Process for making decorative automotive interior trim articles with cast integral light stable covering

A process for making a panel structure mountable in an automobile vehicle to form a part of the interior thereof, the panel structure including a rigid substrate and a layered composite structure, the rigid substrate being hidden from the vehicle interior when the panel structure is mounted in the automobile vehicle, the layered composite structure comprising an outer layer defining at least a portion of an at least partially exposed exterior surface of the panel structure and an inner layer, said process comprising the steps of:

• precoating a microcrystalline wax mold releasing agent on a first mold surface, the first mold surface being heated to a first elevated temperature to melt and disperse the microcrystalline wax mold releasing agent;
• applying a water-dispersed composition onto the first mold surface having a complementary shape to an outer surface of the outer layer and containing the microcrystalline wax mold releasing agent dispersed thereon, the water-dispersed composition comprising at least one light-stable aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane containing at least one pendent functional group selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl and carboxyl functional groups, at least one coloring agent, and at least one heat-activated crosslinker, the first mold surface being heated to a second elevated temperature to thereby induce partial crosslinking of the light-stable aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane with the heat-activated crosslinker;
• substantially drying the water-dispersed composition while on the first mold surface by heating the first mold surface to a third elevated temperature to form the outer layer;
• casting a composition comprising a poly(vinyl chloride) containing at least one plasticizer onto an inner surface of the outer layer while on the first mold surface to form the inner layer so that the plasticizer is crosslinked with the polyurethane of the outer layer via unreacted residual functional groups of the heat-activated crosslinker and thereby forming the layered composite structure having interfacially chemically bonding between the inner surface of the outer layer to an adjacent surface of the inner layer;
• and
• uniting the layered composite structure with the rigid substrate so that the rigid substrate reinforces the outer layer while retaining the touch, color, and configuration of the exposed portion.