Wear resistant, textured resinous compositions

Claim 2

The process of claim 1, wherein said blowing agent is selected from the group consisting of substituted nitroso compounds, substituted hydrazides, substituted azo compounds, acid azides and guanyl compounds.

Claim 3

The process of claim 3, wherein said blowing agent decomposes above about 200* F.

Claim 4

The process of claim 4, wherein said blowing agent is azodicarbonamide.

Claim 5

The process of claim 3, wherein said blowing agent contains an accelerator therefor.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1, wherein said inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of organic acids, organic acid anhydrides, organic acid halides, polyhydroxy alcohols, amines, amides, oxines, mercaptans, sulfides, sulfones, sulfoxides, sulfonic acids, sulfonyl halides, sulfonamides, sulfimides and isocyanates.

Claim 7

The process of claim 7, wherein said inhibitor is fumaric acid.

Claim 8

The process of claim 7, wherein said inhibitor is at least partially soluble in at least one component of said resinous material below the decomposition temperature of said blowing agent.

Claim 9

The process of claim 1, wherein said resinous material is heated in order to at least partially fuse the resinous material prior to the application of said inhibitor and the decomposition of said blowing agent.

Claim 10

The process of claim 9, wherein said inhibitor is applied to portions of a base and said resinous material containing said blowing agent is applied over said inhibitor and base prior to said blowing agent.

Claim 11

The process of 1, wherein said inhibitor is applied to said resinous material in a printing composition.

Claim 12

The process of claim 12, wherein said inhibitor is applied to said resinous material in the form of a design by a rotogravure printing process.

Claim 13

The process of claim 1, wherein the resinous composition in said wear layer comprises a mixture of a thermoplastic resin and a plasticizer.

Claim 14

The process of claim 14, wherein said thermoplastic resin is a polymer of vinyl chloride.

Claim 15

The process of claim 1, wherein said wear layer contains an inert filler in a concentration ranging from about 25 - 60 percent, by weight.

Claim 16

The process of claim 1, wherein said decorative chips comprise pigmented, plasticized vinyl chloride polymer compositions.

Claim 17

The process of claim 17, wherein said decorative chips have a thickness of from about one-third to seven-eighths of the thickness of said wear layer and a diameter of from about 0.05 to 0.50 inch.

Claim 18

The process of claim 1, wherein said base is asbestos sheeting.

Claim 19

In the process for producing a wear resistant, multilayered resinous assembly on a base, the surface of said assembly having areas of contrasting thicknesses, said process comprising the steps of: (1) incorporating azodicarbonamide into a plasticized vinyl chloride polymer composition: (2) forming the resulting polymer composition into a layer; (3) applying fumaric acid to portions of said layer, said fumaric acid being capable of penetrating into said polymer composition and altering the decomposition temperature of said azodicarbonamide; (4) applying a wear layer thereto; and (5) heating the resulting assembly to the decomposition temperature of said azodicarbonamide; the improvement which comprises applying as the upper surface of said multi-layered assembly a preformed, self-supporting, non-fused, translucent wear layer having a thickness of from about 0.014 inch to 0.050 inch and comprising a gelled, vinyl chloride polymer plastisol composition containing plasticized vinyl chloride polymer decorative chips encompassed therein, said plastisol composition being present in said wear layer in a concentration of from about 25 - 50 percent, by weight, and said decorative chips being present in a concentration of from about 75 - 50 percent, by weight, said chips having a thickness of from about one-third to seven-eighths of the thickness of the final wear layer; and, heating the assembly to effect the azodicarbonamidefumaric acid inhibition reaction and, thereafter, to decompose the azodicarbonamide and fuse the vinyl chloride polymer compositions so as to effect expansion at the sites of decomposition and the formation of the contrasting thicknesses on the surface thereof, said wear layer exhibiting sufficient fluidity during said heating to strictly conform to the resulting contrasting surface thickness.