Film for floor coverings

Abstract

The invention relates to a film for use in a resilient floor covering, wherein the film comprises (a) a first layer and (b) a second layer and wherein the first layer has a Shore D hardness of 60 to 80 at 20° C. and the second layer has a Shore D hardness of 40 to 65 at 20° C. Also provided is a composite laminate floor covering comprising the film of the invention. Also provided is a floor tile comprising the film of the invention.

Claims

1. A film for use in a resilient floor covering, wherein the film comprises (a) a first layer and (b) a second layer, wherein the second layer comprises a wear layer and/or a backing layer, and an uppermost layer is the first layer positioned on the top of the second layer, and wherein the first layer has a Shore D hardness of 65 to 80 at 20° C. and the second layer has a Shore D hardness of 40 to 60 at 20° C.

2. The film of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a plasticiser.

3. The film of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the first layer is from 12 to 600 microns.

4. The film of claim 1, wherein the first layer is a rigid layer.

5. The film of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a thermoplastic polymer.

6. The film of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a thermoplastic polymer and said thermoplastic polymer is PVC resin.

7. The film of claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises a plasticiser.

8. The film of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the second layer is 125 microns or more.

9. The film of claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises a thermoplastic polymer.

10. The film of claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises a thermoplastic polymer and said thermoplastic polymer is PVC resin.

11. The film of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a third layer and a print layer.

12. The film of claim 1, wherein the backing layer comprises one or more platelet type fillers.

13. The film of claim 1, wherein the backing layer comprises non-platelet fillers.

14. The film of claim 13, wherein the non-platelet filler comprises calcium carbonate, dolomite, magnesium hydroxide, ATH, magnesium, carbonate, calcium sulphate, SiO.sub.2, feldspar and glass beads.

15. The film of claim 1, wherein the wear layer is a clear layer.

16. A composite laminate resilient floor covering comprising the film according to claim 1.

17. A floor tile comprising the film according to claim 1.

18. The composite laminate according to claim 16, wherein the first layer comprises a combination of a third layer and a printed layer and the uppermost layer is the third layer which is positioned on the top of the printed layer and the printed layer is positioned on the top of the wear layer or the backing layer.

19. The film of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a plasticiser in a total amount of 20% w/w or less, based on the total weight of the first layer.

20. The film of claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises a plasticiser in a total amount from 7 to 40% w/w, based on the total weight of the second layer.

21. The film of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a thermoplastic polymer, and wherein said thermoplastic polymer is selected from polyvinyl chloride resin or polymer (PVC), ethylene methacrylate (EMA), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyurethane (PU) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).

22. The film of claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises a thermoplastic polymer, and wherein said thermoplastic polymer is selected from polyvinyl chloride resin or polymer (PVC), ethylene methacrylate (EMA), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyurethane (PU) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).

23. The floor tile according to claim 17, wherein the first layer comprises a combination of a third layer and a printed layer and the uppermost layer is the third layer which is positioned on the top of the printed layer and the printed layer is positioned on the top of the wear layer or the backing layer.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) A number of embodiments of the invention will now be further described, by means of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which:

(2) FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c are cross sections of a film according to the present invention, showing the layers.

(3) FIG. 2 is a cross section of a tile, composite laminate or portion of a floor covering having a film according to the present invention.

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross section of a film according to the present invention.

(5) Examples of films of the invention are shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c and 3.

(6) FIG. 1a illustrates a film in accordance with the present invention having an upper first layer (a) and a second layer being a wear layer (b). FIG. 1b illustrates a film in accordance with the present invention having an upper first layer (a) and a second layer being a backing layer (c). FIG. 1c illustrates a film in accordance with the present invention having an upper first layer (a) and a second layer comprising a wear layer (b) and a backing layer (c) positioned beneath the wear layer (b).

(7) In each of FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c the first layer (a) has a thickness of from 50 to 380 μm.

(8) In each of FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c the first layer (a) has a Shore D hardness of 60 to 80, for example from 65 to 75, at 20° C.

(9) In FIG. 1a the second layer is a wear layer (b) and in FIG. 1b the second layer is a backing layer (c) where these second layers have a thickness of at least 250 μm. The Shore D hardness of the second layers (b) and (c), or at least the upper 250 μm of each of these layers, is 40 to 65, from example 50 to 60 at 20° C.

(10) In FIG. 1c the second layer comprises a combination of a wear layer (b) and a backing layer (c). The second layer has a thickness of at least 250 μm. The Shore D hardness of the second layer, or at least the upper 250 μm of this layer, is 50 to 60 at 20° C.

(11) FIG. 2 illustrates a floor tile, composite laminate or a portion of a floor covering comprising a film according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 1a, a decorative layer in the form of a printed patterned layer (d) positioned beneath the wear layer (b). Positioned beneath the printed patterned layer (d) there is a backing layer (e).

(12) In FIG. 2, the first layer (a) has a thickness of 152 μm, the wear layer (b) has a thickness of 508 μm, the printed layer (d) has a thickness of 50 μm and the backing layer (e) has a thickness of 838 μm.

(13) FIG. 3 illustrates a film in accordance with the present invention having an upper first layer (a) being a third layer (a1) and a printed layer (a2) and a second layer being a wear layer (b).

(14) In FIG. 3 the third layer (a1) has a thickness of 152 μm and the printed layer (a2) has thickness of 76 μm. Each of these layers ((a1) and (a2)) forming the first layer (a) has a Shore D hardness between 60 to 80 at 20° C.

(15) The scratch improvements of the films according to the inventions were demonstrated using an Elcometer 3092 Sclerometer Hardness Tester. A luxury vinyl tile with a standard hardness first layer typically shows white scratching with forces of around 8-14 N, however with the film according to present invention at the surface this is improved to 16-24 N (sclerometer test is emboss dependent and these ranges apply to smooth embosses). In addition as mentioned above the reduction of the thickness of the first layer has been found to have an effect on the scratching performance of the film, so the scratch resistance improves when the thickness of the first layer is reduced.

Example 1: Film Composition

(16) TABLE-US-00001 Film 1 w/w % First Layer (a): PVC resin 84.3 Plasticiser 6.3 Secondary stabiliser 5.0 Heat stabiliser 1.9 UV stabiliser 0.4 Process aid 2.1 Second Layer: Wear Layer (b): PVC resin 76.1 Plasticiser 15.2 Secondary stabiliser 4.8 Heat stabiliser 1.7 UV stabiliser 0.3 Process aid 1.9

(17) The first layer (a) of film 1 has a thickness of 254 μm and a Shore D hardness of 65-75 at 20° C. The second layer of film 1 is a clear wear layer (b) having thickness of 254 μm and a Shore D hardness of 50-60 at 20° C.

Example 2: Film Composition

(18) TABLE-US-00002 Film 2 w/w % First Layer (a): PVC resin 84.3 Plasticiser 6.3 Secondary stabiliser 5.0 Heat stabiliser 1.9 UV stabiliser 0.4 Process aid 2.1 Second Layer: Backing Layer (c): PVC resin 36.5 Plasticiser 11.9 Secondary stabiliser 2.2 Heat stabiliser 1.0 Mineral filler 47.5 Process aid 0.9

(19) The first layer (a) of film 2 has a thickness of 254 μm and a Shore D hardness of 65-75 at 20° C. The second layer of film 2 is a backing layer (b) with thickness of 254 μm and a Shore D hardness of 50-60 at 20° C.

Example 3: Film Composition

(20) TABLE-US-00003 Film 3 w/w % First Layer (a): PVC resin 84.3 Plasticiser 6.3 Secondary stabiliser 5.0 Heat stabiliser 1.9 UV stabiliser 0.4 Process aid 2.1 Second Layer: Wear Layer (b): PVC resin 73 Plasticiser 18.3 Secondary stabiliser 4.4 Heat stabiliser 2.0 UV stabiliser 0.4 Process Aid 1.9 Second Layer: Backing Layer (c): PVC resin 36.5 Plasticiser 11.9 Secondary stabiliser 2.2 Heat stabiliser 1.0 Mineral filler 47.5 Process aid 0.9

(21) The first layer (a) of film 3 has a thickness of 254 μm and a Shore D hardness of 65-75 at 20° C. The second layer of film 3 is a combination of a wear layer (b) with a thickness of 127 μm and a backing layer (c) with a thickness of 127 μm. In the second layer the wear layer (b) has a Shore D hardness of 50-52 at 20° C. and the backing layer (c) has a Shore D hardness of 50-60 at 20° C.

Example 4: First Layer Composition

(22) TABLE-US-00004 First Layer w/w % Third Layer (a1): PVC resin 84.3 Plasticiser 6.3 Secondary stabiliser 5.0 Heat stabiliser 1.9 UV stabiliser 0.4 Process aid 2.1 Printed Layer (a2): PVC 77.5 Plasticiser 3.9 Pigment 7.7 Acrylic Modifier 10.1 Stabiliser 0.8

(23) The first layer has a third layer (a1) with a thickness of 254 μm and a Shore D hardness of 65-75 at 20° C. and a printed layer (a2) with a thickness of 76 μm and a Shore D hardness of 60-70 at 20° C.

Example 5: Tile

(24) A floor covering was prepared by laminating together in the following sequence:

(25) (1) an upper 254 μm first layer having the composition of the first layer (a) of film 1,

(26) (2) a 508 μm wear layer having the composition of the second layer (b) of film 1,

(27) (3) a 76 μm pattered printed layer

(28) (4) a 768.5 μm filled backing layer.

Example 6: Scratch Resistance

(29) Floor coverings with and without a film according to the present invention were compared to study the effect of having a first layer with a D hardness of 60 to 80 at 20° C. and having a second layer with a D hardness of 40 to 65 at 20° C. The scratch resistance was determined using an Elcometer 3092 Sclerometer Hardness Tester.

(30) TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 1 Details of upper two Thickness Force required to layers of tile (μm) Hardness get white scratching Tile 1: First layer 50.8 65-75D 20N Second layer 254 50-60D Tile 2 (comparative): First layer 360 50-55D 12N Second layer 550 50-60D Tile 3 (comparative): First layer 508 65-75D 15N Second layer 254 70-75D

(31) Table 1 shows that a tile (Tile 1) having a film according to the present invention has improved scratch resistance than tiles with a film having a Shore D hardness of the first layer outside the range of 60 to 80 at 20° C. or a Shore D hardness of the second layer outside the range of 40 to 65 at 20° C. The scratch performance of a tile (Tile 2) with a Shore D hardness of the first layer below 60 was significantly decreased. Likewise the scratch performance of a tile (Tile 3) with a Shore D hardness of the second layer above 65 was also significantly decreased.

Example 7: Scratch Resistance

(32) Three films (films 4-6) having the compositions set forth for film 1 and different thickness were prepared and the scratch resistance of their first layer was determined using an Elcometer 3092 Sclerometer Hardness Tester.

(33) TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 2 Thickness Force required to (μm) Hardness get white scratching Film 4: First layer 50.8 65-75D 20N Second layer 254 50-60D Film 5: First layer 381 65-75D 18N Second layer 254 50-60D Film 6: First layer 508 65-75D 16N Second layer 254 50-60D

(34) Table 2 shows that the scratch performance benefits of films according to the invention declined when the thickness of the first layer is increased.

Example 8: VOC Emissions

(35) TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 3 Tile with Tile 2 film of the Parameters (comparative) invention TVOC (3 Days, μg/m.sup.3) 250-700 133 TSVOC (3 Days, μg/m.sup.3)  0-10 0 R value (3 Days, μg/m.sup.3) 0.5-1.sup.  0.088 VOC (Without LCI, 3 Days,  10-100 37 μg/m.sup.3) Carcinogenic Compounds 0 0 (C1A, C1B 3 Days, μg/m.sup.3) Formaldehyde 0-5 0 (3 Days, μg/m.sup.3) TVOC (28 Days, μg/m.sup.3) 300-400 <200 TSVOC (28 Days, μg/m.sup.3) 6 <10 R value (28 Days, μg/m.sup.3) 0.5-1.sup.  <0.1 VOC (Without LCI, 28 Days, 8 <10 μg/m.sup.3) Carcinogenic Compounds None None (C1A, C1B 28 Days, μg/m.sup.3) detected detected Formaldehyde    0.004 None (28 Days, μg/m.sup.3) detected

(36) A floor covering (luxury vinyl tile) having a film according to the present invention and a luxury vinyl tile with a standard first layer were subjected to VOC release measurements according to ISO 16000-6. The floor covering having a film according to the present invention displayed a significant reduction in VOC after 28 days.