Roofing shingles, tiles and shakes
The present disclosure relates generally to roofing elements and methods for making them. In one embodiment, the disclosure provides a roofing element in the form of a roofing shingle that includes a body of a foamed cured cross-linked polymer, the body having a top surface and a bottom surface, the body extending substantially in a plane and having a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 35 mm; and a layer of weather-resistant roofing granules disposed on and adhered at the top surface of roofing element. The roofing element can be made by providing a body of wet foamed curable composition, and allowing the curable composition to cure to provide the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer.
1. A roofing element in the form of a roofing shingle, shake or tile extending substantially in a plane, the roofing element having a top surface, the roofing element comprising:
a body of a foamed cured cross-linked polymer, the body having a top surface at the top surface of the roofing element and a bottom surface, the body extending substantially in the plane and having a thickness in the range of 2 mm to 35 mm; and
a layer of weather-resistant roofing granules disposed on and adhered at the top surface of the roofing element,
wherein the weather-resistant roofing granules are adhered directly to the foamed cured cross-linked polymer;
the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer is in the form of a substantially closed-cell foam; and
wherein the shingle, shake or tile has an asphalt content of less than about 5 wt %.
2. The roofing element of claim 1 , having an asphalt content of less than about 1 wt %.
3. The roofing element of claim 1 , further comprising a support sheet disposed at least partially within the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer.
4. The roofing element of claim 3 , wherein the support sheet is a fibrous mat, a fiberglass mat, a roofing felt, or a fibrous mat of metallic strands, of polymeric fibers, of glass fibers, or of a combination thereof.
5. The roofing element of claim 1 , further comprising a mesh sheet disposed at least partially within the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer, or on the bottom surface of the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer.
6. The roofing element of claim 1 , further comprising a backing sheet disposed on the bottom surface of the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer.
7. The roofing element of claim 1 , further comprising a polymer film disposed within the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer.
8. The roofing element of claim 1 , wherein the roofing granules are disposed directly on and embedded in a top surface of the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer.
9. The roofing element of claim 1 , comprising a support sheet that is a glass mat, and a polymer film disposed on a bottom surface of the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer.
10. The roofing element of claim 1 , wherein the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer has a density in the range of 1 g/mL to 2 g/mL.
11. The roofing element of claim 1 , wherein the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer has a void volume, and wherein no more than 10% of the void volume is formed by foam cells having a longest dimension in excess of 100 microns.
12. The roofing element of claim 1 , wherein the polymer of the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer is a poly(meth)acrylate-based polymer, a polyurethane/acrylate hybrid polymer, a polyurethane, a polyvinylidine difluoride or a copolymer thereof.
13. The roofing element of claim 1 , wherein the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer further comprises a filler.
14. The roofing element of claim 1 , having a headlap portion and an exposure portion, wherein the headlap portion is adapted to have its top surface generally covered in the installed condition of the element on a roof, and the exposure portion being adapted to have its top surface generally uncovered and weather-exposed in the installed condition of the element on a roof.
15. The roofing element of claim 1 , wherein the body of foamed polymer has a thickness in the range of 2 mm to 5 mm.
16. An array of the roofing elements according to claim 1 , disposed on a roof deck.
17. The roofing element of claim 1 , wherein the polymer of the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer is a acrylate-based polymer.
18. A process for preparing a roofing element according to claim 1 , comprising:
providing a wet body of a foamed curable composition, the foamed curable composition being adapted to provide the foamed cured cross-linked polymer upon curing, the foamed curable composition having a wet foam density of about 0.1 to about 1.0 g/mL to provide a wet roofing element precursor;
disposing the granules on a top surface of the wet body of foamed curable composition; and then
allowing the wet body of foamed curable composition to cure to provide the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer having the granules embedded in and adhered to the top surface thereof.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the wet body of foamed curable composition has a wet foam density in the range of 0.2 to 0.7 g/mL.
20. The roofing element of claim 19 , wherein the polymer of the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer is a poly(meth)acrylate-based polymer or a polyurethane/acrylate hybrid polymer.