Multilayered mat

Abstract

Mats and panels of mats and methods of making the same are described. The panels include a first portion defined by a first material and a second portion defined by a second material. The first material and the second material have at least one of different compositions and different material properties. The methods include depositing a first material into a mold of a panel, depositing a second material into the mold of the panel after deposition of the first material, and applying at least one of pressure and heat to the mold of the panel to form a panel having the first material and the second material having at least one different compositions and different material properties.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a panel of a mat, the method comprising:
 depositing a first material into a mold of a panel;   depositing a second material into the mold of the panel after deposition of the first material; and   applying at least one of pressure and heat to the mold of the panel to form a panel, wherein the first material has at least one of a different composition and a different material property from the second material.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first material is deposited from a first hopper that is moveable relative to the mold of the panel and the second material is deposited from a second hopper that is stationary and the mold of the panel is moved relative to the second hopper. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first material is deposited to define a first portion of a formed panel and the second material is deposited to form a second portion of the formed panel. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first portion defines a main body of the panel and the second portion defines a lip structure of the panel. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first material and the second material are deposited in solid pellet or granule form. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising depositing a third material into the mold of the panel, wherein the first material is deposited in a first layer, the second material is deposited in a second layer over the first layer, and the third material is deposited in a third layer over the second layer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising depositing a third material into the mold of the panel, wherein the first material is deposited in a first region to define a first portion of the formed panel, the second material is deposited in a second region to define a second portion of the formed panel, and the third material is deposited in a third region to define a third portion of the formed panel. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein each of the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion are adjacent to each other. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mat is made of a single panel. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises at least 75% weight percent of high density polyethylene (“HDPE”) and the second material comprises a weight percent of high density polyethylene (“HDPE”) that is equal to or less than that of the first material. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first material is different from the second material in at least two of density, flexibility, stiffness, rigidity, antiskid, antistatic, conductivity, resilience, chemical resistance, and permeability. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises high density polyethylene (“HDPE”) having a weight percentage between 75% and 90% and calcium carbonate concentrate having a weight percentage between 8% and 20%. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising joining the panel to a second panel to form a mat. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising bonding the second panel to the first panel at a joint, wherein the joint comprises bonded material of the first material with a material of the second panel. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising welding a perimeter of the panel and the second panel to form a perimeter weld on the formed mat. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first material is composed of high density polyethylene (“HDPE”) having a weight percentage between 75% and 90%, calcium carbonate concentrate having a weight percentage between 8% and 20%, and a color concentrate having a weight percent between 0% and 5%. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second material is composed of 50-60 weight percentage high density polyethylene (“HDPE”), 25-35 weight percentage linear low-density polyethylene (“LLDPE”), 8-20 weight percentage calcium carbonate concentrate, and 0-5 weight percentage color concentrate. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising depositing a third material into the mold of the panel to form a third portion, wherein:
 the first material comprises high density polyethylene (“HDPE”) having a weight percentage between 75% and 90%, calcium carbonate concentrate having a weight percentage between 8% and 20%, and color concentrate having a weight percent between 0% and 5%,   the second material comprises a similar composition as the first material and includes recycled materials, and   the third portion is formed of a third material comprising 60-75 weight percent very low-density polyethylene (“VLDPE”), 15-25 weight percent HDPE, 5-15 weight percent anti-static agent, and 0-5 color concentrate.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising depositing a third material into the mold of the panel to form a third portion, wherein:
 the first material comprises high density polyethylene (“HDPE”) having a weight percentage between 75% and 90%, calcium carbonate concentrate having a weight percentage between 8% and 20%, and color concentrate having a weight percent between 0% and 5%,   the second material comprises a similar composition as the first material and includes recycled materials, and   the third portion is formed of a third material comprising 60-75 weight percentage metallocene linear low-density polyethylene (“mLLDPE”), 15-25 weight percentage HDPE, 5-15 weight percentage anti-static concentrate, and 0-5 weight percentage color concentrate.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising depositing a third material into the mold of the panel to form a third portion, wherein:
 the first material comprises of 75-90 weight percentage high density polyethylene (“HDPE”), 8-20 calcium carbonate concentrate, and 0-5 weight percentage color concentrate,   the second material comprises 50-60 weight percentage high density polyethylene (“HDPE”), 25-35 weight percentage linear low-density polyethylene (“LLDPE”), 8-20 weight percentage calcium carbonate concentrate, and 0-5 weight percentage color concentrate, and   the third portion is formed of a third material comprising 60-75 weight percentage very low-density polyethylene (“VLDPE”), 15-25 weight percentage high density polyethylene (“HDPE”), 5-15 weight percentage anti-static agent, and 0-5% weight percentage color concentrate.