GB2478550A

GB2478550A - Fabric for soft furnishings, treated with biocide and coated

Info

Publication number: GB2478550A
Application number: GB1003873A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Julia Hunter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-03-09
Filing date: 2010-03-09
Publication date: 2011-09-14
Also published as: GB201003873D0

Abstract

A flexible membrane 10, 11 is made by treating a fabric with a biocide or biostatic agent. A polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coating is then applied to one face of the treated fabric. Preferably the biocide comprises 3-trimethoxy silyl propyl dimethyl octadecyl ammonium chloride. A cushion is preferably made by sewing and then welding the treated cotton panels 10, 11 together, with one edge being closed by a zip, which is protected by a flap 14. The interior 17 is then, preferably, filled with wool which has been treated with an anti-felting agent and a different biocidal agent.

Description

Flexible Membrane and Applications The present invention relates to a flexible membrane and its applications.

More specifically the present application relates to a fabric treated with a biocide and subsequently coated with PVC, and soft furnishings made therefrom.

Fabrics are used for many applications, both indoors and outside. In the 18th Century oilcloth was developed for use outdoors. Traditionally oilcloth was a fabric treated with linseed oil or other substances in order to make the fabric waterproof. Oilcloth was put to a variety of uses including sailors' clothing, roofing and for coach robes. Oilcloth is still used for many purposes, but instead of coating a fabric with linseed oil, it is manufactured by bonding a layer of vinyl onto a cotton mesh.

When oilcloth is used outside biodeterioration of both the fabric and PVC may occur through microbial and fungal attack.

Although PVC itself is not susceptible to microbial attack, typically, before coating the vinyl is treated with a plasticiser, such as a polyester or organic acid, to improve its flexibility. These plasticisers can be subject to microbial attack, causing the PVC coating to crack. Thus biocides are sometimes added to PVC in order to prevent attack of the plasticiser.

Outdoor textiles and furnishings, such as tarpaulins, tablecloths and particularly cushions are difficult to maintain, as they are subjected to weathering. Cushions are particularly susceptible to biodeterioration as when the interior becomes damp they do not easily dry out, providing an ideal environment for microbes and fungi to flourish, thus deteriorating the cushion.

The present invention seeks to address these issues.

According to the present invention there is provided a flexible membrane comprising a fabric that has been treated with a biocide or biostatic agent and coated on one side with a layer of PVC.

Provision of a PVC layer provides a waterproof membrane. Treatment of the fabric with a biocide or biostatic agent results in the fabric being resistant to biodeterioration.

Preferably the fabric is treated with a biocide. In one embodiment the biocide is an organosilicon quaternary ammonium compound. A preferred biocide is 3-Trimethoxy silyl propyl dimethyl octadecyl ammonium chloride.

In one embodiment the fabric is cotton.

In one embodiment the layer of PVC is between 75 and 250 microns in thickness. Preferably the PVC layer is 175 microns thick.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a soft furnishing comprising the flexible membrane.

In one embodiment the soft furnishing is a cushion.

In one embodiment the soft furnishing comprises a filler material that has been treated with a biostatic agent or a biocide.

In one embodiment the filler of the soft furnishing is treated with a biocide that is different to the biocide that the fabric has been treated with.

Treatment of the filler with a biostatic agent or a different biocide to the biocide or biostatic agent that the fabric has been treated with is advantageous as it allows for the soft furnishing to be resistant to a greater variety of microbes and fungi when compared to a soft furnishing where the filler and fabric have been treated with the same biocide or biostatic agent.

Preferably the filler material is a wool.

Preferably the wool is treated with an anti-felting agent.

Preferably the soft furnishing comprises two panels that are sewn and then high frequency welded together.

Preferably the soft furnishing comprises a zip to allow access to the interior of the cushion.

Preferably the soft furnishing comprises a covering over the zip.

Provision of a covering over the zip hinders ingress of water Preferably the covering over the zip is a PVC flap that is high frequency welded to the exterior of the soft furnishing. Preferably the covering is high frequency welded to the exterior of the soft furnishing along an edge of the flap that runs parallel to the zip. More preferably the covering is also high frequency welded to the exterior of the soft furnishing along the two edges of the flap that meet the sides of the cushions.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making a flexible membrane comprising the steps of: i) treating a fabric with a biocide; ii) coating one side of the fabric with PVC In one embodiment the biocide is an organosilicon quaternary ammonium compound. A preferred biocide is 3-Trimethoxy silyl propyl dimethyl octadecyl ammonium chloride.

In one embodiment the fabric is cotton.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood a specific embodiment will now be described with reference to the following drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a schematic cross-section through a piece of fabric made according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic view of a face of a cushion made using the fabric of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a schematic cross-section through a cushion made using the fabric of Figure 1 Referring to figure 1, there is provided a flexible membrane 1 comprising a fabric 2, which has been treated with a biocide and coated with a layer 3, of PVC. In the present embodiment the fabric is a half panama cotton cloth, but it will be apparent that any other suitable material could be used. The biocide used in the present embodiment is 3-Trimethoxy silyl propyl dirnethyl octadecyl ammonium chloride (AEGIS® AEM 5772/5 as produced by AEGIS Environments). To treat the fabric, it is dipped into a 4% solution of AEM 5772/5, and then heated.

AEM 5772/5 is particularly efficacious as a biocide. Once fabric has been treated with AEM 5772/5 it remains permanently bonded to it. Thus under normal conditions the biocidal effect does not significantly wear off, and the fabric remains permanently resistant to biodeterioration.

This treated fabric is then coated in a 175-micron gloss PVC. The PVC contains di-sec-octyl phthalate (DOP) as a plasticiser, resulting in the PVC having a BS softness of approximately 45. The PVC is applied by melting PVC pellets producing a film of a certain thickness then calendaring onto the fabric. The PVC makes the fabric waterproof and also protects the cloth from fading, which is particularly beneficial when the cloth is patterned, as the PVC results in the pattern being resistant to sun damage. It will be apparent that material other than PVC could be used to provide a waterproof surface to the flexible membrane.

Experiments were performed upon the fabric to determine whether the PVC treatment had an adverse effect upon the biocidal activity of the AEM 5772/5 treated fabric. It was surprisingly found that the activity of the AEM 5772/5 biocide had only marginally decreased. The results of the tests are set out

below in Table 1:

Table I

Microbiological Analysis Blue Test [2] Bacterial [1] (% reduction) 1 hour 24 hours % Extraction Untreated fabric 0.0 0.0 0.0 Fabric treated with 4% AEM <60 98.0 49.7 5772/5 Fabric treated with4%AEM <60 93.2 14.0 5772/5 + PVC [1] ASTM E2149-01 "Dynamic Shake Flask": ig sample, 50ml 0.3 mM KH2PO4, lxi O1'5 E.coli/ ml, 0.01% Q2-5211 wetting agent [2] Blue Test: Bromophenol Extraction: 1.0 g sample weight, 0.001% BPB dH2O solution, 20 minutes exposure, 595 nm Absorbance 0.01% Q2-5211 Wetting Agent. The anion of the aqueous sodium salt of Bromophenol Blue is complexed with the cation of the polymerized AEM 5772/5 on a substrate.

This blue complex, substantive to a water rinse, is a qualitative indication of AEM 5772/5 treatment.

The flexible membrane 1 is particularly beneficial when used for outdoors soft furnishings, which are often prone to biodeterioration.

A further aspect of the present invention is a cushion 4 as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Cushion 4 comprises an exterior cover 5 made from flexible membrane 1. The exterior cover has a front panel 10 and a rear panel 11, and the four edges 6, 7, 8, 9 of the cushion where the front and rear panels meet are high frequency welded such that the joins are waterproof. The PVC layer of the flexible membrane forms the external surface of the cushion to provide waterproofing.

The front panel 10 of the cushion is provided with a zip 13 to allow access to the interior of the cushion. Covering the zip is a PVC flap 14 that is high frequency welded to the cushion where it meets edges 6 and 8, and is also high frequency welded across the face of front panel 10 along one edge 15 of the flap running parallel to the zip. Thus flap 14 provides a waterproof cover for zip 13 yet stills allow access to the zip past edge 16 of flap 14. Thus the only path for water to enter the cushion is past edge 16 of flap 14 and through zip 13. Therefore the cushion is substantially waterproof.

The cushion is provided with a filler 17. In the present embodiment the filler is a wool that has been washed and treated with an anti-felting agent and a biostatic agent.

An anti-felting agent stops the wool from felting' which means clumping or sticking together', which may happen if the wool becomes hot or wet. In the present embodiment anti-felting agents that are used may be chlorine or Superwash®. The anti-felting treatment is also known as Chlorine-Hercosett® or Kroy Hercosett® treatment.

A biostatic agent is an agent that inhibits the growth or multiplication of micro-organisms. In the present embodiment the biostatic agent used is Ultrafresh® as produced by Thomson Research Associates®.

In the present embodiment the wool is treated with a saturated solution of Chlorine (kroy) applied at a strength of between 1.5% and 2.5%. The wool is then treated with Ultrafresh®, which is applied at a strength of between 0.5% and 1.5%.

A filler treated with a biostatic agent is particularly beneficial when used in combination with the flexible membrane, which has a biocidal effect. Because the biostatic agent and biocide are able to target different organisms, in the event that the interior of the cushion is wetted, the biodeterioration of the cushion is greatly decreased, if not effectively prevented. Evidently the filler could be made of many different materials. Also various different types of biostatic agents or biocidal agents could be used to treat the filler.

Construction of a soft furnishing in the manner described results in a cushion that is ideally suited for use outdoors.

It will be apparent the flexible membrane will have many applications, such as tarpaulins, tablecloths and different types of soft furnishings, including cushions and seat pads.

The above embodiments are by way of example only. Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims: 1. A flexible membrane comprising a fabric that has been treated with a biocide or biostatic agent and coated on one side with a layer of PVC.
2. The flexible membrane of claim 1 wherein the fabric is treated with a biocide that is an organosilicon quaternary ammonium compound.
3. The flexible membrane of claim 2 wherein the biocide is 3-Trimethoxy silyl propyl dimethyl octadecyl ammonium chloride.
4. The flexible membrane of any preceding claim wherein the fabric is cotton.
5. The flexible membrane of any preceding claim wherein the PVC layer is microns thick.
6. A soft furnishing comprising the flexible membrane of any preceding claim.
7. The soft furnishing of claim 6 wherein the soft furnishing comprises a filler material that has been treated with a biostatic agent or a biocide.
8. The soft furnishing of claim 7 wherein the filler material has been treated with a biocide that is different to the biocide that the fabric has been treated with.
9. The soft furnishing of claim 7 or 8 wherein the filler material is a wool.
10. The soft furnishing of claim 9 wherein the wool has been treated with an anti-felting agent.
11. The soft furnishing of claim 11 comprising two panels made of the flexible membrane that are sewn and then high frequency welded together.
12. The soft furnishing of any of claims 6 to 11 comprising a zip to allow access to the interior of the cushion and further comprising a covering over the zip.
13. The soft furnishing of claim 12 wherein the covering over the zip is a PVC flap that is high frequency welded to the exterior of the cushion.
14. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making a flexible membrane comprising the steps of: i) treating a fabric with a biocide or biostatic agent; ii) coating one side of the fabric with PVC
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the fabric is treated with a biocide that is an organosilicon quaternary ammonium compound.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the biocide is 3-trimethoxy silyl propyl dimethyl octadecyl ammonium chloride.
17. A flexible membrane substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
18. A soft furnishing substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
19. A method of making a flexible membrane substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.