DECORATIVE LAMINATE SURFACED WITH A COMPRESSED LAYER OF A FIBRILLATED ACRYLIC FIBER PAPER,SAID PAPER HAVING BEEN TRANSPARENTIZED DURING A HEAT AND PRESSURE CONSOLIDATION STEP AND HAVING BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF ANY IMPREGNATING RESIN

摘要

A laminate comprising (a) a rigid base layer, (b) a decorative sheet impregnated with a thermosetting melamine-formaldehyde resin and coated on at least one side a soft thermoplastic acrylic copolymer having a glass transition temperature of less than 25 C., and (c) a fibrillated acrylic paper of at least 20 lb. basis weight may be made by subjecting the lamin[mu] to a pressure of 1000-3000 p.s.i. at 140-150 C. for 15-30 minutes during which treatment the melamine formaldehyde is thermoset, the acrylic paper is compressed and becomes transparent and remains substantially free of impregnating resin. The decorative sheet is a [alpha]-cellulose or bleached sulfite or kraft paper and may have a resin content of 35-45% wt. consisting of 5-75 parts of melamine formaldehyde and 95-25 parts of the acrylic copolymer. The acrylic copolymer suitably comprises 60-99% wt. of an alkyl ester of an acrylic acid, 1-5% of an acrylic acid and 0-39% of an alkyl ester of an alkyl acrylic acid. The rigid base member may comprise sheets of kraft paper impregnated with resin, glass fibre reinforced resins, hardboard, plywood, asbestos board impregnated with epoxy-polyamine or phenolic resins or plaster board. A layer of aluminium foil may be introduced between layers (a) and (b). Release sheets of aluminium foil, silicone or wax papers may also be incorporated.