Exterior automotive laminate with pressure-sensitive adhesive

A method of forming a flexible decorative sheet for use in applying an exterior automotive clear coat/color coat paint finish to a substrate panel, comprising the steps of:

• casting a first coat comprising an optically clear, smooth, weatherable thin film on a first flexible, heat-resistant carrier sheet, the first coat comprising a blend of a fluoropolymer resin and an acrylic resin, the first coat being dried on the first carrier sheet;
• casting a second coat as a thin film on a side of the first coat, the second coat containing a vinyl chloride polymer, a plasticizer containing polyester azelate having a molecular weight greater than about 7,000, and a pigment dispersed in the second coat or in a separate color coat layer on a side of the second coat opposite from the first coat, thereby forming a composite paint coat in combination with the first and second coats;
• and
• separately casting a layer of a pressure sensitive adhesive on a second flexible, heat-resistant carrier sheet, the pressure sensitive adhesive layer being dried on the second carrier sheet, followed by laminating the carrier-supported pressure sensitive adhesive layer to the carrier-supported composite paint coat, the pressure sensitive adhesive laminated to a side of the second coat opposite from the first coat, and leaving the first and second carrier sheets adhered to the first coat and the pressure sensitive adhesive layer, respectively, to provide removable protective outer sheets for a flexible, self-supporting composite paint coat comprised of the first coat and the second coat;
• the second carrier sheet being removable from the pressure sensitive adhesive layer for adhering the pressure sensitive adhesive side of the second coat to a substrate panel;
• the first carrier sheet being removable from the first coat to expose the first coat as a glossy automotive quality paint coat with the color coat visible through the clear coat, in which the exterior surface of the composite paint coat has an exterior automotive quality gloss level and a distinctness-of-image value greater than about 60, the second coat containing a plasticizer in an amount sufficient to enhance elongation of the second coat and to inhibit plasticizer-induced volatile haze in the finished composite paint coat as measured by a less than 20% reduction of said gloss level when subjected to a temperature of 80.degree. C.;
• the second coat having sufficient elongation to enhance the elongation of the clear first coat so that the composite paint coat has a level of elongation in the range from about 50% to about 150% the original dimension of the composite paint coat sufficient to conform to a three-dimensionally contoured shape of the substrate panel to which the adhesive layer of the paint coat is bonded for forming a defect-free, smooth, glossy, weatherable exterior automotive paint finish on the substrate without significantly reducing the exterior automotive properties of the composite paint coat, the composite paint coat undergoing said 50% to 150% elongation while the distinctness-of-image of the composite paint coat following such elongation is at a level above about 60.

A method of forming a flexible decorative sheet for use in applying an exterior automotive clear coat/color coat paint finish to a substrate panel, comprising the steps of:

• casting a first coat comprising an optically clear, smooth, weatherable thin film on a first flexible, heat-resistant carrier sheet, the first coat comprising a blend of a fluoropolymer resin and an acrylic resin, the first coat being dried on the first carrier sheet;
• casting a second coat as a thin film on a side of the first coat, the second coat containing a vinyl chloride polymer, and a pigment dispersed in the second coat or in a separate color coat layer on a side of the second coat opposite from the first coat, thereby forming a composite paint coat in combination with the first and second coats;
• and
• separately casting a layer of a pressure sensitive adhesive on a second flexible, heat-resistant carrier sheet, the pressure sensitive adhesive layer being dried on the second carrier sheet, followed by laminating the carrier-supported pressure sensitive adhesive layer to the carrier-supported composite paint coat, the pressure sensitive adhesive laminated to a side of the second coat opposite from the first coat, and leaving the first and second carrier sheets adhered to the first coat and the pressure sensitive adhesive layer, respectively, to provide removable protective outer sheets for a flexible, self-supporting composite paint coat comprised of the first coat and the second coat;
• the second carrier sheet being removable from the pressure sensitive adhesive layer for adhering the pressure sensitive adhesive side of the second coat to a substrate panel;
• the first carrier sheet being removable from the first coat to expose the first coat as a glossy automotive quality paint coat with the color coat visible through the clear coat, in which the exterior surface of the composite paint coat has an exterior automotive quality gloss level and a distinctness-of-image value greater than about 60, the second coat containing a plasticizer containing a polyester azelate in an amount sufficient to enhance elongation of the second coat and to inhibit plasticizer-induced volatile haze in the finished composite paint coat as measured by a less than 20% reduction of said gloss level when subjected to a temperature of 80.degree. C.;
• the second coat having sufficient elongation to enhance the elongation of the clear first coat so that the composite paint coat has a level of elongation in the range from about 50% to about 150% the original dimension of the composite paint coat sufficient to conform to a three-dimensionally contoured shape of the substrate panel to which the adhesive layer of the paint coat is bonded for forming a defect-free, smooth, glossy, weatherable exterior automotive paint finish on the substrate without significantly reducing the exterior automotive properties of the composite paint coat, the composite paint coat undergoing said 50% to 150% elongation while the distinctness-of-image of the composite paint coat following such elongation is at a level above about 60.