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 foamed, opacifying element has a substrate with opposing planar surfaces and a foamed opacifying layer disposed on one opposing surface. The foamed opacifying layer contains (a) 0.1-80 weight % of nonporous polymeric particles; (b) 10-80 weight % of a matrix material derived from a (b) binder material having a glass transition temperature of less than 40? C.; (c) 0.0001-50 weight % of certain additives; (d) less than 5 weight % of water; and (e) at least 0.002 weight % of an opacifying colorant different from all of the (c) additives. Foamable and foamed aqueous compositions can be used to provide these foamed, opacifying elements for use as light-blocking window shades, curtains, or other materials. These light-blocking articles can also have a printable outer surface that accepts ink for making printed images that are not observable from the opposite surface.

A sunshade includes a support frame and a canopy connected to the support frame and including a light-transmissible fabric sheet of undyed yarns that has opposite inner and outer surfaces, an ink layer formed on one of the inner and outer surfaces of the light-transmissible fabric sheet using dye-sublimation printing techniques, and an opaque enamel coating coated on the other of the inner and outer surfaces of the light-transmissible fabric sheet. The undyed yarns are woven and cross one another to form fabric pores thereamong. The opaque enamel coating fills the fabric pores. A method of preparing a canopy is disclosed.

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.

Patterned light-blocking elements are prepared using a method having operations A) through F), or a method having operations A) through G). Such methods include providing an ii) embossed and densified foamed opacifying layer on the back side of a i) fabric and a iii) non-foamed function composition on the ii) embossed and densified foamed opacifying layer. Embossing can be carried out using any suitable embossing means including a continuous embossing belt or web or an embossing roller or sleeve. The embossing operation provides a visible relief pattern in the ii) embossed and densified foamed opacifying layer that can be viewed from the face side of the patterned light-blocking element when appropriately backlit as a transmissive display in a darkened environment. Such elements can be used as window treatments as well as decorative fabrics in various environments.

A foamable aqueous composition can be used to form foamed, opacifying elements with one or more dry foamed layers. These compositions generally contain: (a) 0.5 to 20 weight % of porous particles comprising a continuous polymeric phase and discrete pores dispersed within the continuous polymeric phase. The porous particles have a mode particle size of 2 to 50 m; (b) at least 20 weight % of a binder material; (c) 0.1 to 30 weight % of a combination of various additives including dispersants, plasticizers, inorganic or organic pigments and dyes, flame retardants, biocides, fungicides, optical brighteners, tinting colorants, metal flakes, and inorganic or organic fillers; (d) water; and (e) at least 0.001 weight % of an opacifying colorant different from (c). The foamable aqueous composition is suitably aerated, disposed on a porous substrate, dried, and crushed on the porous substrate to form a foamed, opacifying element.

Foamable aqueous compositions can be foamed and applied to porous substrates to make light-blocking dry opacifying elements. Such compositions have 0.05-15 weight % of porous particles; at least 20 weight % of a binder; at least 0.0001 weight % of additives (including a surfactant); water; and at least 0.001 weight % of an opacifying colorant. Each porous particle includes a continuous polymeric phase and discrete pores; a mode particle size of 2-50 m; and a porosity of 20-70 volume %. The continuous polymeric phase T.sub.g is >80 C. and has a polymer viscosity of 80-500 centipoises at an ethyl acetate shear rate of 100 sec.sup.1 at a concentration of 20 weight % at 25 C. The dry opacifying element light blocking value is at least 4 and has a luminous reflectance >40% as measured by the color space Y tristimulus value. The foamed aqueous composition has a foam density of 0.1-0.5 g/cm.sup.3.

A radiative cooling fabric comprises a flexible substrate layer and a functional layer stacked in order. The first functional layer comprises a first functional resin and a first functional filler dispersed in the first functional resin. A mass fraction of the first functional filler in the first functional layer is in a range of 1% to 20%. An emissivity of the radiative cooling fabrics in the wavelength of 7 ?m to 14 ?m is not less than 80%. A reflectivity of the radiative cooling fabrics in the wavelength of 300 nm to 2500 nm is not less than 80%. An average value of warp recovery angles of the radiative cooling fabrics is greater than or equal to 95?, and an average value of the weft recovery angles of the radiative cooling fabrics is greater than or equal to 91?.

Foamed, opacifying element comprising a thermal colorant image is prepared using a porous substrate having an opposing external surface and an internal surface, and a dry foamed composition disposed on the internal surface of the porous substrate as a dry opacifying layer that has a light blocking value of at least 4 as well as a luminous reflectance that is greater than 40% as measured by the Y tristimulus value. A thermal colorant image is provided on either the opposing external surface, the dry opacifying layer, or both the opposing external surface and the dry opacifying layer, by thermal colorant transfer from a thermal donor element comprising a colorant donor layer having one or more thermal colorants.