Abstract: The present disclosure provides, among other things, articles with a design material directly applied to a base material to form products with desirable properties.

Abstract: In one embodiment or the present invention, a non-vinyl flooring is described comprising a flooring substrate having a non-vinyl composition comprising a terpolymer comprising ethylene, methyl acrylate and acrylic acid and a copolymer comprising ethylene and methacrylic acid. In one embodiment of the present invention, the non-vinyl flooring comprises a resilient non-vinyl floor tile comprising a non-vinyl composition comprising a terpolymer and a copolymer. In another embodiment of the present invention, the non-vinyl flooring comprises a resilient non-vinyl sheet flooring comprising a non-vinyl composition comprising a terpolymer and a copolymer. Methods for making the non-vinyl tile and non-vinyl sheet flooring are described.

Abstract: A resilient floor tile is described that comprises a base; a protective film layer; and a decorative layer disposed between the base and the protective film layer; wherein the resilient floor tile has a top surface and a convex edge along a perimeter of the top surface. In another embodiment, the resilient floor tile comprises a decorative layer comprising a printed ink forming a decorative pattern disposed between a base and a protective film layer; wherein the decorative pattern extends over at least a portion of a contoured edge of the tile such that the decorative pattern is substantially undistorted. The process for making a resilient floor tile comprises preheating a printed tile blank; cutting and molding the printed tile blank concurrently to form a resilient floor tile having a convex edge along a top, outer perimeter of the resilient floor tile.

Abstract: In one embodiment or the present invention, a non-vinyl flooring is described comprising a flooring substrate having a non-vinyl composition comprising a terpolymer comprising ethylene, methyl acrylate and acrylic acid and a copolymer comprising ethylene and methacrylic acid. In one embodiment of the present invention, the non-vinyl flooring comprises a resilient non-vinyl floor tile comprising a non-vinyl composition comprising a terpolymer and a copolymer. In another embodiment of the present invention, the non-vinyl flooring comprises a resilient non-vinyl sheet flooring comprising a non-vinyl composition comprising a terpolymer and a copolymer. Methods for making the non-vinyl tile and non-vinyl sheet flooring are described.

Abstract: In one embodiment or the present invention, a non-vinyl flooring is described comprising a flooring substrate having a non-vinyl composition comprising a terpolymer comprising ethylene, methyl acrylate and acrylic acid and a copolymer comprising ethylene and methacrylic acid. In one embodiment of the present invention, the non-vinyl flooring comprises a resilient non-vinyl floor tile comprising a non-vinyl composition comprising a terpolymer and a copolymer. In another embodiment of the present invention, the non-vinyl flooring comprises a resilient non-vinyl sheet flooring comprising a non-vinyl composition comprising a terpolymer and a copolymer. Methods for making the non-vinyl tile and non-vinyl sheet flooring are described.

Abstract: A stain-adsorbing backing sheet for use with a decorative surface covering; a decorative surface covering comprising a stain-adsorbing backing sheet; and a method for forming a stain-adsorbing backing sheet for a decorative surface covering. The backing sheet comprises an additive which is effective in adsorbing a stainant that comes into contact with the backing sheet and which is present in an amount effective to reduce the degree of staining which tends to be visible in the top surface of the covering. The additive is preferably an adsorbing material that does not affect adversely the visual characteristics of the sheet and surface covering.

Abstract: A process for making a textured coating on a substrate and compositions for such coatings are disclosed wherein coating mixtures comprising un-expanded micro-capsules and a plastisol or other suitable resins are applied to the substrate and subsequently heat treated to expand the micro-capsules within the coating. The expanded micro-capsules create an aesthetically pleasing surface texture in the coating while retaining the desired wear-resistant properties of the coating.

Abstract: In one embodiment the present invention provides a coated substrate comprising a substrate, a radiation-cured coating or a thermally-cured on at least a portion of the substrate, wherein the coating comprises an inherent macroscopic texture. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a pre-cured coating mixture comprising a radiation-curable resin and an initiator, or a thermally-curable resin and thermal initiator, wherein the radiation- or thermally-curable resin and the respective initiator form a pre-cured coating mixture capable of forming a macroscopic texture upon application of the mixture on a substrate. In another embodiment the present invention provides a pre-cured coating mixture comprising a radiation- or thermally-curable resin, an initiator, and texture-producing particles having an effective size to provide a macroscopic texture upon application of the mixture on a substrate.

Abstract: The foregoing differential gloss covering comprises a backing substrate, an ink layer, and a cured top layer having a first surface portion with a first gloss and a second surface portion, made by the process comprising providing the backing substrate; depositing an ink formulation comprising a curing agent over at least a first area of a top side of the backing substrate to form said ink layer; coating the top side of the backing substrate with a radiation curable formulation to form a top curable layer; diffusing at least a portion of the curing agent into the top curable layer; curing the top curable layer to form the cured top layer and thereby forming a differential gloss covering having said first surface portion above the first area of said top of said backing substrate having the first gloss and the second surface portion having the second gloss that is different from said first gloss.

Abstract: The foregoing differential gloss covering comprises a backing substrate, an ink layer, and a cured top layer having a first surface portion with a first gloss and a second surface portion, made by the process comprising providing the backing substrate; depositing an ink formulation comprising a curing agent over at least a first area of a top side of the backing substrate to form said ink layer; coating the top side of the backing substrate with a radiation curable formulation to form a top curable layer; diffusing at least a portion of the curing agent into the top curable layer; curing the top curable layer to form the cured top layer and thereby forming a differential gloss covering having said first surface portion above the first area of said top of said backing substrate having the first gloss and the second surface portion having the second gloss that is different from said first gloss.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new class of blowing inhibitors and a method for discovering such inhibitors with determinable inhibition activities. The new class of blowing inhibitors are organo-silanes that may be directly adsorbed onto active catalytic sites of blowing catalysts and that can inhibit the thermo-catalytic efficiency of such catalysts.

Abstract: In one embodiment the present invention provides a coated substrate comprising a substrate, a radiation-cured coating or a thermally-cured on at least a portion of the substrate, wherein the coating comprises an inherent macroscopic texture. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a pre-cured coating mixture comprising a radiation-curable resin and an initiator, or a thermally-curable resin and thermal initiator, wherein the radiation- or thermally-curable resin and the respective initiator form a pre-cured coating mixture capable of forming a macroscopic texture upon application of the mixture on a substrate. In another embodiment the present invention provides a pre-cured coating mixture comprising a radiation- or thermally-curable resin, an initiator, and texture-producing particles having an effective size to provide a macroscopic texture upon application of the mixture on a substrate.

Abstract: A laminated glass floor tile is disclosed, comprising a glass plate, a backing substrate and a decorative layer disposed between the glass plate and the backing substrate. A glass flooring made using laminated glass floor tiles is also disclosed, as well as, a method for making a laminated glass floor tile comprising the steps of placing a decorative layer between a backing substrate and a glass plate and laminating the glass plate, the backing substrate and the decorative layer.

Abstract: In one embodiment the present invention provides a coated substrate comprising a substrate, a radiation-cured coating on at least a portion of the substrate, wherein the coating comprises an inherent macroscopic texture. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a pre-cured coating mixture comprising a radiation-curable resin and an initiator, wherein the radiation-curable resin and the initiator form a pre-cured coating mixture capable of forming a macroscopic texture upon application of the mixture on a substrate. In another embodiment the present invention provides a pre-cured coating mixture comprising a radiation-curable resin, an initiator, and texture-producing particles having an effective size to provide a macroscopic texture upon application of the mixture on a substrate.

Abstract: A thermal processing unit for the processing of plastisol-based floor coverings comprising a radiant heat transfer section which raises the temperature of a plastisol-based floor covering to an approach temperature followed by a convection heating section which raises the temperature of the plastisol-based floor covering to a predetermined target temperature.

Abstract: A page frame display device is disclosed that includes biasing ribs which urge or bias opposing sides of an insertion slot towards each other to form a pinch point, thereby keeping in place display sheets that are inserted into the device. The ribs are external to the insertion slot, so they do not impede the insertion of display sheets into the device.

Abstract: Disclosed are decorative surface coverings of the "inlaid" type having embossed patterns in register with inlaid patterns. Disclosed methods include the steps of: applying in a pattern on a first surface of a foamable layer an agent for modifying the foaming of said foamable layer to produce a foamable layer having a pattern of relatively nonfoamable areas and relatively foamable areas; applying a first collection of particulate resinous material substantially only to said areas containing said foaming modifier or only to said areas not containing said foaming modifier; and foaming said foamable layer in said relatively foamable areas.

Abstract: Disclosed are coating compositions, wearlayer compositions and surface covering products which utilize wearlayer compositions. The wearlayer compositions of the present invention are capable of at once exhibiting high initial gloss values and excellent resistance to scuff, stain and gloss loss. Such wearlayer compositions are produced utilizing curable coating compositions which comprise thermoplastic polymer, from about 3% by weight to about 25% by weight of plasticizer for the thermoplastic polymer and at least about 30% by weight of reactive crosslinking agent. The weight ratio of the thermoplastic polymer to the crosslinking agent is preferably no greater than about 2:1.

Abstract: A thermal processing unit for the processing of plastisol-based floor coverings comprising a radiant heat transfer section which raises the temperature of a plastisol-based floor covering to an approach temperature followed by a convection heating section which raises the temperature of the plastisol-based floor covering to a predetermined target.

Abstract: A process for forming a highly filled, fibrous-reinforced sheet in which the sheet is formed from an aqueous dispersion of solids which include fibers, filler, and binder and cationic flocculating agent by continuously feeding a stream of such aqueous dispersion onto a moving porous support surface, wherein the filler comprises at least about 50 wt. % of the solids portion of the dispersion, the improvement comprising the use in the aqueous dispersion of a filler consisting essentially of calcium carbonate and a cationic polymeric flocculant having a charge-density of at least about 2 equivalents of cationic nitrogen per kilogram of polymer, and a highly-filled calcium carbonate-containing sheet, and the use of carbon black to impart opacity to paper or sheet that has a white appearance.