Patent ID: 8197939

Claim:
A method for producing a flexible elastomeric composite polyurethane skin having an average areal weight of at least 0.6 kg/m 2 and an average flexural modulus, measured in accordance with ASTM D790-03, smaller than 30 MPa, preferably smaller than 25 MPa and more preferably smaller than 20 MPa, which method comprises the steps of: providing a first polyurethane reaction mixture; spraying a layer of said first polyurethane reaction mixture onto a mould surface to produce a first elastomeric polyurethane layer having a first flexural modulus; providing a second polyurethane reaction mixture which comprises at least one aromatic polyisocyanate; spraying a layer of the second polyurethane reaction mixture onto at least a portion of the layer of the first polyurethane reaction mixture to produce a second elastomeric polyurethane layer which adheres to the first polyurethane layer and which has a second flexural modulus; and removing the composite polyurethane skin comprising the first and the second polyurethane layer from the mould surface after having allowed the first and the second polyurethane reaction mixtures to cure, wherein the first polyurethane reaction mixture is composed of components comprising at least an isocyanate component, isocyanate-reactive components and a catalyst component, the isocyanate component being composed of at least one isocyanate having at least two NCO-groups which are not directly attached to an aromatic group, and the catalyst component being substantially free of lead; said first flexural modulus is larger than said average flexural modulus but smaller than 35 MPa; said second flexural modulus is smaller than said average flexural modulus; and the first and the second polyurethane reaction mixtures are sprayed in such amounts that the first polyurethane layer has a first areal weight larger than 0.1 kg/m 2 and the second polyurethane layer a second areal weight larger than 0.3 kg/m 2 , the ratio between the first and the second areal weight being further selected so that said average flexural modulus is achieved.