Beam radiation curing of adhesives for flocking on heat-sensitive substrates

A process is described for curing the adhesive used to hold flock fiber material to a heat-sensitive substrate consisting of temperature-sensitive plastic, natural fibers, wood, paper, or paper-foil laminates. An electron-curable adhesive layer (acrylic, epoxy, epoxy esters, acrylic latex, or urethane) a few mils thick is applied to the substrate and a layer of texturing material is attached to the adhesive layer with fibers substantially perpendicular to the layer. The assembly of substrate and adhesively secured material is passed at a rate of about 20 to 80 meters per minute under an unscanned electron curtain beam which possesses an energy of 150 keV +- 30 percent and delivers an electron dose of 2 megarads +- 50 percent to the adhesive layer. (LL)