Finely molded decorative and structural articles

Abstract

Abstract MOLDED DECORATIVE AND/OR STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OR PANELS ARE FORMED OF A TRANSPARENT AND/R INTERNALLY COLORABLE, SYNTHETIC, THERMOSETTING RESIN COMPOSITION WHICH IS CURABLE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE AND HAS THE CAPABILITY TO EMBED UP TO 90% OF HIGH DENSITY PARICLES SUSPENDED BY MICRONIZED SILICA OR, ALTERNATELY, TO CONTAIN INTERNALLY VISIBLE OBJECTS, THUS PROVIDING AN ESTHETIC ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE HAVING BOTH STRUCTURAL AND ARTISTIC PURPOSE. TYPICALLY, THE ARTICLE IS POLYMERIZED FROM A CLEAR FLUID MIXTURE OF BISPHENOL-A TYPE EPOXY RESIN AND ALKYL ACRYLATE MONOMER DISSOLVED IN GLYCIDYL ESTERS OF LOW VISCOSITY, PLUS A VISCOSITY-LOWERING CATALYST SUCH AS N-AMINOETHYL PIPERAZINE; THE RESULTING INTERPOLYMER IS CHARACTERIZED BY WORKABILITY OF 150% TO 300% ELONGATION WITHOUT STRESS WHEN 75% POLYMER- IZED. THE POLYMER CHARACTERISTICALLY DOES NOT RECEDE FROM MOLD FACE IN CASTING AND HENCE MAY BE FORMED WITH FINE ENGRAVING-LIKE SURFACE CONFIGURATIONS. WAFER-THIN CASTINGS OF FLEXIBLE, INCOMPLETELY CURED POLYMER MAY BE PERMANENTLY BONDED TO RIGID SURFACES BY COATING WITH SILICONE RESIN ADHESIVE AND SILICONE POLYMERICATION CATALST. THUS, SURFACE COVERINGS OF SUCH COMPOSITION MAY BE LAMINATED PERMANENTLY TO ANOTHER BODY WHILE COMPLETING POLYMERIZATION OF THE COMPOSITION IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH AN ADHESIVE ALSO UNDERGOING POLYMERICATION. WOOD AS WELL AS METAL SURFACES MAY BE SIMULATED, THE LATTER BY INCORPORATION OF INSOLUBLE MINERAL SALTS.

Inventors

• 👤 Elvin M Bright

Bibliographic Details