Scratch Resistant Coating

Abstract

An abrasion resistant flooring covering formed from a UV curable coating composition having binder and diamond particles—the abrasion resistant flooring covering used to overcoat the surface of flooring products or various abrasion heavy surfaces to protect such a products or surfaces from damage by abrasion or scratch.

1 . A floor covering comprising
 a substrate, and   a coating layer comprising:
 a coating matrix formed from a curable coating composition comprising a binder, wherein the coating matrix has an average coating matrix thickness; and 
 diamond particles that have an average particle size and a narrow distribution of particle sizes, the narrow distribution of particle sizes has a standard deviation less than 35% of the average particle size; 
   wherein a ratio of the average coating matrix thickness to average particle size ranges from 0.6:1 to 2:1.   
     
     
         2 . The floor covering of  claim 1  wherein the coating layer comprises less than 5.5 wt. % of diamond particles based on the weight of the coating layer. 
     
     
         3 . The floor covering of  claim 2  wherein the coating layer comprises at least 1.5 wt. % of diamond particles based on the weight of the coating layer. 
     
     
         4 . The floor covering of  claim 1  wherein the average coating matrix thickness ranges from about 4 μm to about 40 μm. 
     
     
         5 . The floor covering of  claim 4  wherein the average coating matrix thickness ranges from about 6 μm to about 20 μm. 
     
     
         5 . The floor covering of  claim 1  wherein the average coating matrix thickness is about 6 μm. 
     
     
         6 . The floor covering of  claim 1  wherein the average coating matrix thickness is about 18 μm. 
     
     
         7 . The floor covering of  claim 1  wherein the average coating matrix thickness is measured from a top surface of the coating matrix to a bottom surface of the coating matrix and the diamond particles protrude from the top surface of the coating matrix at a distance ranging from about 1% to about 50% of the coating matrix thickness. 
     
     
         8 . The floor covering of  claim 1  wherein the average coating matrix thickness is measured from a top surface of the coating matrix to a bottom surface of the coating matrix and the diamond particles are submerged beneath the top surface of the coating matrix at a distance that is about 1% to about 50% of the coating matrix thickness. 
     
     
         9 . The floor covering of  claim 1  wherein the average coating matrix thickness is measured from a top surface of the coating matrix to a bottom surface of the coating matrix and the diamond particles are submerged beneath the top surface of the coating matrix at a first distance that is about 1% to about 25% of the coating matrix thickness and the diamond particles are vertically offset from the bottom surface of the coating matrix by a second distance that is about 1% to about 25% of the coating matrix thickness. 
     
     
         10 . A floor covering comprising
 a substrate, and   a coating layer comprising:
 a coating matrix formed from a curable coating composition comprising a binder; and 
 diamond particles that have an average particle size ranging from about 2 μm to about 50 μm; 
   wherein the diamond particles have an average distance between two adjacently placed particles of from 20 μm to 75 μm.   
     
     
         11 . The floor covering of  claim 10  wherein the coating layer comprises about 1.5 wt. % to about 5.5 wt. % of the diamond particles based on the weight of the coating layer. 
     
     
         12 . The floor covering of  claim 10  wherein the coating matrix has an average coating matrix thickness and a ratio of the average coating matrix thickness to the average particle size ranges from 0.6:1 to 2:1 
     
     
         13 . The floor covering of  claim 10  wherein the average coating matrix thickness ranges from 4 μm to 40 μm. 
     
     
         14 . The floor covering of  claim 13  wherein the average coating matrix thickness ranges from 6 μm to 20 μm. 
     
     
         15 . The floor covering of  claim 10  wherein the average coating matrix thickness is about 6 μm. 
     
     
         16 . The floor covering of  claim 10  wherein the average coating matrix thickness is about 18 μm. 
     
     
         17 . A floor covering comprising
 a substrate, and   a coating layer formed from a curable coating composition comprising:
 a binder, and 
 abrasion resistant particles consisting essentially of diamond particles that have an average particle size and a narrow distribution of particle sizes, the narrow distribution of particle sizes has a standard deviation less than 35% of the average particle size; 
   wherein the diamond particles are present in an amount ranging from about 2 wt. % to about 5.5 wt. % based on the total weight of the coating layer.   
     
     
         18 . The floor covering of  claim 17  wherein the coating matrix has an average coating thickness ranging from about 4 μm to about 40 μm. 
     
     
         19 . The floor covering of  claim 17  wherein the coating matrix has an average coating thickness between 6 μm and 20 μm. 
     
     
         20 . A method of forming a multi-layer floor covering comprising:
 a) providing a first coating composition comprising a curable binder and a curing initiator and a second coating composition comprising a curable binder and a curing initiator;   b) applying a first layer of the first coating composition on a substrate, the first layer applied such that the first coating composition exhibits a first average coating thickness as measured from a top surface and a bottom surface of the first layer;   c) partially or fully curing the first coating composition;   d) applying a second layer of the second coating composition to the top surface of the first layer, the second layer applied such that the second coating composition exhibits a second average coating thickness as measured from a top surface and a bottom surface of the second layer;   e) partially or fully curing the second coating composition;
 wherein at least one of the first and the second coating compositions comprise diamond particles having an average particle size, and for each of the first and second coating compositions that contain diamond particles, a ratio for each of the first average coating thickness and the second average coating thickness to the average particle size ranges from 0.6:1 to 2:1; and 
 wherein for each of the first and the second coating compositions that contain the abrasion resistant particles, the curing of the first and the second coating compositions that contain diamond particles results in the diamond particle being vertically offset from at least one of the respective bottom surfaces of the first coating composition and the second coating compositions by a length greater than zero.