Polyolefin-based synthetic leather and articles formed therefrom

Abstract

A variety of plates for footwear are provided including a polyolefin resin. Sole structures and articles of footwear formed therefrom are also provided. Methods of making the polyolefin resin compositions, plates, sole structures, and articles of footwear are also provided. In some aspects, the polyolefin resin composition includes an effective amount of a polymeric resin modifier. The effective amount can be an amount effective to allow the resin composition to pass a flex test, and in particular to pass a flex test without significant change in abrasion loss. In some aspects, the resin composition also includes a clarifying agent to improve optical clarity of the plate. In some aspects, the plates include a textile disposed on one or both of a first side and the second side of the plate. The textile can provide for improved bonding of the plate to other components such as a chassis or an upper.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A synthetic leather material comprising:
 a synthetic leather polymeric coating layer affixed to a synthetic leather textile layer;   wherein the synthetic leather polymeric coating layer comprises a synthetic leather polymeric coating composition;   wherein the synthetic leather textile layer comprises a fiber or a yarn, wherein the fiber or yarn comprise a fiber/yarn polymeric composition; and   wherein the synthetic leather polymeric coating composition comprises a polyolefin resin composition, or the fiber/yarn polymeric composition comprises the polyolefin resin composition, or both the synthetic leather polymeric coating composition and the fiber/yarn polymeric composition comprises the polyolefin resin composition.   
     
     
         2 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin resin composition comprises at least one polyolefin, wherein the at least one polyolefin includes a polyolefin chosen from a polyethylene homopolymer, a polyethylene copolymer, a polypropylene homopolymer, a polypropylene copolymer, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 2 , wherein the polyolefin resin composition comprises the polypropylene copolymer. 
     
     
         4 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 2 , wherein a polyolefin component of the polyolefin resin composition consisting of all polyolefin polymers present in the polyolefin resin composition consists essentially of a polypropylene homopolymer, a polypropylene copolymer, or a combination of both a polypropylene homopolymer and a polypropylene copolymer. 
     
     
         5 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 3 , wherein the polypropylene copolymer comprises about 80 percent to about 99 percent polypropylene repeat units by weight based upon a total weight of the polypropylene copolymer. 
     
     
         6 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 3 , wherein the polypropylene copolymer includes a polypropylene/polyethylene copolymer. 
     
     
         7 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 6 , wherein the polypropylene copolymer comprises about 1 percent to about 5 percent ethylene repeat units by weight based upon a total weight of the polypropylene copolymer. 
     
     
         8 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin resin composition further comprises a polymeric resin modifier, or a clarifying agent, or both. 
     
     
         9 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 8 , wherein the polyolefin resin composition comprises from about 1 weight percent to about 30 weight percent of the polymeric resin modifier based upon a total weight of the polyolefin resin composition. 
     
     
         10 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 8 , wherein the polyolefin resin composition comprises from about 0.1 weight percent to about 5 weight percent of the clarifying agent based upon a total weight of the polyolefin resin composition. 
     
     
         11 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin resin composition is a thermoplastic polyolefin resin composition. 
     
     
         12 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 1 , wherein the synthetic leather polymeric coating composition comprises a synthetic leather coating thermoplastic polyolefin resin composition. 
     
     
         13 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 12 , wherein the synthetic leather coating thermoplastic polyolefin resin composition comprises at least one polyolefin chosen from a polyethylene homopolymer, a polyethylene copolymer, a polypropylene homopolymer, a polypropylene copolymer, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 13 , wherein the synthetic leather coating thermoplastic polyolefin resin composition comprises the polypropylene copolymer. 
     
     
         15 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 12 , wherein a polyolefin component of the synthetic leather coating thermoplastic polyolefin resin composition consisting of all polyolefin polymers present in the synthetic leather coating thermoplastic polyolefin resin composition consists of a polypropylene homopolymer, a polypropylene copolymer, or a combination of both a polypropylene homopolymer and a polypropylene copolymer. 
     
     
         16 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 15 , wherein the polyolefin component comprises the polypropylene copolymer, and the polypropylene copolymer comprises about 80 percent to about 99 percent polypropylene repeat units by weight based upon a total weight of the polypropylene copolymer. 
     
     
         17 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 16 , wherein the polypropylene copolymer includes a polypropylene/polyethylene copolymer. 
     
     
         18 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 17 , wherein the polypropylene copolymer comprises about 1 percent to about 5 percent ethylene repeat units by weight based upon a total weight of the polypropylene copolymer. 
     
     
         19 . The synthetic leather material of  claim 12 , wherein the synthetic leather coating thermoplastic polyolefin resin composition further comprises a polymeric resin modifier, or a clarifying agent, or both. 
     
     
         20 . An upper of an article of footwear comprising the synthetic leather material of  claim 1 .