10.25.05
An article comprising a panel structure mountable in an automobile vehicle to form a part of a vehicle interior has been issued a patent. The panel structure has an exterior surface, at least a portion of which is exposed to the vehicle interior, and an interior surface. The panel structure comprises a reinforcing substrate, a layered composite structure comprising an outer layer defining at least a portion of the exterior surface of the panel structure and an inner layer.
The layered composite structure is united to a surface of the reinforcing substrate. The outer layer comprises at least one light-stable aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane containing at least one pendent functional group selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl and carboxyl functional groups, and at least one heat-activated crosslinking monomer or agent. The inner layer is formed directly on the outer layer such that the inner layer has an outer surface adjacent an inner surface of the outer layer.
The inner layer comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane resin material with at least one ethylenically unsaturated bond in its backbone, at least one pendent hydroxyl group, or a combination thereof, wherein an interfacial chemical bond is formed between at least one of an unreacted functional group of at least one light-stable aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane and an unreacted functional group of at least one heat activated crosslinking monomer or agent of the outer layer and at least one of at least one ethylenically unsaturated bond and at least one pendent hydroxyl group of the inner layer.