A method for manufacturing a closed porous composite material includes 1) preparing a mixture that has 30 to 70 parts by weight of water-dispersed resin, 10 to 300 parts by weight of unexpanded thermal expansion microspheres, and 100 to 550 parts by weight of water, and stirring the mixture thoroughly; 2) preparing a carrier; 3) coating the carrier with the mixture acquired in step 1; 4) heating the carrier so that the unexpanded thermal expansion microspheres expand; and 5) repeating steps 3 and 4 multiple times to acquire a closed porous composite material. The closed porous composite material has a large number of closed cavities and polymer walls separating the closed cavities. The closed cavity is 20 μm to 800 μm in size. The ratio of a total volume of the closed cavities to a total volume of the polymer walls is greater than 16.

Textile fabrics consolidated with a binder that is made from a binder system are described. The binder system may include: a) 30% or less by dry weight of at least one polymer based on polyvinyl alcohol; b) 70% or more by dry weight of at least one starch, wherein the at least one starch comprises 50% by weight or more of one or more natural starches based on the total weight of the at least one starch; c) 0 to 10% by dry weight of at least one crosslinker; d) 0 to 10% by dry weight of at least one filler; and e) 0 to 10% by dry weight of at least one additive, wherein a sum of components a) through e) is 100% by dry weight of the binder system. Method of making the textile fabrics consolidated with binders made from the binder systems are also described.

The present invention relates to a textile fiber structure comprising man-made fibers fortified by a binder comprising a polymer latex obtained from the emulsion polymerization in aqueous medium of a mixture of ethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising: (a) an aliphatic conjugated diene (b) a vinyl aromatic compound; (c) an ethylenically unsaturated silane bearing at least one silicon bonded hydrolysable group, and (d) an ethylenically unsaturated acid
and to its use in construction applications, and to the use of the above binder to fortify textile fiber structures.

Coated nonwoven fibrous mats, building panels, and methods for making the same are provided. A coated nonwoven fiber mat includes a nonwoven fibrous mat having a continuous barrier coating on a surface thereof. The continuous barrier coating includes a set composition of gypsum and a binder. A building panel includes a panel core associated with a coated nonwoven fiber mat. A method of making a coated nonwoven fibrous mat includes depositing a composition of water, gypsum stucco, and a binder onto a surface of a nonwoven fibrous mat and setting the composition to form a continuous barrier coating.

Textile fabrics consolidated with a binder that is made from a binder system are described. The binder system may include:

a) 30% or less by dry weight of at least one polymer based on polyvinyl alcohol;

b) 70% or more by dry weight of at least one starch, wherein the at least one starch comprises 50% by weight or more of one or more natural starches based on the total weight of the at least one starch;

c) 0 to 10% by dry weight of at least one crosslinker;

d) 0 to 10% by dry weight of at least one filler; and

e) 0 to 10% by dry weight of at least one additive,

wherein a sum of components a) through e) is 100% by dry weight of the binder system. Method of making the textile fabrics consolidated with binders made from the binder systems are also described.

Textile fabrics consolidated with a binder that is made from a binder system are described. The binder system may include: a) 30% or less by dry weight of at least one polymer based on polyvinyl alcohol; b) 70% or more by dry weight of at least one starch, wherein the at least one starch comprises 50% by weight or more of one or more natural starches based on the total weight of the at least one starch; c) 0 to 10% by dry weight of at least one crosslinker; d) 0 to 10% by dry weight of at least one filler; and e) 0 to 10% by dry weight of at least one additive, wherein a sum of components a) through e) is 100% by dry weight of the binder system. Method of making the textile fabrics consolidated with binders made from the binder systems are also described.

The present invention relates to a multi-layered sheet suitable as floor or wall covering exhibiting a three-dimensional surface relief and a decorative image, comprising: i. a support layer having an upper surface and a lower surface; ii. a foamed layer having an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface of the foamed layer provided adjacent, and adherent to the upper surface of the support layer, the upper surface of the foamed layer comprising a discontinuous chemically embossed relief pattern, wherein the discontinuous chemically embossed relief pattern comprises indentations formed by single or stacked dots of a digitally printed material comprising a foam inhibiting agent; and optionally iii. a decorative layer adhered to the upper surface of the foamed layer; and optionally iv. at least one wear resistant layer provided adjacent and adhered to the decorative layer; and optionally v. a backing layer provided adjacent and adhered to the lower surface of the support layer.

The present invention relates to a textile fiber structure comprising man-made fibers fortified by a binder comprising a polymer latex obtained from the emulsion polymerization in aqueous medium of a mixture of ethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising: (a) an aliphatic conjugated diene (b) a vinyl aromatic compound; (c) an ethylenically unsaturated silane bearing at least one silicon bonded hydrolysable group, and (d) an ethylenically unsaturated acid
and to its use in construction applications, and to the use of the above binder to fortify textile fiber structures.

Provided is an environmentally friendly process for producing a sheet-shaped material having both an elegant, napped appearance and a soft texture, which qualities have not been achieved concurrently, and also exhibiting good abrasion resistance. The process of the present invention for producing a sheet-shaped material includes the successive steps of (a) adding a polyvinyl alcohol having a degree of saponification of 98% or more and a degree of polymerization of 800 to 3,500 to a fibrous substrate in an amount of 0.1 to 50% by mass relative to the total mass of fibers in the fibrous substrate; (b) adding a waterborne polyurethane to the fibrous substrate with the added polyvinyl alcohol; and (c) removing the polyvinyl alcohol from the fibrous substrate with the added waterborne polyurethane.

The present invention relates to a non-woven fabric made of inorganic fibers, which has a coating of at least two layers on one of both surfaces, wherein (i) the non-woven fabric made of inorganic fibers has a thickness of at least 0.2 mm, (ii) the first layer of the coating comprises particles, whose particle size is between 50 and 100 m, (iii) the second layer of the coating, which is applied onto the first layer, comprises particles, wherein more than 90% of the particles have a particle size of less than 20 m. The non-woven fabric made of inorganic fibers according to the invention, in particular glass non-woven fabrics, are in particular suitable for producing decorative coatings for floor coverings, ceiling coverings and wall coverings.