Imitation sheet material with surface grain appearance

A substitute leather sheet material characterized by an accentuated imitation leather grain surface design effect thereon, which material comprises:

• a. a flexible, woven, base-supporting sheet material, which sheet material is subject to shrinkage and expansion by the action of heat or moisture;
• b. a continuous, flexible, first layer of a solid thermoplastic polymer characterized by a low modulus of elongation in psi at 100% of from about 300 to 3000 psi, the first layer secured to the base sheet material;
• c. a discontinuous second layer of a solid thermoplastic polymer characterized by a high modulus of elongation in psi at 100% elongation of from about 2000 to 8000 psi, the second layer secured to the first layer, and forming raised areas of an imitation grain effect leather surface design on the first layer surface;
• d. the difference of modulus of elongation between the low and high-modulus polymers being at least about 800 psi,
• e. the polymers selected from the group of polymers of vinyl-halide resins, urethane elastomers and combinations thereof;
• f. the second layer disposed over the entire sheet surface of the first layer in a predetermined design pattern, the second layer comprising from over about 80% of the total surface area of the first layer, and forming low valley areas between the discontinuous layer, representing a pattern imitative of a leather-like grain surface;
• g. the second layer having a height of from about 0.01 to 0.5 mils, and greater than the thickness of the first continuous layer;
• and
• h. the solid thermoplastic polymer of the first layer beneath the valley areas which form the surface pattern characterized by flexible, weak-hinge properties relative to the remaining portion of the solid first layer, said properties derived by repetitive flexing of the low-modulus polymer of the first layer in the areas beneath the valley areas to fracture and weaken the mechanical strength of the low-modulus polymer only in such areas, thereby providing a material having an enhanced surface design effect thereon.