Ionomer resin substrates coated with an epoxy primer and finished with an acrylic coating

Claim 2

A coated, flexible substrate consisting essentially of a. a layer of a foamed ionomer resin or of a foamed polyolefin resin, b. a top layer of an ionomer resin firmly adhered to said foamed layer, c. an epoxy primer layer firmly adhered to the top layer and d. an acrylic coating layer in firm adherence to the primer layer.

Claim 3

The coated substrate of claim 1 in which the ionomer resin is a copolymer of about 75-98% by weight of ethylene and 2-25% by weight of an α,β-unsaturated monocarboxylic acid having 3-8 carbon atoms, wherein the copolymer has from about 10 to 90% of the carboxylic acid groups ionized by neutralization with metal ions having an ionized valence of 1 to 3 inclusive distributed throughout the copolymer.

Claim 4

The coated substrate of claim 2 in which the ionomer resin is a copolymer of ethylene and methacrylic acid and the metal ions are sodium ions or zinc ions.

Claim 5

The coated substrate of claim 3 in which the epoxy primer is a pigmented crosslinked epoxy hydroxy polyether resin.

Claim 6

The coated substrate of claim 3 in which the acrylic coating is a flexible crosslinked enamel consisting essentially of a. an acrylic polymer of methyl methacrylate or styrene or a mixture thereof, an alkyl acrylate or an alkyl methacrylate having 2-12 carbon atoms in the alkyl groups, a hydroxy alkyl acrylate as a hydroxy alkyl methacrylate having 2-4 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and an α,β-ethylenically unsaturated monocarboxylic acid and b. a heat reactive condensate or an organic polyisocyanate.

Claim 7

The coated substrate of claim 3 in which the acrylic coating is a crosslinked polyurethane acrylic consisting essentially of the product of a. an organic polyisocyanate; and b. an acrylic polymer in which the backbone consists essentially of polymerized acrylic esters of the group of an alkyl methacrylate or an alkyl acrylate or mixtures thereof each having 1-12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and having polymerized ethylenically unsaturated ester units that form ester groups pending from the carbon atoms of the polymer backbone and comprise about 10 to 75% of the total weight of the polymer and consisting essentially of ester group (A) ##STR6## and ester group (B) selected from the group consisting of ##STR7## or mixtures thereof, wherein the molar ratio of ester group (A) to ester (B) is from about 1:1.5 to 1:2.5; and wherein R 1 is a saturated hydrocarbon group having 2-4 carbon atoms, R 2 is an aromatic radical, R 3 is a tertiary hydrocarbon group having 8 through 10 carbon atoms.

Claim 8

The coated substrate of claim 6 in which the acrylic polymer backbone contains styrene in addition to the polymerized acrylic esters.

Claim 9

The coated substrate of claim 1 in which the foamed layer is a polyolefin and the polyolefin is polyethylene.

Claim 10

The coated flexible substrate of claim 1 in which a. the foamed layer is an ionomer resin is a copolymer of 75-98% by weight of ethylene and 2-25% by weight of methacrylic acid having 10-60% of the carboxylic acid groups ionized with zinc or sodium metal ions; b. the top layer of ionomer resin is the same as (a) above, c. the epoxy primer is a pigmented epoxy hydroxy polyether resin crosslinked with an amine terminated polyamide, d. the acrylic coating is an acrylic polymer or a blend of acrylic polymers in which the acrylic polymer is of methyl methacrylate or styrene or a mixture thereof, an alkyl methacrylate or an alkyl acrylate having 2-12 carbon atoms in the alkyl groups, a hydroxy alkyl acrylate or a hydroxy alkyl methacrylate having 2-4 carbon atoms in the alkyl groups and acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and is crosslinked with a polyisocyanate which is the biuret of hexamethylene diisocyanate.

Claim 11

The coated flexible substrate of claim 1 in which a. the foamed layer is of a polyethylene foam. b. the top layer is an ionomer resin of a copolymer of 75-98% by weight of ethylene and 2-25% by weight of methacrylic acid having 10-60% of the carboxylic acid groups ionized with zinc or sodium metal ions, c. the epoxy primer is a pigmented epoxy hydroxy polyether resin crosslinked with an amine terminated polyamide, d. the acrylic coating is an acrylic polymer or a blend of acrylic polymers in which the acrylic polymer is of methyl methacrylate or styrene or a mixture thereof, an alkyl methacrylate or an alkyl acrylate having 2-12 carbon atoms in the alkyl groups, a hydroxy alkyl acrylate or a hydroxy alkyl methacrylate having 2-4 carbon atoms in the alkyl groups and acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and is crosslinked with a polyisocyanite which is the biuret of hexamethylene diisocyanate.

Claim 12

The coated flexible substrate of claim 1 a. the foamed layer is an ionomer resin of a copolymer of 75-98% by weight of ethylene and 2-25% by weight of methacrylic acid having 10-60% of the carboxylic acid groups ionized with zinc or sodium metal ions; b. the top layer of ionomer resin is the same as (a) above, c. the epoxy primer is a pigmented epoxy hydroxy polyether resin crosslinked with an amine terminated polyamide, d. the acrylic coating is of a crosslinked polyurethane acrylic in which the acrylic polymer has a backbone consisting essentially of polymerized acrylic esters of the group of an alkyl methacrylate or an alkyl acrylate or mixtures thereof each having 1-12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and having polymerized ethylenically unsaturated ester units that form ester groups pending from the carbon atoms of the polymer backbone and comprise about 10 to 75% of the total weight of the polymer and consisting essentially of ester group (A) ##STR8## and ester group (B) selected from the group consisting of ##STR9## or mixtures thereof, wherein the molar ratio of ester group (A) to ester (B) is from about 1:1.5 to 1:2.5; and wherein R 1 is a saturated hydrocarbon group having 2-4 carbon atoms, R 2 is an aromatic radical, R 3 is a tertiary hydrocarbon group having 8 through 10 carbons atoms, and the acrylic polymer is crosslinked with a polyisocyanate that is the biuret of hexamethylene diisocyanate.

Claim 13

The coated flexible substrate of claim 1 in which a. the foamed layer is of a polyethylene foam. b. the top layer is an ionomer resin of a copolymer of 75-98% by weight of ethylene and 2-25% by weight of methacrylic acid having 10-60% of the carboxylic acid groups ionized with zinc or sodium metal ions, c. the epoxy primer is a pigmented epoxy hydroxy polyether resin crosslinked with an amine terminated polyamide, d. the acrylic coating is of a crosslinked polyurethane acrylic in which the acrylic polymer has a backbone consisting essentially of polymerized acrylic esters of the group of an alkyl methacrylate or an alkyl acrylate or mixtures thereof each having 1-12 carbon atoms in the alkyl groups and having polymerized ethylenically unsaturated ester units that form ester groups pending from the carbon atoms of the polymer backbone and comprise about 10 to 75% of the total weight of the polymer and consisting essentially of ester group (A) ##STR10## and ester group (B) selected from the group consisting of ##STR11## or mixtures thereof, wherein the molar ratio of ester group (A) to ester (B) is from about 1:1.5 to 1:2.5; and wherein R 1 is a saturated hydrocarbon group having 2-4 carbon atoms, R 2 is an aromatic radical, R 3 is a tertiary hydrocarbon group having 8 through 10 carbons atoms, and the acrylic polymer is crosslinked with a polyisocyanate that is the biuret of hexamethylene diisocyanate.

Claim 14

The coated flexible substrate of claim 4 in which the substrate is embossed and molded into the shape of an automobile roof.

Claim 15

A coated flexible substrate consisting essentially of a. a substrate of an ionomer resin of a copolymer of 75-98% by weight of ethylene and 2-25% by weight of methacrylic acid having 10-60% of the carboxylic acid groups ionized with zinc or sodium metal ions; b. an epoxy primer layer of a pigmented epoxy hydroxy polyether resin crosslinked with an amine terminated polyamide in firm adherence to the substrate; and c. an acrylic coating layer in firm adherence to the primer layer in which the acrylic coating is an acrylic polymer or a blend of acrylic polymers in which the acrylic polymer is of methyl methacrylate or styrene or a mixture thereof, an alkyl methacrylate or an alkyl acrylate having 2-12 carbon atoms in the alkyl groups, a hydroxy alkyl acrylate or a hydroxy alkyl methacrylate having 2-4 carbon atoms in the alkyl groups and acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and is crosslinked with a polyisocyanite which is the biuret of hexamethylene diisocyanate.

Claim 16

A coated flexible substrate consisting essentially of a. a substrate of an ionomer resin of a copolymer of 75-98% by weight of ethylene and 2-25% by weight of methacrylic acid having 10-60% of the carboxylic acid groups ionized with zinc or sodium metal ions; b. an epoxy primer layer of a pigmented epoxy hydroxy polyether resin crosslinked with an amine terminated polyamide in firm adherence to the substrate; and c. an acrylic coating layer in firm adherence to the primer layer in which the acrylic coating is an acrylic polymer or a blend of acrylic polymers in which the acrylic polymer is of methyl methacrylate or styrene or a mixture thereof, an alkyl methacrylate or an alkyl acrylate having 2-12 carbon atoms in the alkyl groups, a hydroxy alkyl acrylate or a hydroxy alkyl methacrylate having 2-4 carbon atoms in the alkyl groups and acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and is crosslinked with a polyisocyanite which is the biuret of hexamethylene diisocyanate.

Claim 17

The coated flexible substrate of claim 14 which is in the shape of a gravel deflector for automobiles and trucks.