Surface Covering With Wear Layer Having Dispersed Wear Resistant Particles and Method of Making the Same
A surface covering includes a base layer and a wear layer. The wear layer is laminated to the base layer. The wear layer comprises a polymeric binder system having wear resistant particles dispersed therein. The wear layer is formed by dispersing a plurality of wear resistant particles into a liquid to form a stable liquid dispersion, blending the stable liquid dispersion into a polymeric resin to form a mixture, and extruding the mixture to form the wear layer.
1 . A surface covering, comprising:
a base layer; and
a wear layer laminated to the base layer, the wear layer comprising a polymeric binder system having wear resistant particles dispersed therein.
2 . The surface covering of claim 1 , wherein the wear layer is a rigid film.
3 . The surface covering of claim 1 , wherein the wear layer is a semi-rigid film.
4 . The surface covering of claim 1 , wherein the wear layer is a flexible film.
5 . The surface covering of claim 1 , wherein the wear layer is a vinyl film.
6 . The surface covering of claim 1 , wherein the wear layer is provided with an ink pattern.
7 . The surface covering of claim 1 , wherein the wear resistant particles are aluminum oxide.
8 . The surface covering of claim 1 , wherein the wear resistant particles have a particle size of about 20-100 nanometers.
9 . The surface covering of claim 8 , wherein the wear resistant particles have a particle size of about 20-40 nanometers.
10 . The surface covering of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric binder system comprises a polymeric resin and the wear resistant particles are dispersed at about 0.1-5 parts per hundred parts by weight of the polymeric resin.
11 . The surface covering of claim 10 , wherein the wear resistant particles are dispersed at about 0.5-1.5 parts per hundred parts by weight of the polymeric resin.
12 . The surface covering of claim 1 , further comprising a print layer disposed between the wear layer and the base layer, the print layer being provided with an ink pattern.
13 . The surface covering of claim 1 , further comprising a topcoat provided on the wear layer.
14 . The surface covering of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric binder system includes an additive package, and the additive package includes at least one of a stabilizer, a modifier, an acrylic processing aid, an internal and external lubricant package, an ultraviolet absorber, or a tint.
15 . The surface covering of claim 1 , wherein the base layer comprises a binder and a filler, the binder being a polymeric resin, and the base layer containing about 65-85% weight of the filler.
16 . A method of making a wear layer for a surface covering, comprising:
dispersing a plurality of wear resistant particles into a liquid to form a stable liquid dispersion;
blending the stable liquid dispersion into a polymeric resin to form a mixture; and
extruding the mixture to form the wear layer.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the liquid is a plasticizer or a liquid component of an additive package.
18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising calendaring the mixture to form the wear layer.
19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein wear resistant particles are aluminum oxide.
20 . The method claim 16 , further comprising laminating the wear layer to a base layer.
21 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the wear resistant particles have a particle size of about 20-100 nanometers.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the wear resistant particles have a particle size of about 20-40 nanometers.
23 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the wear resistant particles are dispersed at about 0.1-5 parts per hundred parts by weight of the polymeric resin.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the wear resistant particles are dispersed at about 0.5-1.5 parts per hundred parts by weight of the polymeric resin.