Decorative Panel for Outdoor Use and Method for Manufacturing the Same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a decorative panel comprising a decorative layer on one or both surfaces of a carrier layer. In addition to that, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a decorative panel consisting of a carrier layer and a decorative layer. The invention also relates to a method for forming a decorative layer.

Description

EXAMPLES

Example 1

A surface layer of 90 g/m² of a transparent resin (35% HDDA diluted polyurethane acrylate) was applied to an 80 g/m² paper printed with a decorative wood decor by rotary screen printing. The paper is partially impregnated by the surface layer, and the surface layer is radiation-cured with an electron beam. The pigments in the printed ink are stable under light, said pigments being inorganic, iron oxide-based pigments. A second 25 g/m² paper impregnated with 245% melamine resin was placed between the aforesaid, partially impregnated printed paper and a stack of 30 papers impregnated with a phenol-based resin. This assembly of papers was placed in a press and compressed at a temperature of 160° C. and a pressure of 70 bar for 30 minutes. The properties of the obtained product are shown in Table 1.

Example 2

The same operations as described in Example 1 were carried out, except that an additional transparent layer of 50 g/m² of a mixture of aliphatic urethanes and metallic effect pigments (aluminium particles) was applied. The use of this layer provides an additional visual effect. The properties of the obtained product are shown in Table 1.

Example 3

The same operations as described in Example 1 were carried out; in this example the surface layer, which contained nano particles of silicon oxide, was applied in an amount of 30 g/m², and an additional 70 g/m² transparent layer of a polyurethane acrylate was applied. The use of this layer provides an improved scratch resistance. The properties of the obtained product are shown in Table 1.

Example 4

The same operations as described in Example 1 were carried out; in this example, the 30 papers of Example 1 are substituted for a densified mat of cellulose fibres impregnated with a phenol resin containing a flame retardant. The panel produced in this manner provides improved flame retardation compared to the preceding examples. The properties of the obtained product are shown in Table 1.

Example 5

The same operations as described in Example 1 were carried out; in this example, a 70 g/m² paper is printed with two layers of ink, with the first layer of ink covering the entire area of the paper. This has an effect on the absorption power of said paper. The properties of the obtained product are shown in Table 1.

Example 6

The same operations as described in Example 1 were carried out; in this example, the surface coating is applied by means of a forward roll coating method. This method makes it possible to obtain a relatively thin surface layer. The surface layer consists of 20 g/m² polyurethane acrylate. In addition to that an additional 60 g/m² transparent layer of polyester acrylate is applied prior to the application of the surface layer. The properties of the obtained product are shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1
Tests
carried out	Ex. 1	Ex. 2	Ex. 3	Ex. 4	Ex. 5	Ex. 6
Weather	4-5	4-5	5	4-5	4-5	4
resistance
(grey scale)
Z-strength	27	25	27	27	30	25
(N/mm2)
boiling test	n.v.c.*	n.v.c.*	n.v.c.*	n.v.c.*	n.v.c.*	n.v.c.*
cross-cut	1	2	2	2	2	2
adhesion
test (Class)
scratch	4	5	7	4	4	4
resistance
(N)
resistance to	v.g.*	v.g.*	v.g.*	v.g.*	v.g.*	v.g.*
boiling
resistance to	4-5	4-5	5	4-5	5	4
SO2
(grey scale)
resistance to	n.v.c.*	n.v.c.*	n.v.c.*	n.v.c.*	n.v.c.*	n.v.c.*
chemicals
*n.v.c.: no visible changes
*v.g.: very good

Claims

1. A decorative panel comprising a decorative layer on one or both surfaces of a carrier layer, wherein the decorative layer comprises a substrate layer and a surface layer, the substrate layer being a printed paper and the surface layer being a synthetic resin comprising one or more radiation-curable components, and in that an adhesion layer is present between the carrier layer and the decorative layer, which adhesion layer is in contact with the substrate layer.

2. The decorative panel according to claim 1, wherein the synthetic resin is partially impregnated in the substrate layer.

3. The decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein a transparent layer is present between the substrate layer and the surface layer.

4. The decorative panel according to claim 3, wherein the transparent layer is partially impregnated in the substrate layer.

5. The decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein the transparent layer is mixed with the surface layer in an interface region, which is the area of contact between the transparent layer and the surface layer.

6. The decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein the adhesion layer comprises one or more base layers, which base layers are impregnated with a resin.

7. The decorative panel according to claim 6, wherein the resin in the adhesion layer is partially impregnated in the substrate layer.

8. The decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein the carrier layer comprises a thermosetting composite.

9. The decorative panel according to claim 8, wherein the thermosetting composite comprises a one or more paper layers, which paper layers are impregnated with a resin.

10. The decorative panel according to claim 8, wherein the thermosetting composite comprises a nonwoven fabric, which fabric is impregnated with a resin.

11. The decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein the resin in the adhesion layer is mixed with the resin in the carrier layer in a region of the interface, which is the area of contact between the adhesion layer and the carrier layer.

12. The decorative panel according to claim 9, wherein the paper is soda kraft paper.

13. The decorative panel according to claim 10, wherein the fabric comprises fibers, which fibers have been selected from the group consisting of wood fibers, polyester fibers, glass fibers, rock wool fibers, nonwoven fibers, mineral composite fibers or combinations thereof.

14. The decorative panel according to claim 1, wherein the resin has been selected from the group consisting of phenol resin, melamine resin, ureum resin, epoxy resin, polyester resin, polyisocyanate resin, melamine acrylate, polyurethane acrylate or combinations thereof.

15. A decorative panel according to claim 1, wherein the printed paper is a paper having a weight of 15-200 g/m2.

16. The decorative panel according to claim 15 wherein the printed paper is a paper having a weight of 70-100 g/m2.

17. The decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein the radiation-curable components are selected from the group consisting of unsaturated acrylates and methacrylates.

18. The decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein said radiation-curable components are composed of an oligomer of epoxy and acrylate or silicone and acrylate, an oligomer of polyester and acrylate, an oligomer of urethane and acrylate or the corresponding oligomers of methacrylate as prepolymers capable of radiation polymerization, which prepolymers have been radiation-polymerized, with a mono-, tetra-, penta-and/or hexa-acrylate, a diacrylate or triacrylate of polyols or ether polyols or the corresponding methacrylates.

19. The decorative panel according to claim 18, wherein the prepolymer is an aliphatic polymer of urethane and acrylate, which has been radiation polymerized with a diacrylate and/or a triacrylate.

20. The decorative panel according to claim 3 wherein the transparent layer comprises radiation-curable components.

21. The decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein the base layer is selected from the group consisting of overlay papers, nonwoven substrates, glass web and combinations thereof.

22. The decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein one or more of the carrier layer, the adhesion layer, the substrate layer, the transparent layer and the surface layer comprise one or more additives selected from the group consisting of flame retardants, UV absorbents, light-stabilizing substances, pigments, inorganic particles of and combinations thereof.

23. The decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein the decorative layer is scratch resistant under a scratch load of at least 1.5 Newton as measured by EN438-2 Section 14.

24. The decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein the decorative layer is scratch resistant under a scratch load of at least 3.0 Newton as measured by EN438-2 Section 14.

25. The decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein the decorative layer has a Z-strength of 20-50 N/mm2 as measured by DIN 52366.

26. The decorative panel according to claim 1 the decorative layer has a Z-strength of 25-50 N/mm2 as measured by DIN 52366.

27. The decorative panel according to claim 1 the decorative layer exhibits an adhesion of maximally class 2 as measured by means of the cross-cut adhesion test of DIN 53151.

28. The decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein the decorative layer has a gloss retention of at least 80% of a reference sample as measured by DIN 67530.

29. The decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein the decorative panel has an exterior color stability of at least class 4 according to standard testing method ISO 4892-2 and evaluation method ISO 105-A2 with a grey scale.

30. A method for manufacturing a decorative panel according to claim 1 wherein said method comprises the steps of: i) providing a carrier layer; ii) applying an adhesion layer to one surface or both surfaces of the carrier layer as obtained in step i); - in) applying the decorative layer to one surface or both surfaces of the assembly as obtained in step ii); iv) subjecting the assembly as obtained in step iii) to pressure and temperature conditions such that the decorative panel is obtained.

31. The method for forming a decorative layer according to claim 30, wherein the method comprises the steps of v) providing a non-impregnated, printed paper; vi) applying a surface layer comprising the synthetic resin comprising one or more radiation-curable components to the paper as obtained in step v); vii) radiation-curing the assembly as obtained in step vi) in such a way that the decorative layer according to step iii) is obtained.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein an additional step viii) is carried out between step v) and step vi), said step viii) comprising: viii) providing a transparent layer comprising the synthetic resin comprising one or more radiation-curable components; in such a manner that a decorative layer consisting of, successively, partially impregnated, printed paper, a transparent layer and a surface layer is obtained.