Damage resistant decorative laminate

A decorative laminate having improved resistance against marring, abrasion, staining, dusting and crocking, said laminate comprising a substrate and a decorative sheet in superposed relation, said decorative sheet being coated with a mixture consisting essentially of a thermoset resin chosen from the group consisting of melamine formaldehyde, modified melamine formaldehyde, and polyester, substantially fully hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol, fumed amorphous silica, and particulate abrasive material having a hardness higher than that of silica, said thermoset resin ranging from about 38% to 63% by weight based on the final dry weight of said decorative sheet, said polyvinyl alcohol ranging from about 0.2 to 10 grams per square meter of surface area, said fumed amorphous silica ranging from about 0.2 to 10 grams per square meter of surface area, and said particulate abrasive ranging from about 0.2 to 10 grams per square meter of surface area.

A method for the preparation of a mar-resistant and abrasion-resistant decorative laminate, comprising the steps of forming a component sheet having on the surface thereof a composition consisting essentially of a thermosetting resin chosen from the group consisting of melamine formaldehyde, modified melamine formaldehyde, and polyester, substantially fully hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol, fumed amorphous silica, and particulate abrasive material having a hardness higher than that of silica;

• assembling said component sheet with a substrate;
• and subjecting the assembled component sheet and substrate to heat and pressure sufficient to consolidate said component sheet and substrate, to cure said resin to a thermoset condition, and to form an exposed surface exhibiting mar resistance of less than 4% gloss change by the herein described test, and abrasion resistance greater than 3000 cycles (NEMA Wear) by the NEMA test LD 3-3.01.

A method for the preparation of a mar-resistant decorative laminate, comprising the steps of incorporating in an aqueous dispersion a thermosetting resin in an amount such that the solid components of the resin range from about 40% to 60% of the weight of liquid resin, said resin being one of melamine formaldehyde, modified melamine formaldehyde, and polyester, substantially fully hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol in an amount ranging from about 1.5% to 5.0% by weight, fumed amorphous silica in an amount ranging from about 2% to 4% by weight, and particulate abrasive material in an amount ranging from about 1.5 to 6.0% by weight, said particulate abrasive material having a hardness higher than that of silica;

• coating a component sheet with said dispersion in an amount such that the solid components of said dispersion are from 38% to 65% by weight of the final dried component sheet;
• assembling said coated component sheet with a substrate;
• and subjecting the assembled component sheet and substrate to heat and pressure sufficient to consolidate said component sheet and said substrate, to cure said resin to a thermoset condition, and to form an exposed surface exhibiting improved mar resistance, abrasion resistance, stain resistance, dusting resistance and crocking resistance.