Aqueous functional composition for articles

1. A functional composition formulation that is an aqueous dispersion having at least 0.5% solids and up to and including 15% solids, and comprises the following essential (i) and (iv) components, water, and any of the optional (ii), (v), (vi), and (vii) components:

(i) fumed silica in an amount of at least 0.5 weight % and up to and including 10 weight %, based on the total weight of the functional composition formulation;

a (ii) solid or non-solid lubricant;

one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders, each having a glass transition temperature (T g ) below 25° C.;

a (v) crosslinking agent if it is needed to crosslink the water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binder;

a (vi) thickener; and

a (vii) coating aid having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance number of at least 5,

wherein the weight ratio of the (i) fumed silica to the one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders, is at least 10:1 and up to and including 1:1.

2. The functional composition formulation of claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of the (i) fumed silica to the one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders, is at least 5:1 to and including 1:1.

3. The functional composition formulation of claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of the (i) fumed silica to the one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders, is at least 4:1 to and including 2:1.

4. The functional composition formulation of claim 1 , wherein the (i) fumed silica is present in an amount of at least 1 weight % and up to and including 5 weight %, based on the total weight of the functional composition formulation.

5. The functional composition formulation of claim 1 , wherein the one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders includes a poly(vinyl alcohol), a partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetate, a cellulosic polymer, a poly(ethylene oxide), a poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), an acrylic polymer, an acrylamide polymer, a fluorinated polymer, a polymer containing siloxane moieties, gelatin or a gelatin derivative, gellan, a polysaccharide, a polyurethane, a polyester ionomer, or a combination of two or more of these materials.

6. The functional composition formulation of claim 1 , wherein the one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders includes at least a fluorinated polyurethane.

7. The functional composition formulation of claim 1 , wherein the (vi) thickener is present and is alginates, guar gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, acrylic polymers that are alkali swellable, agar, carboxymethyl cellulose, pectin, or carrageenan.

8. The functional composition formulation of claim 1 , wherein the (vii) coating aid is present in an amount of at least 0.01 weight % and up to and including 5 weight %, based on the total weight of the functional composition formulation.

9. The functional composition of claim 1 , further comprising hollow glass particles.

10. An opacifying element comprising a substrate having a first opposing side and a second opposing side, and having disposed on at least one of the first and second opposing sides:

a single, foamed dry opacifying layer comprising:

(a) at least 0.1 weight % and up to and including 35 weight % of porous particles, each porous particle comprising a continuous polymeric phase and discrete pores dispersed within the continuous polymeric phase, the porous particles having a mode particle size of at least 2 μm and up to and including 50 μm;

(b′) at least 10 weight % and up to and including 80 weight % of a matrix material that is derived from a (b) binder material having a glass transition temperature (T g ) of less than 25° C.;

(c) at least 0.0001 weight % and up to and including 50 weight % of one or more additives selected from the group consisting of dispersants, foaming agents, foam stabilizing agents, plasticizers, flame retardants, optical brighteners, thickeners, biocides, and tinting colorants;

(d) less than 5 weight % of water; and

(e) at least 0.002 weight % of an opacifying colorant different from all of the one or more additives of (c), which opacifying colorant absorbs electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of at least 380 nm and up to and including 800 nm,

all amounts being based on the total weight of the single, foamed dry opacifying layer; and

an outermost, nonfoamed functional composition disposed on the single, foamed dry opacifying layer, which outermost, nonfoamed functional composition comprises the following essential (i) and (iv) components and any of the optional (ii), (v), (vi), and (vii) components;

(i) fumed silica in an amount of at least 15 weight % and up to and including 95 weight %, based on the total weight of the outermost, nonfoamed functional composition;

a (ii) a solid or non-solid lubricant;

one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders, each having a glass transition temperature T g below 25° C.;

a (v) crosslinking agent if it is needed to crosslink the water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binder;

a (vi) thickener; and

a (vii) coating aid having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance number of at least 5,

wherein the weight ratio of the (i) fumed silica to the one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders, is at least 10:1 and up to and including 1:1.

11. The opacifying element of claim 10 , wherein the weight ratio of the (i) fumed silica to the one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders, is at least 5:1 to and including 1:1.

12. The opacifying element of claim 10 , wherein the (ii) lubricant is present.

13. The opacifying element of claim 10 , wherein the (i) fumed silica is present in an amount of at least 60 weight % and up to and including 80 weight %, based on the total weight of the outermost, nonfoamed functional composition.

14. The opacifying element of claim 10 , wherein the one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders includes a poly(vinyl alcohol), a partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetate, a cellulosic polymer, a poly(ethylene oxide), a poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), an acrylic polymer, an acrylamide polymer, a fluorinated polymer, a polymer containing siloxane moieties, gelatin or a gelatin derivative, gellan, a polysaccharide, a polyurethane, a polyester ionomer, or a combination of two or more of these materials.

15. The opacifying element of claim 10 , wherein the one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders includes at leas a fluorinated polyurethane.

16. The opacifying element of claim 10 , having an L* value of at least 80.

17. The opacifying element of claim 10 , wherein the outermost, nonfoamed functional composition is present at a dry coverage of at least 0.5 g/m 2 and up to and including 15 g/m 2 .

18. The opacifying element of claim 10 , wherein the outermost, nonfoamed functional composition is disposed on the single opacifying layer at a dry coverage of at least 0.5 g/m 2 and up to and including 15 g/m 2 .

19. A functional composition formulation that is an aqueous dispersion having at least 0.5% solids and up to and including 15% solids, and

comprises all of the following (i), (ii), (iv), (v), (vi), and (vii) components, water, and hollow glass particles in an amount of at least 0.25 weight % and up to and including 20 weight % based on the total weight of the functional composition formulation;

(i) fumed silica in an amount of at least 0.5 weight % and up to and including 10 weight %, based on the total weight of the functional composition formulation;

a (ii) solid or non-solid lubricant;

one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders, each having a glass transition temperature (T g ) below 25° C.;

a (v) crosslinking agent if it is needed to crosslink the water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binder;

a (vi) thickener in an amount of at least 0.001 weight % and up to and including 10 weight %, based on the total weight of the functional composition formulation; and

a (vii) coating aid having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance number of at least 5, present in an amount of at least 0.01 weight % and up to and including 5 weight %, based on the total weight of the functional composition formulation,

wherein the weight ratio of the (i) fumed silica to the one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders, is at least 10:1 and up to and including 1:1.

20. The functional composition formulation of claim 19 , wherein:

the (i) fumed silica is present in an amount of at least 1 weight % and up to and including 5 weight %, based on the total weight of the functional composition formulation;

the one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders includes at least a fluorinated polyurethane, and all of the one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders are present in a total amount of at least 0.05 weight % and up to and including 5 weight %, based on the total weight of the functional composition formulation;

the (vi) thickener is an alginate, guar gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, acrylic polymers that are alkali swellable, agar, carboxymethyl cellulose, pectin, or carrageenan; and

the (vii) coating aid has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance number of at least 7, and is a trisiloxane or an acetylenic diol,

wherein the weight ratio of the (i) fumed silica to the one or more (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binders, is at least 5:1 and up to and including 1:1.