Method of preparing decorative laminate

Abstract

A method of preparing a decorative laminate, using a hollow sphere polymer whose void has been created by swelling the polymer with a fixed or permanent base, is provided. Also provided is a decorative laminate produced by the method.

1 . A method of preparing a decorative laminate, comprising the steps of: 
 (I) preparing a paper by: 
 (a) providing a hollow sphere polymer made by: 
 i. forming a core stage polymer by polymerizing at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer containing acid functionality,  
 ii. encapsulating said core stage polymer with a shell stage polymer, by emulsion polymerizing at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer in the presence of said core stage polymer, 
 wherein said shell stage polymer permits penetration of a fixed or permanent base,  
 
 iii. contacting the resulting multi-stage polymer particles with fixed or permanent base, 
 wherein either (1) said shell stage polymer comprises at least 1% acid functional monomer, or (2) said contacting takes place in the presence of solvent;  
 
 
 (b) contacting said paper with a composition comprising said hollow sphere polymer, and at least one pigment; and  
 (c) drying said paper;  
   (II) impregnating said paper with a crosslinking resin;    (III) applying pressure to said paper; and    (IV) exposing said paper to temperatures of from 100° C. to 300° C., to form the decorative laminate.    
   
   
       2 . The method, according to  claim 1 , wherein said core stage polymer is formed by polymerizing from about 5% by weight to about 100% by weight, based on the total weight of core stage polymer, of said ethylenically unsaturated monomer containing acid functionality, and from 0% by weight to about 95% by weight, based on the total weight of core stage polymer, of at least one nonionic monoethylenically unsaturated monomer; 
 wherein said shell stage polymer is formed by polymerizing from about 90% by weight to about 99.9% by weight, based on the total weight of shell stage polymer, of at least one nonionic monoethylenically unsaturated monomer, and from about 0.1% by weight to about 10% by weight, based on the total weight of shell stage polymer, of an acid-functional monoethylenically unsaturated monomer; and    wherein said acid-functional monoethylenically unsaturated monomer is added to the polymerization of said shell stage polymer over the 100% of the total shell stage monomer feed, when the particle size of said core stage polymer is from about 130 nm to about 2.0 microns.    
   
   
       3 . The method, according to  claim 1 , wherein said core stage polymer is formed by polymerizing from about 5% by weight to about 100% by weight, based on the total weight of core stage polymer, of said ethylenically unsaturated monomer containing acid functionality, and from 0% by weight to about 95% by weight, based on the total weight of said core stage polymer, of at least one nonionic monoethylenically unsaturated monomer; 
 wherein said shell stage polymer is formed by polymerizing from about 90% by weight to about 99.9% by weight, based on the total weight of shell stage polymer, of at least one nonionic monoethylenically unsaturated monomer, and from about 0.1% by weight to about 10% by weight, based on the total weight of shell stage polymer, of an acid-functional monoethylenically unsaturated monomer; and    wherein said acid-functional monoethylenically unsaturated monomer is added to the polymerization of said shell stage polymer over the first 50% of the total shell stage monomer feed, when the particle size of said core stage polymer is less than about 130 nm.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said shell stage polymer is crosslinked.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said contacting of said paper comprises, incorporating said composition in said paper during the wet-end formation of said paper.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said contacting of said paper comprises coating said paper with said composition.  
   
   
       7 . A decorative laminate formed by the method of any one of claims  1 - 6 .