阅读说明：本技术 包括聚酯-聚烯烃-共混芯的表面覆盖物 (Surface coverings comprising polyester-polyolefin-blended cores ) 是由 丹尼尔·贝克 托马斯·弗莱 希瑟·卡拉汉 瑞秋·范佩尔特 杰西卡·普拉维克 雷蒙德·米勒 于 2020-03-26 设计创作，主要内容包括：包括一种装饰地板或墙壁覆盖物和一种芯材,该装饰地板或墙壁覆盖物包括芯材,该芯材可包含回收材料。该芯材包括聚酯,其包含衍生自双官能羧酸和双官能羟基化合物的反应的聚酯或共聚酯；聚烯烃,至少一种官能化聚合物,其包含增容剂、热塑性弹性体、抗冲改性剂或偶联剂的；和填料。(Comprising a decorative floor or wall covering comprising a core material which may comprise recycled material, and a core material. The core material comprises a polyester comprising a polyester or copolyester derived from the reaction of a difunctional carboxylic acid and a difunctional hydroxyl compound; a polyolefin, at least one functionalized polymer comprising a compatibilizer, thermoplastic elastomer, impact modifier, or coupling agent; and a filler.)

1. A core for a decorative floor or wall covering comprising:

(a) a polyester; comprising a polyester or copolyester derived from the reaction of a difunctional carboxylic acid and a difunctional hydroxyl compound;

(b) a polyolefin,

(c) at least one functionalized polymer comprising a compatibilizer, thermoplastic elastomer, impact modifier, or coupling agent; and

(d) and (4) filling.

2. The core material of claim 1, wherein the polyester comprises polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, or a combination thereof.

3. The core material of claim 1, wherein the polyester comprises a random copolymer of polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, or a combination thereof.

4. The core of claim 1, wherein the polyester is present in an amount of about 10% to about 25% by weight of the core.

5. The core of claim 1 wherein the polyolefin is present in an amount of about 5% to about 25% by weight of the core.

6. The core material of claim 1, wherein the functionalized polymer comprises a grafted polyolefin compatibilizer.

7. The core of claim 6, wherein the grafted polyolefin compatibilizer is present in an amount of about 1% to about 2.5% by weight of the core.

8. The core material of claim 6, wherein the filler is present in an amount of about 30% to about 80% by weight of the core material.

The core material of claim 1, wherein the functionalized polymer comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.

9. The core material of claim 1, wherein the polyester is a recycled polymer comprising polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, or glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, or a combination thereof.

10. The core material of claim 1, wherein the polyolefin is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutylene, high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, and combinations thereof.

11. The core material of claim 1, wherein the grafted polyolefin compatibilizer comprises one or more polyolefins selected from the group consisting of high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate, and ethylene propylene diene terpolymer grafted with a monomer selected from the group consisting of maleic anhydride, glycidyl methacrylate, and acrylic acid.

12. The core of claim 1, wherein the filler is selected from limestone (CaCO)₃) Natural or synthetic fibers, glass beads, glass fibers, glass bubbles, clay, talc, dolomite, silica, and combinations thereof.

13. The core material of claim 1, wherein the surface of the core material is modified.

14. The core material of claim 1, wherein the surface of the core material is modified by one or more treatments selected from sanding, texturing, and corona treatment.

15. The core material of claim 13 further comprising a decorative layer adjacent to the modified surface of the core material.

16. The core material of claim 15 further comprising an adhesive between the modified surface of the core material and the decorative layer.

17. A decorative tile or panel for a floor or wall comprising the core material of claim 1 and a decorative layer.

Technical Field

Core material compositions comprising a polyester-polyolefin base may be used as a replacement layer for PVC in many applications. One suitable application is a surface covering for a floor or wall, which may have a decorative surface incorporated.

Prior Art

In the past, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring has caused concern over toxic gas emissions during incineration and the inclusion of potentially harmful plasticizers. Alternative polymers have been used in an attempt to avoid these problems, such as polyesters and polyolefins.

Japanese patent No. 4285984 shows that when the filler comprises a substitute polymer, the resulting product can be very brittle. This is overcome by including a specific polymer blend that requires a polyester elastomer, which is a block copolymer polyester that includes soft segments of amorphous or low crystallinity polyesters.

Background

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides an alternative that avoids the need for polyester elastomers, thereby increasing the potential amount of recycled polyester and/or polyolefin that can be included in the core material composition. A core material comprising a layer for use in decorative floor or wall covering structures comprises a polyester or copolyester derived from the reaction of a difunctional carboxylic acid and a difunctional hydroxyl compound; a polyolefin, a functionalized polymer comprising a compatibilizer, a thermoplastic elastomer, an impact modifier, or a coupling agent; and a filler. The composition provides a core material having a sufficient range of stiffness and excellent dimensional stability for use as a layer in a floor covering structure. Such compositions provide a suitable core material while excluding polyester elastomers.

Detailed Description

Definition of

As used herein, the term "polyester" is intended to include "copolyesters" and is understood to mean a synthetic polymer prepared by the reaction of one or more difunctional and/or polyfunctional carboxylic acids with one or more difunctional and/or polyfunctional hydroxy compounds. Generally, the difunctional carboxylic acid may be a dicarboxylic acid and the difunctional hydroxyl compound may be a diol, such as a diol (glycol) and a diol (diol).

The term "glycol" as used herein includes, but is not limited to, glycols, diols, and/or polyfunctional hydroxyl compounds, such as branching agents. Alternatively, the difunctional carboxylic acid may be a hydroxy carboxylic acid, such as p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and the difunctional hydroxyl compound may be an aromatic ring bearing 2 hydroxy substituents, such as hydroquinone.

As used herein, the term "residue" refers to any organic structure incorporated into a polymer from a corresponding monomer by polycondensation and/or esterification reactions.

As used herein, the term "repeating unit" refers to an organic structure having dicarboxylic acid residues and diol residues. Thus, for example, the dicarboxylic acid residues may be derived from dicarboxylic acid monomers or their associated acid halides, esters, salts, anhydrides, or mixtures thereof. Thus, as used herein, the term dicarboxylic acid is intended to include dicarboxylic acids and any derivative of a dicarboxylic acid, including its associated acid halides, esters, half-esters, salts, half-salts, anhydrides, mixed anhydrides, or mixtures thereof, useful in the reaction with a diol to make a polyester.

Furthermore, the term "diacid" as used herein includes polyfunctional acids, such as branching agents. As used herein, the term "terephthalic acid" is intended to include terephthalic acid itself and its residues as well as any derivative of terephthalic acid, including its associated acid halide, ester, half-ester, salt, half-salt, anhydride, mixed anhydride or mixtures thereof or residues thereof, useful in the reaction with a diol to make a polyester.

Core material composition

Polyester

The polyesters contained in the core material may generally be prepared from dicarboxylic acids and diols that are reacted in substantially equal proportions and incorporated into the polyester polymer as their respective residues. Thus, the polyesters of the invention may contain substantially equal molar proportions of acid residues (100 mole%) and diol (and/or polyfunctional hydroxy compound) residues (100 mole%) such that the total moles of repeat units is equal to 100 mole%. Thus, the mole percentages provided in the present disclosure may be based on the total moles of acid residues, the total moles of diol residues, or the total moles of repeat units. For example, a polyester comprising 30 mole% isophthalic acid based on total acid residues means that the polyester comprises 30 mole% isophthalic acid residues out of a total of 100 mole% acid residues. Thus, there are 30 moles of isophthalic acid residues per 100 moles of acid residues. In another example, a polyester comprising 30 mole% 1, 4-cyclohexanedimethanol, based on the total diol residues, means that the polyester comprises 30 mole 1, 4-cyclohexanedimethanol residues in a total of 100 mole% diol residues. Thus, there are 30 moles of 1, 4-cyclohexanedimethanol residues per 100 moles of diol residues.

A variety of different diols may be used as the diol component of the polyester portion of the polyester composition. Examples of suitable diols include diols containing 2 to 16 carbon atoms. Examples of suitable diols include, but are not limited to, diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol, 2,4, 4-tetramethyl-1, 3-cyclobutanediol, 1, 2-propanediol, 1, 3-propanediol, neopentyl glycol, 1, 4-butanediol, 1, 5-pentanediol, 1, 6-hexanediol, p-xylene glycol, isosorbide, or mixtures thereof. In another embodiment, the diol includes, but is not limited to, 1, 3-propanediol and/or 1, 4-butanediol. In another embodiment, at least one diol is isosorbide. In one embodiment, suitable diols include, but are not limited to, diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol, and 2,2,4, 4-tetramethyl-1, 3-cyclobutanediol. In one embodiment, suitable diols include, but are not limited to, ethylene glycol and 2,2,4, 4-tetramethyl-1, 3-cyclobutanediol. In one embodiment, the ethylene glycol is a diol. In one embodiment, the 2,2,4, 4-tetramethyl-1, 3-cyclobutanediol is a diol.

The polyesters useful in the present invention may also comprise 0 to 10 mole percent, e.g., 0.01 to 5 mole percent, 0.01 to 1 mole percent, 0.05 to 5 mole percent, 0.05 to 1 mole percent, or 0.1 to 0.7 mole percent, or 0.1 to 0.5 mole percent of diol or diacid residues, based on the total mole percent; each being one or more residues of a branching monomer, also referred to herein as a branching agent, having 3 or more carboxyl substituents, hydroxyl substituents, or combinations thereof. In certain embodiments, branching monomers or branching agents may be added before and/or during and/or after polymerization of the polyester. The polyesters used in the present invention may thus be linear or branched.

Examples of branching monomers include, but are not limited to, polyfunctional acids or polyfunctional alcohols such as trimellitic acid, trimellitic anhydride, pyromellitic dianhydride, trimethylolpropane, glycerol, pentaerythritol, citric acid, tartaric acid, 3-hydroxyglutaric acid, and the like. In one embodiment, the branched monomer residues may comprise 0.1 to 0.7 mole percent of one or more residues selected from at least one of: trimellitic anhydride, pyromellitic dianhydride, glycerol, sorbitol, 1,2, 6-hexanetriol, pentaerythritol, trimethylolethane and/or trimesic acid. The branching monomer may be added to the polyester reaction mixture or blended with the polyester in the form of a concentrate, as described in U.S. patent nos. 5,654,347 and 5,696,176, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference with respect to branching monomers.

The polyester may comprise at least one chain extender. Suitable chain extenders include, but are not limited to, polyfunctional (including, but not limited to, difunctional) isocyanates, polyfunctional epoxides including, for example, epoxidized novolacs and phenoxy resins. In certain embodiments, the chain extender may be added at the end of the polymerization process or after the polymerization process. If added after the polymerization process, the chain extender may be added by mixing or in a conversion process such as injection molding or extrusion. The amount of chain extender used can vary depending on the particular monomer composition used and the physical properties desired, but can be selected from 0.1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent, or 0.1 to about 5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the polyester.

The polyester may contain phosphorus compounds including, but not limited to, phosphoric acid, phosphorous acid, phosphonic acid, phosphinic acid, phosphonous acid, and various esters and salts thereof. These may be present in the polyester compositions useful in the present invention. Esters may be alkyl, branched alkyl, substituted alkyl, difunctional alkyl, alkyl ether, aryl and substituted aryl. In one embodiment, the number of ester groups present in a particular phosphorus compound may vary from zero to a maximum allowable value based on the number of hydroxyl groups present on the phosphorus compound used. Examples of phosphorus compounds useful in the present invention may include phosphites, phosphates, phosphinates or phosphonites, including esters thereof.

The polyester component can include polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, or a combination thereof. Alternatively or additionally, the polyester component can include a random polymer or copolymer of polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, or a combination thereof.

The polyester may be present in the core composition in an amount suitable to provide a floor core composition. Suitable polyester packages contain up to about 25%. This includes about 0.1% to about 25% by weight of the core material, for example about 1% to about 21% by weight of the core material. Other suitable ranges include from about 10% to about 25%, or from about 15% to about 21%, or from about 17% to about 21% by weight of the core material. The polyester component may be obtained entirely from recycled polyester sources, e.g., 100% post-consumer ingredients. The polyester may be virgin or recycled, or a combination of both. One suitable source is a plastic water bottle.

Polyolefins

The core material composition also includes a polyolefin. The polyolefin may also be obtained from 100% post-consumer ingredients, 100% post-industrial major ingredients, or combinations. Suitable polyolefins include polymers and copolymers of polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutylene, and the like, or combinations thereof. The polyolefin may comprise a polyolefin selected from the group consisting of high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDP), ethylene vinyl acetate and ethylene propylene diene terpolymer. The polyolefin is present in the core material composition in an amount up to about 40%. This includes about 5% to about 40%, for example about 5% to about 25%, by weight of the core material composition.

Other examples of polyolefins include, but are not limited to, butadiene, pentadiene, hexadiene (e.g., 1, 4-hexadiene), heptadiene (e.g., 1, 6-heptadiene), octadiene (e.g., 1, 7-octadiene), nonadiene (e.g., 1, 8-nonadiene), decadiene (e.g., 1, 9-decadiene), undecadiene (e.g., 1, 10-undecadiene), dodecadiene (e.g., 1, 11-dodecadiene), tridecadiene (e.g., 1, 12-tridecadiene), tetradecadiene (e.g., 1, 13-tetradecadiene), pentadecadiene, hexadecadiene, heptadecadiene, octadecadiene, nonadecadiene, eicosadiene, heneicosapiene, docosadiene (tricosapiene), tricosapiene (tricosapiene), Tetracosadiene (tetracosadiene), pentacosadiene (pentacosadiene), hexacosadiene (hexacosadiene), heptacosadiene (heptacosadiene), octacosadiene (octacosadiene), nonacosadiene (nonacosadiene), triacontadiene (triacontadiene) and polybutadiene having a molecular weight (Mw) of less than 1000 g/mol. Examples of linear acyclic dienes include, but are not limited to, 1, 4-hexadiene and 1, 6-octadiene. Examples of branched acyclic dienes include, but are not limited to, 5-methyl-1, 4-hexadiene, 3, 7-dimethyl-1, 6-octadiene, and 3, 7-dimethyl-1, 7-octadiene. Examples of monocyclic cycloaliphatic dienes include, but are not limited to, 1, 4-cyclohexadiene, 1, 5-cyclooctadiene, and 1, 7-cyclododecadiene. Examples of polycyclic alicyclic fused and bridged ring dienes include, but are not limited to, tetrahydroindene; norbornadiene; methyl tetrahydroindene; dicyclopentadiene; bicyclo (2,2,1) hepta-2, 5-diene; and alkenyl-, alkylene-, cycloalkenyl-, and cycloalkylene-norbornenes [ including, for example, 5-methylene-2-norbornene, 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene, 5-propenyl-2-norbornene, 5-isopropylidene-2-norbornene, 5- (4-cyclopentenyl) -2-norbornene, 5-cyclohexyl-2-norbornene, and 5-vinyl-2-norbornene ]. Examples of cycloalkenyl-substituted alkenes include, but are not limited to, vinylcyclohexene, allylcyclohexene, vinylcyclooctene, 4-vinylcyclohexene, allylcyclodecene, vinylcyclododecene (vinylcyclododecene), and tetracyclododecene (tetracyclododecene).

Functionalized polymers

The core material composition also includes a functionalized polymer selected from the group consisting of compatibilizers, impact modifiers, thermoplastic elastomers, which may act as toughening agents, coupling agents, and combinations thereof. One suitable example is a grafted polyolefin compatibilizer. The grafted polyolefin compatibilizer may include one or more polyolefins selected from polypropylene, high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate, and ethylene propylene diene terpolymers, which have been grafted with a monomer selected from maleic anhydride, glycidyl methacrylate, and acrylic acid. The functionalized polymer may be present in an amount of about 0% to about 5%, for example about 0% to about 2.5% by weight of the core material composition. Other suitable examples include 0.01% to about 5.0% or about 1.0% to about 2.5%.

One suitable example is a thermoplastic elastomeric copolymer. The thermoplastic elastomeric copolymer may comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of: ethylene vinyl acetate, ethylene methyl acrylate, ethylene butyl acrylate, polybutyrate, butene, octene or hexene polyolefins, propylene. The thermoplastic elastomeric copolymer may be present in an amount up to about 25%. This includes from 0.1% to about 25%, for example from about 1% to about 15% by weight of the core material composition.

The thermoplastic polyolefin may be a metallocene-catalyzed polyolefin, such as a polyethylene or polypropylene-based polymer. Polyolefin polymers can be prepared by polymerizing ethylene or propylene with one or more dienes. In at least one other embodiment, the polyolefin polymer may be prepared by polymerizing propylene with ethylene and/or at least one C4-C20 alpha-olefin, or a combination of ethylene with at least one C4-C20 alpha-olefin and one or more dienes. The one or more dienes may be conjugated or non-conjugated. Preferably, the one or more dienes are non-conjugated.

The comonomers may be linear or branched. The linear comonomers include ethylene or C4-C8 alpha-olefins, such as ethylene, 1-butene, 1-hexene and 1-octene. Branched comonomers include 4-methyl-1-pentene, 3-methyl-1-pentene and 3,5, 5-trimethyl-1-hexene. In one or more embodiments, the comonomer may include styrene.

Exemplary dienes can include, but are not limited to, 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene (ENB); 1, 4-hexadiene; 5-methylene-2-norbornene (MNB); 1, 6-octadiene; 5-methyl-1, 4-hexadiene; 3, 7-dimethyl-1, 6-octadiene; 1, 3-cyclopentadiene; 1, 4-cyclohexadiene; vinylnorbornene (VNB); dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and combinations thereof.

Suitable processes and catalysts for producing polyolefin polymers can be found in publications US 2004/0236042 and WO05/049672 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,881,800, which are all incorporated herein by reference. Pyridylamine complexes, such as those described in WO03/040201, may also be used to produce propylene-based polymers useful herein. The catalyst may comprise a flow complex that undergoes periodic intramolecular rearrangement to provide the desired disruption of stereoregularity, as in U.S. patent No. 6,559,262, which is incorporated herein by reference. The catalyst may be a stereorigid complex with mixed effects on propylene insertion, see Rieger EP1070087, incorporated herein by reference. The catalysts described in EP1614699, which is incorporated herein by reference, may also be used to produce embodiments suitable for use in certain of the present disclosure.

Other suitable examples of thermoplastic elastomers include, but are not limited to, styrene/butadiene rubber (SBR), styrene/isoprene rubber (SIR), styrene/isoprene/butadiene rubber (SIBR), styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS), hydrogenated styrene butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS), hydrogenated styrene-butadiene block copolymer (SEB), styrene-isoprene styrene block copolymer (SIS), styrene-isoprene block copolymer (SI), hydrogenated styrene-isoprene block copolymer (SEP), hydrogenated styrene isoprene-styrene block copolymer (SEPs), styrene-ethylene/butylene-ethylene block copolymer (SEBE), styrene-ethylene-styrene block copolymer (SES), styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer (SES), styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS), styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer (SBS), styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SIBR), styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS), styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer (SBS), styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS), styrene-styrene block copolymer(s), styrene-styrene block copolymer(s), styrene-styrene block copolymer(s), styrene-styrene block copolymer(s), and styrene-styrene block copolymer(s) and styrene-styrene block copolymer(s) are used in combination, Ethylene-ethylene/butylene block copolymer (EEB), ethylene-ethylene/butylene/styrene block copolymer (hydrogenated BR-SBR block copolymer), styrene-ethylene/butylene-ethylene block copolymer (SEBE), ethylene-ethylene/butylene-ethylene block copolymer (EEBE), polyisoprene rubber, polybutadiene rubber, Isoprene Butadiene Rubber (IBR), polysulfide, nitrile rubber, propylene oxide polymer, star-branched butyl rubber and halogenated star-branched butyl rubber, brominated butyl rubber, chlorinated butyl rubber, star-branched polyisobutylene rubber, star-branched brominated butyl rubber (polyisobutylene/isoprene copolymer) rubber; poly (isobutylene-co-alkylstyrene), suitable isobutylene/methylstyrene copolymers such as isobutylene/m-bromomethylstyrene, isobutylene/chloromethylstyrene, halogenated isobutylene cyclopentadiene and isobutylene/chloromethylstyrene, and mixtures thereof. Additional elastomeric components include hydrogenated styrene-butadiene styrene block copolymers (SEBS) and hydrogenated styrene isoprene-styrene block copolymers (SEPS).

Fillers and additives

Various fillers and additives may be included in the core material composition. Suitable examples include, but are not limited to, limestone (CaCO)₃) Natural or synthetic fibers, glass beads, glass fibers, glass bubbles, clay, talc, dolomite, silica, and combinations thereof. Reinforcing additives may include carbon filaments, silicates, mica, clay, talc, titanium dioxide, wollastonite, glass flakes, glass beads and fibers, polymeric fibers, and combinations thereof. Additives and fillers may be present in any suitable amount, for example, from about 30% to about 95% by weight of the core material composition.

The core composition may be used to form fibers, films, molded articles, foam articles, containers and sheets. Methods of forming polyesters into fibers, films, molded articles, containers, and sheets are well known in the art.

Also included are articles of manufacture. These articles include, but are not limited to, injection molded articles, injection blow molded articles, injection stretch blow molded articles, extrusion stretch blow molded articles, extrusion sheet articles, extrusion cast articles, double tape pressed articles, calendered articles, and compression molded articles. Methods of making articles include, but are not limited to, extrusion blow molding, extrusion stretch blow molding, injection stretch blow molding, extruded sheet, extrusion casting, twin belt pressing, calendering, rotational molding, compression molding, and solution casting. The article may comprise a sheet, slab or tile with a decorative surface added. Such articles are useful in many applications, such as floors or walls.

The core material compositions may have properties and viscosity values that make them suitable for many practical applications after adjusting their molecular weight, such as films, injection molded products, extrusion coatings, fibers, foams, thermoformed products, extrusion profiles and sheets, extrusion blow molding, injection blow molding, rotomolding, stretch blow molding, and the like.

Methods of forming core material compositions into films and/or sheets are well known in the art. Examples of film production techniques include blown film, casting and extrusion. Examples of films and/or sheets of the present invention include, but are not limited to, extruded films and/or sheets, extruded cast films and/or sheets, double-banded pressed films and/or sheets, calendered films and/or sheets, compression molded films and/or sheets, solution cast films and/or sheets. Methods of making films and/or sheets include, but are not limited to, extrusion, calendering, compression molding, and solution casting.

Examples of potential articles made from the films and/or sheets include, but are not limited to, uniaxially stretched films, biaxially stretched films, shrink films (whether uniaxially or biaxially stretched), liquid crystal display films (including, but not limited to, diffuser sheets, compensation films, and protective films), thermoformed sheets, graphic art films, outdoor signs, skylights, coatings, coated articles, painted articles, laminates, and/or multilayer films or sheets.

When the core composition is used as a layer in a decorative covering structure, the composition is first extruded or calendered into a core sheet and then cut or punched into sheets, bricks, panels, or any suitable construction. Decorative surfaces may then be added, for example, by direct printing, adding vinyl tiles, paper, printing films, back printing abrasion resistant films, wood veneers, and the like. When a wood finish is added, it can be bonded without an adhesive. When a decorative layer, including a film, is added, it can be bonded using cast extruded tie layers without adhesives, hot melt PUR adhesives, co-extruded tie layers, or any other adhesive technique. The surface of the core or decorative layer may be modified to enhance bonding of the decorative layer prior to addition of the decorative layer. Such modifications or treatments may include sanding, texturing, and corona treatment, among others and combinations thereof.

The features and advantages of the present invention are more fully shown by the following examples, which are provided for purposes of illustration and are not to be construed as limiting the invention in any way.

Examples

Calendering method

A batch consisting of 14 pounds of post-industrial recycled linear low density polyethylene, 5 pounds of ethylene methyl acrylate and 1 pound of polyethylene terephthalate was dry blended using a rotary mixer. The blend batch was compounded using a twin screw extruder at a melt temperature of 245 ℃, stranded in a water bath and cut into pellets using a pelletizing apparatus. The composite particles and calcium carbonate were then added to the feed port of the composite continuous mixer in a ratio of 1: 4. The mixed material fell from the mixer into a two roll calender at about 202 ℃. The material was pressed into a core material about 0.125 inches thick. The sheet core had a flexural modulus of 77373PSI and a dimensional change of-0.02% when exposed to 98.9 ℃ for 6 hours and returned to room temperature.

Sheet extrusion process

A batch consisting of 6 pounds of post-industrial recycled linear low density polyethylene, 3 pounds of a polysulfide rubber binder (Polybond)3349 compatibilizer, and 21 pounds of polyethylene terephthalate was dry blended using a rotary mixer. The blend batch was compounded using a twin screw extruder at a melt temperature of 245 ℃ and 70% by weight calcium carbonate was added during the mixing to make a homogeneous mixture. The material was then processed through a gear pump and a tablet head and cooled through a cooling wire to form a core material approximately 0.160 inches thick. The sheet core had a flexural modulus of 1054794PSI and a dimensional change of 0.02% when exposed to 70 ℃ for 6 hours and returned to room temperature.

Tables 1 and 2 include various compositions of some of the examples.

Table 3 provides test data demonstrating the advantageous properties of the composition as a floor or wall covering.

While there has been described what are presently considered to be the preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to include all such changes and modifications as fall within the true scope of the invention.