Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/40—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties
  • D04H1/58—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties by applying, incorporating or activating chemical or thermoplastic bonding agents, e.g. adhesives
  • D04H1/64—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties by applying, incorporating or activating chemical or thermoplastic bonding agents, e.g. adhesives the bonding agent being applied in wet state, e.g. chemical agents in dispersions or solutions
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/40—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties
  • D04H1/42—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties characterised by the use of certain kinds of fibres insofar as this use has no preponderant influence on the consolidation of the fleece
  • D04H1/4382—Stretched reticular film fibres; Composite fibres; Mixed fibres; Ultrafine fibres; Fibres for artificial leather
  • D04H1/43835—Mixed fibres, e.g. at least two chemically different fibres or fibre blends
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/40—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties
  • D04H1/42—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties characterised by the use of certain kinds of fibres insofar as this use has no preponderant influence on the consolidation of the fleece
  • D04H1/4266—Natural fibres not provided for in group D04H1/425
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/40—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties
  • D04H1/42—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties characterised by the use of certain kinds of fibres insofar as this use has no preponderant influence on the consolidation of the fleece
  • D04H1/4374—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties characterised by the use of certain kinds of fibres insofar as this use has no preponderant influence on the consolidation of the fleece using different kinds of webs, e.g. by layering webs

Definitions

• This invention relates to the manufacture of fibrous material mats or batts, in particular but not solely to low density batts for thermal insulation or padding.
• the invention also relates to other properties of these batts, such as fire resistance and resilience to crushing.
• a method of forming resin impregnated fibre batts is disclosed in US Patent No. 4,678,822.
• the resin is an acrylic self cross-linking polymer containing fire and smoke retardants and a pesticide.
• the fibres may be natural and/or synthetic in origin and are often waste materials.
• the materials are randomly dispersed in a sliver which is sprayed with the resin during a continuous folding process known as lapping.
• the sliver is lapped up to a required thickness on a moving conveyer, and the resulting mat is cured at around 150°C and cut into batts having a density of around 25 kg/m 3 .
• the textile industry incorporates various natural and/or synthetic fibre materials in a wide range of products. These materials are often treated for fire resistance by absorption of inorganic salts such as borates and phosphates from aqueous solution, and/or by spraying with resin compositions which contain these salts or other chemicals such as metal oxides or halogenated organic compounds.
• inorganic salts such as borates and phosphates
• resin compositions which contain these salts or other chemicals such as metal oxides or halogenated organic compounds.
• a fragile sliver of fibrous material is continuously formed from a mass of natural and/or synthetic fibres such as found in waste wool.
• the sliver is lapped into a lightweight mat which is carried on a moving conveyor.
• a bonding agent and optionally other substances are sprayed onto the sliver in a fine mist as lapping takes place back and forth across the conveyor.
• control may be exerted over the thickness of the mat by varying the lapping and conveying speeds, a further step of compression is normally required before the structure of the mat is fixed by curing.
• the batts have a density of less than 15 kg/m 3 , and preferably 8 to 12 kg/m 3 .
• the bonding agent which is sprayed onto the sliver is typically a resin emulsion containing the optional substances in an aqueous solution.
• Batts being manufactured for thermal insulation must be fire resistant and one of the optional substances should be an octaborate salt having a concentration of up to around 30% by weight.
• Figure 1 schematically shows apparatus for manufacturing fibrous material batts, from one side
• Figure 2 shows the apparatus from above with an exaggerated indication of the lapping operation
• Figure 3 shows an end view of the lapping and spraying operations.
• the invention can be employed when making mats and batts from a range of natural and synthetic materials, including animal or plant fibres and acrylics, polyesters or polyamides. Natural wool is preferred due to its ready availability and lofting characteristics. It will also be appreciated that the fibrous material products can be put to a wide range of uses including thermal insulation and stuffing for various objects.
• Figure 1 shows sliver 10 of fibrous material passing downwards through a lapping device 11.
• the sliver is formed continuously from wool or a wool/synthetic mix, preferably at least 50% by weight of wool, which may be scoured or cleaned by a commercial process and possibly pretreated for fire resistance. Processes for treating the bulk material and forming the sliver are well known and will be not be described further.
• the sliver itself has a fragile structure up to around 1 cm thick and perhaps 2 m in width.
• the lapping device includes sliver control elements 30 and spray booms 31 which will be described later. The device oscillates back and forth across a moving conveyor 12 onto which the sliver is folded, to create a continuous mat 13 of fibrous material.
• FIG. 1 shows mat 13 from above, with an exaggerated zigzag structure caused by the relative motion of the lapping device 11 and conveyor 12. In practice the zigzag is very much finer due to the lapping device moving rather more quickly than the conveyor in the directions indicated.
• the multilayer structure of the mat has also been considerably exaggerated in Figure 1. As shown in both Figures 1 and 2 the mat 13 is carried from conveyor 12 to a space
• Conveyors 16 and 17 carry the mat into an oven 20 which circulates hot air as indicated to dry and cure the bonding agent.
• a heater /fan 21 blows hot air up through conveyor 17 and out of the oven through an exhaust 22. Heat is exchanged to incoming air which passes down through conveyor 16 from inlet 23.
• the upwards moving air is typically at a temperature of up to 120°C and preferably heats the mat to a temperature of between 70 and 100°C.
• the downwards moving air has a temperature of between 50 to 60°C.
• the mat 13 is finally cut at a guillotine device 25 after curing and drying.
• a comparison of one sample with the example in US 4,678,822 is as follows.
• Thickness Density Insulation Thermal mm kg/m* "R" value Conductivity m 2 /°C/W W/m 2 /°C
• Figure 3 shows the lapper in more detail to have a pair of control booms 30 and a pair of spray booms 31. It moves from side to side as indicated and both sides of the sliver 10 are sprayed with a resin emulsion to hold the structure of the mat, and other substances to provide certain properties of resilience and retardance.
• the spray booms are alternately switched off for brief periods when the sliver is closest, to obtain economic and even distribution of resin.
• Spraying takes place preferably with the resin at a temperature up to about 50°C and generally between about 25 and 40°C. This assists evaporation of moisture prior to curing and avoids need of elaborate radiative or other drying means which have been proposed previously.
• Curing takes place in the oven preferably at a temperature less than about 120°C and generally between about 70 and 100°C. Higher curing temperatures are usually of no advantage and may be detrimental to some fibres and resins.
• the resin emulsion normally includes various fire and smoke retardants, pesticides, fungicides and the like in the form of an aqueous solution.
• a surfactant such as sold by Eastman Chemicals Ltd of the United States, under the trade mark TEXANOL, may also be added.
• Resins suitable for the low temperature curing are preferably acrylic polymer emulsion types with low film forming properties during spraying and high self cross- linking properties during curing.
• One especially advantageous addition to the fibre bonding agents has been found in a range of inorganic octaborate salts, particularly sodium octaborate
• a sodium octaborate product (tetrahydrate) is marketed by United States Borax and
• a suitable resin is marketed by A C Hatrick (NZ) Limited under the trade mark ACROCRYL. It has not been used successfully with boric acid or borax in the past and compositions of this kind have been disregarded due to the unfavourable chemical reactions which occur. Other salts and resins may also be suitable but those mentioned are the most cheaply and widely available at present.
• a composition of TIMBOR dissolved in water and ACROCRYL forms an emulsion which gives surprisingly good fire resistance and resilience to treated materials.
• the resin is an acrylic cross-linked variety which is cured at around 70 to 100°C once applied.
• Preferred mixtures for spraying onto a fibrous material sliver during lapping have been found to comprise a resin emulsion with up to 30% by weight of resin solids and up to 30% by weight of an octaborate salt. Most preferably 15 to 25% by weight of resin solids and 10 to 25% of sodium octaborate tetrahydrate.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Nonwoven Fabrics (AREA)
• Preliminary Treatment Of Fibers (AREA)
• Chemical Or Physical Treatment Of Fibers (AREA)
• Spinning Methods And Devices For Manufacturing Artificial Fibers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

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Family Cites Families (4)

• 1994
  • 1994-06-28 AT AT94919022T patent/ATE186342T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1994-06-28 CA CA002166185A patent/CA2166185A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1994-06-28 DK DK94919022T patent/DK0706588T3/da active
  • 1994-06-28 JP JP7502678A patent/JPH09501741A/ja not_active Withdrawn
  • 1994-06-28 WO PCT/NZ1994/000067 patent/WO1995000691A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1994-06-28 EP EP94919022A patent/EP0706588B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-06-28 AU AU70103/94A patent/AU683898B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1994-06-28 DE DE69421532T patent/DE69421532T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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