MXPA01008190A - Silicone coated fluid shield fabric - Google Patents

Abstract

A fabric possessing both cleanability and fluid resistant properties is provided which can, if desired, be transfer printed. The fabric includes a textile substrate treated with a fluorochemical stain resist agent. The treated textile substrate is covered substantially on the back with a layer of coated silicone polymer. A process for forming the fluid shield fabric according to the present invention is also provided.

Description

FLUID PROTECTIVE FLOOR COVERED WITH SSLiCONA Technical Field This application is a continuation of part of the previous Request copending Series No. 08 / 799,790 entitled FLU I D SH I ELD FABRIC which has a filing date of February 12, 1997.

The present invention relates to a fabric useful in upholstery applications and more particularly to a fabric having antimicrobial and stain resistance properties in combination with a fluid barrier coating suitable for transferring printing that does not adversely affect the feel of the fabric. A method for forming said fabric is also provided Previous Technique So far, a number of approaches have been taken for the use of washable and liquid-resistant fabrics to be more useful in environments where liquid staining is likely to occur. Vinyl-coated fabrics have been the most widely accepted for these purposes due to the relatively simple cleaning capacity and the reasonably low cost. However, said vinyl fabrics are typically more rigid to the touch and therefore lack the desired appearance and feel for use in environments such as restaurants, nursing homes and the like where the user's pleasant touch and visual perception they consider important. Laminated surface fabrics have been used to improve the aesthetic characteristics of the fabrics, although due to the generally disjunctive adhesion between the laminate film and the fabric itself, these products tend to separate, crack and delaminate after extended periods of use. Also, such laminate products tend to lack the generally desirable feel of standard upholstery products. Adhesion of a liquid barrier film to a fabric substrate becomes most difficult when applying treatments of resistance to fluorochemical stains, since such compositions by their nature tend to repel the applied coating. The present invention overcomes those seemingly contradictory requirements of fluorochemical stain resistance in combination with adherent fluid barrier shield through the proper selection of base fabric in combination with the selection of the coating material and the application processes to so as to allow a very thin barrier material layer (preferably less than 67.8 grams / m2) to be applied. In addition, the actual material forming this barrier layer preferably has dyeability and ßlastomeric properties that tend to adhere to those of the fabric substrate. The present invention therefore represents a useful advance over current practices, Objects and Brief Description of the Invention In light of the foregoing, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a fabric which possesses the properties of stain resistance and fluid barrier although it also exhibits a soft touch of the fabric as in untreated upholstery fabrics common where it is understood that a soft touch of the fabric means flexibility and / or lack of rigidity in the fabric itself. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a fabric wherein a barrier coating of polymeric material adheres in stable relation to a fluorochemically treated surface. It is another more particular object of the present invention to provide a protective fluid fabric useful in upholstery applications having a barrier coating of silicone polymer material in stable relation to a fluorochemically treated surface of a woven, woven fabric substrate. point or non-woven. Other objects, advantages and characteristics of the present invention, will undoubtedly be devised by those with experience in the art to read the following specification. Therefore, the invention will be described in relation to certain preferred embodiments and methods., and does not intend in any way to limit the invention to said specific modalities and procedures. Instead, it is intended to cover all alternative embodiments, procedures and modifications thereof as they may be within the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined only by the appended claims and equivalents thereto. A protective fluid cloth is provided that can be printed by transfer. The fabric exhibits a good touch while maintaining intimate adhesion between the base fabric and the material! polymer barrier despite the use of an intermediate fluorochemical composition. In the potentially preferred practice of the present invention, a cloth substrate is treated with a fluorochemical stain resistance agent and subsequently coated substantially on the back (i.e. the surface that will not undergo printing) with a coat of polymeric material to produce a final elaboration that exhibits properties resistant to fluid and stains. The fabric substrate is preferably a woven material although it is contemplated that closely knit and / or nonwoven knit materials as known to those skilled in the art may also be employed, if desired. Such fabric substrates are preferably formed from d &bgr; d < RTI ID = 0.0 > polystyrene < / RTI > yarns although it is considered that other materials including, but not limited to cotton = polyester and polypropylene combinations can also be used. In a particularly preferred embodiment, it has been found that the use of a calendering process to flatten the fabric on the side to be coated reduces the required amount of material! polymeric to achieve the desired barrier properties when using the knife coating to apply the polymeric material through the woven fabric substrate. It has also been found that through! use of a suitable silicone polymer that high degrees of flexibility can be obtained without the occurrence of delamination. Preferred coating materials include, by way of example only, PDMS silicone compositions sold by Wacker Chemical in Adrián Michigan that include an entanglement and inhibitor agent as a two component kit under the trade designation. LR3003 »10A and B. The use of a tightly woven fabric with" albi "yarn improves the adhesion between the fabric substrate and the polymeric material. The polymeric material has these properties to allow thermal transfer printing at temperatures ranging from 176.6 ° G to 232.2 ° C without damage to the polymeric coating. The invention can be understood and illustrated by reference to the following non-limiting example.

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE The following example describes the preparation of the fabric according to the present invention for dye application. A woven fabric having a texture density of approximately 68 ends per 2.54 cm (1 inch) by 46 weft yarns per 2.54 cm (1 inch) was formed from two bent "albi" polyester yarns textured to produce a fabric Woven 100% polyester with a flat texture. The cloth was washed in a bath at 82.2-93.3 ° C and with a pH of 7-8. The fabric was then filled to a 50% recovery on both sides with a solution containing about 1% -4% (about 6.6%) of a fluorochemical such as MI LLIGUARD ™ BK96, a fluoroacrylate copolymer emulsion. of Milüken Chemical in Spartanburg, South Carolina; approximately Q.5% = 5.0% (about 3% preferably) U LTRA-FRESH ™ N M; about 0.05% -1.0% (about 1.0% preferably) U LTRA-FRESH ™ 40 available from Thompson Research; and 0.5% -3.0% (3.0% preferably) of an unsightly such as Antistat 993, an ester salt of Sybron Chemical in Welford, South Carolina. While in preferred practice this solution will include antimicrobial and antistatic components, it is understood and appreciated that one or more of these additional components can be eliminated if desired. After the filling application of this preparation solution, the fabric is cured at a temperature of about 107.2 ° C to 218.3 ° C, preferably of! around 176.6 ° C for 60 seconds. The fabric substrate woven with the applied fluorochemical stain resistance agent is subsequently passed through a calendering operation to flatten at least one side of the fabric. The calendering operation is preferably carried out at a pressure of about 20QN / mm with a calendering roller temperature of about 200 ° C. In preferred practice, a PDMS silicone composition is coated with a knife through the calendered surface of the fabric thereby forming an effective barrier layer. Although the application surface is preferably calendered, it can also be uncalendered. In preferred practice, the total weight of the barrier layer applied is less than about 67.8 grams / m2, preferably less than 50.85 grams / m2 and, more preferably, about 27.12 to 40.68 grams / m2. After the coating process, the fabric is preferably passed through an oven to fix the silicone barrier layer. This operation preferably takes place at a temperature of about 198.8 ° C for a period of 80 seconds. It is contemplated that additional performance enhancing components may be incorporated within the polymeric materials that are coated on the fabric substrate. These performance enhancing components may include, by way of example only and not limitation, antimicrobial compositions; Flame retardants, anti-static and / or ultraviolet stabilizing agents such as those known to those skilled in the art. In light of the above description of the potentially preferred embodiments and processes, it will be appreciated that the general principle of the invention described herein may be applied in a variety of ways. Therefore, it is contemplated to cover any appended claims and any other modifications as they incorporate the features of this invention within the broadest permissible scope thereof.

Claims (7)

REIVI N DICACIONES

1 . A fluid protective fabric comprising: a fabric substrate, a fluorochemical stain resistance agent that substantially covers the fabric substrate, and a thermoplate silicone layer. uable that substantially covers the fabric substrate to thereby provide a barrier layer with the passage of liquid.

2. The invention according to claim 1, characterized in that the fabric substrate is polyester.

3. The invention according to claim 1, characterized in that the fabric substrate is nylon.

4. The invention according to claim 1, characterized in that the fabric substrate is polypropylene.

5. The invention according to claim 1, characterized in that the fabric substrate is a woven fabric.

6. The invention according to claim 1, characterized in that the fabric substrate is a knitted fabric.

7. The invention according to claim 1, characterized in that the fabric substrate is non-woven fabric. The invention according to claim 1, characterized in that the fabric substrate comprises a smooth calendered surface. 9. The invention according to claim 1, further including a flame retardant agent placed through! cloth substrate. 10. The invention according to claim 1, further including an antimicrobial agent placed through the fabric substrate. 11. The invention according to claim 1, characterized in that the silicone includes a flame retardant agent placed therein. 12. The invention according to claim 1, characterized in that the silicone includes an ultraviolet stabilizing agent placed therein. 13. The invention according to claim 1, characterized in that the silicone includes an antimicrobial agent placed therein. 14. The invention according to claim 1, characterized in that the silicone includes an antistatic agent placed therein. 15. The invention according to claim 1, characterized in that the silicone is present at a level of approximately 67.8 grams / m2 or less. RESU MEN OF THE INVENTION A fabric is provided that possesses cleaning properties and resistance to the fluid which can, if desired, be printed by transfer. The fabric includes a textile substrate treated with a fluorochemical stain resistance agent. The treated textile substrate is covered substantially on the back with a layer of the coated silicone polymer. A process for the formation of the fluid protective fabric according to the present invention is also provided.