Compression molded door assembly

Abstract

A door member comprising a frame having a first side and a second side, opposite the first side, a core positioned within the frame, and a molded skin attached to the first side of the frame. The skin is prepared from a molding compound which, when molded, has a shrinkage of between about −0.0003 to about +0.0015. The molding compound comprises a resin system comprising a curable polyester resin, a co-curable unsaturated monomer, and at least two low profile additives. The molding compound also comprises at least about 30 percent by weight, based on the weight of the molding compound, of filler material, and fibrous reinforcement in an amount of less than about 35 weight percent, based on the weight of the molding compound.

1 - 4 . (canceled) 
   
   
       5 . A molding compound for preparing a door skin comprising:
 a) a resin system present in an amount from about 16 to about 33.5 weight percent, including:
 i) a curable resin; 
 ii) a co-curable unsaturated monomer; and 
 iii) at least one low profile additive; 
   b) filler material present in an amount from about 30 to about 70 weight percent; and   c) fiber reinforcement material present in an amount from about 15 to about 35 weight percent.   
   
   
       6 . The molding compound of  claim 5 , wherein the resin system is present in an amount from about 21 to about 29 weight percent. 
   
   
       7 . The molding compound of  claim 5 , wherein the filler material is present in an amount from about 48 to about 65 weight percent. 
   
   
       8 . The molding compound of  claim 5 , wherein the fiber reinforcement is present in an amount from about 18 to about 27 weight percent. 
   
   
       9 . The molding compound of  claim 5 , wherein the curable resin is a polyester resin. 
   
   
       10 . The molding compound of  claim 9 , wherein the curable polyester resin comprises a highly reactive unsaturated polyester resin. 
   
   
       11 . The molding compound of  claim 9 , wherein the curable polyester resin is selected from the group consisting of high reactivity orthophthalic polyester resins, high reactivity isophthalic polyester resins, and high reactivity dicyclopentadiene-modified polyester resins. 
   
   
       12 . The molding compound of  claim 5 , wherein the co-curable unsaturated monomer is selected from the group consisting of alkylacrylates, alkylmethacrylates, vinyltoluene, α-methylstyrene, p-methylstyrene, and styrene. 
   
   
       13 . The molding compound of  claim 5 , wherein the low profile additive is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl acetate, modified polyvinyl acetate, saturated polyester, modified saturated polyester, polymethyl methacrylate, polyurethanes, styrenic block copolymer-modified rubber, and saturated glycol-C 2  to C 6  dicarboxylic acid polyesters. 
   
   
       14 . The molding compound of  claim 5 , wherein the resin system comprises at least two low profile additives. 
   
   
       15 . The molding compound of  claim 5 , wherein the filler material comprises calcium carbonate. 
   
   
       16 . The molding compound of  claim 5 , wherein the fiber reinforcement material comprises fiberglass. 
   
   
       17 . The molding compound of  claim 14 , wherein the curable resin comprises a high reactivity dicyclopentadiene-modified polyester, the co-curable unsaturated monomer comprises styrene, and the low profile additives comprise a saturated glycol-C 2  to C 6  dicarboxylic acid polyester and a modified polyvinyl acetate. 
   
   
       18 . A molding compound capable of producing a door skin prepared by a process comprising the steps of:
 a) preparing a resin system-catalyst component by mixing:
 i) a resin system present in an amount from about 16 to about 33.5 weight percent, based on the weight of the molding compound, including a curable resin; a co-curable unsaturated monomer; and at least one low profile additive; 
 ii) a filler material present in an amount from about 30 to about 70 weight percent, based on the weight of the molding compound; 
   b) preparing a thickener component comprising chemical thickener present in an amount from about 0.2 to about 0.9 weight percent, based on the weight of the molding compound;   c) combining the resin system-catalyst component and the thickener component; and   d) adding a fiber reinforcement component present in an amount from about 15 to about 35 weight percent, based on the weight of the molding compound, to the combined resin-catalyst component and the thickener component to form the molding compound.   
   
   
       19 . The molding compound of  claim 18 , wherein the resin system is present in an amount from about 21 to about 29 weight percent, based on the weight of the molding compound. 
   
   
       20 . The molding compound of  claim 18 , wherein the filler material is present in an amount from about 48 to about 65 weight percent, based on the weight of the molding compound. 
   
   
       21 . The molding compound of  claim 18 , wherein the fiber reinforcement component is present in an amount from about 18 to about 27 weight percent, based on the weight of the molding compound. 
   
   
       22 . The molding compound of  claim 18 , wherein the curable resin comprises a curable polyester resin. 
   
   
       23 . The molding compound of  claim 22 , wherein the curable polyester resin is selected from the group consisting of high reactivity orthophthalic polyester resins, high reactivity isophthalic polyester resins, and high reactivity dicyclopentadiene-modified polyester resins. 
   
   
       24 . The molding compound of  claim 18 , wherein the co-curable unsaturated monomer is selected from the group consisting of allylacrylates, alkylmethacrylates, vinyltoluene, α-methylstyrene, p-methylstyrene, and styrene. 
   
   
       25 . The molding compound of  claim 18 , wherein the low profile additive is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl acetate, modified polyvinyl acetate, saturated polyester, modified saturated polyester, polymethyl methacrylate, polyurethanes, styrenic block copolymer-modified rubber, and saturated glycol-C 2  to C 6  dicarboxylic acid polyesters. 
   
   
       26 . The molding compound of  claim 18 , wherein the resin system-catalyst component further comprises one or more of a cure catalyst, a cure inhibitor, and an internal lubricant. 
   
   
       27 . The molding compound of  claim 18 , wherein the thickener component further comprises one or more of a monomer, a cure inhibitor, a pigment, and an internal lubricant. 
   
   
       28 . The molding compound of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the resin system is present in an amount from about 21 to about 29 weight percent, based on the weight of the molding compound;   the curable resin comprises a high reactivity dicyclopentadiene-modified polyester;   the co-curable unsaturated monomer comprises styrene;   the at least one low profile additive comprise a saturated glycol-C 2  to C 6  dicarboxylic acid polyester and a modified polyvinyl acetate;   the resin system-catalyst component further comprises a cure catalyst, a cure inhibitor, and an internal lubricant;   the filler material comprises calcium carbonate and is present in an amount from about 48 to about 65 weight percent, based on the weight of the molding compound;   the thickener component further comprises a monomer, a cure inhibitor, a pigment, and an internal lubricant; and   the fiber reinforcement component comprises fiberglass and is present in an amount from about 19 to about 22 percent.