US-20260125528-A1 - HIGH ABRASION RESISTANCE COMPOSITE STRUCTURE, ITS PREPARATION AND USE

US20260125528A1US 20260125528 A1US20260125528 A1US 20260125528A1US-20260125528-A1

Abstract

A composite structure contains a finishing layer provided on a substrate layer. The finishing layer is based on a cured polymer and is obtainable by a method that includes curing a finishing lacquer that is applied on the substrate layer and contains an irradiation-curable compound to obtain the cured polymer. A method of preparing the composite structure and the use of the composite structure for the interior of vehicles are also provided.

Inventors

Carolina LEBRE SANTOS SILVA
Filipe Miguel da Silva Ribeiro
Luis Filipe CARVALHO DA SILVA
Sara Patricia DA SILVA MARQUES

Assignees

TMG - TECIDOS PLASTIFICADOS E OUTROS REVESTIMENTOS PARA A INDuSTRIA AUTOMoVEL, S.A.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20240111
Priority Date: 20230330

Claims (15)

1 - 15 . (canceled)
16 . A composite structure, comprising: a substrate layer; a finishing layer applied on said substrate layer; and a touch sensor disposed under said substrate layer; said finishing layer having a thickness of 5 μm to 100 μm, said finishing layer being based on a cured polymer and said finishing layer having surface folds; and said finishing layer being an irradiation-cured finishing lacquer applied on said substrate layer and containing an irradiation-curable compound providing said cured polymer and being obtained by excimer curing a surface of a finishing lacquer composition and entirely UV curing said finishing lacquer composition.
17 . The composite structure according to claim 16 , wherein the composite structure is a flexible film.
18 . The composite structure according to claim 16 , which further comprises a surface of the composite structure, said surface having grains.
19 . The composite structure according to claim 16 , wherein said surface folds contain indentations and protrusions, said indentations have a depth of 10 nm to 1000 nm and a bottom, said depth of an indentation is determined by microscopically detecting indentations and protrusions in a cross-section of a sample, measuring a height of peaks of two neighboring protrusions, determining an average of two heights, and taking a difference between said average height and a height of said bottom of said indentation as said depth of said indentation.
20 . The composite structure according to claim 19 , wherein the composite structure has grains, said surface folds are disposed on said grains, and said grains contain indentations having depths in a range of 10 μm to 1000 μm.
21 . The composite structure according to claim 16 , wherein said touch sensor is a printed structure.
22 . The composite structure according to claim 16 , wherein said substrate layer is a translucent layer having a light transmittance of 1 to 50%.
23 . A method of preparing a composite structure, the method comprising steps as follows: (i) providing a substrate having a substrate layer as a top layer or consisting of a substrate layer; (ii) providing a liquid finishing lacquer containing an irradiation-curable compound; (iii) applying the liquid finishing lacquer on the substrate layer to obtain a finishing lacquer layer; (iv) irradiation curing the irradiation-curable compound of the finishing lacquer layer to prepare a polymer and to obtain the composite structure, the irradiation curing including a first step of excimer curing and a second step of UV curing.
24 . The method according to claim 23 , which further comprises providing the irradiation-curable compound of the finishing lacquer as a compound containing a polymerizable group not being polymerizable by irradiation curing, and carrying out step (iv) by subjecting the finishing lacquer layer to a step (iv-1) of polymerization of the polymerizable group and a step (iv-2) of irradiation to crosslink the irradiation-curable compound.
25 . The method according to claim 23 , which further comprises providing the finishing lacquer as a finishing lacquer containing a diisocyanate, a polyol, and a photoinitiator, and at least one of the diisocyanate or the polyol being the irradiation-curable compound.
26 . The method according to claim 23 , which further comprises carrying out the first step of the irradiation curing as a step of excimer curing a surface of the finishing lacquer composition, and carrying out the second step of the irradiation curing as a step of entirely UV curing the finishing lacquer composition.
27 . The method according to claim 23 , which further comprises forming nanostructures on a surface of the finishing layer by carrying out the step of excimer curing.
28 . A material to be used for an interior of vehicles, the material comprising the composite structure according to claim 16 .
29 . A method for providing an interior of a vehicle, the method comprising applying the composite structure according to claim 16 in the interior of the vehicle.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a composite structure having high abrasion resistance, a method of preparing the composite structure and the use of the composite structure, in particular as an artificial leather in touch interface applications in vehicles. BACKGROUND ART EP 3 575 121 A1 discloses a composite structure that comprises a translucent layer, an opaque layer containing a translucent area, and a touch sensor, and that is used for hidden-until-lit applications. The translucent layer may be coated with a translucent lacquer layer. EP 3 723 981 A1 discloses a component with a decorative surface and with signalling or operating elements arranged in the surface, wherein the component comprises a component carrier as supporting structure and a multi-layered film arranged on the exterior thereof, wherein the layers forming the film consist of a flexible, elastomeric and reversibly deformable polymer, and wherein the component carrier comprises devices which act on the film for a regional deformation of the film, and also devices for a regional transillumination of the film. The multi-layered film may be coated with a lacquer layer. Problem to be Solved by the Invention Touch interfaces need to have high abrasion resistance. Since the lacquer layers used in the prior art do not sufficiently meet this requirement, the problem underlying the present invention was the provision of a composite structure that is used for touch interface applications and has high abrasion resistance. Another problem to be solved was to provide a composite structure having increased abrasion resistance while keeping other properties such as translucency, gloss and colour unaffected. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The problem underlying the present invention was solved by providing a new composite structure coated with a finishing layer having high abrasion resistance. The present application covers the following aspects [1] to [15]. [1] A composite structure containing a finishing layer provided on a substrate layer and a touch sensor under the substrate layer, wherein the finishing layer is based on a cured polymer and is obtainable by a method that comprises irradiation curing a finishing lacquer that is applied on the substrate layer and contains an irradiation-curable compound to obtain the cured polymer.[1-1] The composite structure according to aspect [1], wherein the substrate layer has a thickness of 30 μm to 3000 μm, preferably 50 μm to 1000 μm.[1-2] The composite structure according to aspect [1] or [1-1], wherein the finishing layer has a thickness of 5 μm to 100 μm, preferably 5 μm to 50 μm.[1-3] The composite structure according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the irradiation-curable compound contains an irradiation-curable carbon-carbon double-bond. [1-4] The composite structure according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the finishing layer consists of two or more layers, preferably each containing an irradiation-curable compound. The two or more layers may have the same composition or different compositions.[1-5] The composite structure according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the cured polymer is a crosslinked polyurethane.[1-6] The composite structure according to any of the preceding aspects, containing the following structural elements under the substrate layer: opaque areas or an opaque layer having opaque areas and translucent areas; the touch sensor contained in a touch sensor area or a sensor layer comprising the touch sensor area; optionally a light source; optionally a support layer; and optionally a soft layer.[1-7] The composite structure according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the substrate layer has a light transmittance of 1 to 50% and comprises an opaque layer containing a translucent area and a touch sensor area that is at least partly arranged in or above or below the translucent area of the opaque layer.[1-8] The composite structure according to aspect [1-6], wherein the opaque layer containing the translucent area is a mask layer.[1-9] The composite structure according to any one of aspects [1-6] to [1-8], containing a sensor layer comprising the touch sensor area and at least electric conductors connected thereto.[1-10] The composite structure according to any one of aspects [1-6] to [1-9], wherein the touch sensor area contains the touch sensor fully arranged below the opaque area of the opaque layer, and a translucent area at least partially arranged below the translucent area of the opaque layer.[1-11] The composite structure according to any one of aspects [1-6] to [1-10], containing the substrate layer, the opaque layer containing a translucent area, the touch sensor, and optionally a support layer in this order, wherein the support layer is translucent or at least partially translucent.[1-12] The composite structure according to any one of aspects [1-6] to [1-11], containing a light source arranged in or attached to at least one of