Fabric printable medium

Abstract

A fabric printable medium includes a fabric base substrate, which includes yarn strands and voids among the yarn strands. The fabric printable medium further includes a finishing coating attached to the yarn strands of the fabric base substrate to form coated yarn strands. The finishing coating includes polymeric compound or a mixture of polymeric compounds having a glass transition temperature is less than 15° C. The fabric printable medium has pore spaces among the coated yarn strands that coincide with at least some of the voids of the fabric base substrate.

1 . A fabric printable medium, comprising:
 a. a fabric base substrate including yarn strands and voids among the yarn strands;   b. a finishing coating, attached to the yarn strands of the fabric base substrate, to form coated yarn strands, the finishing coating including a polymeric compound or a mixture of polymeric compounds having a glass transition temperature is less than 15° C.; and   c. pore spaces, among the coated yarn strands, that are coinciding with at least some of the voids of the fabric base substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The fabric printable medium as defined in  claim 1  wherein the finishing coating has a dry coat-weight of 6 gsm or less. 
     
     
         3 . The fabric printable medium as defined in  claim 1  wherein, in the finishing coating, the polymeric compound or mixture of polymeric compounds have a glass transition temperature is less than 5° C. 
     
     
         4 . The fabric printable medium as defined in  claim 1  wherein, in the finishing coating, the polymeric compound is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylate, polyurethane, vinyl-urethane, acrylic urethane, polyurethane-acrylic, polyether polyurethane, polyester polyurethane, polycaprolactam polyurethane, polyether polyurethane, polyamine, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The fabric printable medium as defined in  claim 1  wherein, in the finishing coating, the polymeric compound includes a polyurethane polymer. 
     
     
         6 . The fabric printable medium as defined in  claim 1  wherein the finishing coating is coated on surfaces of the yarn strands throughout a depth of the fabric base substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The fabric printable medium as defined in  claim 1  wherein the finishing coating is an aqueous dispersion having a solid content of 8 wt % or less. 
     
     
         8 . The fabric printable medium as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a waterproof coating attached to a back-side of the coated yarn strands. 
     
     
         9 . The fabric printable medium as defined in  claim 8  wherein the waterproof coating has a contact angle greater than 60°. 
     
     
         10 . The fabric printable medium as defined in  claim 8  wherein the waterproof coating has a surface energy of less than 40 mJ/m 2 . 
     
     
         11 . The fabric printable medium as defined in  claim 8  wherein the waterproof coating includes:
 a. a physical networking agent selected from the group consisting of an acrylate copolymer, a polyacrylic acid copolymer, a polyether copolymer, a polyurethane copolymer, and combinations thereof, the physical networking agent having a weight average molecular weight from 300,000 Mw to 1,000,000 Mw; and 
 b. a waterproof agent selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene chloride, a polyolefin, poly(ethylene terephthalate), a wax, perfluorooctane sulfonate, perfluorooctanoic acid, a hydrogen siloxane, a long chain hydrocarbon, and a modified fatty resin. 
 
     
     
         12 . A method for forming a fabric printable medium, comprising applying a finishing composition, including a polymeric compound or a mixture of polymeric compounds having a glass transition temperature is less than 15° C., to yarn strands of a fabric base substrate, that includes yarn strands and voids among the yarn strands, thereby forming a finishing coating attached to the yarn strands of the fabric base substrate to form coated yarn strands and pore spaces among the coated yarn strands that coincide with at least some voids of the fabric base substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The method as defined in  claim 12  wherein the application of the finishing composition is applied at dry coat-weight of 6 gsm or less. 
     
     
         14 . The method as defined in  claim 12 , further comprising applying a waterproofing composition to a back-side of the coated yarn strands, thereby forming a waterproof coating. 
     
     
         15 . A printing method, comprising:
 a. obtaining a fabric printable medium including a fabric base substrate including yarn strands and voids among the yarn strands; a finishing coating attached to the yarn strands of the fabric base substrate to form coated yarn strands, the finishing coating including a polymeric compound or a mixture of polymeric compounds having a glass transition temperature is less than 15° C.; and pore spaces among the coated yarn strands and coinciding with at least some of the voids of the fabric base substrate; and   b. applying an ink composition onto an image-side of the coated yarn strands to form a printed image.