FI117760B - Process for the manufacture of a product from angora fiber, a product made from angora fiber and the use of a product made from angora fiber - Google Patents

Description

1 117760

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a felt product from fibers of which at least a portion is an angora fiber, a felt product comprising an angora fiber, a nonwoven fabric, and the use of a product comprising an angora fiber. As used herein, angora fiber refers to a fiber obtained from angora.

A known method of making a felt product from animal-derived fibers is felting. In felting, animal fibers, usually those obtained from sheep wool, are treated with water or water and chemicals and mechanical processing such that the scales on the surface of the wool fibers become entangled, the fiber mat formed by the wool fibers shrinks, and the felt is formed. In addition to manual felting, felting can also be done mechanically.

Before felting, the wool fibers are carded so that the fibers form a mat in which the fibers are substantially parallel. The carded wool 20 is placed in thin cross-layers in the form of a felting work and a larger size of the finished work. With water or water and chemicals and mechanical processing, the wool is shrunk and shaped * · · *. will be the desired product. The chemicals may be acids or bases.

The felting time and felting technique are selected according to the product being manufactured * · · *; ./ 25. The rinsed dried work is finished in a way that is appropriate for each product. Fully felted, the felt is dense, solid and sturdy. For a softer and more flexible felt, the time of mechanical treatment is reduced, thus reducing the percentage of shrinkage of the felt.

It is known that angora fiber can be made into blends with other fibers. Angora fibers and mixed fibers must be compounded and mixed before carding. The blanket is manufactured using a traditional felting technique to make the felt thick, stiff and hard * * ·: # · [hard. Felting is best done with babyvilla, which means · *: 35 is the hair of an angorakan in her boyhood. Felting on babyvilla 2 117760 is more successful than hair on other age animals due to the fact that ba-byvilla has curly hair and little hair. However, the product made of babyvilla and mixed fiber has a lower thermal insulation performance than a product using all types of fiber obtained from angorakan hair 5. Another disadvantage of using babyvilla is that it is only about 30 g / animal and the amount of fiber obtained is directly proportional to the litter production. Thus, the commercial exploitation of a babyvilla / blended fiber blanket may not be possible except in small-scale handicrafts.

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The problem with angora fiber is that it does not bind to the felt and it comes off during use and / or maintenance. Especially the cover hair, which widens in a plane towards its tip, forming a so-called hair on the tip. lancet, is incapacitated. Due to poor binding, the felt product made from 100% Angora Fiber 15 by felting technique cannot be obtained in order to obtain a felt product of good quality. In addition, the felting technique is quite complex, produces relatively rigid felt, and is slow to do. If felting is done by machine, the angora fiber will be more easily removed from the product than by hand felting. In addition, the fiber is subjected to mechanical (rendering) heat which impairs its properties.

* * · * • * • · *! The process according to the invention is characterized in that the fibers are bonded together by mechanical bonding and the non-woven fabric obtained thereafter is finished into a felt product. The product of the invention is characterized in that it is made by mechanical bonding of the fibers · · *: · :: to form a planar sheet into a nonwovens and then to finish it into a felt product. The nonwovens according to the invention are characterized in that they comprise up to 100% by weight of angora fiber.

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Surprisingly, the fibers bound by mechanical bonding, such as needling, do not substantially detach from the product during use and / or maintenance, for example in conjunction with washing, spinning or tumble drying. The method can easily be used to prepare hgb products:. ** i 35 containing angora fiber as a mixture or made entirely from angora fiber. Fiber blends generally contain at least 3,117,760% by weight of angora fiber to display the special properties of angora fiber in the product. For example, blends of 30/70% Angora / Other Fiber, 40/60% Angora / Other Fiber or 50/50% Angora / Other Fiber are well suited for use. Even though the product is entirely made from ango-5 fiber, a high quality felt product is obtained which is pliable and soft in feel. The fibers are so adhered to the product that they do not loosen during use and / or maintenance of the product. This has not been successful with traditional felting techniques. The amount of fiber required to make the felt product is smaller than that of the felting method 10, so that a small amount of fiber can be used to make a high quality and comfortable felt product. The felt product can be made completely free of harmful chemicals, such as antistatic agents or felting aids. The felt product manufacturing process is also simple, environmentally friendly and applicable to large-scale industrial production. Angora fiber can be used in the felt product without sorting it into different species, that is to say, the different hair types of Angorakan - Covered Hair, Undercoat and Undercoat - are all suitable as raw materials for the product and also binds well to the product. Also, hair from angorakans of all ages is a useful raw material for manufacturing.

··· * · · 'Angora fibers are obtained by wrapping the angora. Usually a rabbit is wound * 7 when its hair has reached a length of 60-80 mm. The coat is made up of a covering coat, an intermediate coat and undercoat, each of which has a characteristic number of air cavities in each of the kar-25 harnesses. There are 4-8 air cavities side by side in the • • · · *; * section of the overcoat, 2-3 air cavities side by side in the intermediate hair section, and only one air cavity in the undercoat section. The air cavities are blister-like, discontinuous in length-v: direction. Due to the air cavities, the angorakan's hair is v: 30 very light. Air cavities also affect the thermal insulation ability of the hair and the better it is, the more air cavities there are in the cross-section of the hair. Angorakan has a density of 1.23 g / m 2, for example, sheep wool having a density of 1.30 g / m 2. The quality of the fibers obtained from the hair depends on, among other things. the age of the animal to be struck. The age of the animal refers to baby, teen or adult wool, each with slightly different characteristics.

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Angor fiber is highly electrically charged, making it a product that can be used for joint and muscle diseases, including rheumatic diseases, as a reliever. In addition to rheumatic diseases, products made from angora fiber 5 may relieve e.g. sciatica, spinal cord injury, lung disease, and bronchitis. Because of its very fine texture and its slippery surface, Angora fiber can be used in direct skin contact without causing skin irritation. The surface slippage of Angora fiber and the very low coefficient of friction are due to e.g. in that its surface has small scales 10 and the fiber is quite straight, i.e. no curl. Angora fiber has an average diameter of 10-17 µm (sheep wool 15-80 µm depending on quality).

Angora fiber has a very high thermal insulation capacity, at least 2-4 times, and up to 7 times as high as sheep wool (when comparing products of similar weight), depending on the amount of air cavities in the fiber. Thus, its use is interesting in applications where warm and comfortable textiles are needed. The pleasant feel of Angorak fiber products is enhanced by the windproofness of the products and the ability of the Angora fiber to absorb moisture. Angora fiber can absorb moisture at 60% by weight of dry fiber:. product still without feeling damp. In this case, the skin feels dry and warm.

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'min in direct skin contact with a product made of angora fiber. Products made of Angora fiber can be used without any direct contact with the skin, as they do not cause skin irritation • · t *; [/ for sensitive skin. As a natural fiber, angora fiber is also suitable for synthetic fiber allergens.

• ♦ · v: Angora fiber felt products are used in apparel and * · ·: 30 footwear, in products that come into direct or indirect contact with the skin, and in household or institutional textiles.

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The felt product can be used, for example, in hobbies or for professional applications. Such applications include e.g. Cold • * · * · "35 indoor clothing, outdoor clothing, ice fishing for stool covers, or padding between the saddle and horse coat 5 117760. , clothing for riders or sailors for use in cold 5. In addition to clothing, the felt product can be used in other personal use products such as sleeping bags.

Products used for direct contact with the skin and / or on clothing, which locally protect against 10 different parts of the human body, include: heaters, for example on the shoulders, wrists, back, genital area, or knees. On the other hand, the felt product is suitably flexible and flexible for use in such applications, but at the same time is well-shaped, so that, for example, the felt product does not roll like knitting products used for similar purposes. A back heater is important, for example, in stroke patients.

Heaters made of a felt product may be conveniently placed on the garment, for example, a felt pocket may be made on the felt product at a suitable point in the garment, where it may be ... positioned. Felt products can also be used to make complete • «· * garments, such as jacket liners, or garments.

* ·: "The felt product can be used in the same way as the fabric, ie it can be manufactured using standard manufacturing techniques. Suitable uses include: It is also possible to use the nonwoven obtained as an intermediate in the manufacture of a felt product as a recoverable end product without the need for water treatment. a nonwoven fabric comprising angora fiber may be quilted between two fabrics.

»·« »» «: *, · * Felt product can also be used outside the body and clothing as a 35 warm feel and heat insulating product. Such 6,117,760 applications include home or institutional textiles, such as duvets, car seats, strollers or the like, and wheelchairs.

These wheelchair seat protectors are an important application because they specifically require very heat-insulating and warm-feel products, since the blood circulation of wheelchair patients is often impaired.

Production of the felt product is commenced by storing the angora fibers under suitable moisture conditions prior to carding with a suitable moisture content; > to reach the fiber. The fibers are stored at a temperature of 15 ° C to 25 ° C, preferably 20 ° C and a relative humidity of 55-75%, preferably 65% relative humidity, about 2 days prior to carding. In this case, the moisture content of the fibers is suitable such that the fiber can be carded without significant static electricity formation and, on the other hand, the fiber is not so wet that the air produced by the product is damaged. in terms of feel and heat insulation. It is preferable to carry out the carding at a suitably slow rate which also has an effect on the generation of static electricity. The fibers are carded under substantially the same conditions as the storage of the fibers so that they form a flat fiber mat, the fiber mat can be carded twice, for example, to achieve uniformity.

The fibers are fed by a carding machine between the carded spindle cylinders where they form a fiber mat. In a fiber mat, the fibers are substantially parallel • · · λ. *. The non-woven mat is bonded to the non-woven fabric by a mechanical binding, such as needling. In needling, the needle-punched needles of the needle machine '*' * pierce the nonwovens and pull the bundles of fibers with their toes, tying the fibers to each other from the needle-pierced areas. The needles lower and rise at the fiber mat while: the fiber mat is arranged to travel at a suitable speed.

·: ··: Needles may be above, below, or needles ·: ··: non-fibrous on both sides. The shape and size of the needles may vary, affecting the properties of the nonwoven obtained from the needle, such as strength and appearance. The fiber mat is needled generally on both sides of the 7117760 fiber mat to obtain good bonding. To make a thicker product, the fiber mat can also be first needled on one side, folded twice or more and then needled on both sides.

5 The resulting non-woven fabric is treated with water and mechanical processing, for example in a washing machine. The nonwoven is treated with water at 25-40 ° C, preferably 30 ° C, after which the product is gently centrifuged. The non-woven fabric is then wetted and the non-woven fabric becomes a felt product. The felt product is finished by compacting it wet by applying a high pressure perpendicular to the surface, for example by mangling. The felt product is then dried either horizontally or pendant.

The resulting soft, flexible felt product generally has a basis weight of between 150 and 250 g / m 2, preferably between 180 and 220 g / m 2. The fibers obtained from Angorakan hair can be dyed in a manner known per se by a process suitable for dyeing wool fibers, such as acid dyes.

Angora fiber can also be used to make a felt product as a blend with other fibers. Suitable mixed fibers are, for example, animal-derived fibers such as sheep's wool * ·: ·. and silk, but other suitable fibers can also be used. The blending fibers are selected for the purpose of the product and from the product T :. 25 required characteristics. Different fibers can be blended together either before the carding step or carded fiber mats made of different fibers can be joined together. Angora fibers do not necessarily have to be carded, but can be conveniently applied to the surface of another fiber product or placed between two fiber products at v: 30 and then mechanically bonded. An example of such a product is * * *: one in which a uniform layer of angora fiber is applied over a silk nonwovens and another silk nonwovens are placed over the angora fibers. The product-forming layers are combined by knitting and finishing as described in this application. * · «\\ 35 multi-layer mechanically bonded products are also possible.

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Felt products can also be made from secondary raw materials, such as spinning waste fibers, ie fibers that the spinning plant cannot utilize in its processes. It is also possible to use recycled fibers obtained by tearing the product in the rapier as a raw material for the felt product. For example, used articles made from the felt product according to the invention or non-woven fabric according to the invention, or the cutting waste produced during the manufacture of the products can be utilized. In addition, new fibers may be added to the recycled fiber or between the layers of recycled fiber.

The felt product can also be used in a sandwich structure where the mechanically bonded felt product forms at least one layer. Two or more layers may be joined together by a suitable connection method, for example by gluing. Such a layered article may be, for example, a sheet-like product used for making footwear insoles. The upper layer is formed by a layer of angorakan hair, which insides against the sole of the foot. the underside of the product can be formed from any material other fiber material layer 20 may be, for example linen, cotton or a suitable fiber mixture.

..... In the following, the invention will be described by means of examples: * "·" · ":" Example 1.

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Angular fiber and *;] / lamb wool fiber stored in suitable heat and humidity conditions at a ratio of 50/50% by weight were weighed in batches of 100 g total fiber. The batches of fibers were crocheted into non-woven mats which were knitted into a nonwovens by a knitting machine, * * v: 30 with a needle plate of about 2000 needles in the 1.0 m x 0.3 m range. The needles contained 2 barbs / needle.

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The resulting non-woven fabrics were treated in water without any chemicals at 30 ° C for about 30 minutes with a fill ratio of about 1/3 of the drum. 35 net volumes. During the water treatment, the drum was arranged to rotate: · 'intermittently so that it rotated at 5 rpm and during spin cycle 9 117760 the drum rotated at 55 rpm. In this case, during the water treatment, the drum rotated for one to five seconds for one minute. After the water treatment, the products were gently spun for 1-2 minutes at 375 rpm. The felt products were then mangled to compact and level the products and dried in a plane.

Felt products having a basis weight of 185-210 g / m 2 and a thickness of 2.40-2.65 mm (thickness measurement according to SFS 3380) were obtained. Properties were measured at 20 ° C and 65% relative humidity.

Example 2.

The thermal insulation properties of 100% angora fiber felt fabrics manufactured by the process of the invention and 100% sheep wool felt fabrics were compared. The thickness of both felt products was substantially the same and the specimens were equal.

Identical flasks were filled with hot water at 78 ° C. The flasks were wrapped in the felt products in the same manner and contained: T: water temperature was measured after one hour. The temperature of the bottle protected by the Angora fiber felt product was 50 ° C and that of the sheep's wool felt product was 25 to 38 ° C.

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It is noteworthy that in this test the size and thickness of the specimens matched but the basis weight of the sheep wool felt product was greater than that of the Angora fiber felt product due to the difference in manufacturing techniques. Fabricating fabrics of the same thickness »*» requires more fiber than the felt article manufacturing method of the invention.

The invention is not limited to the foregoing, but may vary within the scope of the claims. The bonding of the fibers to each other can be accomplished, for example, by water jetting, whereby the product is subjected to 10 1 1777 high-pressure water jets which cause the fiber to bind to the product. The parts of the felt product manufacturing process can also be partially or fully combined into a continuous process.

5 Carded non-woven mats can be joined to form cross-woven webs, thereby improving the strength properties of the felt product. Angora fiber can also be used to make, for example, airflow mats with random fibers. Generally, various techniques can be used in the carding step e.g. depending on the length of the fibers, 10 because the fiber length may vary, for example due to the shear interval or because a particular fiber length is particularly suitable for the product.

The fiber blends can use any natural and synthetic fiber suitable for use with the angora fiber, including 15 conversion fibers. Fiber blends may also comprise more than two fibers.

The main point of the present invention is that a pulp comprising angora fiber can simply be made into a fluffy and flexible felt product by an industrially suitable method 20, wherein the fibers remain well adhered during use and maintenance of the product.

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Claims (5)

1. A method of manufacturing a felt product in which the fibers are bonded to each other by a mechanical bond, characterized in that, of the fibers, at least part of which consists of angora fibers, a sheet is formed before the mechanical bonding, - the flat sheet is mechanically bonded by nailing the sheet on both sides to form a nonwoven fabric, and 10. the recovered nonwoven fabric is made into a felt product by treating the nonwoven fabric in a rotating drum containing water. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that before the mechanical bonding the fibers with a suitable moisture content are carded into a plywood fiber mat. Process according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the temperature of the water is 25 ... 40 ° C, preferably 30 ° C. 20 4. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the felt product is compressed as it is wet through .1; 1 'to compress it between two abutment surfaces. • · • · 1 Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the felt product is smoothed out by mangling. · · · * · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ··· ·: .., .- ¾ '• · • · · • · 1 • · · · ·