PANEL, COMPOSITION FOR IMPREGNATING OR COATING A PANEL, AND A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A PANEL

Abstract

The invention relates to a panel, in particular a floor panel, comprising at least one core layer; and at least one top layer comprising at least one polymer, wherein at least one polymer comprises trifunctional groups. The invention also relates to a composition for impregnating or coating a top layer of a panel with a polymer.

Claims

1. A panel for forming a floor covering, comprising: at least one core layer; and at least one top layer comprising at least one polymeric resin, wherein at least one polymeric resin comprises trifunctional allophanate groups and/or trifunctional isocyanurate groups.

2. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the at least one polymeric resin is at least partially entangled.

3. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the at least one top layer further comprises cellulose, lignocellulose, paper, wood, or any combination thereof.

4. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the at least one polymer resin is present in at least 30 wt. %.

5. The panel according to claim 1, comprising at least two pairs of opposing side edges wherein at least one pair of opposite side edges, and preferably each pair of opposite side edges, is provided with complementary coupling parts.

6. A composition for impregnating or coating a top layer of a panel, said composition comprising at least 1 wt. % of at least one diisocyanate, at least 1 wt. % of at least one polyamine and at least 30 wt. % of at least one acrylate polymer.

7. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the at least one acrylate polymer is at least partially entangled.

8. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the weight percentage of the at least one diisocyanate is higher than the weight percentage of the at least one polyamine.

9. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the composition is liquid at 20? C. and 1 atm.

10. The composition according to claim 6, wherein a ratio of the weight percentage of the at least one diisocyanate to the weight percentage of the at least one polyamine is at least 1.01:1 or wherein the weight percentage of the at least one polyamine is between 1.08:1 and 1.12:1.

11. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the at least one diisocyanate is selected from 1,6-diisocyanatohexane, 4,4-diisocyanatodicyclohexylmethane, methylene-bis-phenyl isocyanate, toluene diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, naphthalene diisocyanate, methylene bis-cyclohexylisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, or any combination thereof.

12. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the at least one polyamine is a spatially encumbered polyamine.

13. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the at least one polyamine is selected from 6-phenyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine, 2,4-diamino-6-phenyl-1,3,5-triazine, 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine, modified 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine, or any combination thereof.

14. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the at least one acrylate polymer is selected from a polyurethane modified acrylate polymer, a polyurethane modified methacrylate, a polyurethane modified cyanoacrylate, polyacrylate, or any combination thereof.

15. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the weight percentage of the at least one diisocyanate is at least 2 wt. % and/or wherein the weight percentage of the at least one polyamine is at least 2 wt. %.

16. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the weight percentage of the at least one acrylate polymer is at least 35 wt. %, preferably at least 40 wt. %, more preferably between 40 wt. % and 60 wt. %, in particular based on total weight of the composition.

17. The composition according to claim 6, comprising at least one adhesive, wherein the adhesive comprises polyvinyl acrylate, polyurethane, reactive polyurethane, methylmethacrylate, ethylene-vinyl acetate, an epoxy, or any combination thereof, and wherein the at least one adhesive is present in at least 20 wt. %.

18. A method for impregnating or coating a top layer of a panel, said panel comprising at least one top layer and at least one core layer, said method comprising the following steps: a) providing a composition according to claim 6; b) applying at least part of the composition on at least one top layer of the panel and/or impregnating at least one top layer of the panel with said composition; and c) heating at least part of the top layer of the panel to a temperature of at least 80? C. such that at least part of the diisocyanate, the polyamine, and/or the acrylate polymer will crosslink.

19. The method according to claim 18, comprising a step of providing the top layer onto a core layer after step b) and prior to step c).

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein at least one top layer comprises cellulose, lignocellulose, paper, wood, or any combination thereof and/or wherein in step c) the top layer is heated at a temperature of at least 100? C. for at least 10 seconds.

Description

EXAMPLES

[0071] A non-limiting example of a top layer of a panel according to the present invention was created using the compounds listed in Table 1.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Panel composition Weight percentage [%] Compound CAS Relative Relative category Compound number to total to resin Carrier Lignocellulose Fibre 45.8 Additive Titanium dioxide 13463-67-7 21.5 Resin Polyurethane modified 19 58.1 acrylate Polyvinyl acetate 7.5 22.9 Aluminum silicate 12141-46-7 3.3 10.1 Aluminium phosphate 7784-30-7 1.6 4.9 Benzoguanamine 91-76-9 0.4 1.2 Magnesium silicate 1343-88-0 0.3 0.9 1,6-Diisocyanatohexane 822-06-0 0.2 0.6 4,4-Diisocyanato 13622-90-7 0.2 0.6 dicyclohexylmethane Caprolactam 105-60-2 0.1 0.3 Other 0.1 0.3

[0072] The composition for coating or impregnating a top layer of the panel (Resin in Table 1) contains 58.1 wt. % of polyurethane modified acrylate, as the acrylate polymer. The resin comprises 1.2 wt. % benzoguanamine, or 6-fenyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine, as a polyamine. The diisocyanates in the resin are 0.6 wt. % 1,6-Diisocyanatohexane (HDI, or 1,6-hexane diisocyanate) and 0.6 wt. % 4,4-diisocyanato dicyclohexylmethane (hydrogenated MDI). The ratio of weight percentages of diisocyanates to polyamines in the resin equals 1:1, as there is 1.2 wt. % of diisocyanates and 1.2 wt. % of polyamine present in the resin.

[0073] Both diisocyanates (HDI and hydrogenated MDI) enable crosslinking with the polyurethane modified acrylate. Owing to the molecular weight of the polyurethane modified acrylate and its relatively high (58.1 wt. %) concentration in the resin, the polyurethane modified acrylate is entangled.

[0074] The resin of Table 1 comprises 22.9 wt. % polyvinyl acetate (PVA/PVAc) that functions as an adhesive. This resin can used as an impregnating material for a decorative top layer, such as a paper layer, resulting in a resin-impregnated paper layer. The resin-impregnated paper layer is heated before being fed to a roller lamination machine. During this process, microparticles of the resin start to coalesce and form larger particles creating an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN).

[0075] The paper layer impregnated with the emulsion of polyvinyl acetate (PVA/PVAc) and polyurethane modified acrylate has a lower water absorption rate and will take up less moisture as compared to a melamine impregnated decorative paper layer. This is achieved due to the absence of unreacted and/or free hydrophilic OH groups in the resin.

[0076] The paper layer has shrinking rate of less than 0.2% measured according to ISO 23999.

[0077] The invention will be further elucidated by means of the following non-limitative clauses.

1 Panel, in particular a floor panel, comprising: [0078] at least one core layer; and [0079] at least one top layer comprising at least one polymeric resin, wherein at least one polymeric resin comprises trifunctional allophanate groups and/or trifunctional isocyanurate groups.
2. Panel according to clause 1, wherein the at least one polymeric resin is at least partially entangled.
3. Panel according to clause 1 or clause 2, wherein at least one top layer further comprises cellulose, lignocellulose, paper, wood, or any combination thereof.
4. Panel according to any of clauses 1-3, wherein at least one polymer resin, and preferably at least one entangled polymer, is present in at least 30 wt. %, preferably at least 35 wt. %, more preferably between 40 wt. % and 60 wt. %, based on total weight of the at least one top layer.
5. Panel according to any of clauses 1-4, comprising at least two pairs of opposing side edges wherein at least one pair of opposite side edges, and preferably each pair of opposite side edges, is provided with complementary coupling parts.
6. Composition for impregnating or coating a top layer of a panel, in particular a panel according to any of clauses 1-5, said composition comprising at least 1 wt. % of at least one diisocyanate, at least 1 wt. % of at least one polyamine and at least 30 wt. % of at least one acrylate polymer, in particular based on total weight of the composition.
7. Composition according to clause 6, wherein the at least one acrylate polymer is at least partially entangled.
8. Composition according to clause 6 or clause 7, wherein the weight percentage of the at least one diisocyanate is higher than the weight percentage of the at least one polyamine.
9. Composition according to any of clauses 6-8, wherein the composition is liquid at 20? C. and 1 atm.
10. Composition according to any of clauses 6-9, wherein a ratio of the weight percentage of the at least one diisocyanate to the weight percentage of the at least one polyamine is at least 1.01:1, preferably at least 1.05:1, most preferably between 1.08:1 and 1.12:1.
11. Composition according to any of clauses 6-10, wherein the at least one diisocyanate is selected from 1,6-diisocyanatohexane, 4,4-diisocyanatodicyclohexylmethane, methylene-bis-phenyl isocyanate, toluene diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, naphthalene diisocyanate, methylene bis-cyclohexylisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, or any combination thereof.
12. Composition according to any of clauses 6-11, wherein the at least one polyamine is a spatially encumbered polyamine.
13. Composition according to any of clauses 6-12, wherein the at least one polyamine is selected from 6-phenyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine, 2,4-diamino-6-phenyl-1,3,5-triazine, 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine, modified 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine, or any combination thereof.
14. Composition according to any of clauses 6-13, wherein the at least one acrylate polymer is selected from a polyurethane modified acrylate polymer, a polyurethane modified methacrylate, a polyurethane modified cyanoacrylate, polyacrylate, or any combination thereof.
15. Composition according to any of clauses 6-14, wherein the weight percentage of the at least one diisocyanate is at least 2 wt. %, preferably at least 3 wt. %, more preferably between 1 wt. % and 5 wt. %, in particular based on total weight of the composition.
16. Composition according to any of clauses 6-15, wherein the weight percentage of the at least one polyamine is at least 2 wt. %, preferably at least 3 wt. %, more preferably between 1 wt. % and 5 wt. %, in particular based on total weight of the composition.
17. Composition according to any of clauses 6-16, wherein the weight percentage of the at least one acrylate polymer is at least 35 wt. %, preferably at least 40 wt. %, more preferably between 40 wt. % and 60 wt. %, in particular based on total weight of the composition.
18. Composition according to any of clauses 6-17, comprising at least one adhesive.
19. Composition according to clause 18, wherein the adhesive comprises polyvinyl acrylate, polyurethane, reactive polyurethane, methylmethacrylate, ethylene-vinyl acetate, an epoxy, or any combination thereof.
20. Composition according to clause 18 or clause 19, wherein at least one adhesive is present in at least 20 wt. %, preferably at least 25 wt. %, more preferably between 20 wt. % and 35 wt. %, based on total weight of the composition.
21. Method for impregnating or coating a top layer of a panel, in particular a floor panel, said panel comprising at least one top layer and at least one core layer, said method comprising the following steps: [0080] a) providing a composition according to any of clauses 6-20; [0081] b) applying at least part of the composition on at least one top layer and/or impregnating at least one top layer with the composition; and [0082] c) heating at least part of the top layer to a temperature of at least 80? C. such that at least part of the diisocyanate, the polyamine, and/or the acrylate polymer will crosslink.
22. Method according to clause 21, comprising a step of providing the top layer onto a core layer after step b) and prior to step c).
23. Method according to clause 21 or clause 22, wherein at least one top layer comprises cellulose, lignocellulose, paper, wood, or any combination thereof.
24. Method according to any of clauses 21-23, wherein in step c) the top layer is heated at a temperature of at least 100? C., preferably at least 120? C., preferably for at least 10 seconds, more preferably at least 30 seconds.

[0083] It will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the examples described, but that numerous variants are possible within the scope of the attached claims that will be obvious to a person skilled in the art. It is not necessary to elaborate on examples of all conceivable combinations of the above-described inventive concepts, as a person skilled in the art will understand numerous inventive concepts can be (re)combined in order to arrive at a specific application.

[0084] The verb comprise and conjugations thereof used in this patent publication are understood to mean not only comprise, but are also understood to mean the phrases contain, substantially consist of, formed by and conjugations thereof. As used herein, the term polymeric resin is understood to mean not only polymeric resin, but also polymer.