JPH07505588A - Soft stretch composite fabric - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Soft stretch composite fabric Field of application of invention The present invention relates to stretchable layered composite fabrics, and more particularly to barrier properties as well as water vapor permeability. The present invention relates to a layered composite fabric that provides properties.

Background of the invention Stockinette fabrics are generally softer than woven fabrics, drape better, and resist stretching. There is less resistance, and the woven fabric can be stretched without any damage. this The comfort-related characteristics of many types of lightweight or close-fitting garments This is a very important consideration in manufacturing and manufacturing.

Lightweight knitted fabrics have a relatively open structure and exhibit high air permeability, which allows them to be Virtually no barrier properties such as protection or heat insulation properties are provided.

This severely limits outdoor use in cold weather without an additional outer layer. Ru.

Comfort factors such as softness, drape, stretch, stretch recovery, and moisture vapor permeability Improving the barrier properties of lightweight knitted fabrics while still providing relevant properties That is highly desirable.

Summary of the invention The present invention has low tensile modulus in the transverse direction, and is windproof, water vapor permeable, and weather resistant. , or have functionality such as waterproofing, soft, drapey, stretchy and moisture evaporative. An air permeable layered composite material is provided.

“Tensile modulus j means the resistance of a material to be pulled or stretched. In the application, the force (F) required to pull or stretch the material a certain distance (D) It is expressed as

"Windproof" means a low permeation rate of air through the material. In this application, this is A given area in a given time (minutes) under a given pressure drop (pressure in mm water column) (cm2) is expressed by the volume of air passing through (0m3).

In this application, the force-to-displacement (F/D) ratio is defined as ．． The tensile force (expressed in Newtons) for stretching up to 25 times (25% elongation) is 25 It is the ratio divided by the displacement (expressed in cm) that reaches % elongation.

In this application, the lateral direction refers to the direction in the product surface perpendicular to the machine direction (product direction). shows. The materials of the layers described in this application are defined by length (machine direction) and width (transverse direction). It is considered to be a planar shape that can be seen. 1. The composite material of the present invention is bonded to a layer of fabric by adhesive. Each layer of porous film and fabric can include a layer of porous film. have an F/ of less than 3.5 per 2.54 cm width at 25% lateral elongation. D ratio and the composite material has an F/D ratio of less than 9.0.

Another aspect of the invention is a composite material made of a multilayer fabric with adhesively bonded layers of fabric on both sides. can include a layer of porous film, each of the porous film and fabric With an F/D ratio of less than 3.5 at 25% elongation of It has an F/D ratio of less than 9.0 at 5% elongation.

"Porous" means that the film has pores or voids from one side to the other. means.

To improve barrier properties such as windproofing and waterproofing, porous filtration of the above embodiments is used. lume, such as polyurethane, which prevents the penetration of liquid water but has high water vapor permeability. coated with a substantially air-impermeable continuous layer of a hydrophilic, water vapor permeable polymer, such as can be tinged.

The composite material of the present invention having a stretchable water vapor permeable layer has excellent drapability, Loss of important functionality such as wind resistance, water vapor permeability, weather resistance, or water resistance can be fully extended laterally by applying very little force without

To improve these properties, the lower tensile modulus axis of the composite layer can be effectively align parallel to each other.

Description of preferred embodiments The layered composite materials of the present invention preferably each have a high degree of softness, drape and , stretchability, and stretch recovery, each with lower tensile strength in the transverse direction than in the machine direction. Second, contrary to conventional practice, by the selection of component materials with elastic modulus, each aligning the axis of lowest tensile modulus of a layer in the same direction with respect to its neighboring layer. improves softness, drape, stretchability, and stretch recovery, and improves lateral Designed to minimize stretch resistance. Thus, the layered composite of the present invention An important factor in material composition is the relative arrangement of the tensile properties of each layer. I can understand.

Preferred embodiments of the stretchable, water vapor permeable composite material of the present invention are adhesive to the fabric layer. Contains layers of porous film bonded together. Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is It includes a layer of porous film with a layer of fabric glued to both sides.

The porous film has a porosity of 40-95%, preferably 60-95%, about 2 microns. Average pore size of less than 1 micron, preferably less than 1 micron, pressure of 12.7 mm of water column Less than about 91 cubic centimeters per minute per square centimeter of air at force drop transmittance, tensile modulus in the transverse direction lower than the machine direction, and 25% elongation in the transverse direction. can have an F/D ratio of less than 3.5. Porous film is polyolefin Groups of fins, polyamides, polyesters, polyurethanes, fluoropolymers, etc. Membranes selected from (but not limited to) known and commercially available It is possible. A preferred film is porous polytetrafluoroethylene, which is More preferably, U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,566 (Gore), U.S. Pat. No. 4,187 No. 390 (Gore), W, l, Gore and As5oci interconnected nodes and fibrils, such as those manufactured by Ates, Inc. It is a porous stretched polytetrafluoroethylene film with a porous structure of .

Porous films are essentially air-impermeable chains of hydrophilic, water vapor permeable polymers. Can be coated with subsequent layers. This coating penetrates the film. while maintaining important comfort-related properties such as water vapor permeability and low tensile modulus. Increases the barrier properties of porous films, such as liquid water penetration resistance, wind resistance, and heat transfer resistance. and the coating film has a transverse elongation of less than 3.5 at 25% elongation. It has an F/D ratio of

Hydrophilic water vapor permeable polymers are known in the art and are commercially available. be. The most preferred coating film for the composite material of the present invention is No. 4,194,041 (Gore et al.), or U.S. Pat. 2316 (Henn). It's Ma.

The layered composite fabric of the present invention has a lower tensile modulus in the transverse direction than in the machine direction. , has an F/D ratio of less than 3.5 at 25% elongation in the transverse direction. Stockinette fabric , preferred for its stretchable properties and recovery from stretching. most preferred It is a circular knitted fabric. Circular knitted fabrics include both single and double knitted fabrics, i.e. chassis, double chassis, jacquard double chassis, interlock, Including narrow ribs and wide ribs. In addition, the fabric has fleece, pile, brushed Alternatively, it is also possible to provide a higher loft as exemplified by a velor finished fabric. child Fabrics such as have a high degree of softness, drapability, stretchability, and stretch recovery. It is well known that

This fabric may be synthetic, natural, or synthetic, depending on the fabric's intended use. It can be made from yarns of blends of natural fibers.

For example, polyamide, polyester, polyacrylic Ril or other synthetic fabrics are preferred for their mechanical properties and environmental resistance. Sometimes. On the other hand, the texture and feel of the fabric, its water wicking ability, and its heat conductivity are improved. For innerwear or undergarment applications, which are even more important, natural fibers such as cotton and wool can be used. is sometimes preferred.

The adhesive that bonds the layers of the composite material of the present invention together can be any of a number of adhesives known in the prior art. You can choose from. Suitable adhesives include, but are not limited to, heat In the class consisting of plastic polymers, thermosetting polymers, or reaction-curing polymers can be found in.

These can be applied by conventional means such as coating or printing methods. Can be applied to surfaces to be adapted. In addition, the above-mentioned method of incorporating the coating film is also available. In many applications, the coating hydrophilic polyurethane polymer is added to the coating filament. can be used to adhesively bond the lume layer to the fabric layer. Glue and bond layers The methods and materials selected for Ru.

Exam description [Water vapor transmission rate (WVTR)] Next, a description of the test employed to measure water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) will be provided.

This method is suitable for testing films, coatings and coated products. I understand.

In the procedure, a solution consisting of 35 parts by weight of potassium acetate and 15 parts by weight of distilled water is prepared. Approximately 70 m1 into a 133 m1 polypropylene cup with an inner diameter of 6.5 cm. I put it inside. Tested as described in Crosby U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,730 W, l4.Go with a minimum WVTR of approximately 85000 g/m”/24 hours. re and As5ociates (Newark.

Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) ) Heat seal the membrane to the lip of the cup and place the solution in a taut leak stopper. formed a microporous barrier. -A similar expanded PTFE membrane is mounted on the surface of the water bath. I arrived. Using a constant temperature room and a water circulation tank, this water bath assembly can be heated to 23℃ + 0.2℃. The temperature was adjusted to ℃.

Before carrying out the test procedure, the sample to be tested is kept at a temperature of 23°C and a relative humidity of 50%. left in the condition. Stretched polytetra with microporous polymer membrane attached to the surface of the aquarium Place the sample in contact with the fluoroethylene membrane and insert it into the cup assembly. Allowed to equilibrate for at least 15 minutes before introduction.

Weigh the cup assembly to a minimum of 1/lo00g and place it in the center of the test sample. I placed it upside down.

between them providing a flow of water by diffusion in the direction of the saturated salt solution from the aquarium water Water was transported by the driving force of The sample was tested for 15 minutes and then The assembly was removed and weighed again to 1/1000 g.

The WVTR of the sample is calculated from the weight increase of the cup assembly and Expressed in durams of water per square meter of area per 24 hours.

[Tensile test]

The tensile properties of materials can be measured using a device that allows the grip to release at a constant speed (Instron test). Machine, 1. The measurement was carried out using a model 22).

The material was cut into 2.54 cm wide strips in both the length and width directions. 21”C The samples were left in a room controlled at a temperature of 65% and a relative humidity of 65%.

The test gauge length was 5.08 cm and the strain rate was 500%/min. All services The samples were tested to failure.

The tensile modulus of the material is determined by stretching the specimen to 1.25 times its original length (25% elongation). (expressed in Newtons) at the displacement (expressed in cm) at which 25% elongation is reached. It was reported as the divided force-to-displacement ratio (F/D).

[Air permeability - high flow rate method]

Air permeability is approximately 39 square centimeters (approximately 7 cm in diameter) for air flow measurement. ) The test sample is placed in a flanged fixture sole with a gasket, providing a circular area. Measurements were taken by clamping the module. Upstream of the sample equipment, the source of dry compressed air is connected to a flow meter in the equipped line. The downstream side of the sample equipment is open to the atmosphere. Ta.

A pressure of 12.7 mm of water column was applied upstream of the sample and an in-line flowmeter (bottle) was applied. by recording the flow rate of air passing through a float rotameter. A test was conducted.

Samples were placed at 70°F and 65% relative humidity for at least 4 hours prior to testing. there was.

The result is 1,000 cubic centimeters/min/sample at a pressure of 12.7 mm of water column. in square centimeters, reported as.

[Airspace permeability - low flow rate method]

The resistance of a sample with a relatively low air permeation flow rate is W, & L, [! .

Gurley Densometer (ASTM D72) manufactured by Gurley & 5ons 6-58). The results show that at a pressure drop of 12.4 cm of water column, 100 cubic centimeters of air equals 6.45 square centimeters of test sample It is obtained as the Gurley number, which is the time in seconds to pass through .

[Measurement of pore size]

Pore size measurements were made by Goulter Electronics (lliale By Goulter Porometer (trademark) manufactured by ah, FL) The Goulter Porotneter (trademark) used is a liquid displacement method (AS TM Std, described in F316-86) to determine the pore size in porous media. This is a device that automatically measures cloth.

example Kishi This example is a three layer embodiment of a stretchable water vapor permeable composite material, consisting of the following materials: Two layers of round knitted fabric laminated on one side and a porous polymeric film. The mode used is shown.

Knitted knitted fabrics are made from polyester yarns and are made from polyester threads that are more oriented horizontally than vertically. It had a lower elastic modulus in the direction and weighed 122 g/m''. Stockinette fabric styles #7868 and #7869 are available at Malden Mills ( Lawrence, MAO184]). The characteristics are shown in Table 1.

Porous polymeric films can be made as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,566 (Gore). Una, W, L, Gore and As5ociates (Newark, A porous stretched polytetrafluoroethylene film manufactured by DE) was prepared. This fi lum is made from fine powder of polytetrafluoroethylene by paste extrusion and molding. It was prepared using a render technique and stretched in both the machine direction and the transverse direction. This porous Stretched polytetrafluoroethylene film is lower in the transverse direction than in the machine direction It has a tensile modulus, weighs about 4 grams/m2, has a porosity of about 82%, and has a porosity of about 1 It had a thickness of 2 microns.

Table 1 shows the characteristics of the pond.

A three-layer composite material was prepared by a lamination process. lamination plate The process order is: (1) porous stretched polytetrafluoroethylene film; Apply adhesive to the surface using a gravure roll, and (2) sandwich it between two rolls. This allows the kneaded stockinette fabric layer to bond to the adhesive side of the film. , (3) Apply adhesive to the film side of the obtained two-layer composite material using a gravure roll. (4) Naraping by sandwiching it between two rolls. A second layer of stockinette fabric was bonded to the film side of the composite.

Lamination equipment is a multi-roll stacking system with heated metal gravure printing rolls. It was a structural bonding machine. The supply reservoir on the heated gravure printing roll is Hot melt polyurethane of the type disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,532,316 ()lenn) This adhesive contains a porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene film. While passing the film through the nip between the gravure roll and the metal pressure roll, Printed with a continuation pattern. Next, a metal pressure roll and a roll with a silicone rubber surface are used. The adhesive-printed film is passed through the nip to wrap the circular knitted fabric. In this way, a two-layer composite material was created.

This two-layer composite material was then fed into a second multi-roll laminating machine. . As mentioned above, the porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene film of the two-layer composite material Adhesive is printed in non-continuous/<turns on top of the fabric, then the second layer of circular knit fabric is printed with adhesive. The lower tensile modulus axes of the materials in the layer are aligned parallel to each other. A three-layer stretchable and water vapor permeable composite material was created using the following methods.

The pattern of adhesive application and the amount of adhesive applied also affect the softness, drape, and impact on the feel and mechanical properties of composites, such as bond strength, elongation, and stretch recovery. can be reached. In this technique, knitted fabrics different from those used in the examples above For lamination, select the most suitable adhesive to obtain the desired properties of the composite material. Recognize that some experimentation may be necessary to determine the length and amount of laying. has been done.

Table 1 Characteristics Fabric 1 Fabric 2 Both fabrics ePTFE 3-layer Umi #7868 #7869 Film Nate WVTR12950136707815>80000 76 75 Air permeability 0>3000>3000 NM 39.6<30.5F/D Ratio (horizontal>2.63 1.37 Nt 1.08 6.84*...Water column 12. Ci1 min/ct&NM at 7mm...not measured The three-layer stretchable, water vapor permeable composite material of Example 1 has excellent softness and drape properties. It had sex. Only a small amount of force is required to elongate at least 25%, but more than 90% It showed good elongation recovery. In addition, the superior air permeability values shown in Table 1 It has excellent windproof properties and an excellent water vapor transmission rate.

Comparative example 1 A three-layer composite was prepared for comparison purposes. Using different porous polymer films Otherwise, materials and processes were as described in Example 1 above.

Porous polymeric films are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,566 (Gore). LL, Gore and As5ociates (Newark, A porous stretched polytetrafluoroethylene film manufactured by DB) was used. This membrane is , Paste extrusion and calendering from polytetrafluoroethylene fine powder - technique and stretched in the transverse direction. This porous expanded polytetrafluoro Ethylene film has a higher tensile modulus in the transverse direction and a 25% elongation in the transverse direction. and had an F/D ratio higher than 3.5.

This porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene weighs approximately 17 grams/m2, It had a porosity of about 82% and a thickness of about 43 microns. Other characteristics are shown in Table 2. .

Unlike the composite of the present invention, the layer of this comparative example consists of porous expanded polytetrafluorocarbons. The axis of the lowest tensile modulus of the ethylene film is the axis of the lowest tensile modulus of the fabric. It was oriented vertically.

Table 2 Characteristics Fabric 1 Fabric 2 Both fabrics ePTFE 3-layer Umi #7868 #7869 Film Nate WVTR12950136707815>80000 76 75 Air Permeability >3000 >3000 NM <30.5 <30.5F/ D ratio (horizontal) 3.64 1.37 NM 11.6 16.2*...Water column 12 ．． d/min/crlNM at 7mm...not measured The material of the comparative example exhibits relatively poor softness and drape properties compared to the material of example 1. The force required to stretch the material by 25% was excessive.

Example 2 This example illustrates a two-layer embodiment of a stretchable, water vapor permeable composite material, consisting of the following materials: namely, a layer of brushed cotton circular knit fabric and a layer of hydrophilic polyurethane polymer. It uses a porous polymeric film coated with a continuous layer that is virtually air-impermeable. use

Brushed cotton circular knit fabric from Milliken & Co. Illu 6900 fabric. This fabric has lower tensile impact in the transverse direction than in the machine direction. and a weight of approximately 170 g/m''.Other properties are shown in Table 3.

Porous polymeric films can be made as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,566 (Gore). Una, W, L, porous stretching porous manufactured by Gore and As5ociates It was made into a litertrafluoroethylene film. This film is made of polytetrafluorocarbon Prepared from fine powder of loethylene using paste extrusion and calendering techniques and stretched in both the machine direction and the transverse direction. This porous expanded polytetrafluoroe The tyrene film has a lower tensile modulus in the transverse direction than in the machine direction, about 2-3 grams. It had a weight of 100 mm/m2, a porosity of about 82%, and a thickness of about 8 microns. others The characteristics are shown in Table 3.

A two-layer composite is prepared by a lamination process, where porous stretching Polytetrafluoroethylene film (11 of hydrophilic polyurethane polymer) by coating in successive layers and then (2) sandwiching between two rolls. A continuous layer of hydrophilic polyurethane is bonded to a brushed cotton knitted fabric. was used as an adhesive to bond the layers together. Hydrophilic polyurethane polymer Reactive, prepared according to the disclosure of National Patent No. 4532316 (Ilenn) It was a hot melt type hydrophilic polyurethane.

The coating/lamination equipment used was a roll coater with a four-roll structure. It was a master. This layer contains a hot melt type polyurethane polymer It included a heated metal gravure roll with an attached feed reservoir. This gravure The roll transferred the polyurethane polymer to a roll with a fluoroelastomer surface.

This fluoroelastomer-surfaced roll is made from porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. The film is sandwiched between a fluoroelastomer surface roll and a heated metal pressure roll. When the film was finished, a continuous layer of polyurethane polymer was applied to the surface of the film. Money When passing through the nip between the metal pressure roll and the silicone rubber surface roll, the gold Place the porous stretched polytetrafluoroethylene film on the opposite side of the pressure roll. The fabric was joined.

Table 3 Characteristics Fabric ePTFE coating 2-layer UMI #6900 film Film Nate WVT RNM > 80000 NM18909 Air permeability book > 3000 76 < 0.3 < 0.3 F/D ratio (horizontal) 1.56 0. 20 0.68 3.03*... at/min/cn at 12.7 mm of water column fNM...not measured The stretchable, water vapor permeable, two-layer composite of Example 2 has excellent softness and drape properties. It had sex. Only a very small force is required to elongate at least 25%; 9- It showed elongation recovery greater than 7%. In addition, it has excellent windproof properties and excellent WVTR properties. Use the low flow test method to measure the air permeability of the material of Example 2 with and report For consistency, the results are expressed in cm3/min at 12.7 mm water column as shown in Table 3. / c m”.

Due to the high water uptake by the composite material of Example 2, it is possible to reach steady-state conditions. As shown in Table 3, the WVTR measurement time was changed from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. Postponed.

The composite material of Example 2 was made into underwear. Touch the brushed cotton surface to your skin and apply the coat. Place this underwear with the polytetrafluoroethylene film surface facing outward. The wearer found it to be more comfortable than expected. texture, softness The comfort of mechanical relations, such as ease of stretching, amount of recovery of stretch, is excellent. But the biggest surprise was the unrivaled temperature/humidity control provided by underwear. It was due to the section. Although this mechanism is not fully understood, The high loft and moisture wicking properties of the shingled cotton fabric, the high The combination of water vapor transmission rate and lack of air movement results in a comfortable micro- It is felt that it quickly creates a climate and then maintains it.

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A stretchable and water-resistant material that includes a layer of porous film bonded by adhesive to a layer of fabric. A vapor permeable composite material, wherein the porous film and the fabric are arranged in a longitudinal direction. also have a lower tensile modulus in the transverse direction, and the axis of their lower tensile modulus is are arranged in parallel, each having a width of 1 inch at 25% lateral elongation. and the composite material has a force-to-displacement ratio (F/D) of less than 3.5 per lateral Has an F/D ratio of less than 9.0 per 2.54 cm width at 25% elongation in the direction A stretchable, water vapor permeable composite material. 2. Claims in which the porous film is porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene Stretchable, water vapor permeable composite material according to paragraph 1. 3. A porous film is coated with successive layers of a substantially air-impermeable hydrophilic polymer. The coated porous film has a lateral elongation of 25%. The stretchable, water vapor permeable material according to claim 1, having an F/D ratio of less than 3.5. Transient composite materials. 4. A porous film is coated with successive layers of a substantially air-impermeable hydrophilic polymer. The coated porous film has a lateral elongation of 25%. Stretchable and water vapor permeable according to claim 2, having an F/D ratio of less than 3.5. Transient composite materials. 5. Claim 3, wherein the hydrophilic polymer is a hydrophilic polyurethane polymer, or Stretchable, water vapor permeable composite material according to item 4. 6. A stretchable, water-resistant material that includes a layer of porous film glued together with a layer of fabric on both sides. A vapor permeable composite material, wherein the porous film and the fabric are arranged in a longitudinal direction. also have a lower tensile modulus in the transverse direction, and the axis of their lower tensile modulus is are arranged in parallel, and each is 2.54 cm at 25% lateral elongation. has a force-to-displacement ratio (F/D) of less than 3.5 per width of Has an F/D ratio of less than 9.0 per 2.54 cm width at 25% lateral elongation. A stretchable, water vapor permeable composite material. 7. Claims in which the porous film is porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene Stretchable, water vapor permeable composite material according to clause 6. 8. A porous film is coated with successive layers of a substantially air-impermeable hydrophilic polymer. The coated porous film has a lateral elongation of 25%. The stretchable and water vapor permeable material according to claim 6, having an F/D ratio of less than 3.5. Transient composite materials. 9. A porous film is coated with successive layers of a substantially air-impermeable hydrophilic polymer. The coated porous film has a lateral elongation of 25%. The stretchable and water vapor permeable material according to claim 7, which Transient composite materials. 10. Claim 8 or 6, wherein the hydrophilic polymer is a hydrophilic polyurethane polymer. is a stretchable, water vapor permeable composite material according to item 9.