Armstrong World Industries, Inc.

Armstrong Cork Company

Jack H Witman

Allan W McKee, Jr

Lawrence Clark

Harold N Graybeal

An outermost wear layer comprising cellulose acetate propionate or butyrate, aminoplast, polyol, acid catalyst and chlorinated polyolefin releases readily from a release layer to provide improved stain and scratch resistance for vinyl surface coverings.

Stain and scratch resistant wear layer

The present invention relates to surface coverings, and in particular to coverings which comprise treated polyurethane or other wear layers. A coating comprising an aminoplast which is preferably a melamine which is at least partially etherified with alkyl groups comprising 4 to 10 carbon atoms, a vinyl modifier resin, a polyol, and an acid catalyst is formed on a release surface and thermally cured. A crosslinkable wear layer composition is then cast on the cured layer and crosslinked, and the composite is transferred to a support surface. Surface coverings are produced which exhibit surprising resistance to common household stains, and also improved scratch resistance.

Stain and scratch resistant resilient surface coverings

The present invention relates to a process for preparing chip-containing decorative surfaces wherein the chips are positioned so as to provide a pattern. A first adhesive material is selectively applied to a support surface and the conditions are adjusted so that the first adhesive material is substantially non-adhesive in nature. A second adhesive material is selectively applied as a pattern on top of or adjacent to the first adhesive material and chips are applied to the surface so as to be adhered by the second adhesive material. Any non-adhered chips are removed and the conditons are adjusted so that the first adhesive material demonstrates adhesive properties. A second type or color of chip material is then applied so as to be adhered by the first adhesive material. Upon removal of the non-adhered chips, a product is obtained having a positioned chip pattern. The process may also be practiced using additional adhesives and chips so as to provide products having more than two types of positioned chips.

Method of making a positioned chip surface covering

The present invention relates to a process of preparing decorative coverings whereby a pattern is optionally provided on a backing and is then covered with a layer of thermoplastic material. Translucent or transparent chips having a thickness dimension not less than the thickness of the layer of material are applied to the surface thereof, the mateial is warmed, and the structure is consolidated to push the chips down into the layer of material until they contact the underlying surface. By doing so, the material residing between the chips and the underlying surface is extruded from beneath the chips, resulting in a plurality of windows onto the underlying surface. Structures produced according to the present invention exhibit unique visual properties and are useful as floor coverings, wall coverings, and the like.

Decorative surface covering

The present invention relates to release coatings which comprise cellulosic esters or cellulosic ethers in combination with adhesion-promoting compounds having an affinity for vinyl chloride-containing compositions. The release coatings maintain their adherence characteristics during processing of the structure in which they are disposed, but substantially lose their adherence characteristics when said structure is fused, thereby becoming easily separable from the resulting product.

Differentially adhering release coatings for vinyl chloride-containing

An improvement in the process for producing a decorative surface covering having a multilevel embossed wear surface wherein, a layer of vinyl chloride resin dryblend which may be foamable or unfoamable, and which contains a polymerizable monomer having at least two olefinically unsaturated sites is formed. After sintering to achieve a solid but porous layer having substantial voids throughout, a plurality of resinous ink compositions, formulated to produce varying degrees of elevation in the final product, are applied in a design. Among the inks used are non-monomer-containing ink compositions which may include foamable and non-foamable inks and which may or may not include a catalyst for the monomer in the dryblend. The improvement of this invention comprises the inclusion in the plurality of inks printed in a design on the monomer-containing dryblend layer of an ink containing the same polymerizable monomer as that in the dryblend, and a catalyst for the monomer. Upon subsequent heat and fusion, the areas to which the inks containing the monomer and/or the catalyst for the monomer were applied will have a different height and surface texture from those produced by the other inks and from that of surrounding regions where no ink was applied; thus producing an embossed textured effect.

Multilevel embossing by printing with a reactive monomer

A process of making a decorative surface covering by preparing a granular resinous dryblend containing a vinyl resin and a plasticizer for the vinyl resin, depositing a layer of the dryblend on a backing, heating the granules to form a porous, cohesive layer therefrom, cooling the layer, and printing a decorative design on the porous layer with a first printing composition containing a polymerization inhibitor which will penetrate into the porous composition. A second printing composition containing both a polymerizable monomer, compatible with the plasticized vinyl resin, and having at least two olefinically unsaturated sites, and, a polymerization catalyst for the monomer is then applied over the entire surface of the printed layer, and heat and/or heat and pressure is applied to fuse the resinous granules and polymerize the monomer throughout those areas not printed with the polymerization inhibitor composition. A non-porous layer containing a printed design having an embossed resinous surface is formed wherein those areas of the surface that have not had applied thereto the polymerization inhibitor composition are coarsely textured and elevated above those areas that have been printed with the polymerization inhibitor composition and which appear as smooth, glossy, valley areas in perfect registration with the decorative design.

Chemical embossing of decorative surface coverings

A process of making a decorative surface covering by preparing a granular resinous dryblend containing a polymerizable monomer compatible with the resin and having at least two olefinically unsaturated sites, depositing a layer of the monomer-containing dryblend on a backing, heating the granules to form a porous, cohesive layer therefrom, cooling the layer, and printing a decorative design on the porous layer with a first printing composition containing a polymerization inhibitor which will penetrate into the porous composition. A second printing composition containing a polymerization catalyst for the monomer is then applied over the entire surface of the printed layer, and heat and/or heat and pressure is applied to fuse the resinous granules and polymerize the monomer throughout those areas not printed with the inhibitor composition. A non-porous layer containing a printed design having an embossed resinous surface is formed wherein those areas of the surface that have not had applied thereto the polymerization inhibitor composition are coarsely textured and elevated above those areas that have been printed with the polymerization inhibitor composition and which appear as smooth, glossy, valley areas in perfect registration with the decorative design.

Method of making chemically embossed surface coverings

A process of making a decorative surface covering by preparing a granular resinous dryblend containing both a polymerizable monomer, compatible with the resin, and having at least two olefinically unsaturated sites, and, a polymerization catalyst for the monomer, depositing a layer of the dryblend on a backing, heating the granules to form a porous, cohesive layer therefrom, cooling the layer, and printing a decorative design on the porous layer with a printing composition containing a polymerization inhibitor which will penetrate into the porous composition. Heat and/or heat and pressure is applied to fuse the resinous granules and polymerize the monomer throughout those areas not printed with the inhibitor composition. A non-porous layer containing a printed design having an embossed resinous surface is formed wherein those areas of the surface that have not had applied thereto the polymerization inhibitor composition are coarsely textured and elevated above those areas that have been printed with the polymerization inhibitor composition and which appear as smooth, glossy, valley areas in perfect registration with the decorative design.

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Lancaster, PA, United States of America

Jack H Witman