Avery Dennison Corporation

Russell J McCready

Keith Lawson Truog

Howard H Enlow

Frederick Young

John E Roys

A process for making a protective and decorative surfacing film comprises extrusion coating a solid polymeric material to form an optically clear first layer ( ) on a smooth surface of a carrier sheet ( ). The extrusion coated first layer is immediately cooled, followed by applying a pigmented second material ( ) in thin film form. The composite paint coat is then transferred to a supportive backing, after which the carrier sheet is removed to expose the high gloss outer surface of the first layer. The second layer may be solvent cast, extrusion coated, or coextruded with the first layer.

Extrusion coating process for making protective and decorative films

A process for making a protective and decorative surfacing film comprises extrusion coating a solid polymeric material from an extruder die to form an optically clear first layer of uniform film thickness on a smooth surface of a carrier sheet traveling continuously past the extruder die opening. The extrusion coated first layer is immediately cooled on the carrier sheet to harden it, followed by applying a pigmented second layer in thin film form to the first layer to form a composite paint coat in which the first and second layers are bonded to each other. The composite paint coat is then transferred to a supportive backing sheet or substrate panel, after which the carrier sheet is separated from the paint coat, to expose the outer surface of the first layer as a high gloss surface with a high distinctness-of-image, providing a transparent protective outer coat for the underlying pigmented second layer. The pigmented second layer can be solvent cast and dried or extruded and hardened as a separate coating on the extrusion coated first layer. Alternatively, the second layer can be formed with the first layer as a coextrusion which is extrusion coated onto the smooth surface of the release coated carrier sheet that travels past the extruder die.

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La Verne, CA, United States of America

Russell J McCready