The present disclosure is drawn to radiation embossable coated print media. In one example, a radiation embossable coated print medium can include a print substrate, an expanding coating layer on the print substrate, and an ink receiving layer on the expanding coating layer. The expanding coating layer can include a flexible polymer binder and temperature responsive thermoplastic beads in the flexible polymeric binder. The temperature responsive thermoplastic beads can include a propellant encapsulated in a thermoplastic polymer shell.

An additive manufacturing system is disclosed and includes a first heating element configured to receive a first supply of thermoplastic material and a second heating element configured to receive a second supply of plastic material. A foaming agent is incorporated into the second supply of plastic material and is configured to expand at an activation temperature. The additive manufacturing system also includes a control module in electronic communication with both the first heating element and the second heating element. The control module executes instructions to instruct the first heating element to heat the first supply of thermoplastic material to a first extrusion temperature and instruct the second heating element to heat the second supply of plastic material to a second extrusion temperature. The second extrusion temperature is equal to or greater than the activation temperature of the foaming agent.

A structure forming method of present invention includes a first step including forming a first pattern serving as a fine pattern using an electromagnetic wave thermal conversion material on a first surface, on the side on which an expansion layer which expands by heating is provided, of a medium including the expansion layer and then irradiating an electromagnetic wave toward the electromagnetic wave thermal conversion material to expand a portion, corresponding to the first pattern, of the expansion layer, and a second step including forming a second pattern including a coarser pattern than the first pattern using an electromagnetic wave thermal conversion material on a second surface, on the opposite side to the side on which the expansion layer is provided, of the medium and then irradiating an electromagnetic wave toward the electromagnetic wave thermal conversion material to expand a portion, corresponding to the second pattern, of the expansion layer.

The present disclosure is drawn to methods of embossing print media, printing systems, and printers. In one example, a method of embossing a print medium can include printing a radiation absorbing ink on a coated print medium to form a printed area. The coated print medium can include a print substrate and an expanding coating layer on the print substrate. The expanding coating layer can include a thermal expansion agent having a minimum expansion temperature. The method can further include heating the coated print medium using a heater such that the printed area and unprinted area reach a first temperature from 5 C to 90 C below the minimum expansion temperature. The coated print medium can be irradiated with radiation having a wavelength from 200 nm to 400 nm to selectively heat the print area and expand the thermal expansion agent in the printed area.

In a setting apparatus including a control unit, the control unit is configured to: set, by a user operation, an irradiation condition of a laser beam for a thermally expandable sheet, a surface of the thermally expandable sheet being heated and expanded by being irradiated with the laser beam; and control an output and a scanning speed of the laser beam in accordance with the set irradiation condition, and in the setting, (i) a surface state of the thermally expandable sheet after expansion is selectable from a plurality of mutually different surface states, and (ii) the irradiation condition is set by the user operation according to the surface state selected from among the plurality of surface states.

A printing method includes applying a foaming agent composition containing a foaming agent to form a foaming agent layer, applying a foaming inhibitor composition containing a foaming inhibitor onto the foaming agent layer, curing the foaming agent layer with irradiation of active energy, and heating the foaming agent layer to foam the foaming agent layer, wherein the foaming agent composition has a viscosity of from 50 to 1,500 mPa.Math.s at 25 degrees C. and the absolute difference between the static surface tension of the foaming agent composition and the static surface tension of the foaming inhibitor composition is 5 mN/m or less.

Provided are an artificial leather and a method of manufacturing the same. The artificial leather includes: a base fabric; a polyvinyl chloride film bonded to a surface of the base fabric; bonding layer formed on a surface of the film; a first foam layer formed on the bonding layer in a patterned shape; a first color layer formed on a surface of the foam layer and having the same pattern as the first foam layer; and a surface treatment layer formed on a surface of the first color layer with the same pattern as the first color layer or formed on a surface of the bonding layer without the first foam layer and the surface of the first color layer. to the artificial leather of the present invention may have a light weight and implement various three-dimensional patterns and colors as compared with a conventional PVC foam artificial leather.

A formable resin sheet includes a base and a thermally expansive layer that contains a thermally expandable material and is formed on one surface of the base. When the thermally expansive layer is expanded, the base is deformed with expansion of the thermally expansive layer, such that the base is deformed in an embossed shape, and a deformation amount of the base is greater than an expansion height of the thermally expansive layer.

The instant application discloses, among other things, ways to manufacture reduced density thermoplastics. A rapid foaming process which may create a polymer product by saturating thermoplastic sheet or preforms, heating, and then forming into final shape, is described. The polymer product may include an integral solid skin. This method may be utilized with any thermoplastic. The material handling, saturation methods, and end products are also described.

A method of manufacturing layered protective packaging materials and a protective packaging product is described. In an embodiment the method comprises the steps of: selecting one or more layers of a substrate; treating at least one surface of at least one of said layers with a coating composition; drying the layers to substantially remove the water content from the coating composition; and applying heat and/or radiation to the coating composition to volumetrically expand the coating composition to transform the treated layer into a protective layer. The step of treating the layer with the coating composition uses a flexographic coating technique.