| abstract |
Wear- and corrosion-resistant ceramic, cermet or metallic patterned embossing surfaces, e.g., as a coating bonded to an embossing roll, containing an average of 50 to 2,000 peaks per inch covering said patterned embossing surface. Also, methods of producing a patterned, wear-resistant embossing surface by bonding a ceramic, cermet or metallic coating to a patterned embossing surface, e.g., of an embossing roll, providing an average of about 50 to about 2,000 peaks on the external surface of said coating covering said embossing surface. In addition, methods of embossing articles having surfaces embossable by pressure contact to provide an embossed design and matte finish by pressure contacting the embossable surface with a ceramic, cermet or metallic embossing surface having an embossing pattern and an average of about 50 to 2,000 peaks covering said embossing pattern, wherein the embossed surface of said article is covered with an average of 50 to 2,000 indentations providing a matte finish; the range of gloss provided by the matte finishes produced by a number of similar ceramic, cermet or metallic embossing surfaces is much narrower than that provided by matte finishes produced by a number of similar conventional embossing surfaces; and the level of gloss resulting from use of ceramic, cermet or metallic embossing surfaces is much less dependent on line speed and temperatures of the embossing or embossable surfaces than gloss resulting from conventional embossing surfaces. Additionally, novel embossed articles produced by the novel embossing surfaces and processes are characterized by surprising increases in impact strength and scuff-resistance and a decrease in gloss. |