Extrusion coating process for making protective and decorative films
First Claim
1. A process for making a protective and decorative sheet material for use as a surfacing film for automotive body panels, comprising extrusion coating a solid polymeric extruded material from an extrusion die onto a smooth surface of a carrier sheet traveling continuously past the extrusion die to form a first layer comprising a weatherable thermoplastic and thermoformable optically clear coat of uniform thickness on the carrier sheet, in which a starting material for the clear coat comprises a blended fluoropolymer and acrylic resinous material;
- immediately cooling the clear coat on the traveling carrier sheet to harden the clear coat;
applying a pigmented second layer of a thermoplastic and thermoformable polymeric material in thin film form to the first layer and hardening the second layer to form a composite paint coat in which the first and second layers are bonded to each other while supported by the carrier sheet; and
separating the carrier sheet from the composite paint coat to expose an outer surface of the first layer as a transparent protective outer coat for the pigmented second layer, in which the starting material for the clear coat is made by first melt blending the acrylic resin an a UV stabilizer followed by melt blending the fluoropolymer resin with the blended UV stabilizer/acrylic resin, and in which the first layer is extrusion coat from the extrusion die so that heat generated within the extruded material is controlled to a temperature below the gel formation temperature of the polymers contained in the extruded material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
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.
157 Citations
60 Claims
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1. A process for making a protective and decorative sheet material for use as a surfacing film for automotive body panels, comprising extrusion coating a solid polymeric extruded material from an extrusion die onto a smooth surface of a carrier sheet traveling continuously past the extrusion die to form a first layer comprising a weatherable thermoplastic and thermoformable optically clear coat of uniform thickness on the carrier sheet, in which a starting material for the clear coat comprises a blended fluoropolymer and acrylic resinous material;
- immediately cooling the clear coat on the traveling carrier sheet to harden the clear coat;
applying a pigmented second layer of a thermoplastic and thermoformable polymeric material in thin film form to the first layer and hardening the second layer to form a composite paint coat in which the first and second layers are bonded to each other while supported by the carrier sheet; and
separating the carrier sheet from the composite paint coat to expose an outer surface of the first layer as a transparent protective outer coat for the pigmented second layer, in which the starting material for the clear coat is made by first melt blending the acrylic resin an a UV stabilizer followed by melt blending the fluoropolymer resin with the blended UV stabilizer/acrylic resin, and in which the first layer is extrusion coat from the extrusion die so that heat generated within the extruded material is controlled to a temperature below the gel formation temperature of the polymers contained in the extruded material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
- immediately cooling the clear coat on the traveling carrier sheet to harden the clear coat;
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29. A process for making a protective and decorative sheet material for use as a surfacing film for automotive body panels, comprising extrusion coating a solid polymeric extruded material from an extrusion die onto a smooth surface of a carrier sheet traveling continuously past the extrusion die to form a first layer comprising a weatherable thermoplastic and thermoformable optically clear coat of uniform thickness on the carrier sheet, in which a starting material for the clear coat comprises a blend of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and acrylic resins;
- cooling the extrusion coated first layer to harden the first layer on the carrier sheet;
applying a pigmented second layer of a thermoplastic and thermoformable polymeric material in thin film form to the hardened first layer to form a composite paint coat in which the first and second layers are bonded to each other while supported by the carrier sheet;
laminating a thermoformable polymeric supportive sheet to the second layer side of the composite paint coat to form a laminate; and
separating the carrier sheet from the composite paint coat to expose an outer surface of the first layer as a transparent protective outer coat for the pigmented second layer of the laminate, in which the starting material for the clear coat is made by first melt blending the acrylic resin and a UV stabilizer followed by melt blending the PVDF with the blended UV stabilizer/acrylic resin, and in which the first layer is extrusion coated from the extrusion die so that heat generated within the extruded material is controlled to a temperature below the gel formation temperature of the polymers contained in the extruded material. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
- cooling the extrusion coated first layer to harden the first layer on the carrier sheet;
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47. A process for making a protective and decorative sheet material for use as a surfacing film for automotive body panels, comprising extrusion coating a polymeric material by solventless extrusion from an extrusion die onto a smooth surface of a carrier sheet traveling continuously past the extrusion die to form a first layer comprising a weatherable thermoplastic and thermoformable optically clear coat of uniform thickness on the carrier sheet, in which the starting material for the extruded polymeric material comprises a blend of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and acrylic resins, immediately cooling the clear coat on the traveling carrier sheet by contact with a smooth surfaced chill roll to harden the clear coat, including extruding the clear coat at a temperature above 350°
- F. followed by exposing the clear coat to contact with the chill roll at a chill roll temperature of less than about 80°
F. to harden the clear coat within an elapsed time of less than about three to four seconds;
applying a pigmented second layer of a thermoplastic and thermoformable polymeric material in thin film form to the first layer and hardening the second layer to form a composite paint coat in which the first and second layers are bonded to each other while supported by the carrier sheet; and
separating the carrier sheet from the composite paint coat to expose an outer surface of the protective first layer as a transparent protective outer coat for the pigmented second layer, in which the starting material is made by first melt blending the acrylic resin and a UV stabilizer, followed by melt blending the PVDF with the blended UV/acrylic resin, and in which the first layer is extrusion coated from the extrusion die so that heat generated within the extruded material is controlled to a temperature below the gel formation temperature of the polymers contained in the extruded material. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
- F. followed by exposing the clear coat to contact with the chill roll at a chill roll temperature of less than about 80°
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57. A process for making a protective and decorative sheet material for use as a surfacing film for automotive body panels, comprising:
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extruding a polymeric material to form a clear coat comprising a solid transparent pre-dried blended polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and acrylic resinous material, in which the PVDF/acrylic weight ration is from about 50/50 to about 70/30 based on the total solids of these materials present in the clear coat;
forming the extruded material as a continuous extrusion-coated film directed form an extruder die onto a smooth surface of a flexible heat-resistant temporary carrier sheet traveling continuously past the extrude die to form a first layer comprising a weatherable thermoplastic and thermoformable optically clear coat of uniform film thickness on the carrier sheet, in which heat generated within the extruded material is controlled to a temperature below the gel formation temperature of the polymers contained in the polymeric material, where said temperature is about 450°
F., and in which said polymeric material is subjected to an extrusion pressure below about 2000 psi;
passing the traveling carrier sheet around a rotating chill roll operated at a temperature below about 85°
F. and directing the extruded material on the carrier sheet into pressure contact with the rotating chill roll for immediately cooling the clear coat while supported on the traveling carrier sheet to thereby form a hardened clear coat releasably bonded to the temporary carrier sheet;
applying a pigmented second layer of a thermoplastic and thermoformable polymeric material in thin film form to the first layer and hardening the second layer to form a composite paint coat in which the first and second layers are bonded to each other while supported by the carrier sheet; and
separating the carrier sheet from the composite paint coat to expose an outer surface of the first layer as a transparent protective outer coat for the pigmented second layer, the clear coat having an average of less than about five defects per 8 sq. ft. of extruded film. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60)
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Specification