Provided is a process for producing a coating on a substrate comprising one or more steps of crushing a dried layer of a foamed aqueous coating composition, wherein the aqueous coating composition comprises a collection of multi-stage copolymer particles having a weight average diameter of 2-20 μm, wherein said multi-stage copolymer particles comprise a core having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 20° C. or less. Also provided is a coated substrate made by that process.

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.

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.

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.

The present disclosure refers to a cork yarn, in particular a yarn with incorporated cork, textile structures comprising said yarn, obtention method and uses thereof. The cork yarn described in the present disclosure is useful to the textile and clothing industry, and can be applied extensively in the textile industry namely in the manufacture of fabrics for clothing and home textiles, in particular technical clothing, duvets, blankets, covers, etc.

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 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.

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.

A foamed, opacifying element is useful as a light-blocking article, and includes a substrate; an opacifying layer disposed on the substrate, and a functional composition disposed over the opacifying layer. The functional composition comprises a tinting material comprising one or more pigments, one or more dyes, or a combination thereof to provide a desired tint or colorant to the entire foamed, opacifying element.

A foamed, opacifying element is useful as a light-blocking article, and includes a substrate; an opacifying layer disposed on the substrate, and a functional composition disposed over the opacifying layer. The functional composition comprises a tinting material comprising one or more pigments, one or more dyes, or a combination thereof to provide a desired tint or colorant to the entire foamed, opacifying element.