applied thickly, and then introduced into a heating furnace at 180°C to gel the paste, while at the same time heating and softening the entire sheet. Immediately after being discharged from the heating furnace, a gap of 2.0 m/m is maintained in advance. A satin pattern was embossed on the transparent coating layer by introducing the sheet into a clearance embossing device, which is currently available in Japan, and at the same time the entire sheet was pressed and compressed to obtain a floor covering material with a thickness of 2.0 m/m.

The overall impression of this floor covering material was brownish-brown, but white dotted patterns were distributed over the entire surface within the brownish tone, and a well-decorated floor covering material in the shape of brown granite was obtained as a whole.

Since the present invention produces a floor covering material through the steps described above, the floor covering material thus obtained has the following characteristics.

The first feature is that the decorative layer or floor covering material layer is composed of fine pellets, so even if it wears down, the same surface always appears from the bottom layer, making it an extremely durable floor covering material. The second characteristic is that although it is an aggregate of fine pellets, it is extremely smooth, and this is only possible due to the presence of the foam base layer.

In addition, the third feature is that even though the fine pellets are used as a decorative layer or a floor covering layer, they are flexible as a whole.
There is no curling of the terminal, and construction can always be carried out flat against the floor surface.

This is due to the presence of the foamable base layer and the two-layer structure of the fine pellets, the main layer and the surface layer.

The fourth feature is that even though fine pellets are used as a decorative layer, the surface is dense, and a smooth and uniform surface with no voids or gaps can be obtained. This is due to the fact that it has a two-layer structure consisting of a main layer with a high softening temperature and a surface layer with a low softening temperature.

Furthermore, the fifth feature is that during the third step, that is, spreading and placing the fine pellets, various pattern effects can be easily created by mixing and using various different colored fine pellets. The point is that a floor covering material with the following characteristics can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an example of the implementation of the manufacturing method of the present invention, and FIGS. 1 to 7 are process explanatory diagrams, FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the manufactured floor covering material, and FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view thereof. In the figure,
A1. A2 is a fine pellet, B is a foam base layer, bl is a fine pellet layer, b2 is a pellet layer with a smooth and uniform surface, 1 is the ecology of the sheet, 2 is the surface of the sheet, 3 is the backing material, 4 is the A foamable synthetic resin layer, 4' is a foam layer, 4'' is a pressed foam layer, 6 and 7 are press rolls, and 8 is a transparent coating layer.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A method for manufacturing a floor covering material, characterized in that the floor covering material is manufactured by the following steps. 1) The main layer is formed of a synthetic resin with a high softening temperature, and one or both sides of the main layer are colored with a softening temperature lower than that of the main layer and different from that of the main layer. 1st step of crushing the sheet provided with the surface layer of synthetic resin to obtain fine pellets 2) Preparing a foamable base layer by laminating a foamable synthetic resin layer on the top surface of the base fabric or other backing material Step 2 3) Spread the fine pellets obtained in step 1 on the top surface of the foamable base layer. A third step of spreading and placing the pellets to a predetermined thickness using a reverse roll method or a doctor knife method 4) Next, the pellet mounting base layer is introduced into a heating furnace,
Fourth step of softening the fine pellets and foaming the foamable base layer 5) The pellet laminated sheet discharged from the heating furnace is
While still in a sufficiently heated state, the fine pellet layer is supplied between press rolls having a predetermined gap to make the surface of the fine pellet layer smooth and uniform. 6) A transparent powder is applied onto the smooth and uniform surface of the fine pellet layer. 6th step of applying a transparent coating film 7) After the transparent coating film is heated to gel or dry, it is supplied to an embossing device having a predetermined gap to form a fine satin pattern on the transparent coating film. The seventh step is to adjust the thickness to the desired thickness at the same time.