Heat activated coating texture
View Patent ↗A process for making a textured coating on a substrate and compositions for such coatings are disclosed wherein coating mixtures comprising un-expanded micro-capsules and a plastisol or other suitable resins are applied to the substrate and subsequently heat treated to expand the micro-capsules within the coating. The expanded micro-capsules create an aesthetically pleasing surface texture in the coating while retaining the desired wear-resistant properties of the coating.
1. A coating mixture which cures to a texture, comprising:
a surface coating composition and
a plurality of micro-balloons, each of the plurality of micro-balloons having a polymer shell encapsulating a blowing agent, the plurality of micro-balloons comprising 0.1-4 wt % of said coating mixture.
2. The coating mixture in claim 1 wherein said surface coating composition is a thermoplastic.
3. The coating mixture in claim 2 wherein said thermoplastic is a PVC plastisol.
4. The coating mixture in claim 1 wherein said surface coating composition is thermosetting.
5. The coating mixture in claim 4 wherein said thermosetting surface coating composition is radiation-curable.
6. The coating mixture in claim 1 wherein the shell of said micro-balloons is selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile and polyvinylidene flouride copolymers.
7. The coating mixture in claim 1 wherein the gas of said micro-balloons comprises a hydrocarbon.
8. The coating mixture in claim 1 wherein said micro-balloons range from 5-80 μm in diameter.
9. A textured coating, comprising:
a surface coating and
a plurality of thermally expanded micro-balloons with a polymer shell and expanded gas, the micro-balloons making up 0.1-4 wt % of said textured coating,
wherein at least some of said micro-balloons protrude above said surface coating resulting in a texture.
10. The textured coating in claim 9 wherein said texture is like that of sandpaper.
11. The textured coating in claim 9 wherein said surface coating is a thermoplastic.
12. The textured coating in claim 11 wherein said thermoplastic is a PVC plastisol.
13. The textured coating in claim 12 wherein said PVC plastisol is 10-50 mils thick.
14. The textured coating in claim 9 wherein said surface coating is thermoset.
15. The textured coating in claim 14 wherein said thermoset surface coating is radiation-cured.
16. The textured coating of claim 15 wherein said radiation-cured surface coating is 10-100 μm thick.
17. The textured coating in claim 9 wherein the shell of said microballoons is selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile and polyvinylidene flouride copolymers.
18. The textured coating in claim 9 wherein the gas of said micro-balloons comprises a hydrocarbon.
19. The textured coating in claim 9 wherein said micro-balloons range from 7.5-1200 μm in diameter.
20. The textured coating in claim 9 further comprising a top coating above said surface coating.
21. The textured coating in claim 20 wherein said top coating is a thermoset coating.
22. The textured coating in claim 21 wherein said thermoset top coating is radiation-cured.
23. A heat-activated coating composition comprising:
a liquid carrier; and
a plurality of micro-capsules dispersed in the liquid carrier, each of the plurality of the micro-capsules comprising a blowing agent encapsulated by a thermoplastic resin that forms a substantially gas impermeable barrier enclosing the blowing agent
wherein the liquid carrier is a PVC plastisol characterized by a gelation temperature range and be a fusion temperature range and
the microcapsules are characterized by an expansion temperature image that does not exceed the gelation temperature range of the plastisol.