Process for making synthetic leather-like material

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MAKING SYNTHETIC LEATHER COMPRISING IMPREGNATING A POROUS, FIBROUS, NON-WOVEN FABRIC, WITHOUT FILLING THE INTERSTICES, WITH A LIQUID, RUBBERY HIGH POLYMER COMPOSITION IN AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO FROM 50% TO 500% OF SAID POLYMER BY WEIGHT OF THE FABRIC TO PROVIDE A POROUS SUBSTRATE, THE SAID POLYMER COMPOSITION COMPRISING AN UNCURED ISOCYANATE-TERMINATED POLYURETHANE AND A CURATIVE THEREFOR, HEATING THE IMPREGNATED SUBSTRATE TO CURE THE POLYURETHANE PREPOLYMER TO A SOLID, ELASTOMERIC STATE IN THE SUBSTRATE, COATING AN EMBOSSING PLATE WITH AN ANYHDROUS SOLUTION COMPRISING A SOLVENT, UNCURED ISOCYANATE TERMINATED POLYURETHANE PREPOLYMER, AND A CURING AGENT THEREFOR, REMOVING ONLY A PART OF THE SOLVENT BY HEATING THE COATING ON SAID PLATE FROM 1 TO 3 MINUTES AT 220*-250*F. TO PROVIDE A PARTIALLY CURED, UNBLOWN FILM STILL CONTAINING SOLVENT, APPLYING A FURTHER FRESH COATING OF SAID POLYURETHANE PREPOLYMER SOLUTION TO THE SURFACE FIBERS OF THE POROUS SUBSTATE WITHOUT FILLING THE INTERSTICES THEREOF, PLACING SAID FRESHLY COATED SURFACE OF THE STILL POROUS SUBSTRATE AGAINST THE POLYURETHANE COATING ON SAID PLATE, COMPRESSING THE ASSEMBLY AGAINST AN UNYIELDING SURFACE, HEATING THE ASSEMBLY TO VOLATILIZE THE SOLVENT REMAINING IN THE POLYURETHANE COATING ON THE EMBOSSING PLATE AND TO THEREBY EXPAND SAID COATING TO A MICROPOROUS CONDITION WHILE SO COMPRESSED, THE POLYURETHANE THUS ASSUMING A MICROPOROUS CONDITION THE SAID LAST-MENTIONED HEATING STEP AT THE SAME TIME SERVING TO CURE THE SAID FURTHER FRESH COATING OF POLYURETHANE ON THE SAID SURFACE FIBERS AND SERVING TO COMPLETE THE CURE OF THE PREVIOUSLY PARTICALLY CURED POLYURETHANE FILM ON THE EMBOSSING PLATE, WHEREBY THE RESULTING LEATHER-LIKE ASSEMBLY IS PROVIDED WITH A MICROPOROUS CURED POLURETHANE SURFACE FILM BEARING THE IMPRINT OF SAID EMBOSSING PLATE AND FIRMLY ADHERED TO THE POLYURETHANE IMPREGNATED POROUS FIBROUS BASE THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF SAID FURTHER FRESH COATING OF POLYURETHANE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MAKING SYNTHETIC LEATHER COMPRISING IMPREGNATING A POROUS, FIBROUS, NON-WOVEN FABRIC, WITHOUT FILLING THE INTERSTICES, WITH A LIQUID, RUBBERY HIGH POLYMER COMPOSITION IN AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO FROM 50% TO 500% OF SAID POLYMER BY WEIGHT OF THE FABRIC TO PROVIDE A POROUS SUBSTRATE, THE SAID POLYMER COMPOSITION COMPRISING AN UNCURED ISOCYANATE-TERMINATED POLYURETHANE AND A CURATIVE THEREFOR, HEATING THE IMPREGNATED SUBSTRATE TO CURE THE POLYURETHANE PREPOLYMER TO A SOLID, ELASTOMERIC STATE IN THE SUBSTRATE, COATING AN EMBOSSING PLATE WITH AN ANYHDROUS SOLUTION COMPRISING A SOLVENT, UNCURED ISOCYANATE TERMINATED POLYURETHANE PREPOLYMER, AND A CURING AGENT THEREFOR, REMOVING ONLY A PART OF THE SOLVENT BY HEATING THE COATING ON SAID PLATE FROM 1 TO 3 MINUTES AT 220*-250*F. TO PROVIDE A PARTIALLY CURED, UNBLOWN FILM STILL CONTAINING SOLVENT, APPLYING A FURTHER FRESH COATING OF SAID POLYURETHANE PREPOLYMER SOLUTION TO THE SURFACE FIBERS OF THE POROUS SUBSTATE WITHOUT FILLING THE INTERSTICES THEREOF, PLACING SAID FRESHLY COATED SURFACE OF THE STILL POROUS SUBSTRATE AGAINST THE POLYURETHANE COATING ON SAID PLATE, COMPRESSING THE ASSEMBLY AGAINST AN UNYIELDING SURFACE, HEATING THE ASSEMBLY TO VOLATILIZE THE SOLVENT REMAINING IN THE POLYURETHANE COATING ON THE EMBOSSING PLATE AND TO THEREBY EXPAND SAID COATING TO A MICROPOROUS CONDITION WHILE SO COMPRESSED, THE POLYURETHANE THUS ASSUMING A MICROPOROUS CONDITION THE SAID LAST-MENTIONED HEATING STEP AT THE SAME TIME SERVING TO CURE THE SAID FURTHER FRESH COATING OF POLYURETHANE ON THE SAID SURFACE FIBERS AND SERVING TO COMPLETE THE CURE OF THE PREVIOUSLY PARTICALLY CURED POLYURETHANE FILM ON THE EMBOSSING PLATE, WHEREBY THE RESULTING LEATHER-LIKE ASSEMBLY IS PROVIDED WITH A MICROPOROUS CURED POLURETHANE SURFACE FILM BEARING THE IMPRINT OF SAID EMBOSSING PLATE AND FIRMLY ADHERED TO THE POLYURETHANE IMPREGNATED POROUS FIBROUS BASE THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF SAID FURTHER FRESH COATING OF POLYURETHANE.