Abstract: A painted surface is applied to a piece of hardboard simultaneously while the board is being formed in a press. A heat-resistant paint layer is coated onto a carrier, and the painted carrier is placed over a loose layer of exploded wood fibers in a heated press. The press applies pressure in excess of 400 psi and heat above 400.degree. F. to compact the wood fibers into an integral hardboard piece while the heat from the press simultaneously transfers the paint layer from the carrier and bonds it to a surface of the board. In one embodiment of the invention, the paint layer is a thermosetting resinous paint system, and the paint coat is sufficiently heat-resistant to remain in a hardened condition at or above the temperature at which the board is formed, thus forming a separate hardened paint layer on the surface of the board. The carrier can include an adherence coat which is heat-activated in the press to crosslink and bond the paint layer to the wood fibers.

Abstract: An elastomeric transfer laminate for providing decorative reflective metal finishes on the outer surfaces of articles of various shapes includes an effectively transparent elastomeric layer, such as polyurethane film, and a layer of highly reflective metal, such as chromium, bonded to the elastomeric layer. The metal is applied in microscopically discontinuous quantities, but in an amount to form an apparently visually continuous, planar, highly reflective surface. A typical technique is vapor deposition. The elastomeric layer provides an effectively transparent protective outer covering for the reflective metal layer when the laminate is bonded to a substrate. The laminate can be stretched to conform to three-dimensional shapes, and bonded to an elastomeric substrate, such as urethane rubber, to produce an article having a reflective metal surface which can be distorted temporarily during use without disrupting the reflectivity of the metal layer.

Abstract: Laminar reflective platelets are made by coating a first synthetic resin lamina on a carrier web and providing release means such as a release coat to provide for release of the lamina. A metallic lamina is coated onto the synthetic resin lamina by vapor deposition in vacuum and a third optional synthetic resin lamina may then be coated onto the metal layer. Each of the three laminae has a thickness on the order of one to 3 millionths of an inch. The thus-coated web is immersed in a releasing solvent to activate the release means. The laminate is removed from the carrier by reason of solution or partial solution of the release coat or release means in the solvent. Removal may be aided by mechanical means such as brushing or scraping. The solvent is agitated to reduce the laminar platelets to final size. Laminar platelets thus formed have a thickness of from 0.5 to 5 millionths of an inch; each has a diffuse reflectance of from 75 to 95%, and 90 to 100% pass through a 300 mesh screen.