Fire-resistant architectural resin materials

• US 7,303,810 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3Form LLC (Armstrong World Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: 3Form (Hunter Douglas N.V.)
• Inventors: Goodson, R. Talley, Goodson, Raymond Lynn, Morley, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cano; Milton I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FERGUSON, LAWRENCE D
• Application Number:
  US11/103,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20050182167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 428/195.1, 428/203, 428/204, 428/212, 428/213, 524/115
• US Class Current: 428/212
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/18 Fabrics, textiles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/3065 Flame resistant or retardant, fire resistant or retardant
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/04 Time
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/12 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2317/12 Paper, e.g. cardboard
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2317/16 Wood, e.g. woodboard, fibreboard, woodchips
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2318/04 Stone
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2327/00 Polyvinylhalogenides
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2369/00 Polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2419/00 Buildings or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2451/00 Decorative or ornamental articles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2607/00 Walls, panels
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/18 characterised by the use of special additives
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/304 comprising vinyl halide (co)polymers, e.g. PVC, PVDC, PVF, PVDF
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/308 comprising acrylic (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 : comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 : comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/365 : comprising polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/00 : Methods or apparatus for laminating, e.g. by curing or by ultrasonic bonding
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/523 : with hydroxyaryl compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 : Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/18 : Polyesters or polycarbonates according to C08L67/00 - C08L69/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 27/06 : Homopolymers or copolymers of vinyl chloride
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 27/14 : Homopolymers or copolymers of vinyl fluoride
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 27/16 : Homopolymers or copolymers or vinylidene fluoride
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/12 : Homopolymers or copolymers of methyl methacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/02 : Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds C08L67/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 69/00 : Compositions of polycarbonates; Compositions of derivatives of polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 : Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24868 : Translucent outer layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24876 : Intermediate layer contains particulate material [e.g., pigment, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 : including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 : Thickness [relative or absolute]

Abstract

A synthetic fire-resistant resin includes one or more of a polycarbonate resin material, and/or a polyester resin material mixed with a flame-retardant, such as a bis-diphenyldiphosphate flame-retardant. Alternatively, a mixture of polycarbonate resin material mixed with polyester resin material can be capped with a fire-resistant film. The resin sheet can be made at a thickness such that the resin sheet is structurally useful as a conventional building material. Furthermore the resin sheet can be made transparent, translucent, or colored, as desired for architectural purposes. The resin sheet further has a Vicat temperature that renders the extruded resin sheet easy to work with using conventional manufacturing techniques, and strong enough to be used in a wide variety of indoor and outdoor environments. In one implementation, fire-resistant resin sheets can be combined with a decorative image layer to form a decorative panel that can be used in Class A building environments.

Claims

1. A substantially translucent or transparent fire-resistant extruded resin sheet for use as decorative architectural Class A fire-resistant building material comprising:

a polymeric resin composition comprising a mixture of about 75 to about 85 wt-% of a polyester resin material, and about 15 to about 25 wt-% of a polycarbonate resin material; and

at least one of a PVC, PVF, and PVDF capping film formed about the resin sheet;

wherein the resin sheet is a fire-resistant resin that is translucent or transparent.

2. The fire-resistant extruded resin sheet as recited in claim 1, wherein the fire-resistant resin sheet has a thickness that is greater than one-sixteenth of an inch.

3. The fire-resistant extruded resin sheet as recited in claim 1, wherein the extruded resin sheet has a thickness of greater than about one-sixteenth of an inch;

and wherein the resin sheet allows light transmittance within about 15% of a normalized standard light transmittance of the polymeric resin composition.

4. A fire resistant, translucent or transparent decorative laminate structure having a decorative image layer thermoformed therein, the decorative laminate structure being suitable for use in a Class A building environment, comprising:

a first and second fire-resistant resin sheet each comprising a resin composition including a copolyester ratio of about 45-55 wt-%, a polycarbonate ratio of about 30-40 wt-%, and a flame-retardant ratio of about 10-20 wt-% of A-bis(diphenylphosphate) or resorcinol bis(diphenylphosphate); and

at least one decorative image layer between the first and second fire-resistant resin sheets;

wherein the ratios of copolyester, polycarbonate, and flame-retardant are each selected to provide each of the first or second fire-resistant resin sheets with a light transmittance value that is within 15% of a normalized standard light transmittance of the polymeric component, and fire-resistance properties.

5. The fire-resistant resin sheet as recited in claim 4, wherein the fire-resistant resin sheet has a thickness that is greater than one-sixteenth of an inch.

6. A translucent or transparent, fire-resistant polymeric resin sheet that qualifies as a Class A building material, comprising:

a first ratio of about 65 to about 75 wt-% of polycarbonate, wherein the ratio of polycarbonate is selected to provide the polymeric resin sheet with structural stability at a thickness greater than about one-sixteenth of an inch; and

a second ratio of about 25 to about 35 wt-% of A-bis (diphenylphosphate) or resorcinol bis(diphenylphosphate) flame retardant, wherein the ratio of flame retardant is selected to provide the polymeric resin sheet with a flame spread value of less than about 25 feet per minute, and a smoke density value of less than about 450%-light absorption per minute after 10 minutes as measured by ASTM E-84;

wherein the polymeric resin sheet is transparent or translucent, and has a Vicat softening point of between about 50°

C. to about 90°

C.

7. A translucent or transparent, fire-resistant polymeric resin sheet that qualifies as a Class A building material, comprising:

a first ratio of about 85 to about 97 wt-% of copolyester, wherein the ratio of copolyester is selected to provide the polymeric resin sheet with structural stability at a thickness greater than about one-sixteenth of an inch; and

a second ratio of about 3 to about 15 wt-% of A-bis (diphenylphosphate) or resorcinol bis(diphenylphosphate) flame retardant, wherein the ratio of flame retardant is selected to provide the polymeric resin sheet with a flame spread value of less than about 25 feet per minute, and a smoke density value of less than about 450%-light absorption per minute after 10 minutes as measured by ASTM E-84;

wherein the polymeric resin sheet is transparent or translucent, and has a Vicat softening point of between about 50°

C. to about 90°

C.

8. The fire-resistant polymeric resin sheet as recited in claim 7, wherein the polymeric component comprises about 85 to about 93 wt-% of the composition;

and wherein the flame-retardant compound comprises about 7 to about 15 wt-% of the composition.