Introduction to environmentally friendly decorative PP sheet film products and sheet equipment

Abstract: Currently home decorative materials are widely used in PVC film,  with the increasing attention to the environmental performance of the material, with significant environmental advantages of polypropylene PP composite materials made of decorative film (sheet) is gradually becoming a market hotspot, this paper focuses on PP decorative film (sheet) products and processing equipment, the industry's future outlook, and a brief introduction to the PP decorative film (sheet) industry chain.

Keywords: home decorative film, PP composite material, sheet processing equipment

Industry background

As we all know, there is a space for human existence must be the demand for home decoration materials and continuous innovation and development of space. With the continuous progress of human history and culture and the safety of the living space environment, the importance of awareness and improvement of living standards, the quality of the future home living environment will certainly put forward higher requirements.

The continuous development of society, PP film material in all walks of life has been more widely used. Currently on the market using home decorative film made of a variety of different materials, including PET, PETG composite decorative film, PP composite decorative film, PVC composite decorative film, etc. is more common, the plastic class of man-made board decorative materials to PVC film is more widely used, with the increasing attention to the environmental performance of the material, safety performance, with significant environmental advantages of polypropylene decorative film. As people pay more and more attention to the environmental performance and safety performance of materials, polypropylene decorative film (sheet) with significant environmental advantages has gradually become a market hot spot.

Polypropylene PP is a highly crystalline polymer, its chemical properties are stable, excellent mechanical properties, acid and alkali corrosion resistance, safe and non-toxic, widely used in food and medical fields, however, due to the PP coloring is poor, poor printing performance, and not easy to bond and other factors, so the PP material used for decorative film (sheet) product manufacturing difficulties, high technical threshold, with the improvement of plastic modification technology and production processes and equipment, PP material-based as a decorative film (sheet) products in recent years began to be widely used in the field of surface decoration. With the improvement of plastic modification technology and the perfection of production process and equipment, PP material mainly used as decorative film (sheet), in recent years began to be widely used in the field of surface decoration of man-made board.

PP decorative film (sheet) is made of polypropylene as the raw material of a paint-free furniture exterior use of decorative film, the visual effect is comparable to wood veneer, very suitable for flat stickers, wrapping, and the conditions of the 3D blister. The front side contains wear-resistant and anti-scratch ingredients, and the reverse side can be coated with adhesive backing, which can make the film play a role in promoting adhesion with various materials, making the product more durable. The most significant advantage of polypropylene decorative film (sheet) is its environmental performance. Does not contain formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, toluene, xylene and other volatile hazardous substances. Contains no heavy metals and no plasticizers are used in production. No other toxic gases are released during combustion, which is a boon for the improvement of the natural environment and home safety.

PP decorative film and the most widely used PVC decorative film compared to the two types of materials are used thermoplastic resin as a substrate, waterproof moisture barrier performance is more similar, but in terms of environmental performance, due to the PVC body contains chlorine substances, environmental performance has been questioned, PP material combustion of the gas produced by the absence of toxic substances, while the PVC material combustion will produce pungent and intense black smoke, smoke and poisonous larger, directly causing fainting and poisoning collapse. Directly let a person fainted and poisoned down, can not escape. In terms of high-temperature performance, PP melting point is generally higher than 160°C . More than 130 before softening, while the melting point of PVC is only 70 ° C, more than 40 ° C that is softened. PP decorative film in the surface of high temperature resistance and steam sterilization has more obvious advantages, in terms of surface performance, PP decorative film can be modified through the surface treatment and set up a protective layer and so on different processes, to improve the surface of the abrasion-resistant, pollution-resistant, corrosion-resistant, solvent-resistant, coloring is strong, colorful, vivid, embossed pattern clear, stable, and the surface of the film can be used to improve the surface of the film. The surface can be improved through different processes such as surface modification treatment and setting of protective layer to improve its surface abrasion resistance, pollution resistance, corrosion resistance, solvent resistance, strong coloring, bright colors, vivid appearance, clear and stable embossing pattern, scratch resistance, and can be attached with flame retardant, anti-bacterial and anti-fungus and other functional materials and these performances are better than the conventional PVC decorative film products. However, in terms of coloring, PVC coloring is easier, colorful, and ductility is better than PP, more suitable for blister processing. Of course, PP can also be applied to blister molding after modification and advanced technology processing, and its ductility is not worse than that of PVC. Comprehensive comparison can be concluded, PP decorative film performance is fully capable of secondary processing of wood-based panel surface, more suitable for high-end wood-based panel finishing.

PP decorative film (sheet) according to the pattern or color can be divided into monochrome or wood grain and other water-based ink printing of different patterns, according to the thickness of the distinction can be divided into PP film and PP sheet, according to the brightness can be divided into matte and high-gloss. According to the lamination process can be divided into flat decorative film and vacuum positive and negative pressure blister decorative sheet. Process, generally flat with a cold press or appropriate hot press paste up, curved surface of the vacuum laminating machine, the use of vacuum and the outside world pressure difference extrusion on the vacuum laminating machine plane surface can be pasted or wrapped, and wrapped folded edges do not whiten.