A foamed, opacifying element has a porous substrate composed of woven yarn strands composed of a thermoplastic polymer-coated multifilament core. It has a dry foamed composition on an opposing surface of the substrate, which includes: (a) 0.1-40 weight % of porous particles; (b) 10-80 weight %; (c) 0.2-50 weight % of one or more additives selected from the group consisting of dispersants, plasticizers, flame retardants, optical brighteners, thickeners, biocides, fungicides, tinting colorants, metal flakes, and inert inorganic or organic fillers; (d) less than 5 weight % of water; and (e) at least 0.002 weight % of an opacifying colorant different from all of the one or more additives of (c), which opacifying colorant absorbs electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of 380-800 nm. The elements have a light-blocking value (LBV) of at least 4 and can have a bending stiffness that is greater than 0.15 milliNewtons-meter.

Foamed, opacifying elements are prepared using a foamable aqueous composition containing porous particles and an opacifying colorant. This composition is aerated, disposed onto a substrate, and dried. The dry foamed composition is densified, and cured in either order. At some point after the drying feature, a functional composition is disposed onto either the dry foamed composition or the opacifying layer, and dried. This functional composition has either or both of: (i) inorganic or organic spacer particles having a mode particle size of 1 to 100 m, and which inorganic or organic spacer particles resist melt flow at a pressure of up to and including 100 psi (689.5 kPa) and a temperature of up to and including 220 C.; and (iii) a tinting material comprising a pigment, dye, or a combination thereof. The (i) inorganic or organic spacer particles and the (iii) tinting material are different materials.

The present invention relates to artificial leather having a water-based polyurethane foam layer including a fabric layer 110; a binder layer 111 laminated on the upper portion of the fabric layer 110; a water-based polyurethane foam layer 120 laminated on the upper portion of the fabric layer 110; a skin layer 130 laminated on the upper portion of the water-based polyurethane foam layer 120; and a surface treatment layer 140 laminated on the upper portion of the skin layer 130, wherein open cells are formed in the water-based polyurethane foam layer 120 through mechanical foaming. According to the present invention, a water-based polyurethane foam layer having open cells formed through mechanical foaming is applied to artificial leather for automobile seats.

A foamed, opacifying element useful as a light-blocking article has a substrate; an opacifying layer disposed on the substrate, and a functional composition disposed over the opacifying layer. The functional composition comprises: (i) inorganic or organic spacer particles having a mode particle size of at least 1 m and up to and including 100 m, and which inorganic or organic spacer particles resist melt flow at a pressure of up to and including 100 psi (689.5 kPa) and a temperature of up to and including 220 C.

Foamed, opacifying elements are prepared using a foamable aqueous composition containing porous particles and an opacifying colorant. This composition is aerated, disposed onto a substrate, and dried. The dry foamed composition is densified, and cured in either order. At some point after the drying feature, a functional composition is disposed onto either the dry foamed composition or the opacifying layer, and dried. This functional composition has either or both of: (i) inorganic or organic spacer particles having a mode particle size of 1 to 100 m, and which inorganic or organic spacer particles resist melt flow at a pressure of up to and including 100 psi (689.5 kPa) and a temperature of up to and including 220 C.; and (iii) a tinting material comprising a pigment, dye, or a combination thereof. The (i) inorganic or organic spacer particles and the (iii) tinting material are different materials.

A task to be achieved by the invention is to provide a foamed sheet having excellent retention of foam, hand feeling, and peel strength. The present invention provides a foamed sheet which is formed from a water dispersion of a urethane resin (X), wherein the water dispersion has a urethane resin (X) content of 50 to 80% by mass, and the water dispersion contains no organic solvent. Further, the present invention provides a synthetic leather having at least a substrate (i) and a polyurethane layer (ii), wherein the polyurethane layer (ii) is formed from the above-mentioned foamed sheet. The foamed sheet preferably has a density of 200 to 1,000 kg/m.sup.3.

A thermofusible sheet material which can be used as a fusible interlining in the textile industry, has a carrier layer made from a textile material to which a polyurethane foam coating is applied. The polyurethane foam has a pore structure in which more than 50% of the pores have a diameter, measured according to DIN ASTM E 1294, which is in the range of 5 to 30 m.

The invention relates to a process for producing a porous polyurethane coatings, using a polyol ester as additives in an aqueous polymer dispersion, the process comprising the steps of a) providing a mixture comprising an aqueous polymer dispersion, a polyol ester, and an additive, b) foaming the mixture to give a homogeneous, fine-cell foam, c) adding at least one thickener to establish the desired viscosity of the wet foam, d) applying a coating of the foamed polymer dispersion to a suitable carrier, e) drying the coating. The invention further relates to a phosphorylated polyol ester.

A foamed, opacifying element is prepared to have a light-blocking value (LBV) of at least 4. A method is carried out in a specific order with a unique series of steps including: providing a unique foamable aqueous composition; aerating that foamable aqueous composition to a foam density of at least 0.1-0.5 g/cm.sup.3; disposing the foamed aqueous composition onto a surface of a porous substrate; drying the foamed aqueous composition without substantial curing of the binder material therein, to provide a dry foamed composition on the surface, without substantial curing; densifying the dry foamed composition to provide a dry opacifying layer in a foamed, opacifying element; and curing the dry opacifying layer in the foamed, opacifying element.

A method is designed to prepare foamed, opacifying elements each having a target light blocking value (LBV.sub.T) of at least 3, using a textile fabric substrate with a light blocking value (LBV.sub.S). The LBV.sub.T-S difference is calculated; a foamable aqueous composition is chosen; a dry coating weight for the foamable aqueous composition (when foamed) is determined to form a single dry opacifying layer that is foamed, dried, and densified to provide a dry thickness at least 20% less than the original dry thickness. The single dry opacifying layer a has light blocking value that is equal to LBV.sub.T-S, 15%. The desired foamable aqueous composition can be chosen from a set of similar compositions to achieve the desired LBV.sub.T with the noted textile fabric substrate using suitable mathematical formula relating dry coating weight to light blocking value and a suitable data processor.