DECOUPLING WEB

Abstract

The invention relates to a decoupling web (1), in particular intended for use for a surface covering structure (2) which can be covered with covering elements, preferably tile coverings, having a carrier web (3) and a multiplicity of nubs (5) projecting from the carrier web plane (4), the carrier web (3) having as material a, preferably thermoplastic, plastic. According to the invention, it is provided that the carrier web (3) comprises as material a copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate, in particular a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate, preferably ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), and/or consists thereof.

Claims

1. A decoupling web, in particular intended for use for a surface covering structure which can be covered with covering elements, preferably tile coverings, having a carrier web and a multiplicity of nubs projecting from the carrier web plane, the carrier web comprising as material a, preferably thermoplastic, plastic, wherein the carrier web comprises as material a copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate, in particular a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate, preferably ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), and/or consists thereof.

2. The decoupling web according to claim 1, wherein the carrier web comprises as further material at least one thermoplastic polymer and/or elastomer, in particular hard polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene (PE) and/or polypropylene (PP), in particular wherein the copolymer containing ethylene and vinyl acetate is mixed with the further material and/or wherein the further material has a mass fraction of the material of the carrier web of at least 20 wt. %, preferably between 30 wt. % and 99 wt. %, further preferably between 40 wt. % and 95 wt. %, further preferably between 50 wt. % and 80 wt. %, preferably between 30 wt. % and 99 wt. %, further preferably between 40 wt. % and 95 wt. %, further preferably further between 50 wt. % and 80 wt. %.

3. The decoupling web according to claim 1, wherein the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate has a mass fraction in the material of the carrier web of at least 5 wt. %, preferably between 10 wt. % to 80 wt. %, more preferably between 20 wt. % to 60 wt. %, more preferably further between 25 wt. % to 55 wt. %.

4. The decoupling web according to claim 1, wherein the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate has a vinyl acetate content of at least 5%, preferably between 10% and 50%, more preferably between 12% and 40%, further preferably between 16% and 30%, and in particular at least substantially from 25% to 29%, in particular based on the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate.

5. The decoupling web according to claim 1, wherein the carrier web has an at least two-layer layer structure, at least two layers (A, B) having a material composition differing from one another.

6. The decoupling web according to claim 1, wherein at least one layer (A, B) of the carrier web comprises the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate, in particular wherein at least one outer layer (A) comprises the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate and, preferably, wherein a layer structure A-B-A or A-B is provided.

7. The decoupling web according to claim 1, wherein only one outer layer (A) and/or the outer layers (A, A) comprise(s) the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate or that each layer (A, B) of the layer structure of the carrier web comprises the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate.

8. The decoupling web according to claim 1, wherein the layer (A, B) comprising the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate has a mass fraction of the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate in the material of the layer (A, B) of at least 5 wt. %, preferably between 10 wt. % and 80 wt. %, more preferably between 20 wt. % and 60 wt. %, more preferably between 25 wt. % and 55 wt. %, in particular wherein at least one thermoplastic polymer and/or elastomer, in particular hard polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene (PE) and/or polypropylene (PP), is provided as the further material and, preferably, wherein the copolymer containing ethylene and vinyl acetate is mixed with the further material and/or the further material has a mass fraction of the material of the carrier web and/or of the material of the layer (A, B) containing the copolymer containing ethylene and vinyl acetate of at least 20 wt. %, preferably between 30 wt. % and 99 wt. %, more preferably between 40 wt. % and 95 wt. %, further preferably between 50 wt. % and 80 wt. %.

9. The decoupling web according to claim 1, wherein the outer layer (A) and/or the outer layers (A, A) has/have at least 10%, preferably between 10% and 90%, more preferably between 40% and 60% and in particular at least substantially 50%, of the layer thickness of a further, in particular central, layer (B).

10. The decoupling web according to claim 1, wherein the carrier web, in particular the decoupling web, has an adhesive tensile strength of greater than 0.1 N/mm.sup.2, preferably greater than 0.2 N/mm.sup.2, more preferably between 0.2 N/mm.sup.2 and 5 N/mm.sup.2.

11. The decoupling web according to claim 1, wherein the carrier web, in particular the decoupling web, has a modulus of elasticity of less than 100 GPa, preferably less than 10 GPa, more preferably between 0.01 to 5 GPa and preferably between 0.05 to 2.5 GPa.

12. The decoupling web according to claim 1, wherein the decoupling web has, in particular on the side opposite the carrier web plane, a fabric and/or nonwoven layer, in particular the nonwoven layer being firmly connected to the carrier web, in particular being laminated onto the carrier web.

13. The decoupling web according to claim 1, wherein the nubs are arranged at a distance from one another and, preferably, transversely to the longitudinal direction (L) and in the longitudinal direction (L) of the decoupling web, in particular wherein the nubs form a distance from the upper carrier web plane and a lower nub plane formed by the outer nub end faces.

14. The decoupling web according to claim 1, wherein at least one nub has an undercut at least in sections.

Description

[0072] Further features, advantages and possible applications of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of examples of embodiments with reference to the drawing and the drawing itself. In this connection, all the features described and/or illustrated constitute, individually or in any combination, the subject-matter of the present invention, irrespective of their summary in the claims and their relation back.

[0073] It shows:

[0074] FIG. 1 a schematic representation of a layered structure of the carrier web according to the invention,

[0075] FIG. 2 a schematic representation of a further embodiment of a layered structure of the carrier web according to the invention,

[0076] FIG. 3 a schematic representation of a further embodiment of a layered structure of the carrier web according to the invention,

[0077] FIG. 4 a schematic representation of a further embodiment of a layered structure of the carrier web according to the invention,

[0078] FIG. 5 a schematic cross-sectional view of a decoupling web according to the invention for use for a tile covering,

[0079] FIG. 6 a schematic perspective view of a decoupling web according to the invention,

[0080] FIG. 7 a schematic perspective view of a further embodiment of a decoupling web according to the invention, and

[0081] FIG. 8 a schematic perspective view of a further embodiment of a decoupling web according to the invention.

[0082] FIG. 6 shows a decoupling web 1. The decoupling web 1 has a carrier web 3 and a plurality of nubs 5 projecting from the carrier web plane 4. The carrier web 3 has as material a plastic and/or consists of a plastic. In particular, the carrier web 3 may comprise a thermoplastic material.

[0083] FIG. 5 shows that the decoupling web 1 is provided for use for a surface covering structure 2 which can be covered with covering elements, in the illustrated embodiment example with tiles 14. FIG. 5 shows that a tile covering is provided as the surface covering structure 2.

[0084] The carrier web 3 shown in the embodiment examples has as material a copolymer containing ethylene and vinyl acetate and/or consists thereof. In particular, the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate is formed as a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate, preferably as ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA, EVAC).

[0085] The carrier web 3 may comprise as further material at least one thermoplastic polymer and/or elastomer. In particular, the thermoplastic polymer and thus the further material may be HDPE, PE and/or PP. The copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate may be blended with the further thermoplastic material. Moreover, the further thermoplastic plastic material of the carrier web 3 may have a mass fraction of the material of the carrier web 3 between 40 to 95 wt. %. The proportion of the material of the carrier web 3 of the further thermoplastic plastic material, in particular in relation to the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate, can be selected depending on the application environment or the intended use.

[0086] Not shown is that the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate may have a mass fraction of the material of the carrier web 3 of at least 5 wt. %, and in further embodiments between 25 wt. % to 55 wt. %.

[0087] Furthermore, it is not shown that the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate has a vinyl acetate content of at least 5% and, in further embodiments, between 16% and 30%—based on the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate. In particular, the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate is thermoplastic.

[0088] In FIG. 1, it is shown that the carrier web 3 has a single-layer structure and is thus formed by the material layer A. In this context, it is understood that this layered structure can also be produced by a multi-layer extrusion die, wherein the layer A can consequently be applied in several layers of the same material composition. Ultimately, the material layer A has an at least substantially homogeneous material distribution.

[0089] FIG. 2 shows that the carrier web 3 has at least a two-layered layer structure 6. In FIG. 2, layers A and B are provided, wherein both layer A and layer B are formed as outer layers, i.e. form an outer side of the carrier web 3. The layers A and B have a different material composition from each other. The layer A, shown in FIG. 2, may face the tile adhesive.

[0090] Furthermore, at least one layer A and/or B of the carrier web 3 may comprise the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate. In particular, the outer layer A comprises the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate. In FIG. 2, a layer structure in the form A-B is shown. Here, the layer B may or may not have the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate.

[0091] FIG. 3 shows a layered structure in the form A-B-A, wherein the outer layers A may be of the same or identical design with respect to their layer thickness 7 and/or their material composition. The layers A shown in FIG. 3 may have a material composition differing from that of the layer B.

[0092] FIG. 4 shows a layer structure 6 with the layer sequence A-B-C. Here, the layer C may have a material composition and/or layer thickness 7 that differs from the outer layer A and/or from the layer B. In particular, the outer layer C has a modified proportion of the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate or no proportion at all of the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate.

[0093] In further embodiments, it may be provided that only an outer layer A and/or the outer layers A, A or A, C comprise and/or have the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate. In this context, the further layer B provided between the outer layers (A or A, A or A, C), in particular the centrally enclosed layer B, may not comprise any portion of the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate.

[0094] Furthermore, in further embodiments it may be provided that each layer A, B or A, B, C of the layer structure 6 of the carrier web 3 may comprise the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate, wherein the individual layers may be different with respect to their material composition, their properties and/or their layer thicknesses 7. In principle, it is of course also possible that, in addition to the layers A, B, C, a plurality of further layers can be provided which differ with respect to or from the layers A, B and/or A, B, C by their material composition, their properties and/or their layer thickness 7.

[0095] The layer A, B and/or C comprising the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate may have a mass fraction of the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate in the material of the respective layer A, B and/or C of at least 5% by weight. In particular, the mass fraction of the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate in the outer layer A and/or in the outer layer C is between 30 to 50 wt. %. In the aforementioned layers A, B, C, as a further material—in addition to the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate—at least one thermoplastic plastic material (in particular a polymer and/or elastomer) may be provided. The plastic material may be HDPE, PE and/or PP. The copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate may be blended with the further plastic material. The further plastic material may have a mass fraction of between 50 to 90 wt. % of the material of the carrier web 3 and/or of the material of the layer A, B and/or C comprising the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate. Very preferably, the mass fraction of the further plastic layer in layer B is greater than the mass fraction of the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate.

[0096] Furthermore, in further embodiments, it may be provided that the mass fraction of the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate in the outer layers A and/or C is greater, preferably by at least 50%, than the mass fraction of the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate in the central and/or further layer B, respectively.

[0097] In FIGS. 2 to 4 it is shown that the outer layer A and/or the outer layers A, A and/or A, C have at least 10%, in the embodiment example shown at least substantially 50%, of the layer thickness 7 of a further, in particular central, layer B. Accordingly, the material of the layer B may have a significantly higher proportion of the total material of the carrier web 3 or of the layer structure 6 of the carrier web 3, in particular of up to 80% and/or of at least 40%.

[0098] It is not shown that the carrier web 3, in particular the decoupling web 1, has an adhesive tensile strength of greater than 0.1 N/mm.sup.2, in further embodiments between 0.2 N/mm.sup.2 to 5 N/mm.sup.2.

[0099] Furthermore, it is not shown that the carrier web 3, in particular the decoupling web 1, has a modulus of elasticity of less than 100 GPa, in further embodiments between 0.05 to 2.5 GPa.

[0100] FIG. 5 shows that the decoupling web 1 comprises a fabric and/or non-woven layer 8. In the illustrated embodiment example, a non-woven layer 8 is provided. The non-woven layer 8 is firmly connected to the carrier web 3. In this regard, the non-woven layer 8 may be laminated to the carrier web 3. In the illustrated embodiment example, the non-woven layer 8 is arranged at the nub end faces 10 and/or at the nub plane 11.

[0101] The non-woven layer 8 is arranged on an underground 17, as can be seen in FIG. 5. Thereby, the non-woven layer 8 may be bonded to the untereground 17 via an adhesive layer. In the illustrated embodiment example, the non-woven layer 8 is bonded to the underground 17 by means of the tile adhesive 13.

[0102] In the embodiment example shown in FIG. 5, it may be provided that the tile 14 has a height of about 5 mm+/−3 mm. The height of the nubs 5 may be about 4 mm. The tile adhesive 13 applied to the top of the carrier web 4 may for example have a height of between 2 to 10 mm, in particular between 3 to 6 mm. The thickness of the carrier web 3 and/or the non-woven layer 8 may be about 0.5 mm. On the underside of the non-woven layer 8, the tile adhesive layer may have a height of between 3 and 6 mm.

[0103] FIGS. 6 to 8 show that the nubs 5 are arranged at a distance from one another. The nubs 5 extend both in the longitudinal direction L and transversely to the longitudinal direction L. In the present case, the nubs 5 have an ordered arrangement. However, this need not be the case. Unordered arrangements of the nubs 5 are also possible. The nubs 5 have a distance 9 from the upper carrier web plane 5 and a lower nub plane 11 formed by the outer nub end faces 10. The nub plane 11 is formed by the nub end faces 10.

[0104] FIG. 6 shows that the nubs 5 form an at least substantially cube-shaped depression. FIGS. 7 and 8 show that the nubs 5 have an at least substantially three-legged cross-sectional shape. In principle, however, other shapes are also possible.

[0105] The distance 9 from the upper carrier web plane 5 is ultimately defined by the height of the side walls 16 of the nub 5, the side walls 16 connecting the carrier web plane 4 to the nub plane 11. The side walls 16 ultimately define the nub interior 15 of the nubs.

[0106] FIG. 5 shows that the nubs 5 and/or at least one nub 5 has an undercut 12 at least in sections. In the illustrated embodiment example, the undercut 12 is formed in the shape of a crescent or an arcuate section. An undercut 12 having an at least substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape is also possible in principle.

[0107] In FIG. 8, it is shown that projections 18 are provided on the nub end faces 11. Ultimately, the projections 18 can have any shape and ultimately serve to structure the nub base.

EXECUTION EXAMPLE

[0108] A number of embodiments according to the invention are given below, which are compared with a comparative example 0 (not according to the invention).

[0109] The embodiments according to the invention to be compared with each other and the comparative example 0 not according to the invention have an at least substantially identical construction of the shape of the decoupling web, the nub shapes of the examples corresponding to each other in geometrical form. The embodiments ultimately differ only with respect to their material composition.

[0110] The carrier webs of the decoupling web are manufactured by extrusion of thermoplastic material and subsequent shaping on a vacuum deep roll. To form a decoupling web, a spunbonded polypropylene fleece is laminated to the carrier web on the nub plane. The extrusion is carried out with a multi-layer die, wherein the “single-layer structure” is also obtained by the multi-layer extrusion die, although the same material composition is ultimately present in the applied layers, so that the multi-layer extrusion die can then produce a single-layer structure.

[0111] Furthermore, the embodiments to be compared have at least substantially the same overall layer thickness of the carrier web, and in the case of a multilayer structure, the ratio of the layers is indicated in the table below. The nub shape of the embodiments corresponds at least substantially to the square nub shown in FIG. 6.

[0112] Furthermore, the materials EVA28, EVA18 and HDPE of the embodiments correspond to each other.

[0113] The embodiments have the following material composition:

TABLE-US-00001 Example Layer A Layer B Ratio A:B:A Comparison 100% HDPE / / example 0 Example 1 70% HDPE / / 30% EVA28 Example 2 60% HDPE / / 40% EVA28 Example 3 50% HDPE / / 50% EVA28 Example 4 70% HDPE 100% HDPE 0.25:0.5:0.25 30% EVA28 Example 5 60% HDPE 100% HDPE 0.25:0.5:0.25 40% EVA28 Example 6 50% HDPE 100% HDPE 0.25:0.5:0.25 50% EVA28 Example 7 70% HDPE 90% HDPE 0.25:0.5:0.25 30% EVA28 10% EVA28 Example 8 60% HDPE 95% HDPE 0.25:0.5:0.25 40% EVA28 5% EVA28 Example 9 70% HDPE / / 30% EVA18 Example 10 60% HDPE / / 40% EVA18 Example 11 60% HDPE 100% HDPE 0.15:0.7:0.15 40% EVA28 Example 12 30% HDPE 100% HDPE 0.15:0.7:0.15 70% EVA18 Example 13 30% HDPE 100% HDPE 0.3:0.7:0 70% EVA18 Example 14 30% HDPE 100% HDPE 0.2:0.8:0 70% EVA18

[0114] In examples 12 and 13, a two-layer structure is provided, namely a layer structure of the form AB. A spunbonded layer comprising polypropylene is arranged, in particular laminated, on the layer B.

[0115] HDPE is provided as the thermoplastic further plastic material and also as the material for the comparative examples not according to the invention. The copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate is formed as ethylene-vinyl acetate and has a vinyl acetate content of at least substantially 28% based on the copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. This material is referred to as “EVA28”. Another copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate is formed as ethylene-vinyl acetate and has a vinyl acetate content of at least substantially 18% based on the copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. This material is referred to as “EVA18”. When the copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate is added to the thermoplastic material, it is envisaged that it is admixed with the thermoplastic material prior to extrusion of the carrier web. Extrusion is performed with both the thermoplastic resin material and the copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate.

[0116] The above-mentioned design examples have been examined with regard to different criteria. The adhesive tensile strength has been determined according to DIN EN 12004-02:2017-05. Furthermore, the modulus of elasticity has been determined to determine the flexibility. In addition, the decoupling properties have been investigated when using the decoupling membrane as a decoupling underlay for a tile covering. Furthermore, the adhesion to the tile adhesive of the decoupling membrane has been determined. The water tightness has also been determined.

[0117] The results table shown below relates the experimental results relative to each other. The following results can be achieved: [0118] −−−: unsatisfactory result [0119] −−: unsatisfactory result [0120] ∘: satisfactory result [0121] +: good result [0122] ++: very good result

[0123] The table below illustrates the results:

TABLE-US-00002 Adhesive Adhesion tensile to the tile Water- Example strength Flexibility adhesive density Decoupling Comparison ∘ ∘ − ++ ∘ example 0 Example 1 ∘ + +/++ ++ +/++ Example 2 + ++ ++ ++ ++ Example 3 ++ ++ ++ ++ + Example 4 + ∘/+  + ++ + Example 5 ++ + ++ ++ ++ Example 6 ++ + ++ ++ ++ Example 7 + + +/++ ++ +/++ Example 8 ++ +/++ ++ ++ ++ Example 9 ∘ ∘ ∘ ++ + Example 10 ∘ + + ++ +/++ Example 11 ++ +/++ ++ ++ +/++ Example 12 ++ +/++ ++ ++ ++ Example 13 ++ + ++ ++ +/++ Example 14 ++ +/++ ++ ++ ++

[0124] The above results illustrate that by adding the copolymer containing ethylene and vinyl acetate to the material of the carrier web according to the invention, both the adhesive tensile strength and the flexibility (by reducing the modulus of elasticity) can be improved. Even with increasing amounts of the copolymer containing ethylene and vinyl acetate (EVA28) only in the outer layers (layer A), very good adhesive tensile strengths can be achieved. Even up to 50% of the copolymer containing ethylene and vinyl acetate (EVA28) or even up to 70% of the copolymer containing ethylene and vinyl acetate (EVA18) can be added to the outer layer A without the decoupling web becoming too soft.

[0125] Furthermore, even better flexibility results are obtained if the central layer B sandwiched between the outer layers A also contains the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate.

[0126] Alternatively, very good results are also achieved if, in a two-layer structure (AB), only the outer layer A contains the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate.

[0127] Ultimately, the water resistance remains virtually unaffected by the addition of the copolymer containing ethylene and vinyl acetate.

[0128] In addition to the adhesive tensile strength, the addition of the copolymer comprising ethylene and vinyl acetate can also improve the adhesion to the tile adhesive and the decoupling properties. This results in an improved application and use of the decoupling sheet according to the invention.

REFERENCE LIST

[0129] 1 Decoupling web

[0130] 2 Surface covering structure

[0131] 3 Carrier web

[0132] 4 Carrier web plane

[0133] 5 Nubs

[0134] 6 Layer structure

[0135] 7 Layer thickness

[0136] 8 Nonwoven layer

[0137] 9 Distance

[0138] 10 Nub end faces

[0139] 11 Nub plane

[0140] 12 Undercut

[0141] 13 Tile adhesive

[0142] 14 Tile

[0143] 15 Nub interior

[0144] 16 Side wall

[0145] 17 Underground

[0146] 18 Projection

[0147] A Layer

[0148] B Layer

[0149] C Layer

[0150] L Longitudinal direction