Decorative Material, Particularly Artificial Snow, And A Method For Producing Same

Abstract

The invention relates to a decorative material which comprises a polyethylene glycol having a number average molecular weight in the range of 1,500 to 35,000 g/mol, in the form of solid, flake-like or powder-like particles with a bulk density of between 0.3 and 1.1 g/cm.sup.3 and a particle size of between 1 m and 20 mm; and to a method for producing same.

Claims

1. A decorative material comprising a polyethylene glycol having a number-average molecular weight in the range from 1500 to 35 000 g/mol in the form of particles that are in solid form or in the form of flakes or powder and have a bulk density of 0.3 to 1.1 g/cm.sup.3 and a particle size of 1 m to 20 mm.

2. The decorative material as claimed in claim 1, in which the number-average molecular weight of the polyethylene glycol is between 2000 and 30 000 g/mol.

3. The decorative material as claimed in claim 1, in which the number-average molecular weight of the polyethylene glycol is between 4000 and 25 000 g/mol.

4. The decorative material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the melting point of the polyethylene glycol is 35 to 65 C.

5. The decorative material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the melting point of the polyethylene glycol is 40 to 60 C.

6. The decorative material as claimed in claim 1, wherein butylhydroxyanisole or butylhydroxytoluene, each in food quality, are additionally added.

7. The decorative material as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more dyes in a concentration of 0.01%-2% by weight, based on the weight of the decorative material, are additionally present.

8. The decorative material as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more odorants are additionally present in an effective concentration.

9. The decorative material as claimed in claim 1, in the form of flakes having a particle size of 0.1 to 20 mm.

10. The decorative material as claimed in claim 1, in the form of powder having a particle size of 1 to 1000 m.

11. An artificial snow comprising the polyethylene glycol as claimed in claim 1.

12. A process for producing a decorative material, comprising the steps of converting liquid polyethylene glycol to a solid form, by solidifying the liquid polyethylene glycol on cooled belts or rollers and then comminuting it to a particle size of 0.1 mm to 20 mm to give flakes.

13. A process for producing a decorative material, comprising the step of converting liquid polyethylene glycol to a solid form, by processing the liquid polyethylene glycol in a cold spraying system to a particle size of 1 m to 1000 m to give spray powder.

14. A process for producing a decorative material, comprising the step of converting solid polyethylene glycol to powder form, by comminuting the solid polyethylene glycol by means of a grinding process to a particle size of 1 m to 1000 m to give ground powder.

Description

EXAMPLE

[0027] PEG flakes having number-average molecular weight 12 000 g/mol, determined from a viscosity of the 50% aqueous solution of about 1300 mPas at 20 C. (measured by rotary viscometer, ISO 6388), a melting point of about 56 C. and a particle size of 0.2 mm to 10 mm was arranged together with further decorative material to give a winter landscape. This gives the impression of snow, as apparent in FIG. 1.