Armstrong World Industries, Inc.

Armstrong Cork Company

William Y Whitmore

Joseph L Mackey, Sr

Wendell A Ehrhart

John E Herweh

Mary A Brubaker

A release carrier includes a dimensionally stable release paper of the prior art, but also includes a crystallizable polymer which has spherulite formations on its exposed surface. The preferred crystallizable polymer is polypropylene. The release carriers can be reconditioned to remove surface defects, change the level of gloss and form patterned areas of differential gloss by heating the polyolefin layer above its melting point and quenching the layer under controlled conditions. By quenching the crystallizable polymer by contacting the surface of the release carrier opposite the crystallizable polymer with a chill roll, the transfer of defects in the chill roll or planishing roll to the release carrier surface is avoided.

Release carrier with spherulite formations

A surface covering, particularly a floor covering, has a visible surface with inverted images of spherulites. The inverted spherulities are formed on the visible surface by solidifying the visible surface while in contact with a release carrier having spherulities on its exposed surface. The level of gloss is determined by the number of inverted spherulite images and whether the images are impinging or non-impinging.

Surface covering with inverse spherulite patterns

The present invention relates to conformable tile products which may be formed from aggregate material and relatively low weight percentages of unsaturated polyester resin precursors. When cured, the tiles may be adhered to subfloors utilizing ordinary resilient flooring-type adhesives. Further, they will be conformable to subsurface irregularities, and will have high strength and impact resistance when installed as a flooring surface.

Conformable tile

A substantially linear segmented copolymer of the formula (MX).sub.n where n is an integer greater than 0 and M is a bivalent organic radical segment of the formula ##STR1## wherein R is hydrogen, C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 alkyl, aryl, or C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 alkyl substituted aryl; A is C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 alkylene; A' is C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 alkylene the same or different than A, phenylene or alkyl substituted phenylene; and y is an integer greater than 0; and X is a bivalent organic radical segment of the formula ##STR2## WHEREIN G is a long chain radical segment of recurring linkages selected from the group consisting of ester and ether; and z is an integer greater than 0 the same or different than y.

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Hellam, PA, United States of America

William Y Whitmore