U.S. patent number RE29,630 [Application Number 05/724,369] was granted by the patent office on 1978-05-16 for fire resistant fabrics.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Burlington Industries, Inc.. Invention is credited to Robert Edward May.
United States Patent |
RE29,630 |
May |
May 16, 1978 |
Fire resistant fabrics
Abstract
Mattress .Iadd.and upholstery .Iaddend.fabrics or the like
rendered fire-resistant by coating the underside with a polymeric
binder having dispersed therein from 30-60% by weight of a flake-
or leaf-shaped heat conductive material selected from the group
consisting of aluminum and graphite of from 50-400 mesh.
Inventors: |
May; Robert Edward (Pleasant
Garden, NC) |
Assignee: |
Burlington Industries, Inc.
(Greensboro, NC)
|
Family
ID: |
22626782 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/724,369 |
Filed: |
September 17, 1976 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
172212 |
Aug 16, 1971 |
03934285 |
Jan 27, 1976 |
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
427/393.3;
297/DIG.5; 427/357; 427/358; 427/392; 428/921; 5/483; 5/954 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06M
11/74 (20130101); D06M 11/83 (20130101); D06N
3/0063 (20130101); D06M 13/292 (20130101); D06M
13/313 (20130101); D06M 15/227 (20130101); D06M
15/248 (20130101); D06M 15/263 (20130101); D06M
15/333 (20130101); D06M 15/564 (20130101); D06N
3/0088 (20130101); D06N 3/042 (20130101); D06N
3/045 (20130101); D06N 3/06 (20130101); D06N
3/14 (20130101); Y10S 428/921 (20130101); Y10S
5/954 (20130101); Y10S 297/05 (20130101); D06N
2211/14 (20130101); D06N 2209/067 (20130101); D06N
2205/12 (20130101); D06N 2209/062 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
D06M
11/00 (20060101); D06M 11/83 (20060101); D06M
11/74 (20060101); A47C 027/12 (); B05D
003/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;5/345R,354 ;297/DIG.5
;427/357,358,39D,392 ;428/421 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gwinnell; Harry J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cushman, Darby & Cushman
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A fire retardant textile product comprising a mattress batting
assembly which is normally susceptible to burning by a cigarette
and a fire retardant fabric positioned on said batting assembly to
retard burning thereof, said fabric having a heat conductive
coating on its underside adjacent to and in contact with said
assembly, said coating comprising a flexible, film-forming
polymeric binder having dispersed therein from 30-60% by weight of
a flake- or leaf-shaped heat conductive material selected from the
group consisting of aluminum and graphite of from 50-400 mesh, the
weight of the coating being at least about 2 ounces per square yard
of fabric and the amount and size of said heat conductive material
and the thickness of said coating being sufficient to carry away
the heat of a cigarette falling or placed on the topside of said
fabric so as to avoid burning or substantial charring of said
assembly.
2. A fire retardant textile product as claimed in claim 1 wherein
the fabric is mattress ticking and the assembly is mattress
batting.
3. A fire retardant textile product according to claim 1 wherein
the fabric is a mattress pad or cover and the assembly is a
mattress.
4. The textile product of claim 1 wherein the coating comprises
about 100-mesh aluminum filler in a vinyl binder, the dried coating
weighing about 2-7 ounces per square yard of fabric and containing
about 45% by weight aluminum.
5. The textile product of claim 1 wherein the coating comprises
conductive graphite in a vinyl binder, the dried coating weighing
from 4-4.5 ounces per square yard of fabric.
6. The textile product of claim 1 wherein the heat conductive
material is a mixture of aluminum and graphite.
7. The textile product of claim 1 wherein the binder is a
film-forming addition polymer of one or more ethylenically
unsaturated monomers such as a vinyl polymer or an acrylic polymer,
or a flexible polyurethane.
8. The textile of claim 7 wherein the binder is a member selected
from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride copolymer,
polyvinyl chloride homopolymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer,
and self-crosslinking acrylic polymer. .Iadd. 9. A fire retardant
textile product comprising an upholstery batting assembly which is
normally susceptible to burning by a cigarette and a fire retardant
fabric positioned on said batting assembly to retard burning
thereof, said fabric having a heat conductive coating on its
underside adjacent to and in contact with said assembly, said
coating comprising a flexible, film-forming polymeric binder having
dispersed therein from 30-60% by weight of a flake- or leaf-shaped
heat conductive material selected from the group consisting of
aluminum and graphite of from 50-400 mesh, the weight of the
coating being at least about 2 ounces per square yard of fabric and
the amount and size of said heat conductive material and the
thickness of said coating being sufficient to carry away the heat
of a cigarette falling or placed on the topside of said fabric so
as to avoid burning or substantial charring of said assembly.
.Iaddend..Iadd. 10. The textile product of claim 9 wherein the
coating comprises about 100-mesh aluminum filler in a vinyl binder,
the dried coating weighing about 2-7 ounces per square yard of
fabric and containing about 45% by weight aluminum. .Iaddend..Iadd.
11. The textile product of claim 9 wherein the coating comprises
conductive graphite in a vinyl binder, the dried coating weighing
from 4-4.5 ounces per square yard of fabric. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 12.
The textile product of claim 9 wherein the heat conductive material
is a mixture of aluminum and graphite. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. The
textile product of claim 9 wherein the binder is a film-forming
addition polymer of one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers
such as a vinyl polymer or an acrylic polymer, or a flexible
ployurethane. .Iaddend..Iadd. 14. The textile of claim 9 wherein
the binder is a member selected from the group consisting of
polyvinyl chloride copolymer, polyvinyl chloride homopolymer,
ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and self-crosslinking acrylic
polymer. .Iaddend.
Description
The present invention is concerned with the provision of
fire-resistant fabric. A particularly important application of the
invention is in the provision of mattress fabrics notably ticking,
pads and covers, that prevent ignition or charring of the mattress
batting by a lighted cigarette or the like falling on the
mattress.
It is well known that many fatal and/or otherwise disastrous fires
result from smoking in bed, usually because the smoker falls asleep
and his lighted cigarette drops onto the bedding. Unlike flash
fires associated with inflammable clothing, a mattress fire is
normally a slow-developing catastrophe which may involve
asphyxiation of the smoker by fumes, smoke damage and/or total loss
by fire of the building involved. The problem is a very serious one
and numerous efforts have been made to come up with effective
flame-retardant mattress ticking or the like. Thus, for example, it
has been proposed that the ticking be made either by application of
various standard flameproofing chemicals to cotton or other ticking
fabrics, or by using fibers of inherently flame-resistant polymers
such as polyvinyl chloride. However, the objective of such
conventional flameproofed ticking fabrics is generally to prevent
ignition of the mattress during relatively short periods of
exposure to open flame. In fact, essentially all flameproofed
fabrics, e.g. clothing, bedclothes, bedding, protective uniforms,
and the like, are designed for short exposures to open flame, the
presumption being that the victim, given sufficient protection from
a flash fire, will be able to move away from the source of flame in
time to save himself.
However, the cigarette falling from the mouth of a sleeper onto the
mattress beneath him poses an entirely different problem to those
dealt with in conventional .[.flameretardant.].
.Iadd.flame-retardant .Iaddend.fabrics. Thus, in the usual case of
a fire resulting from smoking in bed, there is long exposure of the
fabric to the source of fire, the victim is asleep and there is a
large concentrated source of combustibles exposed in the batting
once the cigarette burns through the bed sheet, possibly a blanket,
and the mattress ticking. Neither sheets nor blankets are thought
to be significant sources of real danger on most such occasions,
presumably because they are horizontal and thin, and consequently
usually burn only nonspreading holes. It is in the smoldering,
fumeproducing, and eventually catastrophically flaming mattress
batting, however, that the prime hazard most frequently lies.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide
mattress fabric or the like which is resistant to burning by
lighted cigarettes. Other objects will also be hereinafter
apparent.
Broadly stated, the objects of the invention are realized by
applying to the inner or underside of mattress fabric, e.g.,
ticking, pads or covers, or the like, a coating comprising a
flexible, film-forming polymeric or resinous binder and from 30-60%
by weight, preferably about 45%, of a heat-conductive flake- or
leaf-shaped material, finely divided leafing-grade aluminum or
conductive graphite being preferred.
The coating used herein must have sufficient conductive capacity to
carry away the heat of the cigarette fast enough to prevent
charring of the batting. This capacity appears to be primarily a
function of three things: the composition, quantity, and shape of
the conductive filler. The nature of the binder does not seem to be
critical provided it is inexpensive, odorless, sewable,
film-forming and sufficiently flexible to avoid cracking or
crackling in use. It is important, too, that the binder retain its
flexibility through the life of the mattress.
The use of heat-absorbing or heat-dissipating metal has previously
been disclosed for use in otherwise fundamentally different
environments and/or for different purposes (see for example, U.S.
Pat. No. 3,445,320 which describes underlaying the face layer of
vinyl tile flooring with a layer formed of heat-absorbing metal to
protect the tile from damage from cigarette butts). However, it is
highly unexpected that application of a coating as described herein
could be effectively used to prepare cigarette resistant mattress
fabrics. This is emphasized by the fact that conventional means for
insulating materials or for rendering the same flame retardant are
not satisfactory for present purposes. For example, insulating
layers of known noncombustible materials, such as glass fibers,
when used in a sufficiently thick form to protect the batting from
the heat of the cigarette, are excessively bulky and expensive.
Coatings or layers of flame-retardant foams made from polymers such
as polyvinyl chloride, and expected to smother a burning cigarette,
melt and permit the cigarette to fall into the batting while still
glowing. Certain intumescent coatings, although reasonably
effective in protecting the mattress batting by developing an
insulative layer of char between batting and cigarette, are
undesirably tacky, grainy, and difficult to apply. Additionally,
films and fabrics which have been metallized, for example, by
vacuum sublimation of aluminum, to give the highly heat-reflective
thin coatings well known in the art, and laminated to the ticking
before or after metallizing, are ineffective in protecting the
batting, presumably because they are too thin to carry the heat of
the cigarette away fast enough. The present invention, in contrast,
provides an effective way of protecting the batting from fire while
at the same time being free from the further problems noted with
other possible insulating alternatives.
The success of the invention appears to be due, at least to an
important extent, to the shape, size and amount of the filler
utilized. More particularly, the filler should be in leaf or flake
form as noted above, i.e., granular and like filler shapes should
not be employed for most effective results. Laterally, however, the
shape of the flake or leaf may be random in nature.
It has also been found that the size of the filler should be in the
range of about 50-400 mesh (U.S. Sieve). The optimum mesh size for
any particular situation is dependent on such factors as the
binder, proportion of filler used, thickness of the coating, other
properties desired, e.g., degree of flexibility of the coating,
etc. It appears, for example, that coarser filler sizes within the
range indicated give the best results from the standpoint of heat
removal but this must be balanced off with such items as
flexibility and ease of application, finer sizes being preferred in
the latter respects. As noted earlier herein, the amount of filler
in the coating should be in the range of 30-60%, preferably about
45%, based on the weight of the coating (dried). The weight of the
applied coating can be rather widely varied although usually the
desired weight will be in the range of 3-5 ounces per square yard
of fabric at filler concentrations of about 45%. However, coating
weights outside this range, e.g., 2-7 ounces or more per square
yard, can also be effectively used.
Preferably the coating is applied by knife coating although other
modes of application, e.g., spraying, padding or the like, may also
be used.
The coating composition as applied should be sufficiently viscous
to avoid strikethrough of the composition to the front or face of
the fabric. To this end, the composition is usually a relatively
viscous suspension of the filler and binder containing from 40-50%
by weight water or volatile organic liquid carrier. Conventional
thickeners, stabilizers and/or plasticizers may also be included in
the composition to increase the viscosity or stability of the
composition .[.to increase the viscosity or stability of the
composition.]. and flexibility of the resulting coating. The nature
and amount of such additives, if used, can be widely varied and the
ultimate selection, for optimum results, will depend on other
factors; e.g., whether or not a plasticizer is used depends, at
least to some extent, on the nature of the polymer binder and its
flexibility. Those in the art can readily determine whether or not
the indicated additives need be used dependent on other operating
conditions.
As noted, the filler is preferably flake or leafing aluminum or
conductive graphite. A useful form of leaf aluminum is available as
grades MD 2100, MD 5100 and MD 7100 (Alcan Metal Powders Division,
Alcan Aluminum Corp. Elizabeth, N.J.). These grades pass 99.8%
through 100-mesh, 99.0% through 325-mesh, and 98% through 400 -mesh
screens, respectively. The coarsest grade, MD 2100, appears to give
the best results although all three grades are effective for
present purposes. Other available types of leaf or flake aluminum
may also be utilized. Particularly, good results have been obtained
using about 100-mesh aluminum flake as the conductive filler with a
vinyl binder to give coatings which, when dried, weigh around 2 to
7, preferably 3.5 ounces per square yard of fabric, and contain
about 45% by weight of aluminum based on the dry coating.
Obviously, however, other mesh sizes, amounts of aluminum and
binder may be effectively used within the framework of this
disclosure.
In the case of graphite, it is essential that this be conductive if
it is to function effectively as the filler herein. Apparently all
graphite is fundamentally flakelike in structure, but not all
graphite is conductive. Amorphous graphite does not appear to be
conductive and, therefore, should not be used for present purposes.
A representative example of a suitable conductive graphite is
Madagascar flake graphite available as No. 3 graphite (Asbury
Graphite Mills, Inc.). Particularly useful results have been
obtained using this graphite in a vinyl binder on mattress ticking
to give coatings which, when dried, weigh around 4-4.5 ounces per
square yard of fabric.
Mixtures of flake graphite and aluminum may be used if desired
although it is usually more convenient to use one or the other
alone depending on the effect desired. In this connection, it is
noted that whereas aluminum lays down a bright silvery backing on
mattress ticking or the like, graphite gives a pleasing dark gray
coating, both fillers being resistant to rubbing off when applied
as described herein.
It is also possible that other conductive metals in leaf or flake
form may be used herein as the fillers. Silver and gold may be
mentioned as possibilities although these are generally too
expensive to find any wide application.
A wide variety of polymeric resins may be used herein as the
binder. This component does not seem to affect the thermal
conductivity of the coating but it should be selected to give a
coating which is flexible, breathable or porous, durable, elastic,
odorless and otherwise free from properties which would be
undesirable for the intended use of the coated fabric.
Advantageously, the binder is a film-forming addition polymer of
one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers, e.g., a vinyl or
acrylic polymer, the preferred binder being Geon 576, an
ester-plasticized aqueous dispersion of a polyvinyl chloride
copolymer (Goodrich). Exon 790, a medium molecular weight polyvinyl
chloride homopolymer latex (Firestone), has an advantage from the
cost standpoint but presents some difficulties in the preparation
of stable suspensions containing the conductive filler. Other
useful binders include a commercially available 55% aqueous
dispersion of a copolymer of about 17% ethylene and 83% vinyl
acetate, protected by a polyvinyl alcohol protective colloid and
Rhoplex HA-8, a self-cross-linking acrylic emulsion. Flexible
polyurethanes or other polymeric binders may also be used.
The coating composition used herein is preferably in the form of an
aqueous suspension or emulsion since this, generally speaking,
gives greater breathability and lower cost. However, organosols or
like suspensions of the binder and filler in an inert organic
liquid vehicle may also be used.
Preparation of the coating composition, in most cases, involves
only a straightforward controlled mixing or stirring together of
the binder, filler and vehicle, to obtain the desired suspension.
In other situations, however, for example, in the case of Exon 790,
there may be a need for special precautions, such as avoiding
excessively vigorous stirring, or blending of the individual
components with a surfactant before mixing the components together,
in order to obtain a stable suspension (or emulsion) which holds
together and does not separate out. Apparently the unswellable
flakes of metal or graphite filler can put a fairly heavy strain on
the stability of the suspension and care should be taken, in
formulating the coating, to maintain the best possible
stability.
The invention is applicable to any type of mattress fabric
construction whether of plain or special construction. The fabric,
e.g, mattress ticking, may also include other conventional treating
agents, such as a flame retardant, if this is desired. The heat
removal from the locus of a cigarette appears to be so substantial
that burning spreads very little regardless of the composition of
the fabric itself. Ticking processed according to the invention may
be used to make mattresses of any desired and well-known
construction, it being sufficient for present purposes to describe
such mattresses as comprising an encasing ticking fabric filled
with batting. The batting may be rayon or other natural or
synthetic material while the ticking is usually woven cotton fabric
although other different types of fabrics may be similarly
processed.
After the coating composition is applied to the underside of the
fabric in the manner described above, the treated fabric should be
dried in any convenient fashion, e.g., by hot air or by passage
over heat rolls, to dry the coating. Times and temperatures for
drying can be widely varied depending on various factors, e.g., the
vehicle used, the nature of the fabric, amount of coating
composition applied, etc. However, usually the drying conditions
will be in the range of 200.degree.-350.degree. F for 1-15 minutes
although it will be appreciated that other conditions may also be
effectively used.
In formulating the coating compositions used herein, it will be
appreciated that the filler, particularly in finer sizes, must be
handled carefully to minimize explosion hazards. There is an
additional problem in the handling of aluminum and that is its
tendency to react and liberate hydrogen under certain conditions
when dispersed in an aqueous medium. Such reaction does not take
place if the pH of the system is held between 7 and 8.5, preferably
at about 8. The preferred aqueous formulas described herein have a
storage life of at least a week when held at the recommended pH and
some mixes can be stored for several months with no noticeable
change in performance. Nevertheless it is preferable, as a
safeguard, to store any large quantities of aqueous aluminum binder
mix in a vented container in a well ventilated room even if the pH
is left within the 7 to 8.5 range mentioned above. Aqueous graphite
suspensions do not require this sort of special treatment because
of their inertness. In certain circumstances, graphite is preferred
for use over aluminum even though the thermal conductivity of the
latter is about one-third greater than that of graphite.
The fire resistance of fabric treated according to the invention
has been determined by the "cigarette test." This consists of
placing a burning regular size cigarette on a sample of back-coated
mattress fabric and allowing the cigarette to burn out completely.
To simulate mattress batting the treated fabric was backed with 5
oz/yd.sup.2 rayon batt composed of 3-inch, 2-denier fibers. Samples
were evaluated by examining the amount of char on the batt after
the cigarette had burned out. If the batt was only slightly charred
it was ruled acceptable. A large amount of char meant the sample
failed the test. Test samples used herein were at least 5 inches
.times. 5 inches. The test is similar to Canadian Department of
Defense test "Combustion Resistance of Mattresses: Cigarette Test",
35-GP-1, July 19, 1968.
The invention is illustrated, but not limited, by the following
examples:
EXAMPLE 1
Into a mixture of 50g tricresyl phosphate and 20g Triton X-100 was
gradually stirred, with a Lightnin' mixer 109g of 100-mesh
leafing-grade aluminum (Alcan MD 2100). When the mixture became too
thick, a small portion from a total of 194g of Geon 460X1 latex was
added as a thinner, the rest of the latex being stirred in as soon
as the addition of aluminum was complete. After this, 30g of
Alcogum AN-10 thickener was added, and the mixture was stirred at
high speed until very smooth. Two other batches of coating mixture
were made in the same way, but using 325-mesh Alcan MD 5100 and
400-mesh Alcan MD 7100 flake instead of the MD 2100.
The three formulations were knife-coated onto conventional cotton
mattress ticking at a 50-mil knife setting and dried in a
300.degree. F oven for 5 minutes. The resulting coatings all more
than passed the cigarette test, permitting no charring of the
batting.
Triton X-100 is octyl phenoxy polyethoxy ethanol. Geon 460X1 latex
is a vinyl chloride polymer latex while Alcogum AN-10 is a gum
thickener.
EXAMPLE 2
The formulations of Example 1 were coated onto cotton ticking at
20-, 30-, and 40-mil knife settings and dried for 10 minutes at
210.degree. F. The results of the cigarette test are given in Table
1.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Effect of Aluminum
Flake Size on Resistance to Burning Cigarette. Knife Setting Filler
Mesh Size mils 100 325 400 ______________________________________
20 very slight char slight char bad char 30 no char no char slight
char 40 no char no char very slight char
______________________________________
It is apparent from these results that although all three sizes of
flake gave considerable protection against the burning cigarette,
the 100-mesh flake was, the most effective.
EXAMPLE 3
Five runs identical in most respects to Example 2 were made, the
variations being essentially only in amounts of MD 2100 aluminum
flake used. (An additional 43g of water was put into the
formulation carrying 125g of aluminum). Only MD 2100 was used, the
objective of this Example being to show the effect of change of
concentration of the filler. Results are shown in Table 2.
TABLE 2 ______________________________________ Effect of Aluminum
Flake Concentration and Film Thickness on Resistance to Burning
Cigarette. Al Added Test Results at Various Knife Settings (mils) g
20 30 40 ______________________________________ 25 Charred Charred
Charred 50 Charred Slight charred Very slightly charred 75 Slight
charred Very slightly No char charred 109 Very slightly No char No
char charred 125 Very slightly No char No char charred
______________________________________
These results show that both thickness of coating and concentration
of aluminum are important in preventing damage to the batting by
the cigarette.
EXAMPLE 4
In this Example the effect of coating with an organosol instead of
a latex is demonstrated. Stirring was done with a double-propeller
Lightnin' mixer. MD 2100 aluminum flake (100g) was mixed with 80g
of tricresyl phosphate, and 50g of Geon 121 vinyl chloride polymer
resin was mixed with 40g of xylene, after which these two mixtures
were blended at high speed. Another 50g of Geon 121 was added and
the mixture was stirred until the container became warm to the
touch. The organosol was smooth and very viscous at this point. Ten
more grams of tricresyl phosphate and 24g of xylene were slowly
added with vigorous stirring. The mixture was then coated at knife
settings of 10, 20, 30, and 40 mils onto the back of mattress
ticking, after which the specimens were baked in a 370.degree. F
oven for 6 minutes. In the cigarette test no charring was produced
under the 30- and 40-mil, very slight charring under the 20-mil,
and slight charring under the 10-mil coating. The results indicate
that the organosol method of coating is an effective alternative to
the use of an aqueous system although the latter has the advantage
of reduced cost in the vehicle used.
EXAMPLE 5
Exon 790 (202g), 100g of MD 2100 aluminum, 20g of Triton X-100, 50g
of tricresyl phosphate, and 5g of Alcogum AN-10 were mixed by the
procedure of Example 1. The mixture was knife-coated at settings of
5, 7.5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mils onto mattress ticking previously
treated with a flame retardant, and then dried at 250.degree. F for
5 minutes. Charring occurred in the cigarette test with the 5- and
7.5-mil samples, slight charring with 10-mil, very slight charring
with 15-mil, and no charring with 20- and 25-mil coatings. The
coatings were somewhat less flexible than coatings of the preceding
examples but all were breathable.
Those specimens which passed the test were weighed and found to
have coatings, in oz/yd.sup.2, of 4.7 (10-mil), 6.7 (15-mil), 8.7
(20-mil), and 10.9 (25-mil).
EXAMPLE 6
A composition prepared as follows and applied in the manner of
Example 1 also gives ticking samples which passed the cigarette
test:
Ten grams of tricresyl phosphate was mixed with one gram of Triton
X-100. In another container 10 g of water and 0.44g of X-100 were
mixed and then pasted with 10g of MD 2100 aluminum flake. In a
third container 20g of Exon 790 and one gram of X-100 were mixed.
The Exon 790 mix was then stirred into the aluminum suspension, the
tricresyl phosphate was stirred in next, all at high speed with the
Lightnin' mixer, and finally 5.75g of Alcogum AN-10 was stirred in
at low speed.
Exon 790, as used in this Example and in Example 5, is a highly
sensitive latex system and consequently considerable care is
required in formulating coating compositions which contain this
binder. Stability of the resin/filler suspension is important and,
in Example 6, the success in obtaining a stable suspension was due
to dispersal of the wetting agent, Triton X-100, among all of the
components of the formulations before they were blended with each
other. There is a marked tendency, however, for scale-up
formulations containing Exon 790 to show a graininess and
suspension separation but this can be avoided by effective mixing
of the components.
EXAMPLE 7
Example 6 was repeated with the following modifications:
Mix 1: Stir 4g of Triton X-100 into 11.9g of tricresyl
phosphate.
Mix 2: Mix 25g of water and 0.5g of Triton X-100 and then add this
to 25.0g of MD 2100 aluminum to form a paste.
Mix 3: Into 68.5g of Geon 576 stir 3.2g Triton X-100 and 13.8g of
water.
Mix 4: Stir mix 3 into mix 2.
Mix 5: Stir mix .Badd..[.5.]..Baddend. .Iadd.4 .Iaddend.slowly into
mix 1 with an electric mixer.
Mix 6: Stir 13.5g of Alcogum AN-10 into mix 5 with the electric
mixer.
The same procedure was repeated, but with the total water reduced
from 38.8g to 25.0g to form a more concentrated mixture, the pH of
which was 9.5. Both of these formulations were coated onto ticking
at knife settings of 7, 10 and 15 mils and cured 4 minutes at
300.degree. F. All of the ticking samples passed the cigarette
test.
On overnight standing it was noted that the two formulations were
foamy. This was obviated by reducing the pH of the mixtures to
about 8 thus minimizing action of water on the aluminum flake and
resulting evolution of hydrogen.
EXAMPLE 8
Polyethylene glycol di-2-ethylhexoate (Union Carbide's Flexol 4GO)
was substituted for tricresyl phosphate as a plasticizer, the
procedure being otherwise that used in Example 6. Performance
throughout the run was good, and coatings laid down at 7-, 10-, and
15-mil knife settings all passed the cigarette test.
EXAMPLE 9
In this formulation an acrylic latex, Rhoplex HA-8, and a
polyacrylic acid .[.thickness.]. .Iadd.thickener .Iaddend.were used
as follows:
Mix 1: 100g of MD 2100 aluminum flake and 2g of Triton X-100 were
mixed with 70g of water.
Mix 2: 5g of thickener was added to 222g of Rhoplex HA-8 and the pH
was adjusted to 8.
Mix 3: Mix 2 was added to mix 1 and stirred until smooth. Resulting
mixture was divided into 3 parts.
Mix 4: Ammonia was stirred into the 3 parts of mix 3 to pH 7, 8,
and 9, respectively.
The mixtures were spread on ticking at knife settings of 7, 10 and
15 mils and cured 4 minutes at 300.degree. F. All samples passed
the cigarette test, add-ons ranging from 2.4-3.9 oz/yd.sup.2. The
different pH settings produced no perceptible differences in the
coating results.
EXAMPLE 10
This formulation used Aircoflex 400 ethylene/vinyl acetate
copolymer, a smaller than usual amount of tricresyl phosphate, and
Acrysol ASE-60 thickener as follows:
Mix 1: Emulsify 20g of tricresyl phosphate with 5g of Triton
X-100.
Mix 2: Paste 100g of MD 2100 aluminum with 141 g of water and 3g of
Triton X-100.
Mix 3: Stir 5g of Triton X-100 into 184g of the ethylene/vinyl
acetate copolymer.
Mix 4: Stir mix 3 into mix 2 by hand.
Mix 5: Stir mix 1 into mix 4 with an electric mixer.
Mix 6: Stir 3g of thickener into mix 5.
The final mixture was thixotropic and coated on less smoothly than
usual. The 10- and 15-mil coatings, after drying 4 minutes at
300.degree. F (4.1- and 4.7-oz/yd.sup.2), passed the cigarette
test; but the 7-mil coating did not. When an otherwise identical
mixture (but using half as much Triton X-100, and Alcogum AN-10 in
place of Acrysol ASE-60 as thickener) was coated on cloth after
adjustment to pH 8 with ammonia, lighter (3.2- and 3.7
-oz/yd.sup.2) but still as effective coatings at 10- and 15-mil
settings were achieved.
EXAMPLE 11
In this experiment the aluminum flake was replaced by conductive
Madagascar graphite, No. 3 flake (Asbury Graphite Mills, Inc.) and
formulated as follows:
Mix 1: Emulsify 12.5g of tricresyl phosphate with 3g of Triton
X-100.
Mix 2: Paste 50g of graphite with 46g of water and 2g of Triton
X-100.
Mix 3: Mix 1.5g of Triton X-100 into 92g of Aircoflex 400.
Mix 4: Stir mix 2 into mix 3 by hand.
Mix 5: Stir mix 1 into mix 4 with an electric mixer.
Mix 6: Stir 8g of Alcogum AN-10 into mix 5.
At 7-, 10-, and 15-mil knife settings, with 4-minute drying at
300.degree. F, coatings.[.,.]. of 2.5, 3.4 and 3.9 oz/yd.sup.2 were
obtained. All three of these passed the cigarette test.
EXAMPLE 12
The proportions of Example 10 were changed by using 20g of
tricresyl phosphate, 73.4g of graphite, 20g of water, and 8g of
Alcogum AN-10. Somewhat higher add-ons were achieved because of the
lesser amount of water used, the dried coatings being 4.6, 5,6, and
7.7 oz/yd.sup.2 at 7-, 10-, and 15-mil settings. All passed the
cigarette test.
EXAMPLE 13
In this experiment two mixtures combining graphite and aluminum in
different proportions, each mixture totalling 50g of filler, were
used effectively. Proportions and procedures were those of Example
10 except for the use of 12g of Alcogum AN-10 instead of 8g and, in
one case, 45g of Asbury No. 3 graphite and 5g of MD 2100 aluminum,
and in the other, 37.5g of graphite and 12.5g of aluminum. Add-ons
at 7, 10, and 15 mils were 2,5, 3.7, and 4.8 oz/yd.sup.2 in the
first case, and 2.8, 4.0, and 5.1 oz/yd.sup.2 in the other.
Although all six specimens passed the cigarette test, those with
the greater amount of aluminum gave the least amount of batting
scorch.
EXAMPLE 14
In a large-scale run with MD 2100 aluminum, the following procedure
was used:
Mix 1: Stirred 40 lbs. MD 2100 aluminum, 26.9 lbs. water, and 0.82
lbs. (372g) Triton X-100 together by hand.
Mix 2: Stirred 73.5 lbs. Geon 576 and 3.28 lbs. of Triton X-100
together by hand.
Mix 3: Stirred 12.7 lbs. tricresyl phosphate and 4.1 lbs. Triton
X-100 together with an electric mixer.
Mix 4: Stirred mix 2 into mix 1 by hand.
Mix 5: Put mix 4 under the Cowles mixer and stirred mix 3 into
it.
Mix 6: Stirred acetic acid (ca. 200 ml) into mix 5 to pH
8.0-8.5.
Mix 7: Thickened with 7.8 lbs. Alcogum AN-10. Viscosity was 13,600
cps on Model RVT Brookfield viscometer, spindle No. 7 at 10
rpm.
The mixture was coated onto 54-inch plain mattress ticking at a
5-mil knife setting at 16 yards/min. and passed through a
330.degree. F oven. In the absence of a tenter frame the fabric
lost about 2 inches in width. The average add-on was 2.8
oz/yd.sup.2. The coated fabric passed the cigarette test.
EXAMPLE 15
A similar large-scale run with the No. 3 Madagascar graphite flake
of Example 10 followed this procedure:
Mix 1: Stirred 49 lbs. of graphite, 25.4 lbs. of water, and 1.3
lbs. of Triton X-100 together by hand.
Mix 2: Stirred 0.8 lb. of Triton X-100 into 60.2 lbs. of Aircoflex
400 by hand.
Mix 3: Stirred 2.2 lbs. of Triton X-100 into 11.4 lbs. of tricresyl
phosphate with an electric mixer.
Mix 4: Stirred mix 2 into mix 1 by hand.
Mix 5: Stirred mix 4 with an electric mixer while adding mix 3.
Mix 6: Stirred mix 5 with the electric mixer while adding 7.0 lbs.
Alcogum AN-10. Viscosity was 18,800 cps Brookfield, using Spindle
No. 7 at 10 rpm.
The mixture was coated onto 54-inch plain mattress ticking at a
5-mil knife setting at 14 yds/min and passed through a 325.degree.
F oven. Loss in fabric width was about 1-3/4 inches. The average
add-on was 3.9 oz/yd.sup.2. This fabric too passed the cigarette
test.
EXAMPLE 16
The effectiveness and permanency of cigarette-resistant coatings on
fabrics where launderability is important, such as those to be made
into mattress pads and mattress covers, was demonstrated in the
following example. The aluminum coating formulation of Example 14
was knife-coated at the 3.9-oz/yd.sup.2 level onto 100% cotton
sheeting (preshrunk), 50/50 polyester/cotton sheeting, and 1.2-oz
spunlaced fabric, followed by drying for four minutes at
265.degree. F. The appearance of the top (uncoated) surface of the
100% cotton fabric was virtually unaffected by the coating.
Pronounced but not unreasonable grayness was evident in the other
lighter-weight fabrics. Each of these coated fabrics passed the
cigarette test. One-foot squares of each were cut out, laundered
five times in a Kenmore home washer, using warm water and
detergent, and pressed. Except for loss of original glossiness, the
coatings were unaffected by the washing. Each passed the cigarette
test again and showed no evidence of puckering or other distortion
of the fabric.
Similarly applied 2.5 -oz/yd.sup.2 aluminum-filled coatings on 100%
cotton sheeting and 1.2-oz spunlaced fabric also passed the
cigarette test and were resistant to laundering. This level of
application looked, however, to be borderline in its cigarette
resistance.
Similar application of the graphite formulation of Example 15 to
the sheeting materials at the 3.9 -oz/yd.sup.2 level gave
cigarette- and laundry-resistant fabrics whose only apparent fault
was a lower dry-crocking rating.
The above-noted spunlaced fabric consists of fibers entangled in a
predetermined, repeating pattern to form a strong unbonded nonwoven
structure having a tensile strength greater than one pound per inch
per ounce per square yard. Spunlaced nonwovens are described in
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,434,188, 3,485,706, 3,485,708, 3,485,709,
3,486,168, 3,493,462, 3,494,821, 3,498,874, and 3,508,308, the
disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference to the
extent necessary to understand the definition and characteristics
of these nonwoven products.
These coated sheeting fabrics were found to be particularly
suitable for conversion to mattress pads and mattress covers.
Quilted pads are precoated on the inner sides of preferably both
faces, although even a pad coated on only one face will afford,
whenever the pad is turned over in use, a high degree of protection
to the mattress beneath it. Contoured mattress covers, which
normally cover only one surface and the edges of the mattress, may
most suitably be made with only their flat surface inner-coated,
leaving the vertically oriented and generally elasticized edges
free to serve their form-fitting purpose. Wrap-around covers may of
course be coated either over their entire inner surfaces or, if
desired, only on their two horizontal areas.
While the invention has been described above in connection with the
treatment of mattress fabrics, it will be appreciated that other
types of fabrics, where fire-resistance is desired, may be
similarly processed. Thus, for example, the invention may be used
with pillow covers or slips and various kinds of upholstery, e.g.,
automotive and home furnishing types. The invention is not to be
construed, therefore, as limited to the treatment of mattress
fabrics although this is a particularly unique and advantageous
application of the invention.
It will be recognized that various other modifications may be made
in the invention as described and exemplified herein. Hence the
scope of the invention is defined in the following claims
wherein:
* * * * *