| abstract |
Surface coverings and surface covering components that include a texturedntransparent or translucent wear layer and a design layer, where the design layer is printednwith an ink that includes collapsible microspheres, are disclosed. Also disclosed arenmethods of manufacturing such surface coverings and surface covering components. Innone embodiment, a pattern is printed on a substrate to be coated with a wear layer. Innanother embodiment, a clear transparent or translucent layer underlies the design layer.nThe ink includes collapsible microspheres, and can also include foaming inhibitors. Annumber of surface covering substrates and surface coverings can be prepared using thenmethods described herein. The surface coverings include a substrate, for example, anfoamable substrate, a design layer printed with an ink composition that includesncollapsible microspheres, and a wear layer. The ink compositions containing thencollapsible microspheres can be printed via conventional gravure methods, and thentransparent or translucent wear layer can also be printed using conventional methods.nThe fusion process through which the wear layer is applied and fused causes thenmicrospheres to expand, and then results in the just expanded microspheres collapsingnunder the weight of the wear layer. |