Method for manufacturing floor panels and floor panel for forming a floor covering

1. A method for manufacturing floor panels, wherein the floor panels comprise a carrier on the basis of thermoplastic material, fillers and additives, and a top layer provided on the carrier; wherein the method comprises at least the steps of:

providing a dry-blend powder mixture; wherein said dry-blend comprises at least said thermoplastic material, said fillers and said additives as individual elements in said powder mixture;

strewing the dry-blend on a transport device and consolidating the strewn dry-blend on the transport device under influence of pressure and/or temperature to form at least said carrier.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material comprises one or more of the following characteristics:

the thermoplastic material comprises polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as the thermoplastic synthetic material, wherein the PVC has a (Fikentscher) K-value which is smaller than or equal to 60;

the thermoplastic material comprises a vinyl acetate-based copolymer, wherein the vinyl acetate-based copolymer has a (Fikentscher) K-value which is smaller than or equal to 60; and/or

the thermoplastic material comprises a plasticizer in an amount up to maximum 20 phr.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said filler comprises an inorganic filler.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method also comprises the step of foaming the thermoplastic material; and wherein to this aim, the thermoplastic material is provided with a blowing agent.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of foaming the thermoplastic material is performed after the step of strewing the dry-blend, and preferably is performed during the step of consolidating the strewn dry-blend.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said blowing agent relates to a chemical blowing agent.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein said blowing agent relates to an expandable microsphere.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filler comprises a density-reducing filler, which preferably is expanded, foamed, porous or hollow.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of consolidating the strewn dry-blend is performed by means of a heated press device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method also comprises the step of providing the carrier with a reinforcement layer, more particularly a glass fiber cloth or glass fleece.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier has a thickness of at least 3 millimeters.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said steps are performed as a continuous process.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said top layer comprises at least a decor and a transparent or translucent wear layer situated on top of the decor and being in the form of a thermoplastic film.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the decor in the form of a print is realized on a synthetic material film and, whether or not together with the wear layer, is bonded to the carrier by means of a thermal laminating process.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the top layer comprises a thermoplastic backing layer, which is of a supple or soft thermoplastic.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier, whether or not together with still other layers, forms a material web which is cut to floor panels, in particularly to oblong rectangular or square floor panels.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the floor panels, on at least two opposite edges, are provided with coupling parts via which a plurality of such floor panels can be coupled to each other mechanically in order to thereby provide a locking, preferably both horizontally and vertically.

18. A method for manufacturing floor panels, wherein the floor panels comprise a carrier on the basis of thermoplastic material, fillers and additives, and a top layer provided on the carrier; wherein the method comprises at least the steps of:

providing a dry-blend powder mixture; wherein said dry-blend comprises at least said thermoplastic material, said fillers and said additives as individual elements in said powder mixture;

strewing the dry-blend on a transport device and consolidating the strewn dry-blend on the transport device under influence of pressure and/or temperature to form at least the carrier;

wherein the method also comprises the step of foaming the thermoplastic material, and

wherein the dry-blend to this aim is provided with a blowing agent; and

wherein the dry-blend comprises plasticizer in an amount up to maximum 20 phr.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the method also comprises the step of providing the carrier with a reinforcement layer, more particularly a glass fiber cloth or glass fleece.

20. A method for manufacturing floor panels, wherein the floor panels comprise a carrier on the basis of thermoplastic material, fillers and additives, and a top layer provided on the carrier; wherein the method comprises at least the steps of:

providing a dry-blend powder mixture; wherein said dry-blend comprises at least said thermoplastic material, said fillers and said additives as individual elements in said powder mixture;

strewing the dry-blend on a transport device and consolidating the strewn dry-blend on the transport device under influence of pressure and/or temperature to form at least the carrier;

wherein the method also comprises the step of foaming the thermoplastic material, and

wherein the dry-blend to this aim is provided with a blowing agent; and wherein the blowing agent relates to a chemical blowing agent.