Non-foaming aqueous compositions, coated textiles, and methods of making the same

Abstract

A non-foaming aqueous composition is applied to a fabric substrate to provide a non-foaming light-attenuating coating in the resulting coated fabric substrate that produces reduced outdoor light glare. The non-foaming aqueous composition has 5-50% solids and a zero shear viscosity of 100-1000 mPa-sec at 25°C. The composition has: i) 0.1-20 wt% of porous particles, and optionally an opaque colorant; ii) 4-20 wt% of a film-forming binder material that includes at least a chlorinated polymer; iii) 2-12 wt% of a white inorganic particulate filler material having a refractive index (RI) greater than 2 and a median particle size less than 1 pm; and iv) 5-16 wt% of a white low-density particulate hydrated alumina having a median particle size less than or equal to 3 pm. The non-foaming aqueous composition can be applied to a fabric substrate to reduce outdoor light glare without changing indoor light tinting and light blocking properties.

Description

Invention Field

[0001] This invention relates to non-foaming aqueous compositions and their application to woven fabric substrates derived from coated yarns containing glass fiber strands, to prepare coated fabric substrates suitable for use as textiles to reduce excessive glare from sunlight, such as that entering a room or cabin through windows, skylights, and doors. Such non-foaming aqueous compositions are typically applied only to one side of such fabric substrates to reduce glare in the room or cabin. The non-foaming aqueous compositions contain porous particles, a film-forming binder material comprising at least a chlorinated polymer, a white inorganic filler material having a refractive index greater than 2, and white low-density hydrated alumina particles. Background of the Invention

[0003] Windows are the most common way to allow light into a room. Other ways light can enter a space are through translucent windows, such as skylights and glass doors. Generally, at least for windows, a variety of window treatments, such as anti-glare film, fabric blinds, roller blinds, and curtains, can be used to regulate the nature of the light entering a space to maximize visual comfort and reduce energy consumption in air-conditioned spaces. Unlike anti-glare film, roller blinds and other textile treatments are more versatile because they can be opened or closed as needed, and they come in a variety of colors and geometries.

[0004] High-end window treatments, such as roller blinds or screens, are designed to provide a degree of privacy while maintaining a good view of the outside environment from inside the room. During the daytime, this requires careful control of glare caused by bright sunlight entering the room. Light-colored window treatments allow more light to pass through, causing stronger glare, while darker treatments absorb more light, reducing glare. Furthermore, to maintain a high level of privacy, it is essential to block the view from the outside in. One advantage of light-colored window treatments, especially on the street side, is that they increase glare and reflections for inward-looking viewers, thus enhancing privacy.

[0005] High-efficiency curtains are designed to control heat and glare from chosen tints. Materials with these properties are used in E-Screen curtains. TMThe material is sold by MERMET and is available as a variety of woven vinyl-coated fiberglass fabrics with a range of Openness Factors (OF, the percentage of openings in the material or the number of openings per square inch). The tighter the weave, the lower the openness, and the more incident light the material blocks. The more incident light is blocked, the more visibility from both inside and outside is obstructed. Such curtains are available in several neutral shades, from white to charcoal black. However, the goal is to provide privacy to the street side using a higher openness factor for all shades while maintaining good visibility from inside to outside.

[0006] Such high-efficiency curtain materials can be designed using yarns with a multifilament core, which can be coated or coated with flame-retardant polymer plastisol or other chemicals, as described in, for example, European Patent 0 900 294B1 (Damour et al.) and U.S. Patent 9,920,458 (MERMET). For example, the multifilament core can comprise multiple strands of glass fiber and be coated with a poly(vinyl chloride) plastisol mixed with inorganic flame retardants such as zinc borate or oxides of aluminum, magnesium, zinc, tin, and lead.

[0007] One application of such fabrics is for curtains installed in commercial spaces. Synthetic woven fabrics composed of combined PVC-coated polyester and glass fiber yarns are also described in U.S. Patents 4,587,997 (Brooks) and 6,032,454 (Damour et al.). Such plastic-coated glass fiber core yarns are believed to provide durability and dimensional stability.

[0008] U.S. Patent Application Publication 2020 / 0173067 (Sedita et al.) describes a fabric substrate made using yarns with a glass fiber core. This glass fiber core is coaxially coated with a composition containing organic porous particles, a film-forming binder, and relatively soft inorganic fillers (MOHS value less than 5). Such a composition does not contain opaque colorants, such as carbon black. By applying this composition to the glass fiber core of the yarn, the resulting fabric substrate exhibits increased opacity and glare control compared to those previously known in the art.

[0009] Despite the advancements made in the technical fields of yarns and textiles produced therefrom, as described above, there is a further need to improve the quality of solar radiation control in white or near-white woven textiles designed as window screens, and to further reduce indoor glare from incident outdoor light to improve visibility from inside, especially when the fabric contains yarns containing multifilament glass fibers. There is also a need to reduce indoor glare without reducing reflections and glare from the "street side" to enhance privacy and prevent people from looking into the room. There is a further need for coating formulations that reduce indoor glare without compromising the original visual appearance and color of the window treatment or altering the openness of the weave. Invention Overview

[0011] The present invention provides a non-foaming aqueous composition having at least 5% and at most 50% solids, which is shear-thinned at a zero-shear viscosity of at least 100 mPa-sec and at most 1000 mPa-sec, said zero-shear viscosity as measured using a frequency scan at 25°C.

[0012] The non-foaming aqueous composition comprises components i) to iv):

[0013] i) Porous particles present in an amount of at least 0.1% by weight and at most, including 20% ​​by weight, each porous particle comprising a continuous polymer phase and discrete pores dispersed within the continuous polymer phase, the porous particles having a modulo particle size of at least 2 μm and at most, including 50 μm, and

[0014] Optionally, an opaque colorant may be included in an amount of up to and including 1% by weight, the amount of which is based on the total weight of the i) porous particles;

[0015] ii) A film-forming adhesive material comprising at least a chlorinated polymer, wherein the film-forming adhesive material is present in an amount of at least 4% by weight and at most and including 20% ​​by weight;

[0016] iii) A white inorganic particulate filler material having a refractive index (RI) greater than 2 and a median particle size of less than 1 μm, wherein the iii) inorganic particulate filler material is present in an amount of at least 2% by weight and at most and including 15% by weight; and

[0017] iv) White, low-density hydrated alumina particles having a median particle size of less than or equal to 3 μm, and present in an amount of at least 2% by weight and at most, including 16% by weight.

[0018] All quantities of components i), ii), iii) and iv) are based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition.

[0019] In some embodiments of the invention, the non-foaming aqueous composition has at least 25% and at most 40% solids, and it is shear-thinned with a zero-shear viscosity of at least 500 mPa-sec and at most 750 mPa-sec, said zero-shear viscosity as measured using a frequency scan at 25°C.

[0020] The non-foaming aqueous composition comprises components i) to v):

[0021] i) Porous particles present in an amount of at least 0.1% by weight and at most and including 10% by weight, each porous particle comprising a continuous polymer phase and discrete pores dispersed within the continuous polymer phase, the porous particles having a modal particle size of at least 3 μm and at most and including 20 μm, and containing an opaque colorant in an amount of at least 0.005% by weight and including 1% by weight, the amount of the opaque colorant being based on the total weight of the i) porous particles;

[0022] ii) A film-forming adhesive material comprising at least a vinyl chloride polymer, a vinyl chloride-acrylic polymer, or a vinylidene chloride polymer, wherein the film-forming adhesive material is present in an amount of at least 8% by weight and at most and including 16% by weight;

[0023] iii) A white inorganic particulate filler material having a refractive index greater than 2 (RI) and a median particle size of less than 1 μm, wherein the inorganic particulate filler is present in an amount of at least 5% by weight and at most and including 10% by weight.

[0024] iv) White, low-density hydrated alumina particles having a median particle size of less than or equal to 3 μm, and present in an amount of at least 5% by weight and at most, including 12% by weight; and

[0025] v) an antifoaming agent or defoaming agent, or both, present in a total amount of at least 0.01% by weight and at most and including 1% by weight, each of the antifoaming agent and defoaming agent being different from all components i), ii), iii), and iv); and

[0026] All quantities of components i), ii), iii), iv) and v) are based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition.

[0027] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a coated fabric substrate, the method comprising:

[0028] A) Provides a fabric substrate comprising a plurality of core yarns all woven together, wherein at least some of the plurality of core yarns comprise glass fibers, the fabric substrate having a first side and a second side; and

[0029] B) Composed of materials with a concentration greater than 0.8 g / cm³ 3A non-foaming aqueous composition of a certain density forms a non-foaming light-attenuating coating on at least the first side of the fabric substrate to provide a coated fabric substrate, the non-foaming light-attenuating coating comprising components i) to iv):

[0030] i) Porous particles present in an amount of at least 0.5% by weight and at most, including 40% by weight, each porous particle comprising a continuous polymer phase and discrete pores dispersed within the continuous polymer phase, the porous particles having a modulo particle size of at least 2 μm and at most, including 50 μm, and

[0031] Optionally, the amount comprising an opaque colorant may be up to and include 1% by weight based on the total weight of the porous particles described in i);

[0032] ii) A film-forming adhesive material comprising at least a chlorinated polymer, wherein the film-forming adhesive material is present in an amount of at least 15% by weight and at most and including 50% by weight;

[0033] iii) A white inorganic particulate filler material having a refractive index (RI) greater than 2 and a median particle size of less than 1 μm, wherein the iii) inorganic particulate filler material is present in an amount of at least 8% by weight and at most and including 40% by weight; and

[0034] iv) White, low-density hydrated alumina particles having a median particle size of less than or equal to 3 μm, and present in an amount of at least 10% by weight and at most, including 50% by weight.

[0035] All quantities of components i), ii), iii) and iv) are based on the total weight of the non-foamed light-degrading dried coating.

[0036] Furthermore, the present invention provides a coated fabric substrate using the method of the present invention, the coated fabric substrate comprising multiple core yarns all woven together, wherein at least some of the multiple core yarns comprise glass fibers.

[0037] The fabric substrate has a first side and a second side, and a non-foamed light-attenuating coating disposed on the first side of the fabric substrate, the non-foamed light-attenuating coating comprising components i) to iv):

[0038] i) Porous particles present in an amount of at least 0.5% by weight and at most, including 40% by weight, each porous particle comprising a continuous polymer phase and discrete pores dispersed within the continuous polymer phase, the porous particles having a modulo particle size of at least 2 μm and at most, including 50 μm, and

[0039] Optionally, the amount comprising an opaque colorant may be up to and include 1% by weight based on the total weight of the porous particles described in i);

[0040] ii) A film-forming adhesive material comprising at least a chlorinated polymer, wherein the film-forming adhesive material is present in an amount of at least 15% by weight and at most and including 50% by weight;

[0041] iii) a white inorganic particulate filler material having a refractive index (RI) greater than 2 and a median particle size of less than 1 μm, wherein the white inorganic particulate filler material is present in an amount of at least 8% by weight and at most and including 40% by weight; and

[0042] iv) White, low-density hydrated alumina particles having a median particle size of less than or equal to 3 μm, and present in an amount of at least 10% by weight and at most, including 50% by weight.

[0043] All quantities of components i), ii), iii) and iv) are based on the total weight of the non-foamed light-attenuating coating.

[0044] This invention provides a treatment for fabric substrates, such as textile fabrics derived from yarns containing multifilament glass fibers in the yarn core. Once the textile fabric is manufactured, the non-foaming aqueous composition according to the invention can be applied in a suitable manner to one or both sides or the outer surface, and preferably to one side, to reduce glare from incident light from outside the room, particularly sunlight, into the room. Thus, the formed, and typically dried, coating becomes light-attenuating, particularly reducing glare from incident sunlight, while providing privacy for outdoor viewers.

[0045] The non-foaming aqueous composition of the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems due to the presence of: i) porous particles that can block visible light entering a room through their use in glass fiber-containing woven yarns; ii) a film-forming binder material comprising at least a chlorinated polymer, which acts as a binder for the components of the non-foaming light-attenuating coating and provides adhesion to the woven yarn; iii) inorganic particulate fillers with a relatively high refractive index, which increase the brightness of the color; and iv) white low-density particulate hydrated alumina, which acts as a filler and imparts flame retardancy and brightness to the color, as described below.

[0046] The present invention can be used to provide a coated fabric substrate having a dry, non-foamed light-attenuating coating on at least one side thereon without significantly reducing the OF or openings in the fabric material, and the coated fabric substrate can be manufactured for windows and other glass-covered light-transmitting window treatments in the form of roller blinds, solar screens, signage, etc., to control the light entering a space or room. Invention Details

[0048] The following discussion relates to various embodiments of the invention, and while some embodiments may be desirable for particular purposes, the disclosed embodiments should not be construed as or otherwise considered as limiting the scope of the invention as claimed below. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the following disclosure has a broader application than is explicitly described with respect to any particular embodiment.

[0049] definition

[0050] Unless otherwise stated, in order to define the various components of a non-foaming aqueous composition, fabric substrate material, or material used to prepare porous particles, as used herein, the singular forms “a” and “the” are intended to include one or more components (i.e., include plural references).

[0051] Each term not explicitly defined in this application shall be understood to have a meaning commonly accepted by those skilled in the art. If the composition of a term would render it meaningless or substantially meaningless in its context, the term definition shall be obtained from a standard dictionary.

[0052] Unless otherwise explicitly indicated, the use of numerical values ​​within the various ranges specified herein is considered as approximation, as both the minimum and maximum values ​​within said ranges are prefixed with the word "approximately". In this way, small variations above and below said ranges can be used to achieve substantially the same results as the values ​​within said ranges. Furthermore, these ranges are intended to be presented as continuous ranges encompassing each value between the minimum and maximum values.

[0053] Unless otherwise indicated, the term "porous particles" is used herein to refer to porous organic polymer materials, which are described in more detail below. Porous particles typically comprise a solid, continuous polymer phase having an external particle surface and discrete pores dispersed within the continuous polymer phase. The continuous polymer phase may also be chemically cross-linked or elastomer in nature, or both chemically cross-linked and elastomer in nature.

[0054] i) Porous particles can contain “micro,” “medium,” and “large” discrete pores, which, according to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, are recommended classifications for discrete pore sizes of less than 2 nm, 2 nm to 50 nm, and greater than 50 nm, respectively. Therefore, while i) porous particles can contain closed discrete pores of all sizes and shapes (i.e., closed discrete pores entirely within the continuous polymer phase) providing a suitable volume in each discrete pore, large discrete pores are particularly useful. Although open macropores can exist on the surface of i) porous particles, such openings are undesirable and may only occur incidentally. The size of i) porous particles, their formulation, and manufacturing conditions are the primary controlling factors for discrete pore size. However, discrete pores typically have an average size of at least 100 nm and up to and including 7000 nm, or more likely at least 200 nm and up to and including 2000 nm. Regardless of the size of the discrete pores, they are generally randomly distributed throughout the continuous polymer phase.

[0055] When used to describe certain particle sizes, the term "median particle size" has a standard definition known in the art, for example, referring to the particle size distribution d 50 size.

[0056] Opening factor (OF) refers to the percentage of open areas per square meter in a fabric structure and is sometimes referred to as “weave density.” The lower the OF, the more visible light is blocked, scattered, or obstructed, which in turn depends on the yarn spacing and size.

[0057] Different types of window treatments and the type of window glass used can affect the amount of light that passes through a window.

[0058] According to the present invention, total visible light reflectance (TVR) refers to the percentage of visible light measured from the normal incident point of diffuse reflection from a woven fabric facing the street. TVR is measured, for example, in the 400-700 nm wavelength range using a Hunter Labs UltraScan XE spectrophotometer equipped with an integrating sphere, a pulsed xenon light source, and a solid-state diode array detector, as described below.

[0059] According to the present invention, total visible light transmission (TVT) refers to the percentage of visible light that is directly transmitted into a room through a window screen at its normal incident point. This is a measure of how much visible light is allowed into the room by the woven fabric substrate used as a window treatment. TVT can be measured, for example, in the 400-700 nm wavelength range using a Perkin Elmer Lambda 800 UV-Vis spectrophotometer, as described below.

[0060] According to the present invention, diffuse visible light transmission (DVT) refers to the percentage of visible light transmitted through the yarn from the street side that does not directly pass through an opening in the fabric substrate, including light reflected from the translucent woven yarn side surrounding the opening. The lower this value, the lower the glare in the room. DVT can be measured as described below, for example, similar to a measurement of TVT but using a light trap to collect all the non-scattered light.

[0061] The non-scattering visible light transmission (NVT) according to the invention is the percentage of light that passes only through the open areas of the fabric weave and not through the fibers of the fabric. NVT can be estimated by subtracting DVT from TVT, and thus can be related to how tightly the fabric is woven in the fabric substrate, and consequently reduce OF.

[0062] The Whiteness Index (WI) is a measure associated with a visual rating of the whiteness of certain white and near-white surfaces. American Standards Test Methods (ASTM) E313-10 has defined the Whiteness Index and it is used to measure near-white opaque materials, such as paper, paint, and plastic materials, or any material whose color (coloring) appears white.

[0063] The CIELAB L*, a*, and b* values ​​described in this paper have definitions known according to standard versions of color spaces known from the CIE 1976 color space or later, and use the power distribution function of a standard D65 light source and a 10° standard observer function. These calculated values ​​can be used to represent color as three numerical color values: L* represents the lightness (or brightness) of the color, a* represents the green-red component of the color, and b* represents the blue-yellow component of the color.

[0064] The refractive index (RI), or the index of refraction, is a known property of a material that measures or determines the degree to which light bends when it travels from one medium to another or through an interface. The refractive indices of many materials in nature are well-known and reported in the literature.

[0065] The glass transition temperature of organic polymers used to prepare the continuous polymer phases described below or ii) film-forming binder materials can be measured using known equipment and processes using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). For many commercially available organic polymers, the glass transition temperature is known from the commercial supplier.

[0066] As used in this article, "yarn" refers to a continuous length of interlocking fiber strands. Yarns are classified into three basic categories based on their structure: staple fiber yarn, made from several short fibers wound together; ply yarn, made from one or more strands of staple fiber yarn; and single ply yarn, which is a single strand of staple fiber held together by twisting. Multi-ply yarn is made from multiple individual yarns twisted together. Filament yarn is made from one or more continuous strands that travel the entire length of the yarn and are longer than the staple fibers. Multiple filaments can be woven together or twisted together in a suitable manner, or arranged as a bundle, twisted or untwisted.

[0067] As used in this article, “coated yarn” refers to the yarn that acts as the “yarn core” on which the coating is applied, as described in detail below.

[0068] As used herein, the terms “fabric,” “textile,” and “fabric substrate” are intended to refer to materials that can be prepared using the non-foaming aqueous compositions according to the invention, having any desired diameter or length.

[0069] use

[0070] The non-foaming aqueous composition according to the invention can be used to prepare various coated fabric substrates (coated textiles) having the above-described properties. Such coated (or treated) fabric substrates can be used, for example, as curtains and other window treatments, window blinds, room dividers, quilted curtains, and banners. The coated fabric substrate may optionally have a printable outer surface capable of accepting inks used in screen printing, gravure printing, inkjet printing, thermal imaging (e.g., "dye sublimation heat transfer"), or other imaging methods.

[0071] Non-foaming water-based compositions

[0072] The non-foaming aqueous compositions of the present invention typically have at least 5% or at least 25% and up to and including 40% or up to and including 50% of solids. The formulation can be designed to have the desired percentage of solids to facilitate application to fabric substrates in a desired manner, as described below. In some embodiments, the percentage of solids is optimized for application using a spray applicator, as described below.

[0073] Furthermore, the non-foaming aqueous compositions of the present invention are typically shear-thinned and exhibit zero-shear viscosity (measured at very low shear rates and showing the viscosity of a material at rest) of at least 100 mPa-sec or at least 500 mPa-sec and up to 750 mPa-sec or up to 1000 mPa-sec, all measured at 25°C using frequency scanning with commercially available rheological equipment and processes (e.g., using an Anton Paar MCR 501 instrument, as described below for working examples). "Zero-shear viscosity" is a term known in the art, and as described, refers to a viscosity plateau before shear thinning begins. This phenomenon can occur at very low shear rates, but for some materials, it can still occur at very high shear rates.

[0074] Importantly, the non-foaming aqueous composition contains minimal air bubbles (or other gaseous voids), as bubbles can reduce the uniformity of the coating or the uniformity of application to the fabric substrate, or they can allow light to pass through the drying coating, thereby reducing the light attenuation properties of the resulting dried coating. As described below, to minimize or prevent foaming in the non-foaming aqueous composition, it may contain, in appropriate amounts, a water-soluble or water-dispersible (v) defoamer or antifoaming agent, but such components may not be necessary in each embodiment. However, typically, the non-foaming aqueous composition has a concentration greater than 0.8 g / cm³. 3 or greater than 0.9 g / cm 3 The density (or "foam density") is satisfactory.

[0075] In many embodiments, the non-foaming aqueous composition according to the invention comprises four essential components, all of which are defined as follows: i) porous particles; ii) film-forming binder material; iii) white inorganic particulate filler material; and iv) white low-density particulate hydrated alumina.

[0076] For the following methods in which the present invention is used to prepare coated fabric substrates, the non-foaming aqueous composition of the present invention is used to form or provide a non-foaming light-attenuating coating on the fabric substrate.

[0077] i) Porous particles:

[0078] Each of the porous particles, which can be used in non-foaming aqueous compositions, comprises a continuous polymer phase and discrete pores distributed within that continuous phase, and has a modal particle size of at least 2 μm and at most, including 50 μm. The porous particles can be prepared using a combination of one or more water-in-oil emulsion and aqueous suspension methods, such as evaporative limited coalescence (ELC). Details of the preparation of the porous particles and their common properties are provided, for example, in U.S. Patents 8,110,628 (Nair et al.), 8,703,834 (Nair), 7,754,409 (Nair et al.), 7,887,984 (Nair et al.), 8,329,783 (Nair et al.), and 8,252,414 (Putnam et al.). Therefore, each porous particle is generally polymeric and organic in nature (i.e., the continuous polymer phase is polymeric and organic in nature), and the use of non-porous particles (having a porosity of less than 20% by volume) is generally excluded in this invention.

[0079] Unlike the porous particles used in the multifilament cladding described below, the porous particles used according to the present invention i) may contain a certain amount of one or more opaque colorants, which are described in more detail below.

[0080] Each (i) porous particles typically have a porosity of at least 20 vol% or at least 35 vol% and up to and including 65 vol% or up to and including 70 vol%, or more typically at least 40 vol% and up to and including 60 vol%, all based on the total volume of the porous particles. Porosity can be measured using mercury indentation techniques with equipment and processes readily apparent to those skilled in the art of polymer and physicochemical analysis.

[0081] i) The porous particles may comprise a continuous polymer phase derived from one or more organic polymers, wherein the organic polymers are selected such that the continuous polymer phase has a glass transition temperature (T0) of at least 25°C, or more typically at least 25°C and at most and including 180°C. g ), such as when differential scanning calorimetry is used to determine using known equipment and processes.

[0082] The continuous polymer phase may comprise one or more organic polymers having the aforementioned properties, typically comprising at least 70% by weight and at most, including 100% by weight, based on the total weight of the continuous polymer phase. In some embodiments, the continuous polymer phase comprises one or more cellulose polymers (or cellulose-like polymers), including but not limited to those cellulose-like polymers derived from one or more of cellulose acetate, cellulose butyrate, cellulose acetate butyrate, and cellulose acetate propionate. For example, details regarding such polymers are provided in U.S. Patent 9,963,569 (Nair et al.).

[0083] Other available polymers for forming the continuous polymer phase are described in the aforementioned patents of Nair, Nair et al., and Putnam et al., and therefore known details are omitted here. Mixtures of one or more of these polymers with one or more of the aforementioned cellulose polymers may also be used.

[0084] i) Continuous polymer binders for porous particles can also be derived from olefinically unsaturated polymerizable monomers and multifunctional reactive compounds, such as those described, for example, in U.S. Patent 8,703,834 (as described above).

[0085] Typically, the i) porous particles used in this invention have a mode particle size equal to or less than 50 μm, or at least 2 μm and at most and including 50 μm, or typically at least 3 μm and at most and including 30 μm, or even at most and including 40 μm. The most usable i) porous particles have a mode particle size of at least 3 μm and at most and including 20 μm. The mode particle size is a known parameter and represents the diameter of the most frequently occurring spherical particles and the largest diameter of the most frequently occurring non-spherical particles in the particle size distribution histogram. The mode particle size can be determined using known devices (including light scattering devices, such as the Sysmex FPIA 3000 Flow Particle Image Analyzer measured using image analysis, which is available from various sources including Malvern Panalytical; and coulter counters and other particle characterization devices available from Beckman Coulter Diagnostics), software, and processes.

[0086] i) Porous particles may be provided as powders or aqueous suspensions (including water or water-miscible organic solvents such as alcohols). Such powders and aqueous suspensions may also contain surfactants or suspending agents to keep i) porous particles suspended or to promote their rewetting in aqueous media.

[0087] i) Porous particles may be present in the non-foaming aqueous composition according to the invention in an amount of at least 0.1% by weight or at least 5% by weight and up to and including 15% by weight or up to and including 20% ​​by weight, all based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition.

[0088] As discussed in more detail below, some i) porous particles may contain one or more opaque colorants (as defined below), while other i) porous particles do not. Mixtures of i) porous particles with and without opaque colorants may be used, and different i) porous particles may contain the same or different polymer materials and have the same or different mode particle size and porosity.

[0089] Some available opaque colorants can be used as single colorant materials or any suitable combination selected from colorants, such that one or more colorants form an "opaque colorant" that absorbs predetermined electromagnetic radiation (typically from UV to near IR, e.g., 350 nm to 800 nm, or 350 nm to 700 nm). Opaque colorants can be soluble dyes or pigments, or combinations of each or two types of materials.

[0090] When present, one or more opaque colorants may be present within some or all of the discrete pore volume of i) the porous particles, or within the continuous polymer binder of i) the porous particles, or within both the discrete pore volume of i) the porous particles and the continuous polymer binder. This is highly advantageous because the i) porous particles can be used to “encapsulate” various opaque colorants, as well as tint colorants and other additives, thereby isolating them from other components of the non-foaming aqueous composition and additionally preventing them from being exposed to the environment. However, in some embodiments, the opaque agent may be incorporated alone or additionally into the ii) film-forming binder material in which the i) porous particles are dispersed.

[0091] As used herein, opaque colorants comprise one or more colorant materials, selected individually or in combination, to provide a barrier against predetermined electromagnetic radiation (as defined above). While opaque colorants may provide some color or desired hue, they are not specifically selected for this purpose, and therefore the materials are chosen differently from any tinting colorants contained in non-foaming aqueous compositions, particularly because the opaque colorants are within i) porous particles and tinting colorants.

[0092] Examples of opaque colorants that can be used alone or in combination include, but are not limited to, neutral or black pigments or dyes, carbon black, black iron oxides, graphite, aniline black, anthraquinone black, and combinations of colored pigments or dyes selected from cyan, magenta, yellow, green, orange, blue, red, and purple dyes or pigments, and infrared-absorbing pigments or dyes. This invention is not limited to the use of only the specific opaque colorants described herein, but rather to those considered representative and serving as suitable guidance for other combinations of opaque colorants designed by a person skilled in the art for desired absorption of predetermined electromagnetic radiation. Carbon black is particularly suitable as an opaque colorant, especially when present in the discrete pores of i) porous particles, where many types of carbon black are available from commercial sources. Combinations of dyes or pigments, such as combinations of subtractive primary color pigments (cyan, magenta, and yellow coloring pigments), can also be used to provide “black” or visually neutral opaque colorants.

[0093] Opaque colorants are typically present in the non-foaming aqueous composition in an amount of up to 1% by weight, or more likely in an amount of at least 0.005% by weight and up to and including 1% by weight, all based on the total weight of the porous particles in the non-foaming aqueous composition (and the resulting non-foaming light-attenuating coating). If desired, mixtures of the aforementioned opaque colorants may be used, and these amounts are also referenced to the total amount of the mixture of opaque colorants. For example, as described above, the opaque colorant may comprise a combination of two or more component colorants (e.g., a combination of dyes or pigments) designed in terms of hue and amount such that the combination satisfies the desired properties described herein.

[0094] Furthermore, different i) porous particles can contain different opaque colorants, as long as the total amount meets the above range. In addition, some i) porous particles can contain opaque colorants, while others can be free of opaque colorants, and such different i) porous particles can be used alone or in combination.

[0095] In some embodiments, if the opaque colorant is in pigment form, it is typically ground to a fine particle size, and then the ground pigment is encapsulated within the volume of discrete pores of the porous particles by incorporating it into an aqueous phase used in the manufacture of the porous particles. Alternatively, the opaque colorant can be incorporated into a continuous polymer phase of the porous particles by incorporating it into an oil phase used in the manufacture of the porous particles. Such an arrangement can be achieved during the manufacture of i) porous particles using the teachings provided herein and in the references cited herein.

[0096] ii) Film-forming adhesive materials :

[0097] One or more ii) film-forming adhesive materials are present in the non-foaming aqueous composition, and each film-forming adhesive material is designed or selected to have the following properties: it is generally water-soluble or water-dispersible; it adheres well to woven yarns on a fabric substrate; it can be dried and, if desired, can also crosslink (or at least partially cure); it has good light and thermal stability; and it is film-forming, for example, having a T0 of less than 25°C. g T less than or equal to 0℃ g or less than or equal to -10℃ T g or less than or equal to -25℃ T g All measurements were performed using differential scanning calorimetry.

[0098] ii) Film-forming adhesive materials may comprise one or more organic polymers, which may be provided as emulsions, dispersions or aqueous solutions. They may also comprise self-crosslinking polymers, or they may comprise one or more self-crosslinking or self-curing polymers, or they may comprise one or more polymers to which a crosslinking agent is added and thus they are curable or capable of being at least partially crosslinked or cured under suitable conditions.

[0099] Therefore, if ii) the film-forming adhesive material is crosslinkable (or curable) in the presence of a suitable crosslinking agent or catalyst, such crosslinking (or curing) can be chemically activated by heat, radiation, or other known methods. Curing agents or crosslinking agents are typically chemicals having functional groups capable of reacting with reactive sites in the ii) film-forming adhesive material (e.g., functionalized latex polymers) under curing conditions to produce a crosslinked structure. Representative available crosslinking agents include, but are not limited to, polyfunctional aziridines, aldehydes, hydroxymethyl derivatives, and epoxides.

[0100] It is necessary to include one or more halogenated polymers, particularly chlorinated polymers, as part of the film-forming binder material. Such chlorinated polymers include, but are not limited to, vinyl chloride polymers (homogeneities and copolymers), vinylidene chloride polymers (homogeneities and copolymers), and vinyl chloride-acrylic acid copolymers.

[0101] The term "vinyl chloride polymer" refers to a polymer that at least partially comprises repeating units of an olefinically unsaturated polymerizable monomer derived from vinyl chloride monomers or having "precursor" groups that can be converted into chlorine groups. In most cases, such polymers contain only such repeating units (homopolymers), or such repeating units are the majority component (more than 50 mol%) of all repeating units (in copolymers), all of which are derived from various olefinically unsaturated polymerizable monomers other than acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and their esters described in the following paragraph.

[0102] The term "vinyl chloride-acrylate copolymer" refers to a copolymer having repeating units derived from vinyl chloride and repeating units derived from one or more olefinically unsaturated polymerizable acrylic or acrylate monomers, such as methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and other monomers that will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0103] Other available halogenated polymers include vinylidene chloride polymers, which are defined as containing at least some repeating units and at most 100 mol% repeating units derived from olefinic unsaturated polymerizable monomers that are vinylidene chloride.

[0104] Such polymers (both homopolymers and copolymers) (regardless of how they are formed) therefore contain side chlorine groups in at least some repeating units that are randomly present along the polymer chain.

[0105] Available halogenated polymers, such as chlorinated polymers (including chlorinated homopolymers and chlorinated copolymers), are available from a variety of commercial sources or can be prepared using known starting materials and polymer synthesis methods, and can be provided, for example, in latex form.

[0106] Furthermore, mixtures of one or more chlorinated polymers can be used as film-forming adhesive materials. Additionally, the "mixture" of polymers may also include film-forming vinyl polymers, such as acrylic polymers without side chlorinated groups. For example, suitable mixtures of film-forming adhesive materials include, but are not limited to, mixtures of poly(vinyl chloride) and non-halogenated acrylic polymers in suitable weight ratios; mixtures of vinyl chloride-acrylic polymers and non-halogenated acrylic polymers in suitable weight ratios; or mixtures of vinylidene chloride polymers and non-halogenated acrylic polymers in suitable weight ratios.

[0107] Other suitable non-halogenated film-forming adhesive polymers that can be used in mixtures of such polymeric materials include, but are not limited to, water-soluble or water-dispersible polymers of the following types: poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinylpyrrolidone), ethylene oxide polymers, polyurethanes, urethane-acrylic copolymers, other acrylic polymers, styrene-acrylic copolymers, vinyl polymers, vinyl-acrylic copolymers, styrene-butadiene copolymers, acrylonitrile copolymers, and polyesters, silicone polymers, or combinations of two or more of these organic polymers. Such film-forming adhesive materials are readily available from various commercial sources or can be prepared using known starting materials and polymer synthesis conditions. One class of available non-halogenated film-forming adhesive materials includes aqueous latex polymer dispersions, such as acrylic latexes, which can be ionic or nonionic colloidal dispersions of acrylate polymers and copolymers. Available film-forming aqueous latexes also include styrene-butadiene latex, poly(vinylpyridine) latex, poly(acrylonitrile) latex, and latexes formed from acrylonitrile, butyl acrylate, and ethyl acrylate.

[0108] Using some routine experiments, technicians will be able to determine the optimal type and mixture of film-forming polymer materials to design the optimal ii) film-forming binder material for use in the non-foaming aqueous composition according to the invention and the resulting non-foaming dry light-attenuation coating.

[0109] ii) Film-forming binder materials (including mixtures thereof) may be present in the non-foaming aqueous composition in an amount of at least 4% by weight or at least 8% by weight, and at most 16% by weight or at most 20% by weight, all based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition. Of these amounts, based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition and the resulting non-foaming dry light-attenuating coating, chlorinated polymers, such as one or more vinyl chloride polymers, vinyl chloride-acrylic polymers, or vinylidene chloride polymers, typically comprise at least 5% by weight and at most 100% by weight.

[0110] All polymer components that can be used in the ii) film-forming adhesive materials of this invention are available from a variety of commercial sources or prepared using known synthetic processes and starting materials available to a skilled polymer chemist.

[0111] iii) White inorganic granular packing :

[0112] The iii) white inorganic particulate filler materials available in the non-foaming aqueous compositions according to the invention are preferably those having a refractive index (RI) greater than 2. RI is as defined above. The high contrast between materials with such high refractive indices, such as titanium dioxide, and other components in the non-foaming aqueous compositions makes this filler material particularly effective for improving the opacity and brightness of the color.

[0113] These iii) white inorganic particulate filler materials also have a median (or d) value of less than 1 μm. 50 Particle size, as measured at room temperature using known methods and equipment. In many cases, the median particle size is available from the material supplier.

[0114] Examples of available iii) white inorganic particulate filler materials with such RI include, but are not limited to, titanium dioxide (anatase or rutile), aluminum oxide, barium sulfate, zinc oxide, and zinc sulfide. If desired, combinations (mixtures) of different white inorganic particulate filler materials may be used, such as mixtures in the form of titanium dioxide and aluminum oxide in suitable weight ratios.

[0115] The required inorganic particulate fillers are typically “white,” meaning they contribute to the light-scattering properties of the coating. Due to the relatively high refractive index of these filler materials, they function by scattering and reflecting visible light of all wavelengths, thus appearing white to the human eye.

[0116] iii) The amount of white inorganic particulate filler material in the non-foaming aqueous composition may be at least 2% by weight or at least 5% by weight, and at most 10% by weight or at most 15% by weight, all based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition.

[0117] Such available iii) white inorganic particulate filler materials, including titanium dioxide, are available from a variety of commercial sources. iii) White inorganic particulate filler materials are materials that differ from all components i), ii) and iv) as defined herein.

[0118] iv) White low-density granular hydrated alumina

[0119] This essential component is also called aluminum hydroxide [Al(OH)3], and it differs from the white inorganic particulate filler material described above (iii). This type of white, low-density particulate hydrated alumina typically has a median (d) of less than or equal to 3 μm, or more likely at least 1 μm and at most including 3 μm. 50 Particle size, as measured using methods known in the industry and commercially available particle size analyzers.

[0120] The term "low density" is used to refer to the availability of materials having a density of less than 4, preferably less than 3.

[0121] iv) White low-density granular hydrated alumina is generally present in the non-foaming aqueous composition in an amount of at least 2% by weight or at least 5% by weight, and at most 12% by weight or at most 16% by weight, all based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition.

[0122] These iv) white, low-density hydrated alumina particles can be obtained from various commercial sources or prepared from known starting materials and synthetic processes. They are distinct from all of the components described above in i), ii) and iii).

[0123] Optional materials

[0124] Although the aforementioned i) porous particles, ii) film-forming binder materials, iii) white inorganic particulate filler materials, and iv) white low-density particulate hydrated alumina are the only essential materials for providing the aforementioned properties of the invention in the non-foaming aqueous composition according to the invention, some optional materials may be included, provided they do not substantially interfere with those properties of the invention but can enhance some properties, such as coloring or coating properties. Such optional materials may be present in a total amount of less than 2% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition. Such optional materials may include, but are not limited to, thickeners, flame retardants, antifoaming agents, defoamers, UV radiation stabilizers, heat stabilizers, optical brighteners, tinting agents, dispersants, biocides, lubricants, and moisture or flexural control agents, alone or in any combination. Some of these materials are defined in more detail below.

[0125] These optional materials can be incorporated into the non-foaming aqueous composition in any technically practical manner, for example, into i) porous particles (within discrete pores, continuous polymer phase, or both); ii) film-forming binder material; or both i) porous particles and ii) film-forming binder material. The various optional materials can be in different locations within the coating. The resulting non-foaming light-attenuating coating can contain any or all of these optional materials.

[0126] v) Defoamers and antifoaming agents

[0127] The total amount comprises at least 0.01% by weight and at most 1% by weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition, and may contain one or more v) defoamers or antifoaming agents (or antifoaming agents), or both defoamers and antifoaming agents may be particularly available. If present, these v) defoamers and antifoaming agents are different from all of the components i), ii), iii), iv) above and vi) flame retardants below.

[0128] Foam control is a challenge to be overcome for most fluid systems, including the non-foaming aqueous compositions of the present invention. Pure liquids do not foam. Aqueous solutions or dispersions containing additives (e.g., surfactants) and fillers, as well as other particles, readily form foam in water. In the practice of the present invention, the presence of foam or entrained air is generally undesirable and can significantly affect results (e.g., the appearance and properties of the resulting coated fabric substrate). To prevent foam and the problems it generates, and to keep the process running smoothly, many embodiments of the non-foaming aqueous compositions of the present invention include one or more defoamers.

[0129] Defoamers and antifoaming agents generally have similar chemical properties; their main difference lies in their application time. Defoamers can be used to control any existing foam in an aqueous composition, while antifoaming agents can be used to prevent foam formation in an aqueous composition.

[0130] Typically, defoamers and antifoaming agents are inert (or non-reactive) chemicals. They usually consist of liquids or hydrophobic solids. An effective defoamer should be insoluble in the medium in which it is used, otherwise it will not perform its intended function. However, antifoaming agents should not be incompatible in aqueous compositions to the point of causing deposition problems. Such materials differ from all i) porous particles, ii) film-forming binders, iii) white inorganic particulate fillers, and iv) white low-density particulate hydrated alumina, and also from vi) flame retardants described below. In this invention, such materials are intended to decompose foam or prevent the formation of foam in non-foaming aqueous compositions. Even moderate mixing of chemical components can tend to form some foam, so the presence of a defoamer can minimize foam formation, for example, so that the final non-foaming aqueous composition can be applied to a fabric substrate with a foam density greater than 0.8 g / cm³. 3 Or even greater than 0.9 g / cm³ 3 The density.

[0131] Available defoamers and antifoaming agents include, but are not limited to, liquids such as mineral oil, silicone and / or hydrophobic polyols, and hydrophobic solids such as hydrophobic silica, ethylene bis-stearamide, fatty acids and / or fatty alcohols. For example, available defoamers can be used as… Sourced from BYK Gardner. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, other defoamers and antifoaming agents are available from a variety of commercial sources.

[0132] Containing flame retardants or mixtures of two or more of these materials to reduce the flammability of the coated fabric substrate may also be desirable. Chlorinated polymers, such as poly(vinyl chloride) and poly(vinylidene chloride), are inherently self-extinguishing flame retardants due to the presence of chlorine in the composition. Poly(vinyl chloride) can also be used to coat the core yarns used in the manufacture of fabric substrates. In addition, some glass fiber-containing yarns are inherently flame retardant. The film-forming binder materials described above (ii) and (iv) white low-density granular hydrated alumina can also act as flame retardants in the practice of this invention. Hydrated alumina is known to be a flame retardant and smoke suppressant. It can also work synergistically with antimony trioxide, zinc borate, or phosphorus-containing flame retardants to improve flame retardancy.

[0133] In addition to the materials described above, available flame retardants include, but are not limited to, oxidized antimony compounds (e.g., antimony trioxide), hydrated metal oxides (e.g., hydrated alumina, magnesium, tin, zinc, and lead oxides, including alumina trihydrate); phosphorus- or nitrogen-containing flame retardants (e.g., ammonium polyphosphate); melamine isocyanurate; derivatives or pentaerythritol and melamine; ammonium molybdate; hydrated or non-hydrated zinc borate; and mixtures of two or more of these compounds. Specific examples of available compounds are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013 / 0052900 (Jung et al.)

[0036] -

[0043] and U.S. Patent 6,032,454 (Damour et al.). Available flame retardants are available from a variety of commercial sources and, if present, are different from all of the components i), ii), iii), iv), and v) described above.

[0134] Other optional components of the non-foaming aqueous composition include a thickener, which can be used to change the viscosity of the non-foaming aqueous composition before use according to the invention. Particularly usable rheology modifiers are... HX6010 (Elementis) -T1000(BYK) PU 1214 (BASF) G111 (Dow Chemical Company) and Paragum (Royal Adhesives, Inc.). Other available thickeners include, but are not limited to, xanthan gum, alginate, guar gum, locust bean gum, alkali-swellable acrylic polymers, agar, carboxymethyl cellulose, pectin, and carrageenan. Such thickeners may be present in the non-foaming aqueous composition in an amount of up to and including 2% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition. Available thickeners are available from a variety of commercial sources.

[0135] Furthermore, biocides (i.e., antimicrobial or antifungal agents) can be present in non-foaming aqueous compositions to reduce or prevent the growth of microorganisms and fungi in the coated fabric substrate. Examples of such materials are well known in the art and are commercially available from various sources.

[0136] Toning agents may be present to provide a specific observable color, tint, or hue in the resulting coated fabric or textile, provided that the tint is "light" in nature, i.e., has a low chromaticity value and appears to emit or reflect more light visually, and has an L* of at least 60. Mixtures of toning agents may be present, and their composition and amounts may vary. The desired tint or hue may be obtained using specific toning agents and may be used in combination with specific amounts of i) porous particles to counteract or alter the original color, thereby providing more whiteness (or brightness) in the final "color" (or tint). One or more toning agents may be incorporated into i) porous particles (within the volume of discrete pores or within the continuous polymer phase or both), or they may be uniformly dispersed within ii) the film-forming binder material. Alternatively, one or more toning agents may be present both within i) porous particles (in suitable locations) and ii) the film-forming binder material. The colorant can be a dye or organic pigment that is soluble or dispersible in the organic solvent and polymer used to manufacture i) porous particles, and can therefore be contained in the oil phase used to prepare such i) porous particles.

[0137] It is also possible to include one or more optical brighteners to enhance the whiteness (brightness, L*, or “fluorescent” effect) of the final color in non-foamed light-attenuating coatings. Optical brighteners are sometimes referred to in the art as “fluorescent whitening agents” or “fluorescent brighteners.” Typically, such materials are organic compounds selected from known compound classes, such as derivatives of arsenic and 4,4′-diaminoarsenic (e.g., bis-triazine derivatives); derivatives of benzene and biphenyl (e.g., styril derivatives); pyrazolines; bis(benzoxazol-2-yl) derivatives; coumarins; quinolones; naphthalenedicarboximides; s-triazines; and pyridotriazoles. Specific examples of optical brighteners can be found in various publications, including “Fluorescent Whitening Agents”, Kirk-Othmer. Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, Fourth Edition , 4th edition, Volume 11, Wiley & Sons, 1994.

[0138] Dispersants and surfactants can be present in non-foaming aqueous compositions to provide colloidal stability and prevent agglomeration of particulate materials, thereby ensuring storage stability in the formulation (no viscosity instability, no separation) and acting as coating aids to provide good static control and dynamic surface tension reduction. Examples of available dispersants include, but are not limited to, those mentioned above. 77 Nonionic Organic Modified Trisiloxane, DYNOL TM 604 is a wetting agent based on alkynyldiol. 3000 sodium polyacrylate and water-soluble 43000 polymer dispersant.

[0139] The non-foaming aqueous composition according to the invention can be prepared by mixing the above-described essential and optional components in a suitable aqueous medium (primarily water) using a suitable mixer, such as an overhead stirrer equipped with Cowles blades, impellers, or turbine blades, to break up any agglomerated particles and produce a stable suspension (or dispersion) of fine solids. Mixing should be carried out in a manner that minimizes foaming or bubble formation, and the presence of the aforementioned (v) defoamer also contributes to this result.

[0140] According to the present invention, after applying and drying to form a fabric substrate coated as described below, the resulting non-foamed light-attenuating coating typically contains very little aqueous medium (e.g., water). That is, the residual amount of aqueous medium can be as little as 5% by weight or less, or even 1% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the formed non-foamed light-attenuating coating.

[0141] Fabric substrate

[0142] Fabric substrates that can be used in the practice of this invention are generally prepared by properly shaping or weaving continuous yarns into textiles (or textile structures) or fabric substrates of any desired width and length using known processes. The use of the non-foaming aqueous compositions according to the invention is not limited to specific yarns or fabric substrates. However, the invention is particularly applicable to providing coated fabric substrates woven from coated yarns containing one or more glass fibers in the core, and more particularly from composite yarns having multiple glass fibers, such as multifilament glass fiber yarns covered (or coated) with specific coatings known in the art, as described below.

[0143] Suitable extrusion techniques known in the art can be used to prepare usable yarns for manufacturing fabric substrates. For example, composite yarns can be prepared, for instance, using a resin matrix comprising at least one chlorinated polymer material, to have a core of continuous yarn fibers and a coated sheath arranged coaxially around the core, as described, for example, in U.S. Patent 6,032,454 (as described above). For example, composite yarns can be prepared by passing a yarn core (e.g., a monofilament or multifilament glass fiber core) through a bath containing an aqueous composition and then by heat treatment to remove water and any other solvents and to cure or set any curable material in the aqueous composition.

[0144] Composite yarns typically comprise continuous lengths of yarn forming a yarn core as described above. Particularly available yarn cores comprise groups of one (single) or more (compound) individual continuous filaments, said individual continuous filaments containing synthetic or naturally occurring materials, such as glass fibers, extending longitudinally in substantially the same direction. Multifilament yarn cores comprising two or more individual continuous filaments can be used in many embodiments.

[0145] Each composite yarn typically has an average diameter of at least 25 μm and up to 1500 μm, or at least 100 μm and up to 1000 μm. The “average diameter” is the arithmetic mean of multiple diameter measurements of the composite yarn taken using an MSD 25 diameter measuring device (e.g., available from Zumbach), such as ten such measurements. The monofilament or multifilament yarn core may have a denier of at least 75 and up to 2500, where a denier refers to 1.2 g of continuous ply per 9000 meters.

[0146] Desiredly, such continuous filaments comprise one or more materials with poor flammability and a melting point higher than the temperature at which the polymer is processed or dried axially coated thereon. In some embodiments, each continuous filament may comprise an organic or inorganic material lacking halogen atoms and be recyclable. The continuous filaments may have a uniform or variable length. Such materials may include, but are not limited to, thermoplastic polymers such as polyamides (e.g., nylon); polyaramids (aromatic polyamides such as Nomex); polyesters [e.g., polyethylene terephthalate (PET)]; polyurethanes; polyolefins (e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, and ethylene-propylene copolymers); vinyl polymers (e.g., vinyl acetate and acrylic resins); cellulose polymers (e.g., cellulose acetate); cotton; and glass (in the form of glass fibers). Glass fiber filaments are particularly suitable for forming monofilaments or multifilaments.

[0147] The yarn core according to the invention may, on average, comprise at least 15% by weight and at most, including 50% by weight, based on the total dry weight of the composite yarn. The average diameter of the yarn core is typically at least 20 μm and at most, including 1450 μm, or at least 90 μm and at most, including 950 μm. "Average diameter" is the arithmetic mean of multiple diameter measurements of the yarn core performed using an MSD 25 diameter measuring device (e.g., available from Zumbach), such as ten such measurements. Various continuous filaments can be designed with specific compositions, average diameters, and lengths to provide the desired tensile strength.

[0148] Some or all of the continuous filaments in a monofilament yarn core or a multifilament yarn core may contain one or more additives, including but not limited to filament (or fiber) reinforcing materials, polymer stabilizers, UV absorbers, flame retardants, plasticizers, colorants, opaque colorants, or other materials that will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to be available in such materials, such as those described in EP 0 900 294B1 (as described above).

[0149] Known techniques, such as those described in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2007 / 0015426 (Ahmed et al.), can be used to prepare the cores of each monofilament or multifilament yarn.

[0150] The yarn can be coated as described above using the teachings in U.S. Patent 6,032,454 (as described above).

[0151] Other aqueous compositions for manufacturing composite yarns are described in U.S. Patent Application Publications 2020-0172744 (Brick et al.), 2020-0173099 (Nair et al.), and 2020-0173067 (Sedita et al.). Such fabric substrates are prepared using composite yarns that may comprise a glass fiber core and a coating applied coaxially, the coating comprising porous particles, similar to the porous particles described in i) above, as well as other components. However, the porous particles present in such a coaxial coating are not intentionally intended to contain the opaque colorant described above for the porous particles required for the present invention.

[0152] All composite yarns usable in this invention can be prepared using a method comprising: removing the yarn core from a supply spool; passing it through a reservoir in which it is immersed in a suitable non-foaming aqueous composition; passing it through a die for removing excess aqueous composition; drying it in an oven maintained at a suitable temperature, which includes curing of the resin material; and then winding the resulting composite yarn onto a take-up reel.

[0153] Fabric substrates that can be used in this invention can be prepared by suitable weaving or other manufacturing methods using a variety of composite (or non-composite) yarns. For example, the yarns can be subjected to warping, weaving, stretching, and packing operations to obtain shaped fabric substrates of any size or shape. Alternatively, the yarns can be woven, interlocked, spun, knitted, or adhesively bonded using techniques known in the art. Yarn strands available in this manner can vary in dry thickness and length, as long as they are suitable for use with the fabric substrate and its intended purpose. In most embodiments, the fabric substrate thickness is at least 50 μm. The yarns should have suitable stiffness, tensile strength, batch moisture content (e.g., less than 1% by weight at 70% relative humidity), elongation, and light fastness. Details of such methods are provided in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013 / 0052900 (Jung et al.)

[0072] through

[0076] .

[0154] The fabric substrates that can be used in this invention typically have 0% and at most 15%, or at least 1% and at most 10%, or more likely at least 3% and at most 10% opening (or opening factor).

[0155] Prior to forming the coated fabric substrate according to the invention, the aforementioned fabric substrates can be used "as is," or they can undergo further processing to incorporate them into various articles and devices before the application of the non-foaming aqueous composition. For example, the fabric substrates can be laminated to films, paper, or other elements before the application of the non-foaming aqueous composition.

[0156] Furthermore, prior to applying the non-foaming water-based composition, images can be printed on one or both outer surfaces of the fabric substrate using any suitable printing means, such as inkjet printing or offset printing, to form printed images of text, pictures, symbols, or combinations thereof. Such printed images can be visible, or they can be invisible to the naked eye (e.g., using fluorescent dyes or other security images in the printed images).

[0157] Thermally printed images can be formed on one or both outer surfaces of a fabric substrate from one or more heat donor elements, for example, using a thermal (sublimable) dye transfer printing process (using heat and with or without pressure), said heat donor elements comprising a dye donor layer containing one or more dye sublimable printable colorants. For example, thermally colored images can be obtained using one or more thermal dye sheets, with or without thermally colorless (transparent) sheets. Available details of such a process for producing thermally printed images are provided in U.S. Patent 10,145,061 (Nair et al.).

[0158] Preparation of coated fabric substrate

[0159] According to the present invention, the above-described fabric substrate can be provided to prepare a coated fabric substrate. Each fabric substrate then comprises a plurality of coated yarns all woven together, and at least some of the plurality of coated yarns include a core (e.g., a bundle of glass fibers). Each fabric substrate includes a first side and an opposing second side. When the fabric substrate is used as a window treatment, the first side is typically the side visible to a viewer inside the room or building, and may be referred to as the room side. The second (or street) side of the fabric substrate will typically have incident outdoor light or radiation and will be seen by, for example, a person outside the room or building, and may be referred to as the street side.

[0160] Then, a non-foamed light-attenuating coating is typically formed on the first side of a suitable fabric substrate, and is formed by applying a non-foamed aqueous composition, which is typically dried using conventional methods and optionally cured to provide a coated fabric substrate according to the invention. Drying and optional curing can be accomplished, for example, by using hot air at 120°C for a maximum of two minutes or by heating at a temperature above 135°C for a maximum of three minutes. The term "drying" is used to refer to the fact that the non-foamed light-attenuating coating typically contains less than 5% by weight, or even less than 1% by weight, of water or other liquids. The amounts of the various necessary and optional components of the non-foamed light-attenuating coating are as follows:

[0161] i) The porous particles as described above, which are generally present in an amount of at least 0.5% by weight or at least 2% by weight and at most 20% by weight or at most 40% by weight, wherein i) the porous particles may optionally contain an opaque colorant (as described above) in an amount of at least 0.01% by weight or at least 0.1% by weight and at most 0.3% by weight or at most 1% by weight based on the total weight of i) the porous particles.

[0162] ii) A film-forming adhesive material comprising at least a chlorinated polymer (as described above), wherein the ii) film-forming adhesive material (as described above) is present in an amount of at least 15% by weight or at least 20% by weight and at most 35% by weight or at most 50% by weight;

[0163] iii) A white inorganic particulate filler material having a refractive index (RI) greater than 2 and a median particle size of less than 1 μm, wherein the iii) inorganic particulate filler material is present in an amount of at least 8 wt% or at least 15 wt% and at most 30 wt% or at most 40 wt%; and

[0164] iv) White, low-density hydrated alumina particles, as described above, having a median particle size of less than or equal to 3 μm, and present in an amount of at least 10% by weight or at least 20% by weight, and at most 30% by weight or at most 50% by weight.

[0165] The total amounts of components i), ii), iii) and iv) are based on the total weight of the non-foamed light-degrading dried coating.

[0166] Non-foaming aqueous compositions can be applied as a conformal coating to a first side of a fabric substrate using a suitable application method (e.g., spraying), such that the opening factor (OF) is reduced only minimally (i.e., less than 20% of the original opening factor), and the resulting coating covers only the top surface of the fibers and optionally the side surfaces of the fibers, without significantly flowing to the second side of the fabric substrate. It is advantageous to place the absorbent pad directly behind and in close contact with the second side to achieve these results.

[0167] Parameters of the spraying system used for such application, such as nozzle tip size, coating speed, intermittent load, and distance between the sample and the nozzle, can be optimized by technicians to control coating weight, coating thickness, coating uniformity, and coating reproducibility. Examples of spraying for a variety of fabric substrates in high-speed, continuous, and scalable manufacturing, ranging from small squares to roll-to-roll, include air brushing and atomized spraying technologies.

[0168] Several methods for spraying aqueous compositions onto surfaces exist in the art and can be used in the practice of this invention. These include, but are not limited to, compressed air spraying, which converts droplets of a non-foaming aqueous composition into a mist; electrostatic spraying systems, in which the application of an electric field at the nozzle controls the droplet size and the electric field between the droplets of the non-foaming aqueous composition and the surface controls its deposition; ultrasonic spraying systems, in which ultrasonic energy can be used to produce a mist of uniformly sized droplets of the non-foaming aqueous composition; and rotary spraying, which uses centrifugal force to atomize the non-foaming aqueous composition. The most common spraying techniques use fluid pressure and nozzle design to produce non-foaming aqueous composition droplets of the desired size. In addition to controlling droplet size, nozzle design also includes the geometry of the set of droplets exiting the nozzle. Such geometries include, for example, cones, fan-shaped (trapezoidal) shapes, or jets. The choice of geometry is based on the application method and depends on the orientation between the nozzle and the substrate, and whether the spraying system is active and the surface is stationary, or vice versa, or a combination of both.

[0169] A desirable method of applying the non-foaming aqueous composition according to the invention is to use a fixed spraying system with a moving surface. In this method, the desired geometry of the collection of non-foaming aqueous composition droplets exiting the nozzle is a fan-shaped geometry having a first side of the fabric substrate moving perpendicular to the plane of the fan. When the width of the first side surface is greater than the width of the fan, multiple nozzles can be used and spaced apart such that overlapping sprays from adjacent nozzles across the width of the first side of the fabric substrate produce a uniform droplet coverage. In addition to using hydraulic pressure to disperse the droplets, other mechanical forces, such as nozzle pulsation, ultrasound, centrifugal force, or airflow, or a combination of two or three of these means, can be used to help uniformly distribute the non-foaming aqueous composition onto the first side of the fabric substrate.

[0170] Another aspect of controlling the uniformity of the deposited non-foaming aqueous composition is controlling its properties, particularly its viscosity and surface tension, which are well known to those skilled in the art. For example, to achieve desirable small droplets, the viscosity and surface tension experienced at the nozzle shear rate should be low. Therefore, shear-thinning fluids are preferred, such that the viscosity at the nozzle shear rate is low, below 10 mPa-sec, while the zero-shear viscosity is high, above 100 mPa-sec when measured at 25°C using the process and equipment described above. In such embodiments, the non-foaming aqueous composition contains a suitable coating aid (e.g., a wetting surfactant), such as any low molecular weight surfactant, which can reduce the dynamic surface tension of the non-foaming aqueous composition and thus provide a minimum surface tension. Available surfactants for this purpose are described above.

[0171] Therefore, a uniformly distributed coating of the non-foaming water-based composition can be formed on only the first side of the fabric substrate (or directly onto it) by any of the spraying techniques described above.

[0172] The applied non-foaming aqueous composition can be dried by simply evaporating water and any other solvent to form a dry, non-foaming light-attenuating coating on the first side of the fabric substrate. This drying can be accelerated using known techniques, such as convection heating, including forced air or infrared heating, or other methods that will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The drying can also be performed or continued during the optional curing process described below.

[0173] The curing of the applied or formed non-foaming aqueous composition can be carried out under suitable conditions known to those skilled in the art. For example, curing (and drying) can be accomplished using heat or infrared radiation or other conditions in response to achieving crosslinking of the film-forming adhesive material (ii).

[0174] The resulting coated fabric substrate can be cut to the desired size, “finished” in any suitable manner, and images or text can be printed on it, as described above for the fabric substrate.

[0175] The present invention provides at least the following embodiments and combinations thereof, but as those skilled in the art will understand from the teachings of this disclosure, other combinations of features are considered to be within the scope of the invention:

[0176] 1. A non-foaming aqueous composition having at least 5% and at most 50% solids, which is shear-thinned at a zero-shear viscosity of at least 100 mPa-sec and at most 1000 mPa-sec, said zero-shear viscosity as measured using a frequency scan at 25°C.

[0177] The non-foaming aqueous composition comprises components i) to iv):

[0178] i) Porous particles present in an amount of at least 0.1% by weight and at most, including 20% ​​by weight, each porous particle comprising a continuous polymer phase and discrete pores dispersed within the continuous polymer phase, the porous particles having a modulo particle size of at least 2 μm and at most, including 50 μm, and

[0179] Optionally, an opaque colorant may be included in an amount of up to and including 1% by weight, the amount of which is based on the total weight of the i) porous particles;

[0180] ii) A film-forming adhesive material comprising at least a chlorinated polymer, wherein the film-forming adhesive material is present in an amount of at least 4% by weight and at most and including 20% ​​by weight;

[0181] iii) A white inorganic particulate filler material having a refractive index (RI) greater than 2 and a median particle size of less than 1 μm, wherein the iii) inorganic particulate filler material is present in an amount of at least 2% by weight and at most and including 15% by weight; and

[0182] v) White, low-density hydrated alumina particles having a median particle size of less than or equal to 3 μm, and present in an amount of at least 2% by weight and at most, including 16% by weight.

[0183] All quantities of components i), ii), iii) and iv) are based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition.

[0184] 2. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to embodiment 1, further comprising:

[0185] v) Defoamer or antifoaming agent, or both, which are different from all of the components described in i), ii), iii) and iv).

[0186] 3. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to embodiment 1 or 2, further comprising:

[0187] Flame retardant, which is different from all of the components i), ii), iii), iv) and v).

[0188] 4. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3, having at least 25% and at most 40% solids.

[0189] 5. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, when measured using frequency scanning at 25°C, has a zero shear viscosity of at least 500 mPa-sec and at most, including 750 mPa-sec.

[0190] 6. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 5, wherein the i) porous particles are present in an amount of at least 0.5% by weight and at most and including 15% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition, and each porous particle has a modulo particle size of at least 3 μm and at most and including 20 μm.

[0191] 7. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 6, wherein the i) porous particles comprise the opaque colorant.

[0192] 8. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the i) porous particles contain an opaque colorant in an amount of at least 0.005% by weight and at most and including 1% by weight, the amount of the opaque colorant being based on the total weight of the i) porous particles.

[0193] 9. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 8, wherein the opaque colorant is carbon black and is present in the discrete pores of the i) porous particles.

[0194] 10. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 9, wherein the film-forming binder material is present in an amount of at least 5% by weight and at most 16% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition.

[0195] 11. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the chlorinated polymer accounts for at least 5% by weight and at most and includes 100% by weight based on the total weight of the film-forming binder material of ii).

[0196] 12. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 11, wherein the chlorinated polymer is selected from poly(vinyl chloride), vinyl chloride-acrylic acid copolymers, poly(vinylidene chloride), and combinations of two or more of these polymer materials.

[0197] 13. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 12, wherein the white inorganic particulate filler material (iii) is present in an amount of at least 5% by weight and at most 10% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition.

[0198] 14. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 13, wherein the white inorganic specific filler material is selected from anatase titanium dioxide, rutile titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, barium sulfate, zinc oxide, zinc sulfide, and combinations of two or more of these materials.

[0199] 15. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 14, wherein the white low-density particulate hydrated alumina is present in an amount of at least 8% by weight and at most 12% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition.

[0200] 16. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 15, further comprising one or more of a thickener, a colorant, an optical brightener, a heat stabilizer, a dispersant, or a biocide.

[0201] 17. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 16, having a concentration greater than 0.8 g / cm³. 3 The density.

[0202] 18. A non-foaming aqueous composition having at least 25% and at most 40% solids, and shear-thinned with a zero-shear viscosity of at least 500 mPa-sec and at most 750 mPa-sec, said zero-shear viscosity as measured using a frequency scan at 25°C.

[0203] The non-foaming aqueous composition comprises components i) to v):

[0204] i) porous particles present in an amount of at least 0.1% by weight and at most and including 15% by weight, each porous particle comprising a continuous polymer phase and discrete pores dispersed within the continuous polymer phase, the porous particles having a modal particle size of at least 3 μm and at most and including 20 μm, and containing an opaque colorant in an amount of at least 0.005% by weight and including 1% by weight, the amount of the opaque colorant being based on the total weight of the i) porous particles;

[0205] ii) A film-forming adhesive material comprising at least a vinyl chloride polymer, a vinyl chloride-acrylic polymer, or a vinylidene chloride polymer, wherein the film-forming adhesive material is present in an amount of at least 8% by weight and at most and including 16% by weight;

[0206] iii) A white inorganic particulate filler material having a refractive index greater than 2 (RI) and a median particle size of less than 1 μm, wherein the inorganic particulate filler is present in an amount of at least 5% by weight and at most and including 10% by weight.

[0207] iv) White, low-density hydrated alumina particles having a median particle size of less than or equal to 3 μm, and present in an amount of at least 8% by weight and at most, including 12% by weight; and

[0208] v) an antifoaming agent or defoaming agent, or both, present in a total amount of at least 0.01% by weight and at most and including 1% by weight, each of the antifoaming agent and defoaming agent being different from all of the components described in i), ii), iii), and iv); and

[0209] All quantities of i), ii), iii), iv), and v) are based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition.

[0210] 19. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to embodiment 18, wherein the ii) film-forming binder material comprises at least poly(vinyl chloride) or a vinyl chloride-acrylic acid copolymer; the iii) white inorganic particulate filler material comprises at least titanium dioxide; the opaque colorant is at least carbon black; and the non-foaming aqueous composition further comprises a thickener.

[0211] 20. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to embodiment 18 or 19, wherein the film-forming binder material (iii) comprises a vinyl chloride-acrylic acid copolymer.

[0212] 21. A method for manufacturing a coated fabric substrate, the method comprising:

[0213] A) Provides a fabric substrate comprising a plurality of core yarns all woven together, wherein at least some of the plurality of core yarns comprise glass fibers, the fabric substrate having a first side and a second side; and

[0214] B) A non-foaming light-attenuating coating is formed on at least the first side of the fabric substrate by the non-foaming aqueous composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 20, said non-foaming aqueous composition having a concentration greater than 0.8 g / cm³. 3 The density is determined to provide a coated fabric substrate.

[0215] 22. The method according to embodiment 21, wherein the i) porous particles are present in the non-foamed light attenuation coating in an amount of at least 2% by weight and at most and including 20% ​​by weight based on the total weight of the non-foamed light attenuation coating, and each porous particle has a mode particle size of at least 3 μm and at most and including 20 μm.

[0216] 23. The method according to embodiment 21 or 22, wherein the film-forming binder material is present in an amount of at least 20% by weight and at most and including 35% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foamed light-attenuating coating.

[0217] 24. The method according to any one of embodiments 21 to 23, wherein the white inorganic particulate filler material (iii) is present in an amount of at least 15% by weight and at most 30% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foamed light-attenuating coating.

[0218] 25. The method according to any one of embodiments 21 to 24, wherein the white low-density particulate hydrated alumina is present in an amount of at least 20% by weight and at most and including 30% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foamed light-attenuating coating.

[0219] 26. The method according to any one of embodiments 21 to 25, comprising forming a non-foamed light-attenuating coating only on the first side of the fabric substrate.

[0220] 27. A coated fabric substrate comprising a plurality of core yarns all woven together, wherein at least some of the plurality of core yarns comprise glass fibers.

[0221] The fabric substrate has a first side and a second side, and a non-foamed light attenuation coating disposed only on the first side of the fabric substrate, wherein the non-foamed light attenuation coating and the coated fabric substrate are obtained from the method according to any one of embodiments 21 to 26.

[0222] 28. The coated fabric substrate according to embodiment 27, comprising the non-foaming light-attenuating coating only on a first side of the fabric substrate.

[0223] The following working examples are provided to illustrate the practice of the invention and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Each of the mentioned examples is actually practiced. The following materials are used in the examples.

[0224] Materials used in the following examples :

[0225] The porous particles (P) used in the embodiments of the present invention comprise cellulose acetate butyrate as a continuous polymer phase, having and not having any opaque pigment, and are prepared as described in U.S. Patent 9,963,569 (as described above). The resulting porous particles have a nominal mode particle size of 5-6 μm and a porosity of approximately 46%, and are 50% solids. The preparation of the i) porous particles involves incorporating 0.05% by weight of carbon black as an opaque colorant based on the total weight of the i) porous particles.

[0226] 460x46 PVC-acrylic copolymer emulsion, 49.6% solids, used as ii) film-forming adhesive polymer, obtained from Lubrizol Corp.

[0227] S-3 alumina trihydrate is obtained from JMHuber Corporation and is used as a dispersion in water, 59% solids.

[0228] R900 titanium dioxide is used as iii) a white inorganic particulate filler material and is obtained from DuPont.

[0229] Sodium polyacrylate 3000 dispersant was obtained from MCTRON Technologies.

[0230] COATOSIL TM 77 is a nonionic organic modified trisiloxane surfactant (coating aid) obtained from MomentivePerformance Materials.

[0231] Dynol TM 604 acetylenic diol surfactant is obtained from Evonik Industries.

[0232] It is a silicone-containing defoamer, obtained from BYK Gardner.

[0233] The carbon black, as Black Pearls 880, is obtained from Cabot Corporation and used... 43000 (polyacrylate polymer dispersant obtained from Lubrizol Corporation) was converted into an aqueous dispersion. This dispersion was used to prepare i) porous particles (P).

[0234] The xanthan gum thickener was obtained from CP Kelco.

[0235] The fabric substrate is E Screen TM It is a PVC-coated woven glass fiber fabric from Mermet USA. It has an opening factor of 5%.

[0236] Measurement :

[0237] The total visible light reflectance (TVR) of each coated fabric substrate sample was measured in the 400–700 nm wavelength range using a Hunter Labs UltraScan XE colorimeter equipped with an integrating sphere, pulsed xenon light source, and solid-state diode array detector. A light trap and standard white tiles were used to fix the reflectance range from 0 to 100%. The X, Y, and Z tri-color excitation values ​​and x, y, and z chromaticity coordinates of each sample were also determined and used in conjunction with the CIELab color space (standard D65 light source, 10-degree observer) to calculate specific values ​​for lightness (L*), red-green characteristics (a*), and yellow-blue characteristics (b*). The Y tri-color excitation values ​​and x and y chromaticity coordinate values ​​were also used to calculate the whiteness index (WI) of each sample using the equation specified in ASTM E313-10.

[0238] Whiteness index (D65 / 10 degree observer) = Y + 800*(0.3138-x) + 1700*(0.3310-y).

[0239] Total visible light transmittance (TVT) of each coated fabric substrate sample was measured in the 400–700 nm wavelength range using a Perkin Elmer Lambda 800UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Each coated fabric substrate sample was placed at the transmission port of a 150 mm diameter integrating sphere, with a reference Spectralon disk placed at the reflection port (opposite to the transmission port). The light entering the sphere through the coated fabric substrate sample (both scattered and unscattered light) was then quantified using a photodetector located within the integrating sphere. The diffuse (or scattered) component of the transmitted light (diffuse visible light transmittance, or DVT) was directly measured by collecting or “capturing” all unscattered light traveling through the sphere using an optical trap instead of the Spectralon disk.

[0240] The zero-shear viscosity of the sample was measured using rheological measurements at 25 °C using an Anton Paar MCR 501, which involved first performing a frequency scan and then two consecutive steady-state shear measurements from 1 to 100001 / s.

[0241] Invention Embodiment 1:

[0242] The non-foaming aqueous composition according to the invention is prepared by combining the following items in water: the amounts shown in Table I below. 460x46 film-forming binder polymer, porous particles (P), S-3 alumina trihydrate and Ti-Pure Titanium dioxide, and 3000 dispersant 77 Surfactants, Dynol TM 604 wetting agent and The defoamer is combined together in the container. Using a Cowles blade, mix these materials until all solid particles are well dispersed, and then add 1% by weight of an equal portion of... An aqueous solution of xanthan gum thickener is used to thicken the dispersion until the desired viscosity is obtained. The resulting non-foaming aqueous composition according to the invention has about 25% solids, a zero-shear viscosity of 700 mPa-sec (measured as described above), and 1.1 g / cm³. 3 The density.

[0243] The non-foaming aqueous composition was sprayed onto the fabric substrate sample (described above) using a Paasche VL air brush (Paasche Airbrush Company, Kenosha, WI, USA) equipped with a VLT-5 (1.06 mm) air brush tip and a VLN-5 (1.06 mm) needle at 30 psi (106.8 kPa) and a distance of 4–5 inches (or 10.2–12.7 cm) from the first side of the fabric substrate. A fine mist of the composition was atomized by the compressed air stream, which was initiated by a pressure trigger, due to the Venturi effect. The sprayed non-foaming aqueous composition was dried at 120°C to approximately 1 oz / yd on the first side of the fabric substrate. 2 (or 23.7g / m 2 The coverage of the coating forms a dried, non-foamed light-attenuating coating, thereby forming the coated fabric substrate according to the invention. The sample sizes of the fabric substrates used in each experiment varied from 3 inches x 4 inches (7.62 cm x 10.2 cm) to 12 inches x 12 inches (30.48 cm x 30.48 cm). Visual analysis was performed on the sprayed and dried non-foamed light-attenuating coatings to ensure that the coated fabric substrate samples for performance evaluation did not have any blocked pores. The composition and properties of the non-foamed light-attenuating coating are shown in Tables I and II below.

[0244] The dry, non-foamed light-attenuating coating used in this embodiment of the invention contains 0.01% by weight or 0.005% by weight of carbon black as an opaque colorant, the amount of which is based on the total weight of i) porous particles in the dry, non-foamed light-attenuating coating.

[0245] Embodiment 2 of the Invention:

[0246] Except that, as shown in Table I below, only 10% by weight of porous particles (P) are present in the dry, non-foamed light-attenuating coating, the coated fabric substrate of Example 2 was prepared in the same manner as the coated fabric substrate of Example 1. This dry, non-foamed light-attenuating coating contains 0.005% by weight of carbon black as an opaque colorant, based on the amount of i) porous particles in the dry, non-foamed light-attenuating coating. The density and zero-shear viscosity values ​​are similar to those of the non-foamed aqueous composition prepared in Example 1.

[0247] Comparative Example 1:

[0248] This reference work is only referred to as the Mermet USA E Screen. TM The commercial fabric substrate sample, as described above, did not have a non-foamed light-degrading coating formed on it.

[0249] Comparative Example 2:

[0250] A non-foaming aqueous composition outside the scope of the present invention was prepared in the same manner as described in Example 1 of the invention, but without containing i) porous particles (P). Alternatively, S-3 alumina trihydrate is used to replace porous particles, by weight to weight. All other components of this non-foaming aqueous composition are the same as those described for Example 1 of the invention.

[0251] The comparative non-foaming aqueous composition was applied to a sample of the same fabric substrate in the same manner and dried to form a non-foaming light-attenuating coating with the same dry coverage as described for the fabric substrates coated in Examples 1 and 2 of the invention. The dry component composition is shown in Table I below.

[0252] Comparative Example 3:

[0253] Except that a dispersion of carbon black used in the preparation of the porous particles (P) is used instead of the porous particles (P), another non-foaming aqueous composition outside the scope of the invention is prepared in the same manner as described for Example 1 of the invention, such that the non-foaming aqueous composition contains an equal amount of carbon black as provided in Example 1 of the invention and is free of the porous particles (P) in the dried non-foaming light-attenuating coating. All other components of this non-foaming aqueous composition are the same as those described in Example 1 of the invention. This comparative non-foaming aqueous composition is applied to a sample of the same fabric substrate in the same manner and dried to form a non-foaming light-attenuating coating having the same dry coverage as described for Example 1 of the invention. The dry component composition is shown in Table I below. The non-foaming light-attenuating coating contains 0.01% by weight of carbon black as an opaque colorant based on the total weight of the dried non-foaming light-attenuating coating.

[0254] Comparative Example 4:

[0255] Except that a dispersion of carbon black used in the preparation of porous particles (P) is used instead of the porous particles (P), a non-foaming aqueous composition outside the scope of the invention is prepared in the same manner as described for Example 2 of the invention, such that the non-foaming aqueous composition contains an equal amount of carbon black as provided in Example 2 of the invention and is free of the porous particles (i). All other components of the non-foaming aqueous composition are the same as those described in Example 2 of the invention. The comparative non-foaming aqueous composition is applied to a sample of the same fabric substrate in the same manner and dried to form a non-foaming light-attenuating coating having the same dry coverage as described for Example 2 of the invention. The dry component composition is shown in Table I below.

[0256] The non-foamed light-degrading coating contains 0.005% by weight of carbon black as an opaque colorant based on the total weight of the dried non-foamed light-degrading coating.

[0257] In Table I below, the weight percentages listed are relative to the dry, non-foamed light attenuation coating on the coated fabric substrate.

[0258] Table I

[0259]

[0260] *Based on the total weight of the porous particles (i), or if the porous particles (i) are not present, based on the total weight of the optical attenuation layer.

[0261] The properties of the coated fabric substrates prepared in Examples 1 and 2 of the Invention and Comparative Examples 1-4 (as described above) are provided in Table II below.

[0262] Table II

[0263]

[0264]

[0265] All of these are defined in the definition section above.

[0266] As can be seen from the data in Table II, for Example 1 of the invention, %DVT is lower than that of Comparative Example 1 (uncoated commercial white / white E Screen). TMThe %DVT is reduced by nearly 65% ​​compared to that of the article of Comparative Example 1, thus significantly reducing glare in the room when the fabric substrate of the present invention is used as a window treatment. Total visible light TVT entering the room is also reduced without significantly affecting NVT (or, consequently, OF). On the other hand, WI is maintained with only a reduction of <10% in total visible light reflectance (TVR). The same applies to the fabric substrate coated by the present invention in Example 2, where DVT is reduced by more than 50% compared to that of the article of Comparative Example 1. In this case, WI and TVR are almost identical to those of Comparative Example 1.

[0267] For the fabric substrate coated in Comparative Example 2, where the porous particles i) are absent, the DVT was reduced by less than 35%, despite the use of a significantly larger amount of iv) white low-density hydrated alumina particles instead of the porous particles i) .

[0268] For the fabric substrate coated in Comparative Example 3, which contains only an equal amount of carbon black and no porous particles, DVT is reduced as required, but WI and TVR are also reduced to a visually significant degree compared to the fabric substrate coated in Example 1 of the Invention.

[0269] For the fabric substrate coated in Comparative Example 4, where the carbon black level is reduced to the carbon black level in the coated fabric substrate matching the carbon black level of Example 2 of the invention, the WI and TVR values ​​decrease with DVT, thereby demonstrating the advantage of having porous particles in the dry, non-foamed light-attenuating coating.

Claims

1. A non-foaming aqueous composition having at least 5% and at most 50% solids, shear-thinned with a zero-shear viscosity of at least 100 mPa·sec and at most 1000 mPa·sec, said zero-shear viscosity being measured using a frequency scan at 25°C. The non-foaming aqueous composition comprises components i) to iv): i) Porous particles present in an amount of at least 0.1% by weight and at most, including 15% by weight, each porous particle comprising a continuous polymer phase and discrete pores dispersed within the continuous polymer phase, the porous particles having a modulo particle size of at least 2 µm and at most, including 50 µm, and Optionally, an amount of up to and including 1% by weight of an opaque colorant may be included, the amount of which is based on the total weight of the i) porous particles; ii) A film-forming adhesive material comprising at least a chlorinated polymer, wherein the film-forming adhesive material is present in an amount of at least 4% by weight and at most and including 20% ​​by weight; iii) A white inorganic particulate filler material having a refractive index (RI) greater than 2 and a median particle size of less than 1 µm, wherein the iii) inorganic particulate filler material is present in an amount of at least 2% by weight and at most and including 15% by weight; and iv) White, low-density hydrated alumina particles with a median particle size of less than or equal to 3 µm and a density of less than 4 g / cm³. 3 The density, and present in an amount of at least 2% by weight and at most, including 16% by weight. All amounts of components i), ii), iii) and iv) are based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition, wherein the amount of the porous particles is such that in the non-foaming light-degrading dried coating formed from the non-foaming aqueous composition, the porous particles are present in an amount of at least 0.5% by weight and at most and including 20% ​​by weight based on the total weight of the non-foaming light-degrading dried coating.

2. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to claim 1, further comprising: v) Defoamer or antifoaming agent, or both, which are different from all of the components described in i), ii), iii) and iv).

3. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to claim 1, further comprising: a flame retardant, said flame retardant being different from all of said i), ii), iii), and iv), and being different from v) the defoamer or antifoamer if v) is present.

4. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to claim 1, having at least 25% and at most 40% solids.

5. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to claim 1, when measured using frequency scanning at 25°C, has a zero-shear viscosity of at least 500 mPa·sec and at most, including 750 mPa·sec.

6. The non-foaming aqueous composition of claim 1, wherein the i) porous particles are present in an amount of at least 5% by weight and at most and including 15% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition, and each porous particle has a modulo particle size of at least 3 µm and at most and including 20 µm.

7. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to claim 1, wherein the i) porous particles comprise the opaque colorant.

8. The non-foaming aqueous composition of claim 1, wherein the i) porous particles contain an opaque colorant in an amount of at least 0.005% by weight and at most 1% by weight, the amount of the opaque colorant being based on the total weight of the i) porous particles.

9. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to claim 1, wherein the opaque colorant is carbon black and is present in the discrete pores of the i) porous particles.

10. The non-foaming aqueous composition of claim 1, wherein the film-forming binder material is present in an amount of at least 5% by weight and at most 16% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition.

11. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to claim 1, wherein the chlorinated polymer accounts for at least 5% by weight and at most 100% by weight based on the total weight of the film-forming binder material of claim ii).

12. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to claim 1, wherein the chlorinated polymer is selected from polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-acrylic acid copolymers, polyvinylidene chloride, and combinations of two or more of these polymer materials.

13. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to claim 1, wherein the white inorganic particulate filler material (iii) is present in an amount of at least 5% by weight and at most 10% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition.

14. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to claim 1, wherein the white inorganic particulate filler material (iii) is selected from anatase titanium dioxide, rutile titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, barium sulfate, zinc oxide, zinc sulfide, and combinations of two or more of these materials.

15. The non-foaming aqueous composition of claim 1, wherein the iv) white low-density particulate hydrated alumina is present in an amount of at least 5% by weight and at most 12% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition.

16. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to claim 1, further comprising one or more of a thickener, a colorant, an optical brightener, a heat stabilizer, a dispersant, or a biocide.

17. The non-foaming aqueous composition according to claim 1, having a content greater than 0.8 g / cm³. 3 The density.

18. A non-foaming aqueous composition having at least 25% and at most 40% solids, and shear-thinned with a zero-shear viscosity of at least 500 mPa·sec and at most 750 mPa·sec, said zero-shear viscosity being measured using a frequency scan at 25°C. The non-foaming aqueous composition comprises components i) to v): i) Porous particles, which are present in an amount of at least 0.1% by weight and at most and including 15% by weight, each porous particle comprising a continuous polymer phase and discrete pores dispersed within the continuous polymer phase, the porous particles having a mode particle size of at least 3 µm and at most and including 20 µm, and containing an opaque colorant in an amount of at least 0.005% by weight and including 1% by weight, the amount of the opaque colorant being based on the total weight of the i) porous particles; ii) A film-forming adhesive material comprising at least a vinyl chloride polymer, a vinyl chloride-acrylic polymer, or a vinylidene chloride polymer, wherein the film-forming adhesive material is present in an amount of at least 8% by weight and at most and including 16% by weight; iii) A white inorganic particulate filler material having a refractive index greater than 2 (RI) and a median particle size of less than 1 µm, wherein the iii) inorganic particulate filler is present in an amount of at least 5% by weight and at most and including 10% by weight. iv) White, low-density hydrated alumina particles with a median particle size of less than or equal to 3 µm and a density of less than 4 g / cm³. 3 The density, and present in an amount of at least 8% by weight and at most including 12% by weight; and v) an antifoaming agent or defoaming agent, or both, present in a total amount of at least 0.01% by weight and at most 1% by weight, each of the antifoaming agent and defoaming agent being different from all of the components described in i), ii), iii), and iv); and All amounts of components i), ii), iii), iv), and v) are based on the total weight of the non-foaming aqueous composition, wherein the amount of the porous particles is such that in the non-foaming light-degrading dried coating formed from the non-foaming aqueous composition, the porous particles are present in an amount of at least 0.5% by weight and at most and including 20% ​​by weight based on the total weight of the non-foaming light-degrading dried coating.

19. The non-foaming aqueous composition of claim 18, wherein the film-forming binder material comprises at least polyvinyl chloride or a vinyl chloride-acrylic copolymer; the white inorganic particulate filler material comprises at least titanium dioxide; the opaque colorant is at least carbon black; and the non-foaming aqueous composition further comprises a thickener.

20. The non-foaming aqueous composition of claim 19, wherein the film-forming binder material (iii) comprises a vinyl chloride-acrylic acid copolymer.

21. A method for manufacturing a coated fabric substrate, the method comprising: A) Provide a fabric substrate comprising multiple core yarns all woven together, wherein at least some of the multiple core yarns comprise glass fibers, and the fabric substrate has a first side and a second side. and B) A non-foaming light-attenuating coating is formed on at least the first side of the fabric substrate by the non-foaming aqueous composition of any one of claims 1 to 20, said non-foaming aqueous composition having a content greater than 0.8 g / cm³. 3 The density is determined to provide a coated fabric substrate.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the film-forming binder material is present in an amount of at least 20% by weight and at most 40% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foamed light-decrease dried coating.

23. The method according to any one of claims 21 or 22, wherein the white inorganic particulate filler material (iii) is present in an amount of at least 15% by weight and at most 30% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foamed light-degrading dried coating.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the white low-density particulate hydrated alumina is present in an amount of at least 20% by weight and at most 30% by weight based on the total weight of the non-foamed light-degrading dried coating.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising forming a non-foamed light-attenuating coating only on the first side of the fabric substrate.

26. A coated fabric substrate comprising a plurality of core yarns all woven together, wherein at least some of the plurality of core yarns comprise glass fibers, the coated fabric substrate being derived from the method according to any one of claims 21 to 25. The fabric substrate has a first side and a second side, and the non-foamed light-attenuating coating is disposed only on the first side of the fabric substrate.

Images