METHOD FOR PRODUCING A PRINTED DECORATIVE PAPER

Abstract

The present invention relates to method for producing a printed decorative paper comprising the steps of: i) providing a substrate paper; ii) applying to said substrate paper a decorative layer; iii) applying to said decorative layer a liquid coating consisting essentially of a polymerizable mixture; iv) applying polymerization conditions to form a polymerized layer on said decorative layer. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a printed decorative paper, which decorative paper is processed to form a decorative panel, which decorative panel thus obtained will exhibit a good resistance against weather influences.

Claims

1. A method for producing a printed decorative paper comprising the steps of: i) providing a substrate paper; ii) applying to said substrate paper a decorative layer; iii) applying to said decorative layer a liquid coating comprising a polymerizable mixture; iv) applying polymerization conditions to form a polymerized layer on said decorative layer, wherein said step ii) of applying to said substrate paper a decorative layer comprises a step a) of applying a binder and metallic pigments on said substrate paper for manufacturing a printed metallic layer.

2. The method for producing a printed decorative paper according to claim 1, wherein said step ii) further comprises after step a) a step b) of applying a composition comprising additional binder and pigments in discrete parts on said printed metallic layer obtained according to step a) for manufacturing a printed pigmented design layer, wherein said pigments in step b) are non-metallic pigments wherein the amount of said composition of step b) comprises binder and non-metallic pigments, applied in an amount of 2-15 g/m.sup.2.

3. The method for producing a printed decorative paper according to claim 2, wherein step b) is repeated at least two times for obtaining several layers of additional binder and pigments in discrete parts for manufacturing several printed pigmented design layers, wherein said pigments in step b) are non-metallic pigments wherein the amount of said composition of step b) comprises binder and non-metallic pigments, applied in an amount of 2-15 g/m.sup.2.

4. The method for producing a printed decorative paper according to claim 2, wherein said step ii) further comprises a step c) of applying a transparent layer of binder composition on said printed pigmented layer or layers obtained after step b) for manufacturing a transparent binder layer, wherein the amount of said composition of step c), comprising binder, is applied in an amount of 2-15 g/m.sup.2, wherein said binder for manufacturing said transparent binder layer according to step c) comprises a non-radiation curable material.

5. The method for producing a printed decorative paper according to claim 1, wherein said step ii) further comprises after step a) a step d) of applying a transparent layer of binder composition on said printed metallic layer obtained according to step a) for manufacturing a transparent binder layer, wherein the amount of said composition of step d) comprising binder, is applied in an amount of 2-15 g/m.sup.2, wherein said binder for manufacturing said transparent binder layer according to step d) comprises a non-radiation curable material.

6. The method for producing a printed decorative paper according to claim 5, wherein said step ii) further comprises after step a) and step d) a step e) of applying a composition of additional binder and pigments in discrete parts on said transparent binder layer for manufacturing a printed pigmented design layer, wherein said pigments in step e) are non-metallic pigments, wherein the amount of said composition of step e) comprising binder and non-metallic pigments, is applied in an amount of 2-15 g/m.sup.2.

7. The method for producing a printed decorative paper according to claim 6, wherein step e) is repeated at least two times for obtaining several layers of additional binder and pigments in discrete parts for manufacturing several printed pigmented design layers, wherein said pigments in step e) are non-metallic pigments.

8. (canceled)

9. The method for producing a printed decorative paper according to claim 4, wherein said binder for said transparent binder layer is a water-soluble casein based binder.

10. The method for producing a printed decorative paper according to claim 1, wherein said liquid coating according to step iii) comprises radiation curable components and/or thermo curable components wherein the amount of said liquid coating of step iii) is applied in a range of 10-200 g/m.sup.2.

11. The method for producing a printed decorative paper according to claim 1, wherein in step a), comprising binder and metallic pigments, said metallic pigments have an average size distribution of 5-40 μm, wherein said metallic pigments are TiO.sub.2 coated mica of a rutile nature wherein the amount in step a), comprising binder and metallic pigments, is in a range of 2-15 g/m.sup.2.

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. A printed decorative paper comprising a substrate paper provided with a printed metallic layer comprising binder and metallic pigments and one or more printed pigmented design layers comprising binder and non-metallic pigments, wherein said one or more printed pigmented design layers are applied in discrete parts.

18. The printed decorative paper according to claim 17, wherein said metallic pigments have an average size distribution of 5-40 μm wherein said metallic pigments are TiO.sub.2 coated mica of a rutile nature.

19. (canceled)

20. A method for producing a decorative panel, comprising the steps of: providing a printed decorative paper according to claim 1; applying to said printed decorative paper a core layer and thermo pressing, said decorative layer and said core layer together under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure such that during said thermo pressing, said printed decorative paper, with said polymerized surface layer located thereon, rests on said core such that said polymerized surface layer forms the outermost layer of said decorative panel.

21. The method for producing a decorative panel according to claim 20, wherein said core layer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of wood, a plurality of sheets of paper, plastic, or metal nonwoven fabric, fiber mats, especially thermo pressed stack of synthetic resin impregnated fiber-containing layers, thermoplastic based with mineral fibers, metal sheet and minerals combined with thermosetting polymer.

22. A decorative panel comprising a core layer and a decorative layer applied thereto, said decorative layer comprising a polymerized surface layer forming the outermost layer of said decorative panel, wherein said decorative layer comprises a printed metallic layer comprising binder and metallic pigments and one or more printed pigmented design layers comprising binder and non-metallic pigments, wherein said one or more printed pigmented design layers are applied in discrete parts wherein said metallic pigments have an average size distribution of 5-40 μm, wherein said metallic pigments are TiO.sub.2 coated mica of a rutile nature.

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. The method for producing a printed decorative paper according to claim 6, wherein the amount in step e) comprising binder and non-metallic pigments, is in a range of 2-15 g/m.sup.2

26. The method for producing a printed decorative paper according to claim 3, wherein said step ii) further comprises a step c) of applying a transparent layer of binder composition on said printed pigmented layer or layers obtained after step b) for manufacturing a transparent binder layer, wherein the amount of said composition of step c), comprising binder, is applied in an amount of 2-15 g/m.sup.2, wherein said binder for manufacturing said transparent binder layer according to step c) comprises a non-radiation curable material.

27. The method for producing a printed decorative paper according to claim 5, wherein said binder for said transparent binder layer is a water-soluble casein based binder.

Description

EXAMPLE 1

[0048] The process for producing a printed decorative paper in Example 1 comprises a step of providing a substrate paper and applying by rotogravure printing a mixture of binder and metallic pigments on the substrate paper for obtaining a printed metallic layer. The area coverage of the mixture on the substrate paper is about 100%. In the next step a mixture of binder and non-metallic pigments is applied on the product obtained after rotogravure printing, i.e. the printed metallic layer. The mixture of binder and non-metallic pigments is applied in a partial coverage, and the application is repeated two times for obtaining printed non-metallic pigmented design layers. Finally, a transparent layer of binder is applied on the printed non-metallic pigmented design layers. In this Example 1 the printed metallic layer comprises pigment Iriodin 9103 (Merck) and a water soluble casein based binder, in a total amount of about 3 g/m.sup.2 after drying. The printed non-metallic pigmented layers comprise two layers, in a total amount of about 3 g/m.sup.2 after drying the two layers together. The printed non-metallic pigmented layers further comprise pigments carbon black, blue29, red49, white TiO.sub.2+water soluble casein based binder. The transparent layer comprises water soluble casein based binder, in a total amount of about 3 g/m.sup.2 after drying. The outermost layer is a radiation curing transparent coating on basis of a polyurethane acrylate radiation curable resin, in a total amount of about 75 g/m.sup.2.

[0049] On basis of the printed decorative paper thus manufactured several HPL panels were manufactured according to the process conditions, core materials and outer polymerized layer as disclosed in Example 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,572.

[0050] The results of panels thus manufactured are: a grey scale of 4, after weathering test (according to ISO 105 A02 assessment method). The production scale tests are qualified as acceptable.

EXAMPLE 2

[0051] The same steps for producing a printed decorative paper as disclosed in Example 1 were carried out, except that the outermost transparent layer was omitted. For the printed metallic layer was used: pigment Iriodin 9103 (Merck) and water soluble casein based binder, in a total amount of about 3 g/m.sup.2 after drying. For the printed non-metallic pigmented layers two layers were applied, comprising pigments carbon black, blue29, red49, white TiO.sub.2 and water soluble casein based binder, in a total amount of about 3 g/m.sup.2 after drying (two layers together).

[0052] On basis of the printed decorative paper thus manufactured several HPL panels were manufactured according to the process conditions, core materials and outer polymerized layer as disclosed in Example 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,572.

[0053] During production scale tests to deposit the radiation curable layer the present inventors found that the pigmented layers, especially metallic, were easily being released and the equipment was contaminated. This printed decorative paper is not feasible in production, due to the absence of the transparent layer.

EXAMPLE 3

[0054] The process for producing a printed decorative paper in Example 3 comprises a step of providing a substrate paper and applying by rotogravure printing a mixture of binder and metallic pigments on the substrate paper for obtaining a printed metallic layer. The area coverage of the mixture on the substrate paper is about 100%. In the next step only transparent binder is applied in area coverage of about 100% on the product obtained after rotogravure printing, i.e. the printed metallic layer. A mixture of binder and non-metallic pigments is applied by rotogravure printing in a partial coverage, and the application is repeated two times for obtaining printed non-metallic pigmented design layers.

[0055] The printed metallic layer comprises pigment Iriodin 9303 (Merck) and water soluble casein based binder, in a total amount of about 3 g/m.sup.2 after drying. The transparent layer is a water soluble casein based binder, in a total amount of about 3 g/m.sup.2 after drying. The printed non-metallic pigmented layers are applied as two layers, in a total amount of about 2 g/m.sup.2 after drying (2 layers together), and the pigments are carbon black, yellow53, red49, white TiO.sub.2 and water soluble casein based binder. The radiation curing transparent coating is a polyurethane acrylate radiation curable resin, in a total amount of about 75 g/m.sup.2.

[0056] On basis of the printed decorative paper thus manufactured several HPL panels were manufactured according to the process conditions and core materials as disclosed in Example 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,572.

[0057] The results of panels thus manufactured are: a grey scale of 4, after weathering test (according to ISO 105 A02 assessment method). The production scale tests are qualified as acceptable.