GB572902A - Improvements in or relating to stiff or semi-stiff fabrics and articles - Google Patents

Abstract

Stiff and semi-stiff laminated fabrics are produced by incorporating an organic ester of cellulose containing from about 1.5 to 2 acidyl radicles per C6H10O5 unit of cellulose into one or more layers of fabric in the absence of plasticizer or other solvent or softening agent and applying heat and pressure in the presence of water. The esters of low acidyl value may be cellulose propionate, butyrate, aceto-propionate or aceto-butyrate, and especially cellulose acetate of acetyl value 40-45 per cent expressed as acetic acid. The fabric may consist wholly of low acidyl cellulose ester yarn or it may be a mixed fabric containing such yarn in the warp or weft or both. Alternatively, the ester may be incorporated into non-thermoplastic fabric such as woven, knitted or netted cotton, linen, regenerated cellulose, wool or silk. The ester may be applied in powder form with or without binders such as gum tragacanth or gum arabic or methyl cellulose that swells in water. The ester may also be applied to the fabric in solution in a volatile solvent, may be present as foil, or may be precipitated into the fabric. Alternate layers of non-thermoplastic yarn and the ester containing material may be united and in all cases the assembly is wetted with water or steamed and subjected to heat and pressure. Pigments such as titanium dioxide, antimony trioxide, carbon black or coloured pigments may be incorporated. Embossed heating devices may be used to produce designs on the fabric, in which case unity of the fabrics occurs only at the places contacted. The fabrics may be assembled and sewn on to an article of apparel, such as a shirt, wetted and subjected to heat and pressure in the final position. Specifications 248,147, [Class 2 (ii)], and 568,047 are referred to.