A co-foamable vinyl plastisol composition, a gelled or fused co-foamed vinyl layer, a co-foamed vinyl layer, methods of manufacture of the layer and use of the layer in floor coverings such as sheet vinyl, cushioned vinyl flooring, floor tiles, and laminated planks are described. The co-foaming is preferably a sequential foaming of a single layer such as a single coated layer, such as sequentially applied mechanical foaming or frothing followed by chemical foaming. A co-foamable vinyl plastisol composition is mechanically foamed/frothed before it is applied to a substrate. Once on the substrate, the co-foamable layer can be processed further and is chemically foamed in a later process step.

A synthetic resin skin material, including a base cloth and a vinyl chloride resin skin layer that is formed on the base cloth and that includes a vinyl chloride resin having a degree of polymerization of 1,600 to 3,000 and includes 3 parts by mass to 20 parts by mass of a silicon-acrylic copolymer with respect to 100 parts by mass of the vinyl chloride resin, and a manufacturing method thereof.

Laminate precursors are prepared by applying an aqueous foamed opacifying composition to a non-woven fabric, drying, optionally applying an anti-blocking material to the dried aqueous foamed opacifying composition, and densifying the dry foamed opacifying layer so that it will have a thickness that is at least 20% less than its thickness before densifying. Each laminate precursor is rolled up for immediate or later use to make laminate decorative articles when the unrolled laminate precursor is laminated with back side of a decorative fabric. The applied aqueous foamed opacifying composition has 35%-70% solids and a foam density of 0.1-0.5 g/cm.sup.3. It is composed of (a) porous particles, (b) a binder material, (c) two or more additives comprising at least one foaming surfactant and at least one foam stabilizer, (d) an aqueous medium, and (e) an opacifying colorant that absorbs electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of 380-800 nm.

Provided are a seat cover for an automobile and a manufacturing method therefor, the seat cover comprising a surface-treated layer, a cover layer, a soft foam layer, and a rear layer and comprising an embossing pattern formed on the top surface, wherein the soft foam layer comprises 15 to 20 foam cells per unit area of 1 mm.sup.2 of the surface thereof.

A synthetic leather is lightweight and highly durable to abrasion, and a foamed resin layer can give the synthetic leather. The foamed resin layer includes a poly(vinyl chloride) resin and a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer. The thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer preferably has a Shore A hardness of 50 to 80. The foamed resin layer preferably has an apparent density of 0.3 to 0.7 g/cm.sup.3. The foamed resin layer preferably has an average cell size of 50 to 250 m.

In one embodiment a non-foamed thread is formed by extruding a mixture with a plastic material and a blowing agent. The non-foamed thread is arranged into a sole component and then heated to activate the blowing agent and cause the threads to foam. In some cases, the non-foamed thread is knitted together.

A polyurethane-coated fabric product, particularly a polyurethane-coated glove, has a fabric liner and, on the surface of the liner, a microporous foam layer comprising polyurethane and a bifunctional sulphur-containing alkoxysilane. The microporous foam layer exhibits increased abrasion resistance, durability and increased resistance to water penetration. Preferably, the bifunctional sulphur-containing alkoxysilane is bis(triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulphane. The polyurethane-coated fabric product is manufactured by a method that includes providing a fabric liner, applying a io coating to at least part of the surface of the liner, wherein the coating comprises a solution, in a polar aprotic solvent, of a polyurethane resin and a bifunctional sulphur-containing alkoxysilane, treating the coated fabric with water, thereby causing the polyurethane to coagulate and form a microporous foam layer on the fabric liner, and drying the polyurethane-coated fabric is product.

The present invention provides a synthetic leather at least including a base fabric (i), an intermediate layer (ii), and a skin layer (iii), in which the intermediate layer (ii) is formed of a moisture-curable hot-melt urethane resin composition containing a hot-melt urethane prepolymer (A1) having an isocyanate group and a foaming agent composition (A2), the skin layer (iii) is formed of an aqueous urethane resin composition (Z) containing a urethane resin (X) and an aqueous medium (Y), and the urethane resin (X) is a reaction product obtained by using a polyol (b1), a reactive silicone (b2) having a functional group which reacts with an isocyanate group, and a polyisocyanate (b3) as essential raw materials.

The present invention relates to artificial leather and a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to artificial leather for automobile seat covers, the artificial leather having a texture similar to that of natural leather, having a soft feel like natural leather, and having excellent peel strength and a method of manufacturing the artificial leather.

A foam printing method includes producing and programming a design being formed on a substrate using a computer program, forming the design on a plate, removing a part of a surface of the substrate along the design, combining the substrate and the plate to coincide a designed portion formed on the plate and a removed portion of the substrate, printing a foam constituting the design on the plate combined with the substrate, separating the plate from the substrate and drying the substrate, and applying a pressure to the foam passing the plate to be set on the substrate to be foamed. The foam passes the designed portion of the plate to be set on the removed portion of the substrate during the printing.