Graphic arts media are provided which offer raised, three-dimensional effects. A basic medium is formulated of a colorant, film-forming binder, a solvent vehicle and thermally expandable microspheres. The microspheres are treated to preclude or inhibit solvation in the solvent vehicle by coating with a compound which is a non-solvent for the microspheres but which preferentially wets the surface thereof. Alkyl alcohols having about 3 to 5 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain are employed. The medium is selectively applied to a substrate, dried, and heated to expand the microspheres.
This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 378,704, now abandoned, filed July 12, 1973 as a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 342,744 filed Mar. 19, 1973 as a division of application Ser. No. 259,656 filed June 5, 1972 as a continuation-in-part of preceding application Ser. No. 122,086 filed Mar. 8, 1971, said applications Ser. Nos. 122,086 and 259,656 now being abandoned and said application Ser. No. 342,744 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,181 dated Feb. 4. 1975.
Syntactic foam graphic arts print media are provided which are particularly suitable for application to a substrate using high speed mechanical printing processes. The invention involves adding to a basic print medium a minor amount of pre-expanded, nonfriable, thermoplastic polyvinylidene chloride based microspheres substantially heat stable between about -20.degree. C. and 175.degree. C., having a particle size to about 10 to 100 microns in diameter, to produce syntactic foams having unlimited shelflife stability. The print media thereby produced may be applied to any known substrate in any desired graphic pattern.
A method for producing surface coatings on articles, such as stick surfaces, coats at least a part of the surface with a coating. The coating has expandable particles. One surface region of the coating is treated so that the particles expand, while another surface region of the coating remains untreated. The corresponding article, such as a stick, has a surface provided at least partly with a coating with said expandable particles. The particles of the coating are expanded in one surface region thereof and unexpanded in another surface region. The former surface region projects beyond the surface of the latter surface region.
The introduction of a foamable silicone rubber composition that evolves neither toxic gas nor hydrogen, that does not suffer from inhibition of its cure to give silicone rubber, and that cures to give a silicone rubber foam containing uniform microcells. The foamable silicone rubber composition comprises: (A) 100 weight parts thermosetting liquid silicone rubber composition, and (B) 0.1 to 30 weight parts thermally expansible hollow plastic microparticles.
The invention is an aqueous softening filler for leather and a process for softening leather which utilizes the softening filler. The softening filler comprises thermoexpansible microcapsules. The thermoexpansible microcapsules are impregnated into the leather from an aqueous dispersion or from a mixture containing the thermoexpansible microcapsules and fat liquor. After the leather is impregnated with the thermoexpansible microcapsules, the leather is heated to a temperature above which the thermoexpansible microcapsules expand. The process improves the softness of the leather.
A three-dimensional visual artistic work comprising a skeletal fiber glass fabric; a first resin coating applied substantially evenly on the skeletal fiber glass fabric and cured to create a skeletal frame having two opposed substantially smooth surfaces; at least one first additional colored resin coating applied to the skeletal frame over only a portion of the skeletal frame and cured to create a portion of the three-dimensional visual artistic work; and at least one second additional colored resin coating applied to the skeletal frame after the first additional colored coating has cured to cover at least in part at least one of the first additional colored resin coating and the skeletal frame and then cured to create a portion of the three-dimensional visual artistic work.
