Method for finishing leather and leather substitutes

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING FINISHED LEATHER AND LEATHER SUBSTITUTES WHICH COMPRISES: A. APPLYING A COATING OF A POLYMERIC ACRYLIC LATEX CONTAINING A BLOWING AGENT, TO LEATHER OR LEATHER SUBSTIITUTES WHICH COATING IS FOAMED ON THE SUBSTRATES BY SAID BLOWING AGENT SELECTED FROM, 1) A SOLVENT HAVING A BOILING POINT IN THE RANGE FROM -50* TO 220*F. IN WHICH THE UNCROSSLINKED POLYMER EXHIBITS A SWELL RATIO IN THE RANGE FROM 1 TO ABOUT 7 TO 2) A CHEMICAL BLOWING AGENT; B. DRYING AND FOOAMING THE LATEX COATED SUBSTRATE AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 120* TO ABOUT 400*F.; C. CRUSHING, EMBOSSING AND CURING THE COATED SUBSTRATE AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 2500 PSI AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 150* TO ABOUT 400*F., AND D. APPLYING A FINISH COAT TO THE CRUSHED FOAM COATED SUBSTRATE.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 for preparing finished leather and leather substitutes which comprises: a. Applying a coating of a polymeric acrylic latex which coating is foamed on the substrate by the use of a blowing agent selected from, 1) a solvent having a boiling point in the range of from about 75* to about 200*F. and in which the uncrosslinked polymer exhibits a swell ratio in the range of from 1 to about 7 or, 2) a chemical blowing agent selected from an azo compound, N-nitroso compound, sulfonyl hydroxide, ammonium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, hydrogen peroxide, ammonium nitrate, or malonic acid; b. Drying and foaming the latex coated substrate at a temperature in the range of from about 170* to about 390*F.; c. Crushing, embossing and curing the foam coated substrate at a pressure in the range of from about 5 to about 1200 psi at a temperature in the range of from about 150* to 320*F., and d. Applying a finish coat to the crushed foam coated substrate wherein the finish coat is selected from compositions containing nitrocellulose, urethane, polyvinyl chloride, acrylics, cellulose acetate butyrates or nitrocellulose modified urethanes or combinations thereof.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 2 for preparing finished leather which comprises: a. Spraying a coating of a polymeric acrylic latex on leather which coating is foamed on the leather by a solvent blowing agent having a boiling point in the range of from about 75* to about 200*F. in which the uncrosslinked polymer exhibits a swell ratio in the range of from 1 to about 6.0; b. Drying and foaming the latex coated leather at a temperature in the range of from about 120* to about 400*F.; c. Crushing, embossing and curing the foam coated leather at a pressure in the range of from about 15 to 1200 psi at a temperature in the range of from about 150* to about 300*F. and d. Applying to the crushed foam coated leather a finish coat composition containing nitrocellulose and an isocyanate terminated polymer of an organic poly isocyanate with a polyester or polyether polyol or cellulose acetate butyrate.

Claim 5

The process of claim 3 wherein Step C is conducted at a temperature in the range of from about 180* to 270*F.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 2 for preparing a finished leather substitutes which comprises: a. Spraying a coating of a polymeric acrylic latex on a leather substitute which coating is foamed on the leather substitute by a solvent blowing agent having a boiling point in the range of from about 75* to about 220*F. in which the uncrosslinked polymer exhibits a swell ratio in the range of from 1 to about 6.0; b. Drying and foaming the latex coated leather substitute at a temperature in the range of from about 120* to about 400*F.; c. Crushing, embossing and curing the foam coated leather substitute at a pressure in the range of from about 5 to about 2500 psi at a temperature in the range of from about 150* to about 400*F., and d. Applying a finish coat to the crushed foam coated substrate.

Claim 7

The process of claim 5 wherein Step C is conducted at a pressure in the range from about 50 to 1000 psi at a temperature in the range from about 275* to about 325*F.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 1 wherein the polymeric latex comprises at least 2 of the following monomers of which at Least one is a monomer containing a functional group capable of crosslinking: a. an Alpha , Beta -ethylenically unsaturated acid; b. A monomer of the formula;

Claim 9

The method of claim 7 wherein the polymeric latex contains a monomer chosen from at least three of the following groups: a. ethyl acrylate or butyl acrylate; b. acrylonitrile; c. acrylamide, methylol acrylamide, allyl acetoacetate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, methyl methacrylate, acrolein or methacrolein or d. acrylic acid or methacrylic acid.

Claim 10

The process of claim 8 wherein the polymeric latex contains a monomer chosen from at least three of the following groups: a. ethyl acrylate or butyl acrylate; b. acrylonitrile; c. acrylamide, methylol acrylamide, allyl acetoacetate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, methyl methacrylate, acrolein or methacrolein or d. acrylic acid or methacrylic acid; and also contains a filler selected from clay, mica, calcium carbonate, or silica; a foam stabilizer; a colorant and a crosslinking agent selected from ammonia, a dibasic amine or a melamine resin.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 2 wherein the solvent blowing agent is selected from dichlorodifluoromethane, carbon tetrafluoride, trichlorotrifluoroethane, trichlorofluoromethane, monochlorotrifluoromethane, monobromotrifluoromethane, monochlorodifluoromethane, octafluorocyclobutane, pentane, hexane, or cyclohexane.

Claim 12

The process of claim 3 wherein the blowing agent is selected from trichlorofluoromethane or trichlorotrifluoroethane.

Claim 13

A process according to claim 3 wherein the chemical blowing agent is ammonium bicarbonate.

Claim 14

A crushed foam coated leather or leather substitute wherein the crushed foam coating is prepared by the process of claim 1 and the polymeric acrylic latex employed is prepared from at least two of the following monomers of which at least one is a monomer containing a functional group capable of cross-linking: a. an Alpha , Beta -ethylenically unsaturated acid, b. a monomer of the formula

Claim 15

A crushed foam coated leather or leather substitute wherein the crushed foam coating is prepared by the process of claim 2 and the polymeric acrylic latex employed contains monomers chosen from at least three of the following groups: a. acrylic acid or methacrylic acid; b. ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate; c. acrylonitrile and d. acrylamide, methylol acrylamide, allyl acetoacetate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, acrolein or methacrolein.

Claim 16

A crushed foam coated leather or leather substitute wherein the crushed foam coating is prepared by the process of claim 2 and the polymeric acrylic latex employed contains monomers from at least 3 of the following groups: a. acrylic acid or methacrylic acid; b. ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate; c. acrylonitrile and d. acrylamide, methylol acrylamide, allyl acetoacetate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, acrolein or methacrolein and also contains a filler selected from clay, mica, calcium carbonate or silica, a foam stabilizer, a colorant and a cross-linking agent selected from ammonia, a dibasic amine or a melamine resin.

Claim 17

The crushed foam coated leather or leather substitute of claim 15 wherein the crushed foam coating is prepared from a copolymer having the following monomer composition: 96 ethyl acrylate/3.5 acrylamide/0.5 acrylic acid; 96 ethyl acrylate/4 acrylamide/methylol acrylamide; 94 ethyl acrylate/5.5 allyl acetoacetate/0.5 acrylic acid; 94.5 ethyl acrylate/5 hydroxyethyl methacrylate/0.5 acrylic acid; 66 ethyl acrylate/32.7 methyl methacrylate/1.3 methacrylic acid; 83 ethyl acrylate/15 methyl methacrylate/2 acrylic acid (Na); 83 butyl acrylate/15 acrylonitrile/1 acrolein/1 acrylic acid; 65 ethyl acrylate/25.5 butyl acrylate/4.5 acrylonitrile/3.5 acrylamide/1.5 itaconic acid; 86 ethyl acrylate/10 acrylonitrile/4 acrylamide/methylol acrylamide; 83 butyl acrylate/14 acrylonitrile/1 acrolein/2 acrylic acid; 97 ethyl acrylate/1 acrolein/2 acrylic acid; 68 butyl acrylate/28 methyl methacrylate/2 acrolein/2 acrylonitrile; 30 butyl acrylate/55 ethyl acrylate/10 methyl methacrylate/3.5 acrylonitrile/0.5 acrolein/1 acrylic acid or 45 butyl acrylate/10 acrylonitrile/40 ethyl acrylate/4 hydroxyethyl methacrylate/1 acrylic acid.

Claim 18

A shoe upper material comprising a crushed foam coated leather or leather substitute prepared by the process of claim 1 wherein the crushed foam coating is prepared from the polymeric latex of claim 13 and which crushed foam coated leather and leather substitute has a finish coat composition containing one of the following ingredients: nitrocellulose, urethanes, polyvinyl chlorides, acrylics, cellulose acetate butyrates or a composition containing nitrocellulose and an isocyanate terminated prepolymer of an organic polyisocyanate with a polyester or polyether polyol or mixtures thereof with or without plasticizers.

Claim 19

A shoe upper material comprising a crushed foam coated leather or leather substitute prepared by the process of claim 2 wherein the crushed foam coating is prepared from the polymeric latex of claim 14 which crushed foam coated leather and leather substitute has a finish coat composition containing cellulose acetate butyrate, nitrocellulose and/or an isocyanate terminated prepolymer of an organic polyisocyanate with a polyester or polyether polyol.

Claim 20

A shoe upper material comprising a crushed foam coated leather or leather substitute prepared by the process of claim 2 wherein the crushed foam coating is prepared from the polymeric latex of claim 15 which crushed foam coated leather and leather substitute has a finish coat composition having 15-55% nitrocellulose.

Claim 21

A shoe upper material comprising a crushed foam coated leather prepared according to claim 3 wherein the crushed foam coating is prepared from the polymeric latex of claim 16 which crushed foam coated leather has a finish coat of 0.1 to 8 mils dry film thickness of a composition having a 15-55% nitrocellulose.

Claim 22

A shoe upper material comprising a crushed foam coated leather substitute prepared according to claim 3 wherein the crushed foam coating is prepared from the polymeric latex of claim 16 which crushed foam coated leather substitute has a finish coat of 0.1 to 8 mils dry film thickness of a composition having a 15-55% nitrocellulose.

Claim 23

The shoe upper of claim 20 having a finish coat of 0.3 to 0.5 mils dry film thickness.

Claim 24

The shoe upper of claim 21 having a finish coat of 0.3 to 0.5 mils dry film thickness.