Process for chemically embossing heat-foamable resinous material using agueous alcoholic, growth-controlling printing ink compositions

Claim 1

A process for chemically embossing heat-foamable and expandable resinous materials which comprises: applying to selected, predetermined portions of the surface of heat-foamable and expandable resinous materials containing a foaming or blowing agent capable of causing said resinous materials to grow and to expand upon heating an aqueous-alcoholic, foam-growth-controlling printing ink composition having a pH of from about 8 to about 12 and being capable of controlling the growth and the expansion of said resinous materials as a result of said heating, said foam-growth-controlling printing ink composition comprising: (1) a foam-growth-controlling chemical agent which is soluble or dispersible in said aqueous-alcoholic, foam-growth-controlling printing ink composition and sufficiently stable therein as to retain its foam-growth-controlling properties, said foam-growth-controlling chemical agent being a pentatomic heterocyclic ring compound containing three nitrogen atoms and two carbon atoms in the pentatomic heterocyclic ring and being capable of controlling the growth and the expansion of said resinous materials as a result of said heating; (2) a water-soluble or water-dispersible alcohol containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms; (3) a pH controlling or buffering agent capable of creating or maintaining the pH of said aqueous-alcoholic, foam-growth-controlling printing ink composition in the range of from about 8 to about 12; (4) an aqueous printing ink composition; and (5) added water, sufficient to adjust the viscosity of said aqueous-alcoholic, foam-growth-controlling printing ink composition to desired levels for printing on said heat-foamable and expandable resinous materials; and heating said heat-foamable and expandable resinous materials whereby said selected, predetermined portions to which said aqueous-alcoholic, foam-growth-controlling printing ink composition was applied attain heights differing from the contrasting with those other portions to which said aqueous-alcoholic, foam-growth-controlling printing ink composition was not applied.