Coating having macroscopic texture and process for making same

Abstract

In one embodiment the present invention provides a coated substrate comprising a substrate, a radiation-cured coating or a thermally-cured on at least a portion of the substrate, wherein the coating comprises an inherent macroscopic texture. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a pre-cured coating mixture comprising a radiation-curable resin and an initiator, or a thermally-curable resin and thermal initiator, wherein the radiation- or thermally-curable resin and the respective initiator form a pre-cured coating mixture capable of forming a macroscopic texture upon application of the mixture on a substrate. In another embodiment the present invention provides a pre-cured coating mixture comprising a radiation- or thermally-curable resin, an initiator, and texture-producing particles having an effective size to provide a macroscopic texture upon application of the mixture on a substrate. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a coated substrate comprising a substrate and a radiation- or thermally-cured coating on at least a portion of the substrate, wherein the coating comprises an inherent macroscopic texture. In addition, the present invention provides a process for making a coating on a substrate, comprising the steps of distributing a pre-cured coating mixture comprising a radiation-curable resin and an initiator or a thermally-curable resin and thermal initiator over at least a portion of a substrate to form a pre-cured coating having a macroscopic texture, and radiation-curing or thermally curing, respectively, the pre-cured coating to form a radiation-cured or thermally-cured coating having the macroscopic texture.

1 . A pre-cured coating mixture, comprising: 
 a curable resin; and    an initiator;    wherein said radiation-curable resin and said initiator form a pre-cured coating mixture capable of forming a macroscopic texture upon application of said mixture on a substrate.    
     
     
         2 . The pre-cured coating mixture of  claim 1 , wherein said curable resin is a radiation-curable resin.  
     
     
         3 . The pre-cured coating mixture of  claim 2 , wherein said pre-cured coating mixture has an effective viscosity for forming said macroscopic texture.  
     
     
         4 . The pre-cured coating mixture of  claim 1 , further comprising a rheological control agent and wherein said curable resin, said initiator, and said rheological control agent form said pre-cured coating mixture.  
     
     
         5 . The pre-cured coating mixture of  claim 4 , wherein said rheological control agent is selected from the group consisting of inorganic particles, organic solids, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The pre-cured coating mixture of  claim 5 , wherein said inorganic particles are selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, fumed alumina, fumed silica, aluminosilicate, alumina coated on silica, metal oxides, metal, carbonates, clays, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The pre-cured coating mixture of  claim 6  wherein said inorganic particles have an approximate size in the range of 27-56 nanometers.  
     
     
         8 . The pre-cured coating mixture of  claim 5  wherein said inorganic particles are nanometer-sized alumina.  
     
     
         9 . The pre-cured coating mixture of  claim 5  wherein said inorganic particles comprise approximately 1-80%, by weight, of said coating mixture.  
     
     
         10 . The pre-cured coating mixture of  claim 5 , wherein said organic solids are selected from the group consisting of low molecular weight waxes, polymers of ethylene glycol, polymers of propylene glycol, natural polymers, polyamides, polypropylene, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The pre-cured coating mixture of  claim 5 , wherein said organic solids comprise approximately 1-50%, by weight, of said coating mixture.  
     
     
         12 . A coated substrate, comprising: 
 a substrate; and    a cured coating on at least a portion of said substrate, wherein said coating comprises an inherent macroscopic texture.    
     
     
         13 . The coated substrate of  claim 12  wherein said coating comprises a radiation-cured resin.  
     
     
         14 . The coated substrate of  claim 12 , wherein said coating further comprises a rheological control agent.  
     
     
         15 . The coated substrate of  claim 14 , wherein said rheological control agent is selected from the group consisting of inorganic particles, organic solids, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         16 . The coated substrate of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 a flatting agent comprising 5 micron-sized nylon particles;    a plurality of texture-producing particles comprising 60 micron-sized nylon 12 particles;    a rheological control agent comprising a plurality of alumina particles having a particle size distribution in the range of 27-56 nanometers;    a coupling agent comprising prehydrolized silane; and    wherein said resin comprises a mixture of urethane acrylate, ethoxylated diacrylate, propoxylated diacrylate, ethoxylated trimethlyolpropane triacrylate, and acylphosphine oxide.    
     
     
         17 . The coated substrate of  claim 12 , wherein said substrate is a polyvinyl chloride substrate, and said cured coating is a radiation-cured coating on at least a portion of said polyvinyl chloride substrate.  
     
     
         18 . The coated substrate of  claim 17 , wherein said polyvinyl chloride substrate comprises polyvinyl chloride plastisol.  
     
     
         19 . The coated substrate of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 a felt layer;    a gel layer having a gel layer bottom side disposed on said felt layer;    a print layer disposed on a gel layer top side of said gel layer; and    wherein a bottom side of said polyvinyl chloride substrate is disposed on said print layer; and said radiation-cured coating is disposed on a top side of said polyvinly chloride substrate.    
     
     
         20 . A process for making a coating on a substrate, comprising the steps of: 
 distributing a pre-cured coating mixture comprising a radiation-curable resin and an initiator over at least a portion of a substrate to form a pre-cured coating having an inherent macroscopic texture; and    curing said pre-cured coating to form a cured coating having said macroscopic texture.