In-line lamination process for producing decorative thermoplastic composite panels

An in-line process of producing a thermoplastic composite article using an in-line system, the in-line process comprising:

• combining reinforcing materials and a thermoplastic polyolefin material in an aqueous solution to provide a homogenous liquid dispersion of the reinforcing materials in the thermoplastic polyolefin material;
• disposing the homogeneous liquid dispersion with the combined reinforcing materials and the thermoplastic polyolefin material onto a moving support comprising a mesh size of 60 openings/square inch to 80 openings per/square inch;
• removing water from the disposed homogeneous liquid dispersion on the moving support to form a porous wet web comprising open cell structures formed by random crossing over of the reinforcing materials held in place by the thermoplastic polyolefin material;
• drying the porous wet web on the moving support to provide a porous core layer;
• heating the porous core layer on the moving support to melt the thermoplastic material of the porous core layer;
• disposing a first skin layer on a first surface of the heated, porous core layer on the moving support;
• disposing a second skin layer on a second surface of the heated, porous core layer;
• and
• applying pressure to the heated, porous core layer comprising the disposed first skin layer and the disposed second skin layer on the moving support to provide a thermoplastic composite article.