Cloth-like synthetic textiles

Abstract

An embossing and texturizing system for imparting a natural cloth-like surface to a flexible thermoplastic material or film simultaneously to either or both of its two exterior surfaces, through the use of a device and technique combining metal rolls, metal and rubber rolls, and embossing and texturizing fabric rolls into an embossing system creating the desired visual and tactile feel of natural fabrics as well as additional performance characteristics. The embossing and texturizing system embosses and texturizes the exterior surface of the flexible thermoplastic material or film by selectively altering the exterior surface, and therefore, the film can be embossed simultaneously on either or both of its two exterior surfaces (face and reverse). The use of the embossing and texturizing mechanism and its alignment to the core and stabilizing reinforcing substrate enables the exterior texturized surface and the bottom side exterior texturized surface to be identical in all manner.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of making a flexible thermoplastic composite having an embossed texture, comprising:
 providing a flexible thermoplastic composite comprising a thermoplastic top layer having an exterior face side and an interior reverse side, a core reinforcing layer and a thermoplastic bottom layer having an exterior face side and an interior reverse side; and   contacting the exterior face side of the thermoplastic top layer with a first woven fabric to impart an embossed texture to the thermoplastic top layer, while simultaneously contacting the exterior face side of the thermoplastic bottom layer with a second woven fabric to impart an embossed texture to the thermoplastic bottom layer.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible thermoplastic composite comprises the flexible thermoplastic top layer, a multi-phase adhesive layer, the core reinforcing layer, a multi-phase adhesive layer, and the flexible thermoplastic bottom layer, in this order. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein after being contacted with the first and second woven fabrics, the exterior face side of the thermoplastic top layer and the exterior face side of the thermoplastic bottom layer have an embossed texture having a woven fabric pattern of 1-80 yarns per inch in the warp and fill directions and 70-2000 denier in thickness in the warp and fill directions. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first woven fabric comprises 1-80 yarns per inch in the warp and fill directions and 70-2000 denier in thickness in the warp and fill directions, and the second woven fabric comprises 1-80 yarns per inch in the warp and fill directions and 70-2000 denier in thickness in the warp and fill directions. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composite further comprises a polymer top coat on the exterior face side of the thermoplastic top layer or the exterior face side of the bottom layer. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the top coat comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of acrylic polymers, acrylic copolymers, acrylic terpolymers, methacrylic polymers, methacrylic copolymers, methacrylic terpolymers, acrylonitrile polymers, acrylonitrile copolymers, acrylonitrile terpolymers, fluorinated polymers, fluorinated copolymers, fluorinated terpolymers, chlorofluoro polymers, chlorofluoro copolymers, chlorofluoro terpolymers, polyamide polymers, polyamide copolymers, polyamide terpolymers, aliphatic polymers, aliphatic copolymers, aliphatic terpolymers, urethane polymers, urethane copolymers, urethane terpolymers and blends thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic top and bottom layers independently comprise a material selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, polyester, polyamide, halogenated polyolefin, hydrogenated polyisoprene, hydrogenated polybutadiene, hydrogenated ethylene polybutadiene, hydrogenated styrene ethylene polybutadiene block copolymers, flexible grades of polyolefin, ethylene vinyl acetate, ethylene vinyl alcohol, thermoplastic block copolymers, polycaprolactones, polyacrylates and blends thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the multi-phase adhesive layers independently comprise a formulation that is plastisol, aqueous, solvent or 100% solids based or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the exterior face of one or both of the thermoplastic top and bottom layers are top coated with a polymer comprising one or more of bio-degradable, biocompostable and non-degradable, non-compostable additives and components. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the core reinforcing layer comprises a reinforcing fabric selected from the group consisting of polyester, nylon, fiberglass, polyethylene, polypropylene and blends thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the core reinforcing layer comprises a reinforcing fabric selected from the group consisting of polyester yarn, polyamide yarn, polyimide yarn, polyethylene yarn, acrylic yarn, glass yarn, aramid yarn, cotton yarn and blends thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the core reinforcing layer comprises a reinforcing fabric having a denier of 70 to 2000 denier. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the core reinforcing layer comprises a reinforcing fabric that has 1-36 yarns per inch in the warp and fill directions. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein one or both of the thermoplastic top and bottom layers comprise a flame retardant selected from the group consisting of antimony trioxide, a brominated compound, aluminum trihydrate, magnesium hydroxide and blends thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first woven fabric has 30-80 yarns per inch in the warp and fill directions, and the second woven fabric has 30-80 yarns per inch in the warp and fill directions. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the core reinforcing layer comprises a reinforcing fabric having 6-18 yarns in the warp direction and 6-18 yarns in the fill direction. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the exterior face side of the thermoplastic top layer and the exterior face side of the thermoplastic bottom layer have an embossed texture having a woven fabric pattern of 30-80 yarns per inch in the warp and fill directions. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the embossed texture of the exterior face side of the thermoplastic top layer is substantially identical to the embossed texture of the exterior face side of the thermoplastic bottom layer.