Decorative laminate

Abstract

A procedure is provided for producing a laminate having a textile backing, a crushed, thermoset plastic foam bonded thereto, and a transparent polymeric film, preferably also a thermoset, which may be printed or colored overall overlying the foam. The structure is self-bonded, i.e., no adhesive is used to bond the laminate to one another. The preferred procedure is to apply a thin layer of foamed latex of a thermosettable polymer on a textile followed by drying the foam, the thickness of the foam being between about 10 mils and 150 mils. The transparent film, preferably thermosetting, is suitably formed by casting a latex upon a release surface such as silicone release paper and drying the same without causing thermosetting (if a thermosettable polymer is utilized). The dry film, still on the release paper, is then suitably coated or printed with a decorative design. The decorated side of the film is then placed against the dried foam layer and bonded thereto by pressure. The thermosetting may be done simultaneously with bonding or subsequently thereto.

I claim: 
     
       1. A laminate consisting of a. a transparent plastic surface film of a thermoset emulsion polymer .Iadd.transferred from a release surface and .Iaddend.adhered to   b. a crushed, crosslinked thermoset resilient foam of a thermoset emulsion polymer adhered to   c. a textile fabric substrate, with   d. a decorative layer between (a) and (b) the crushed foam layer (b) being self-bonded to the substrate (c) and the surface film.   
     
     
       2. The article of claim 1 in which the surface film has printed thereon a decorative layer (d) between (a) and (b), the article has a fabric like hand, and the crushed foam is less than about 90 mils in thickness. 
     
     
       3. The article of claim 1 in which reaction products of one or more of a crosslinking group of the structure ##EQU8## provides the crosslinking. 
     
     
       4. The article of claim 3 in which the foam (b) and the film (a) contain a polymerized unsaturated acid and the crosslinking is provided by a water soluble condensate of formaldehyde with urea, N,N'-ethyleneurea, dihydroxyethyl ureas or a triazine.