The Dow Chemical Company

Ronald Wevers

Jerker B I Kjellqvist

Johan A Thoen

Stephen R Betso

Yunwa Wilson Cheung

Martin J Guest

David C Kelley

John O Bieser

William R Van Volkenburgh

Wolfgang Quack

Fiona E Keen

Richard M Remenar

Ian Reynolds

Arnold W Field

Compositions having improved ignition resistance

A floor, wall or ceiling covering which comprises one or more substantially random interpolymers prepared by polymerizing one or more &agr;-olefin monomers with one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and/or one or more hindered aliphatic or cycloaliphatic vinylidene monomers, and optionally with other polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomer(s). The floor, wall or ceiling covering has a good balance of properties, such as sufficient flexibility and conformability to uneven or contoured surfaces for efficient application to floors, walls, or ceilings, sufficient scratch resistance, sufficient indentation resistance, indentation recovery and/or sufficient abrasion resistance.

Floor, wall or ceiling covering

Sheet materials suitable for use as a floor, wall or ceiling covering material are described which comprise (1) a polymer mixture having (A) at least one homogeneously branched ethylene Polymer (A) having a molecular weight distribution, M,/M,, less than 3 and a short chain branching distribution index (SCBDI) equal to or greater than 50 percent obtainable by polymerization of ethylene with at least one C,-C,&agr;-olefin in the presence of a single site or constrained geometry catalyst; (B) at least one ethylene Polymer (B) having a density at least 0.005 g/cm,greater than the density of ethylene Polymer (A) and a TREF elution temperature at least 5&deg; C. greater than the TREF elution temperature of ethylene Polymer (A) and, optionally, (C) at least one ethylene Polymer (C) having a density at least 0.005 g/cm,greater than the density of ethylene Polymer (B) and a TREF elution temperature at least 5&deg; C. greater than the TREF elution temperature of ethylene Polymer (B), and (2) optionally a filler at least partially dispersed with a compatibilizer in the polymer mixture, and when less than 10 wt % filler is dispersed in the polymer mixture, then the melt index of Polymer (A) is preferably less than or equal to 1.5 g/10 min., the melt index ratio of Polymer (B) to Polymer (A) is preferably less than or equal to 5.0, and/or Polymer (B) is preferably a homogeneously branched ethylene polymer. Floor, wall and ceiling covering materials and processes for making them according to this invention are also described.

Sheet materials suitable for use as a floor, wall or ceiling covering material, and processes and intermediates for making the same

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Langnau, Switzerland

Ronald Wevers