U.S. patent application number 10/483156 was filed with the patent office on 2004-11-04 for flameproof textile surface structures.
Invention is credited to Berbner, Heinz, Eichhorn, Hans-Dieter, Ott, Karl.
Application Number | 20040219852 10/483156 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7691455 |
Filed Date | 2004-11-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040219852 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Eichhorn, Hans-Dieter ; et
al. |
November 4, 2004 |
Flameproof textile surface structures
Abstract
The invention relates to textile surface structures containing
A) 20 to 90 wt % melamine fibres A), and B) 10 to 80 wt %
flameproof polyester fibres B).
Inventors: |
Eichhorn, Hans-Dieter;
(Weisenheim am Berg, DE) ; Ott, Karl; (Plankstadt,
DE) ; Berbner, Heinz; (Morlenbach, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
C Robert Rhodes
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice
PO Box 7037
Atlanta
GA
30357-0037
US
|
Family ID: |
7691455 |
Appl. No.: |
10/483156 |
Filed: |
June 17, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
July 5, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP02/07487 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
442/301 ;
428/920; 428/921; 442/302; 442/414 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D02G 3/443 20130101;
A41D 31/08 20190201; Y10T 442/696 20150401; D03D 15/513 20210101;
Y10T 442/3976 20150401; D10B 2331/021 20130101; Y10T 442/3984
20150401 |
Class at
Publication: |
442/301 ;
442/302; 442/414; 428/920; 428/921 |
International
Class: |
D03D 025/00; D03D
015/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 16, 2001 |
DE |
101 33 787.6 |
Claims
We claim:
1. Textile fabrics comprising A) from 20 to 90% by weight of
melamine fiber A), and B) from 10 to 80% by weight of flame
resistant polyester fiber B).
2. Textile fabrics as claimed in claim 1, comprising C) up to 40%
by weight of non polyester flame resistant fiber C).
3. Textile fabrics as claimed in claims 1 to 2, wherein the non
polyester flame resistant fibers C) are selected from aramid
fibers, flame resistant viscose fibers and flame resistant
modacrylics.
4. Textile fabrics as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, comprising
D) up to 25% by weight of non flame resistant fibers D).
5. Textile fabrics as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the
non flame resistant fibers D) are polyamide fibers.
6. Textile fabrics as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, selected
from wovens and nonwovens.
7. The use of textile fabrics as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6
for manufacturing heat protective clothing and flame protective
clothing.
8. The use of textile fabrics as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 in
vehicles and spaces at risk from fire.
9. A use as claimed in claim 8, wherein the textile fabrics are
used in seating furniture, lying furniture, mattress covers,
wallcoverings and wallpapers.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to textile fabrics
comprising
[0002] A) from 20 to 90% by weight of melamine fiber A), and
[0003] B) from 10 to 80% by weight of flame resistant polyester
fiber B).
[0004] The present invention further relates to the use of these
textile fabrics for manufacturing heat protective clothing and
flame protective clothing and to the use of these textile fabrics
in vehicles and spaces at risk from fire.
[0005] Flame resistant wovens and nonwovens are used in heat and
flame protective clothing but also in vehicles and spaces at risk
from fire, for example as a fire guard in the upholstery of seats,
as flame resistant mattress covers, wallcovers and wallpapers.
Owing to the severe mechanical stress encountered for example in
the case of seat cushions in public transit means and airplanes or
in the case of wallcoverings in movie houses and theatres, the
wovens and nonwovens shall be durable and abrasion resistant.
[0006] Seat upholstery, wallcoverings, wallpapers and other fixed
textiles are customarily cleaned or reconditioned in place; flame
protective clothing is washed in industrial washing machines. The
woven and nonwoven fabrics have to be resistant to this severe
physical stress.
[0007] Flame protective fibers such as those based on aramid (for
example Twaron.RTM. from Akzo-Nobel, Kevlar.RTM. and Nomex.RTM.
from DuPont, Technora.RTM. from Teijin) exhibit good heat and flame
protection, but are so harsh as to offer poor wear comfort when
used in clothing or an unpleasant hand when used in a fixed
application, for example in seat covers. Moreover, they possess
inadequate wear resistance.
[0008] EP-A 874 079 discloses heat and flame protective wovens
comprising a blend of melamine fibers and aramid fibers.
[0009] DE-A 195 23 081 discloses blends of 10 to 90 parts by weight
of melamine fibers and 10 to 90 parts by weight of natural fibers
and also fabrics woven therefrom.
[0010] DE-A 196 17 634 discloses flame resistant fabrics woven from
melamine fibers, optionally flame resistant fibers and normally
flammable fibers such as wool, cotton, polyamide, polyester and
viscose. Flame resistant polyesters are not mentioned.
[0011] EP-A 976 335 discloses fabrics woven from 10 to 90% by
weight of cotton fibers, 5 to 45% by weight of polyamide or
polyester fibers and 5 to 45% by weight of melamine fibers. The
examples utilize normal (non flame resistant) polyester fiber.
[0012] The performance profile of these prior art wovens is
unsatisfactory. More particularly, the abrasion resistance is
inadequate and the resistance to cleaning operations is not always
satisfactory.
[0013] It is an object of the present invention to remedy the
aforementioned disadvantages. It is a particular object to provide
textile fabrics combining good flame and heat protection, good wear
comfort and pleasant hand.
[0014] It is a further object to provide textile fabrics which
provide good flame protection even after numerous cleaning and
conditioning operations. The textile fabrics shall lastly possess
high abrasion resistance and be environmentally compatible.
[0015] We have found that these objects are achieved by the textile
fabrics defined at the beginning and by the uses defined at the
beginning. Preferred embodiments of the invention are revealed in
subclaims.
[0016] None of the prior art documents cited discloses or suggests
using flame resistant polyester fibers together with melamine
fibers.
[0017] As used herein, "textile fabrics" comprehends all sheetlike
textile articles, whatever their method of production. Useful
textile fabrics accordingly include for example wovens, formed-loop
knits, drawn-loop knits, tufteds, felts and nonwovens.
[0018] As to "flame resistant", some preliminary remarks may be in
order. To test the fire performance or flame resistance of a
material, the material is exposed to an external source of
ignition, for example a flame, under defined conditions, for
example type, size, geometry and arrangement of the sample and the
flame, flame temperature, duration of flaming. The source of
ignition is removed and the behavior of the material is observed,
for example slow or rapid burning, self-extinguishing, burning or
melting drips, glowing, evolution of toxic gases, smoke evolution,
etc.
[0019] By "flame resistant" is meant that the material--the fiber
or fabric--is incombustible or continues to burn only very slowly
or is self-extinguishing.
[0020] Flame resistance can be inherent to the chemical composition
of the fiber or the construction of the textile fabric. This is the
case with aramid fibers or glass fibers for example. Similarly, for
example in the case of flame resistant polyester fibers, flame
resistance can be attained through treatment of the fibers, of the
yarn or of the textile fabric with a flame retardant or--often
preferred--by using a flame retardant in the course of the
production of the fiber. For example, the flame retardant may be
incorporated into the fiber as the fiber is being made.
[0021] Useful flame retardants include in particular reactive
phosphorus compounds, for example Afflamit.RTM., Pyrovatex.RTM.,
Proban.RTM. or Secan.RTM..
[0022] The textile fabrics of the invention comprise
[0023] A) from 20 to 90%, preferably from 30 to 70% and
particularly preferably from 40 to 60% by weight of melamine fibers
A), and
[0024] B) from 10 to 80%, preferably from 30 to 70% and
particularly preferably from 40 to 60% by weight of flame resistant
polyester fiber B).
[0025] Melamine Fiber A)
[0026] The melamine fiber used according to the invention may be
produced for example according to the processes described in EP-A
93 965, DE-A 23 64 091, EP-A 221 330 or EP-A 408 947. Particularly
preferred melamine fiber includes as monomeric building block (A)
from 90 to 100 mol % of a mixture consisting essentially of from 30
to 100, preferably from 50 to 99, particularly preferably from 85
to 95, especially from 88 to 93, mol % of melamine and from 0 to
70, preferably from 1 to 50, particularly preferably from 5 to 15,
especially from 7 to 12, mol % of a substituted melamine I or
mixtures of substituted melamines I.
[0027] As further monomer building block (B) the particularly
preferred melamine fiber contains from 0 to 10, preferably from 0.1
to 9.5, especially from 1 to 5, mol %, based on the total number of
moles of monomeric building blocks (A) and (B), of a phenol or of a
mixture of phenols.
[0028] The particularly preferred melamine fiber is customarily
obtainable by reacting components (A) and (B) with formaldehyde or
formaldehyde-supplying compounds and subsequent spinning, the molar
ratio of melamines to formaldehyde being in the range from 1:1.15
to 1:4.5, preferably in the range from 1:1.8 to 1:3.0.
[0029] Useful substituted melamines of the general formula I 1
[0030] include those where X.sup.1, X.sup.2 and X.sup.3 are each
selected from the group consisting of --NH.sub.2, --NHR.sup.1 and
--NR.sup.1R.sup.2, subject to the proviso that X.sup.1, X.sup.2 and
X.sup.3 are not all --NH.sub.2, and R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each
selected from the group consisting of
hydroxy-C.sub.2-C.sub.10-alkyl,
hydroxy-C.sub.2-C.sub.4-alkyl-(oxa-C.sub.2-C.sub.4-alkyl).sub.n,
where n is from 1 to 5, and amino-C.sub.2-C.sub.12-alkyl.
[0031] Hydroxy-C.sub.2-C.sub.10-alkyl is preferably
hydroxy-C.sub.2-C.sub.6-alkyl, such as 2-hydroxyethyl,
3-hydroxy-n-propyl, 2-hydroxyisopropyl, 4-hydroxy-n-butyl,
5-hydroxy-n-pentyl, 6-hydroxy-n-hexyl,
3-hydroxy-2,2-dimethylpropyl, preferably
hydroxy-C.sub.2-C.sub.4-alkyl, such as 2-hydroxyethyl,
3-hydroxy-n-propyl, 2-hydroxyisopropyl and 4-hydroxy-n-butyl,
particularly preferably 2-hydroxyethyl and 2-hydroxyisopropyl.
[0032]
Hydroxy-C.sub.2-C.sub.4-alkyl-(oxa-C.sub.2-C.sub.4-alkyl).sub.n
preferably has n from 1 to 4, particularly preferably n 1 or 2,
such as 5-hydroxy-3-oxapentyl, 5-hydroxy-3-oxa-2,5-dimethylpentyl,
5-hydroxy-3-oxa-1,4-dimethylpentyl,
5-hydroxy-3-oxa-1,2,4,5-tetramethylpe- ntyl,
8-hydroxy-3,6-dioxaoctyl.
[0033] Amino-C.sub.2-C.sub.12-alkyl is preferably
amino-C.sub.2-C.sub.8-al- kyl, such as 2-aminoethyl, 3-aminopropyl,
4-aminobutyl, 5-aminopentyl, 6-aminohexyl, 7-aminoheptyl and
8-aminooctyl, particularly preferably 2-aminoethyl and
6-aminohexyl, very particularly preferably 6-aminohexyl.
[0034] Particularly useful substituted melamines for the invention
include the following compounds: 2-hydroxyethylamino-substituted
melamines such as
2-(2-hydroxyethylamino)-4,6-diamino-1,3,5-triazine,
2,4-di(2-hydroxyethylamino)-6-amino-1,3,5-triazine,
2,4,6-tris(2-hydroxyethylamino)-1,3,5-triazine;
2-hydroxyisopropylamino-s- ubstituted melamines, such as
2-(2-hydroxyisopropylamino)-4,6-diamino-1,3,- 5-triazine,
2,4-di(2-hydroxyisopropylamino)-6-amino-1,3,5-triazine,
2,4,6-tris(2-hydroxyisopropylamino)-1,3,5-triazine;
5-hydroxy-3-oxapentylamino-substituted melamines, such as
2-(5-hydroxy-3-oxapentylamino)-4,6-diamino-1,3,5-triazine,
2,4-di(5-hydroxy-3-oxapentylamino)-6-amino-1,3,5-triazine,
2,4,6-tris(5-hydroxy-3-oxapentylamino)-1,3,5-triazine,
6-aminohexylamino-substituted melamines, such as
2-(6-aminohexylamino)-4,- 6-diamino-1,3,5-triazine,
2,4-di(6-aminohexylamino)-6-amino-1,3,5-triazine- ,
2,4,6-tris(6-aminohexylamino)-1,3,5-triazine; or mixtures thereof,
for example a mixture of 10 mol % of
2-(5-hydroxy-3-oxapentylamino)-4,6-diami- no-1,3,5-triazine, 50 mol
% of 2,4-di(5-hydroxy-3-oxapentylamino)-6-amino-- 1,3,5-triazine
and 40 mol % of 2,4,6-tris(5-hydroxy-3-oxapentylamino)-1,3,-
5-triazine.
[0035] Useful phenols (B) include phenols that contain one or two
hydroxyl groups and may be substituted by radicals selected from
the group consisting of C.sub.1-C.sub.9-alkyl and hydroxyl, and
also C.sub.1-C.sub.4-alkanes substituted by two or three phenol
groups, di(hydroxyphenyl) sulfones, or mixtures thereof.
[0036] Preferred phenols are: phenol, 4-methylphenol,
4-tert-butylphenol, 4-n-octylphenol, 4-n-nonylphenol, pyrocatechol,
resorcinol, hydroquinone, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane,
bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) sulfone, particularly preferably phenol,
resorcinol and 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)pr- opane.
[0037] Formaldehyde is generally used as an aqueous solution having
a concentration of, for example, from 40 to 50% by weight or in the
form of compounds supplying formaldehyde in the course of the
reaction with (A) and (B), for example as oligomeric or polymeric
formaldehyde in solid form such as paraformaldehyde, 1,3,5-trioxane
or 1,3,5,7-tetroxocane.
[0038] The particularly preferred melamine fiber is customarily
produced by polycondensing melamine, optionally substituted
melamine and optionally phenol together with formaldehyde or
formaldehyde-supplying compounds. All the components may be added
from the start or may be reacted a little at a time and
successively and the precondensates formed may have further
melamine, substituted melamine or phenol added to them
subsequently.
[0039] The polycondensation is carried out in a conventional manner
(see EP-A 355 760, Houben-Weyl, Vol. 14/2, p. 357 ff).
[0040] The reaction temperature is generally in the range from 20
to 150.degree. C., preferably in the range from 40 to 140.degree.
C. The reaction pressure is generally not critical. The reaction is
generally carried out in the range from 100 to 500 kPa, preferably
under atmospheric pressure.
[0041] The reaction can be carried out with or without solvent.
Generally, no solvent is added when using aqueous formaldehyde
solution. When formaldehyde bound in solid form is used, it is
customary to use water as solvent, the amount used being generally
within the range from 5 to 40%, preferably from 15 to 20%, by
weight based on the total amount of monomers used.
[0042] The polycondensation is generally carried out in the pH
range above 7. The pH range from 7.5 to 10.0 is preferred and that
from 8 to 9 is particularly preferred.
[0043] The reaction mixture may further include small amounts of
customary additives, such as alkali metal sulfites, eg. sodium
disulfite and sodium sulfite, alkali metal formates, eg. sodium
formate, alkali metal citrates, eg. sodium citrate, phosphates,
polyphosphates, urea, dicyandiamide or cyanamide. They may be added
as pure individual compounds or as mixtures with each other, in
each case without a solvent or as aqueous solution, before, during
or after the condensation reaction.
[0044] Other modifiers are amines and aminoalcohols, such as
diethylamine, ethanolamine, diethanolamine or
2-diethylaminoethanol.
[0045] Useful additives further include fillers and emulsifiers.
Useful fillers include for example fibrous or pulverulent inorganic
reinforcing agents or fillers, such as glass fiber, metal powder,
metal salts or silicates, for example kaolin, talc, baryte, quartz
or chalk, pigments and dyes. Emulsifiers used are generally the
customary nonionic, anionic or cationic organic compounds having
long-chain alkyl moieties.
[0046] The polycondensation can be carried out batchwise or
continuously, for example in an extruder (see EP-A 355 760),
according to conventional methods.
[0047] To produce fiber the melamine resin of the invention is
generally spun in a conventional manner, for example after addition
of a curing agent, customarily acids, such as formic acid, sulfuric
acid or ammonium chloride, at room temperature in a rotospinning
machine and subsequently curing the crude fiber in a heated
atmosphere or by spinning in a heated atmosphere, simultaneously
evaporating the water solvent and curing the condensate. Such a
process is described in detail in DE-A-23 64 091.
[0048] However, melamine fiber can also be produced using other
customary methods, for example fiber pulling, extrusion and
fibrillation. The fiber obtained is generally predried, optionally
drawn and then cured at from 120 to 250.degree. C.
[0049] The fiber is typically from 5 to 25 .mu.m in thickness and
from 2 to 2000 mm in length. Useful melamine resins are, for
example, commercially available from BASF as Basofil.RTM..
[0050] Polyester Fiber B)
[0051] Polyesters are homopolymers, copolymers, blends and graft
polymers of synthetic long-chain polyesters that contain recurring
ester groups in the polymer main chain as an essential constituent.
Preferred polyesters are esters of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid
with an aliphatic dihydroxy compound, i.e., polyalkylene arylates
such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polybutylene
terephthalate (PBT).
[0052] Such polyalkylene arylates are obtainable by esterifying or
transesterifying an aromatic dicarboxylic acid or its esters or
ester-forming derivatives with a molar excess of an aliphatic
dicarboxy compound and polycondensing the resultant esterification
or transesterification product in a known manner.
[0053] Preferred dicarboxylic acids are 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic
acid, terephthalic acid and isophthalic acid or mixtures thereof.
Up to 30 mol % and preferably not more than 10 mol % of the
aromatic dicarboxylic acids may be replaced by aliphatic or
cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acids such as adipic acid, azeleic
acid, sebacic acid, dodecanedioic acids and cyclohexanedicarboxylic
acids.
[0054] Preferred aliphatic dihydroxy compounds are diols having 2
to 6 carbon atoms, especially 1,2-ethanediol, 1,3-propanediol,
1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 1,4-hexanediol,
5-methyl-1,5-pentanediol, 1,4-cyclohexanediol,
1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol and neopentyl glycol or mixtures
thereof.
[0055] Particularly preferred polyesters are polyalkylene
terephthalates derived from alkanediols having 2 to 10 and
preferably 2 to 6 carbon atoms. Of these, particular preference is
given to polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate
or blends thereof.
[0056] Preference is further given to polyethylene terephthalates
and polybutylene terephthalates which contain up to 1% by weight,
based on the polyesters, preferably up to 0.75% by weight, of
1,6-hexanediol and/or 5-methyl-1,5-pentanediol as further monomer
units.
[0057] Such polyalkylene terephthalates are known per se and are
described in the literature. They contain in the main chain an
aromatic ring derived from the aromatic dicarboxylic acid. The
aromatic ring may be substituted, for example by halogen such as
chlorine and bromine or by C.sub.1-C.sub.4-alkyl groups such as
methyl, ethyl, i-propyl, n-propyl, n-butyl, i-butyl or t-butyl.
[0058] The reaction is customarily carried out using a molar excess
of diol in order that the ester equilibrium may be influenced in
the desired form. The molar ratio of dicarboxylic acid or
ester:diol is customarily in the range from 1:1.1 to 1:3.5 and
preferably in the range from 1:1.2 to 1:2.2. Very particular
preference is given to a dicarboxylic acid:diol molar ratio of from
1:1.5 to 1:2 and to a diester:diol molar ratio of from 1:1.2 to
1.5.
[0059] However, it is also possible to conduct the ester reaction
using a smaller excess of diol in a first temperature zone and to
correspondingly add further amounts of diol in subsequent
temperature zones.
[0060] It may be advantageous to conduct the reaction in the
presence of a catalyst. Preferred catalysts are titanium compounds
and tin compounds as known inter alia from U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,421
and U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,444. Preferred compounds are tetrabutyl
orthotitanate and triisopropyl titanate and also tin dioctoate.
[0061] Useful polyester fibers include all customary textile fibers
composed of the aforementioned polyesters. Such fibers are
known.
[0062] Polyester fibers are customarily produced by the melt
spinning or the extrusion process, whereafter they are stretched
hot. A subsequent heat treatment may be used to render them highly
crystalline and shrinkage resistant. Details concerning polyester
fibers may be found in Ullmanns Encyklopdie der Technischen Chemie,
vol. 11, 4th edition, page 305, Verlag Chemie, Weinheim 1978, and
Z. Rogowin's monograph, Chemiefasern, Thieme-Verlag, Stuttgart
1982, pages 259-285.
[0063] Useful polyester fibers include for example the commercially
available Trevira.RTM. fibers from Trevira GmbH and Teretal.RTM.
fibers from Montefibre.
[0064] In the case of wovens, the polyester fibers of the fill
thread may be identical to or different from the polyester fibers
of the warp thread. For instance, the fill may contain PET fibers
and the warp PBT fibers, and vice versa.
[0065] According to the invention, the polyester fibers are flame
resistant. The flame resistance is attained by treating the fibers
and/or yarn with flame retardants or--preferably--by using flame
retardants in the course of the production of the polyester fibers,
i.e., the flame retardant is incorporated into the fiber as it is
being made.
[0066] Useful flame retardants include reactive phosphorus
compounds, for example Afflamit.RTM. from Thor Chemie,
Pyrovatex.RTM. from Ciba, Proban.RTM. from Albright and Wilson,
Secan.RTM. from Schumer. Polyphosphonates are also suitable. It is
similarly possible to use halogen compounds, especially bromine
compounds such as
2,2-bis(4,4'-hydroxyethoxy-3,5-dibromophenyl)propane, as flame
retardants.
[0067] The treatment of the fibers or yarns with the flame
retardants or the use of the flame retardants in the course of
fiber production is effected in a conventional manner. The flame
retardants are customarily used in a total amount of from 0.1 to
30% by weight, based on the flame resistant polyester fibers B)
(that is, based on the sum total of normal, non flame resistant
polyester fibers and flame retardant).
[0068] Flame resistant polyester fibers are commercially available
for example as Trevira.RTM. CS from Trevira GmbH and as Dacron.RTM.
from DuPont.
[0069] Flame Resistant Fibers C)
[0070] The textile fabrics of the invention, as well as melamine
fibers A) and flame resistant polyester fibers B), may optionally
further comprise up to 40% by weight of further flame resistant
fibers C) other than polyester.
[0071] The proportion of the further flame resistant fibers C) is
preferably up to 30% by weight and particularly preferably up to
25% by weight.
[0072] Useful further non polyester flame resistant fibers include
in particular aramid fibers, flame resistant viscose fibers and
flame resistant modacrylics.
[0073] Aramid fibers are preferably produced by spinning solutions
of polycondensation products of iso- or terephthalic acid or
derivatives thereof, such as acyl chlorides, with para- or
meta-phenylenediamine in solvents, such as N-methylpyrrolidone,
hexamethylenephosphoramide, concentrated sulfuric acid or customary
mixtures thereof. The continuous fiber obtained is then customarily
cut into staple fibers which are generally from 5 to 25 .mu.m in
thickness. Preferred aramid fibers are based on an isomeric
poly-p-phenyleneterephthalamide (Kevlar.RTM., U.S. Pat. No.
3,671,542) or poly-m-phenyleneisophthalamide (Nomex.RTM., U.S. Pat.
No. 3,287,324).
[0074] Viscose fibers are preferably spun from cellulose by the
viscose process. Woodpulp cellulose is treated with caustic soda.
The alkali cellulose obtained is squeezed off, comminuted and
allowed to stand in air. The thus preripened alkali cellulose is
treated with carbon disulfide CS.sub.2 to form cellulose xanthate.
The xanthate is dissolved in dilute caustic soda to form a viscous
dope known as viscose. The dope is filtered and stored. The thus
afterripened dope is pumped through spinneret holes into a spin
bath containing sulfuric acid, sodium sulfate and zinc sulfate, and
the viscose coagulates to form fine cellulose filaments. The
filaments are optionally stretched, then washed and aftertreated.
Further details concerning viscose fibers are to be found in the
aforementioned monograph by Z. Rogowin, pages 76-197.
[0075] Modacrylics are preferably obtained by straight-chain
copolymerization of acrylonitrile with vinyl chloride or vinylidene
chloride. The acrylonitrile fraction is in the range from 35 to 85%
and especially in the range from 50 to 85% by weight. Further
details concerning modacrylics are to be found in the monograph by
Z. Rogowin, pages 293-313.
[0076] The viscose fibers and modacrylics are flame resistant. The
flame resistance is attained by treating the fibers and/or yarn
with flame retardants or--preferably--by using flame retardants in
the course of the production of the fibers, i.e., the flame
retardant is incorporated into the fiber as it is being made.
Useful flame retardants include those mentioned in connection with
the flame resistant polyester fibers B).
[0077] The treatment of the fibers or yarns with the flame
retardants or the use of the flame retardants in the course of
fiber production is effected in a conventional manner. The flame
retardants are customarily used in a total amount of from 0.1 to
30% by weight, based on the flame resistant polyester fibers C)
(that is, based on the sum total of normal, non flame resistant
fibers and flame retardant).
[0078] Flame resistant viscose fibers are commercially available
for example as viscose FR from Lenzing. Flame resistant modacrylics
are available for example as Kanecar.RTM. SYCM from Kanebo
Corp.
[0079] Non Flame Resistant Fibers D)
[0080] The textile fabrics of the invention, as well as the
melamine fibers A), the flame resistant polyester fibers B) and the
optional further flame resistant fibers C), may optionally further
comprise up to 25% by weight of fibers D), which are not flame
resistant.
[0081] The fraction of non flame resistant fibers D) is preferably
up to 20% by weight and especially up to 10% by weight.
[0082] Useful non flame resistant fibers include all fibers, for
example natural fibers and polyamide fibers.
[0083] The natural fibers used are generally naturally occurring
fibers based on cellulose, such as cotton, wool, linen or silk,
which natural fibers shall also comprehend cellulose-based fibers
which are of natural origin but have been modified or treated by
known and customary processes.
[0084] According to German Standard Specification DIN 60001, cotton
and wool in particular are natural fibers, cotton belonging to the
group of vegetable fibers. German Standard Specification DIN 60004
defines what is meant by the term wool. For the purposes of this
invention, wool shall comprehend all coarse and fine animal
hairs.
[0085] Useful polyamide fibers include all customary textile fibers
composed of polyamide. Such fibers are known. Polyamide fibers are
produced from various polyamide types, especially from small nylon
66 and nylon 6 and also from nylon 11 and nylon 610, by melt
spinning or extrusion. Subsequently they are stretched hot or cold.
Nylon 6 is polycaprolactam, nylon 66 is made up of
hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid units. Nylon 11 is formed from
11 aminoundecanoic acids, nylon 610 from hexamethylenediamine and
sebacic acid. Details concerning polyamide fibers are given in
Ullmanns Encyklopdie der Technischen Chemie, volume 11, 4th
edition, page 315, Verlag Chemie, Weinheim 1978.
[0086] Polyamide fibers are the preferred non flame resistant
fibers D).
[0087] Useful polyamide fibers are commercially available for
example from BASF, DuPont and Rhodia.
[0088] Making of Textile Fabrics
[0089] Examples of textile fabrics include wovens, formed-loop
knits, drawn-loop knits, tufteds, felts and nonwovens.
[0090] The making of wovens, formed-loop knits, drawn-loop knits,
tufteds, felts and nonwovens and of other textile fabrics is common
knowledge and described for example in the monograph by W. Albrecht
et al., Vliesstoffe, Verlag VCH, Weinheim 2000, expressly
incorporated herein by reference.
[0091] The fibers are processed into an intimate blend into a
conventional manner. The fiber blends are processed in a known
manner, for example as described in the aforementioned monograph by
Albrecht, section 4, pages 139 ff.
[0092] Wovens are generally produced from yarns. To produce yarns,
the various fiber varieties are customarily preblended as a staple
and spun into yarns using the known processes customary in the
textile industry. These yarns can then be further processed into
various kinds of wovens depending on the application.
[0093] Preference is given to textile fabrics selected from wovens
and nonwovens. Particular preference is given to nonwovens.
[0094] Nonwovens and their production and also web-processing
stitch bonding processes are described in Albrecht's aforementioned
monograph.
[0095] A nonwoven is a sheetlike structure fabricated from fibers
and consolidated in various ways. As used herein, the term
"nonwovens" shall comprehend all sheetlike textile composites from
fiber webs, especially consolidated fiber webs.
[0096] Nonwovens can be produced by Various processes, for example
as dry laid webs, wet laid webs or spun bonded (extrusion) webs.
See FIG. 4-1 on page 138 of Albrecht's monograph.
[0097] Dry laid webs can be produced for example by carding using a
flat or roller card and superposing a plurality of card-produced
films of fiber in a plurality of layers to form a web. They can
similarly be produced by the aerodynamic process whereby the
previously opened fibers are deposited by an air stream on a
continuously moving foraminous surface through which the air is
aspirated away on the other side.
[0098] Wet laid webs are produced in similar fashion to paper by
dispersing the fibers in water, applying the suspension to a moving
sieve belt, through which the water is filtered off to form the
web, and subsequent consolidation of the web.
[0099] Spun bonded (extrusion) webs are produced from polymer
chips, which are initially plasticated in an extruder before the
resultant melt is spun into filaments. The filaments are stretched
and laid down to form a web, which is then consolidated.
[0100] The consolidating can be effected for example using chemical
means in the form of binders, which cause the fibers to adhere to
each other. The chemical agents can be used continuously (by
impregnation, coating, spraying, printing) or discontinuously.
[0101] Consolidation can also be effected thermally, for example by
calendering, hot air consolidation or ultrasound. Thermal
consolidation causes suitable fibers to melt incipiently and thus
to cohere to each other. Lastly, consolidation can be effected
mechanically (friction consolidation), for example by needling,
interlooping, web stitching with or without thread or
entangling.
[0102] Particularly preferred nonwovens are needled webs and
nonwovens which were mechanically consolidated in known manner by
loop formation using threads or fibers. Nonwovens produced using
the familiar web-processing stitch bonding processes are
particularly suitable. Also particularly suitable are nonwovens
which were consolidated in known manner using high energy (high
pressure, for example) water jets.
[0103] Mechanical consolidation is particularly preferred and will
now be more particularly described.
[0104] In needling, needles are punched into the web
perpendicularly to the web surface and cause web fibers or
filaments to become reoriented from the horizontal to the vertical
with the formation of stitch channels. The resultant friction
consolidates the web.
[0105] In interlooping, a distinction is made between the warp
knitting (meshlike interlooping of threads using different
constructions, threads in the longitudinal direction of the web),
weft knitting (like warp knitting but threads in the transverse
direction) and stitch bonding or web stitching. Web stitching with
or without thread is preferred.
[0106] Web stitching with or without thread combines sewing
(stitching through and joining together of sheets) and formed-loop
knitting (synchronous formation of loops from threads or fibers).
In web stitching with thread loops are formed from thread and in
web stitching without thread loops are formed from fiber. These
web-processing stitch bonding processes subdivide into the Maliwatt
process (web stitching with thread), the Malifleece process (web
stitching without thread), the Voltex process, the Kunit process,
the Multiknit process and the KSB process. See FIG. 6-33 on page
305 of Albrecht's monograph.
[0107] In entangling, webs composed of fibers or filaments are
consolidated by the action of fluid jets (water, steam, air) having
a requisite minimum energy as a result of the impinging jets
causing the fibers to become reoriented, entangled, intermingled or
interknotted.
[0108] All the aforementioned processes are suitable for producing
textile fabrics according to the invention.
[0109] The textile fabrics may include a finish, especially a heat,
oil, soil and/or moisture resistant finish. The fabric may be
impregnated or coated with the finish.
[0110] Examples of useful finishes for the invention are layers of
et al, for example aluminum, applied on one or both sides. Such
metal layers, which are customarily applied in a thickness of for
example 5 to 200 .mu.m, preferably 10-100 .mu.m, so that the
flexibility of the fabric is not adversely affected, protect
against fire, heat, especially radiant heat, soot and
extinguishant, for example water and foam or powder extinguishants.
Under the European standard EN 1486 metallized fabrics are useful
for producing protective suits for specialized firefighting.
Metallation is generally effected by subjecting the fabric to a
high vacuum metal vapor deposition process (see Ullmanns
Enzyklopdie der Technischen Chemie, 3.sup.rd edition, vol. 15, p.
276 and references cited therein). It is also possible to adhere
thin metal foils to the fabric. Such metal foils generally comprise
a polymeric support film which has been coated with a thin film of
metal. They preferably include a polymeric support based on
polyester. The metallized films are suitable according to German
armed forces supply specification TL 8415-0203 for application to
the inventive fabric on one or preferably both sides thereof, for
example by means of an adhesive or by hot calandering. Such foils
are used by various manufacturers for the coating of wovens (eg.
Gentex Corp., Carbondale Pa., USA; C.F. Ploucquet GmbH & Co,
D-89522 Heidenheim; Darmstdter GmbH, D-46485 Wesel).
[0111] It is further possible to produce the wovens of the
invention from metallized yarns or fibers. The yarns are preferably
coated with aluminum in layer thicknesses within the range of
10-100 .mu.m. The fibers have metal coatings of from 0.01 to 1
.mu.m. Such yarns or fibers are producible for example on the lines
of the processes described in DE-B 27 43 768, DE-A 38 10 597 or
EP-A 528 192.
[0112] Further examples of useful finishes are water-repellant
hydrophobic layers applied to the fabric on one or both sides. Such
layers preferably comprise polyurethane materials and/or
polytetrafluoroethylene materials. Such coatings are already known
from the prior art for improving the weather performance of
textiles (see Ullmanns Enzyklopdie der Technischen Chemie, 5.sup.th
edition, vol. A26, p. 306-312, and Lexikon fur Textilveredelung,
1955, p. 211 ff). These coatings can be such that water vapor can
diffuse through the layer while they are not significantly
penetrated, if at all, by liquid water or similar firefighting
products and by combustion products. These coatings are generally
adhered or calendered onto the fabric as polymer films.
[0113] Further measures to improve the protective performance of
the fabrics comprise finishing the fibers or the fabric with water,
oil and/or soil resistant compounds (hydrophobic or oleophobic
finish). Such compounds are known as textile assistants to the
skilled person (cf. Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry
5.sup.th edition, vol. A26, p. 306-312). Examples of
water-resistant compounds are metal soap silicones, organofluorine
compounds, for example salts of perfluorinated carboxylic acids,
polyacrylic esters of perfluorinated alcohols (see EP-B-366 338 and
references cited therein) or tetrafluoroethylene polymers. The two
polymers mentioned last in particular are also used as oleophobic
finish.
[0114] The textile fabrics of the invention combine good flame and
heat protection, good wear comfort and pleasant hand. These
advantageous properties are retained even after numerous cleaning
and reconditioning operations. Moreover, the fabrics possess high
abrasion resistance and are environmentally friendly.
[0115] The textile fabrics of the invention are useful for
manufacturing heat protective clothing and flame protective
clothing. This includes workers' protective clothing, welders'
protective clothing and protective clothing for working in the
steel industry (blast furnace) and chemical industry (chemical
reactors).
[0116] The textile fabrics of the invention are similarly useful in
vehicles and spaces at risk from fire, for example in seating and
lying furniture, mattress covers, wall coverings and wallpapers.
Representative examples are upholstery fabrics for fire resistant
seat covers, fabrics for curtains, wall coverings, ceiling
coverings and wall papers in airplanes, buses, railroad, tram and
underground carriages, cable railway cabins, movie houses,
theaters, event halls, etc.
[0117] The uses likewise form part of the subject matter of the
present invention.
EXAMPLES
[0118] Various fiber blends were used to produce various Maliwatt
fabrics in a conventional manner by blending the individual fibers
on a conventional fiber processing range from Trutzschler
(Monchengladbach) and feeding the blend to a roller card from
Spinnbau (Bremen). The resultant wadding was processed in a
conventional manner using a machine from Mayer (Obertshausen) into
a Maliwatt fabric having a basis weight of 185 g/m.sup.2.
[0119] The following stapel fibers were used. The first number
indicates the linear density in dtex and the second number
indicates the staple length in mm.
[0120] Melamine: The melamine fiber Basofil.RTM. 1.8/60 from BASF
was used.
[0121] PES I: The commercially available flame resistant polyester
fiber Trevira.RTM. CS 1.7/38 from Trevira GmbH was used.
[0122] PES II: The commercially available flame resistant polyester
fiber Trevira.RTM. CS 2.4/50 from Trevira GmbH was used.
[0123] PES III: The commercially available non flame resistant
polyester fiber Dacron.RTM. 1.7/48 from DuPont was used.
[0124] PA: A commercially available non flame resistant 1.7/60
polyamide fiber from Rhodia was used. It consisted of nylon 66.
[0125] Modacrylic: The commercially available flame resistant
modacrylic fiber Kanecar.RTM. SYCM 2.2/38 from Kanebo was used.
[0126] The burn tests were carried out to DIN ISO 6941:1995-04 with
edge and surface flaming. The flaming time was 15 s.
[0127] The table summarizes the results.
[0128] In the table, - denotes not present, kF denotes no flame
present and nb denotes not determined.
1 Example 1 2 3 4 5 6 7V 8V Composition [parts by weight] Melamine
60 50 40 50 40 60 -- 60 PES I 20 25 30 25 20 25 50 -- PES II 20 25
30 25 20 22 50 -- PES III -- -- -- -- -- 3 -- 40 PA -- -- -- 10 --
-- -- -- Modacrylic -- -- -- -- 20 -- -- -- Properties Afterburn
time 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 105 [s] Afterglow time 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 [s]
Flame kF kF kF kF kF kF kF nb propagation speed [mm/s] Burning
drips no no no no no no no yes Melting drips no no no no no no yes
yes
[0129] Nonwovens composed of flame resistant polyester fibers
without melamine fibers (comparative example 7V) exhibited melting
drips. Nonwovens composed of melamine fibers and non flame
resistant polyester fibers (comparative example 8V) exhibited
burning and melting drips.
[0130] In contrast, the inventive nonwovens containing melamine and
flame resistant polyester fibers exhibited high flame resistance
and no burning drips. Examples 4 and 6 show that the admixture of
small fractions of non flame resistant fibers--polyamide in example
4 and non flame resistant polyester in example 6--does not affect
this advantageous performance profile.
* * * * *