Process for manufacturing in-line coated wood-based boards

1. Process for manufacturing a wood-based board, the process comprising the steps of:

a) providing wood particles and/or fibres, in dry form or in form of an aqueous suspension,

b) providing a dry or liquid coating composition comprising at least one particulate filler material and at least one binder,

c) forming a wood-based mat having a first side and a reverse side from the wood particles and/or fibres provided in step a),

d) pre-pressing the wood-based mat of step c) into a pre-pressed wood-based mat,

e) applying the dry or liquid coating composition of step b) on the first and/or reverse side of the pre-pressed wood-based mat obtained in step d), and

f) hot pressing the pre-pressed wood-based mat obtained in step e) into a solid wood-based board.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the wood particles and/or fibres of step a) originate from primary wood sources or secondary wood sources.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the wood particles and/or fibres of step a) are combined simultaneously or separately in any order with at least one base binder and/or at least one additive, wherein the at least one base binder is selected from the group consisting of phenol-formaldehyde resin (PF), urea-formaldehyde resin (UF), melamine-formaldehyde resin (MF), melamine-urea-formaldehyde resin (MUF), urea-melamine-formaldehyde resin (UMF), urea-melamine-phenol-formaldehyde resin (UMPF), epoxy resin, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate resin (MDI), polyurethane resin (PU), resorcinol resin, starch or carboxymethylcellulose and mixtures thereof, and/or the at least one additive is selected from the group consisting of waxes, colorants, filler, dispersants, biocides, hardener, flame retardants and mixtures thereof.

4. The process according to any claim 1 , wherein the wood particles of step a) are wood chips.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one particulate filler material of step b) is selected from the group consisting of dolomite, ground calcium carbonate (GCC), precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), magnesium hydroxide, talc, gypsum, titanium dioxide, kaolin, silicate, mica, barium sulphate, calcined clay, non-calcined (hydrous) clay, bentonite, inorganic or organic pigments and mixtures thereof.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one particulate filler material of step b) is provided

i) in powder form, or

ii) in form of an aqueous slurry comprising the filler material in an amount from 1.0 to 80.0 wt.-%, based on the total weight of the aqueous slurry.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one particulate filler material of step b) is at least one particulate calcium carbonate-containing material having a median particle size d 50 from 0.1 μm to 150.0 μm, and/or a specific surface area of from 0.5 to 200.0 m 2 /g, as measured by the BET nitrogen method.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one binder of step b) is selected from the group consisting of alkyd resin, epoxy resin, epoxy ester resin, poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), poly(vinyl acetate), poly(oxazolines), poly(vinylacetamides), partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate/vinyl alcohol), poly((meth)acrylic acid), poly((meth)acrylamide), poly(alkylene oxide), polyether, saturated polyester, sulfonated or phosphated polyesters and polystyrenes, poly(styrene-co-(meth)acrylate), poly(styrene-co-butadiene), polyurethane latex, poly(n-butyl (meth)acrylate), poly(2-ethylhexyl (meth)acrylate), copolymers of (meth)acrylates, copolymers of vinylacetate and n-butyl(meth)acrylate casein, copolymers of polyvinylchloride, gelatin, cellulose ethers, zein, albumin, chitin, chitosan, dextran, pectin, collagen derivatives, collodian, agar-agar, arrowroot, guar, carrageenan, starch, tragacanth, xanthan, or rhamsan and mixtures thereof.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the dry or liquid coating composition of step b) comprises the at least one particulate filler material in an amount from >60 parts by dry weight based on dry coating (d/d), and the at least one binder in an amount from <40 parts d/d, and the sum of the amount of the at least one particulate filler material and the at least one binder is 100.0 parts d/d, based on the total dry weight of the at least one particulate filler material and the at least one binder.

10. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the dry or liquid coating composition of step b) comprises the at least one particulate filler material in an amount from >80 parts by dry weight based on dry coating (d/d), and the at least one binder in an amount from <20 parts d/d, and the sum of the amount of the at least one particulate filler material and the at least one binder is 100.0 parts d/d, based on the total dry weight of the at least one particulate filler material and the at least one binder.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the dry or liquid coating composition of step b) further comprises at least one compound selected from the group comprising matting agents, coalescing agents or film forming agents, anti-foaming agents, dispersants, rheology agents, cross-linking agents, biocides, light stabilizer, preserving agents, hardener, flame retardants and mixtures thereof, in an amount from 2.0 to 8.0 parts by weight (d/d), based on the total dry weight of the at least one particulate filler material and the at least one binder.

12. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the dry or liquid coating composition of step b) comprises the at least one compound in an amount from 3.0 to 7.0 parts by weight (d/d) based on the total dry weight of the at least one particulate filler material and the at least one binder.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a single or multi-layer wood-based mat is formed in step c).

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein pre-pressing step d) is carried out at ambient temperature ranging from 10 to 60° C., and/or a pressure ranging from 5 to 40 bar.

15. The process according to claim 1 , wherein coating step e) is carried out by metering size press, curtain coating, spray coating or roller coating.

16. The process according to claim 1 , wherein coating step e) is carried out on the first and reverse side of the pre-pressed wood-based mat to manufacture a wood-based board being coated on the first and the reverse side, and/or coating step e) is carried out a second time using a different or the same liquid coating composition of step b).

17. The process according to claim 1 , wherein hot pressing step f) is carried out at a temperature ranging from 130 to 260° C.

18. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the wood-based board is a high-density fibre (HDF) board, medium-density fibre (MDF) board, low-density fibre (LDF) board, a particle board, an oriented strandboard (OSB), a hardboard or an insulation board.

19. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one particulate filler material has a ratio of particle size d 80 to particle size d 20 [d 80 /d 20 ] from 0.5 to 1.0.

20. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one particulate filler material has

i. a particle size d 98 of <500 μm,

ii. a particle size d 80 of 0.1 to 250 μm,

iii. a median particle size d 50 of 0.1 to 150 μm, and

iv. a particle size d 20 of 0.1 to 50 μm.