US20220025574A1

US20220025574A1 - Method of wet finishing plant based fibers and fabrics made therefrom

Info

Publication number: US20220025574A1
Application number: US17/382,774
Authority: US
Inventors: David Lee
Original assignee: Kd Dance Retail LLC
Current assignee: Kd Dance Retail LLC
Priority date: 2020-07-22
Filing date: 2021-07-22
Publication date: 2022-01-27

Abstract

The present arrangement includes a method for wet finishing a plant-based fabric. The method includes obtaining a plant-based fabric, subjecting the plant-based fabric to amino silicone oil bath for a first predetermined amount of time, and subsequently subjecting the plant-based fabric to a silicone emulsion bath for a second predetermined amount of time.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/055,040, filed on Jul. 22, 2020, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

In animal fibers, including wool/cashmere, natural animal oils in the fibers are an important factor that leads to the softness of the fibers. Wet finishing refers to a final processing of a fabric that includes chemically treating and washing the fabric so that it reaches its final physical characteristics, such as strength, feel, look, etc . . . . As the animal oils are released through these wet finishing processes the fibers relax and soften. However, animal fibers require a good deal of effort to obtain, pose certain environmental hazards, and otherwise have certain ethical concerns associated therewith. As such, the use of animal fibers for producing fibers or fabrics therefrom is not ideal.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY

Plant based and vegetable-based fibers (vegetable fibers) can be used to produce yarn and the yarn made from such vegetable fibers can be used to make fabrics. Because vegetable fibers are not as commonly accompanied by rich oils or other components that are at times associated with animal fibers, yarns made of vegetable fibers and fabrics made of such yarn do not often have the wonderful feel at times associated with yarns and or fabrics made of animal fibers. This generally relates to the presence or absence of the different oils present in the fibers, the yarn or the fabric. Furthermore, as different processing parameters have been used to treat prior art plant-based or vegetable fibers and fabrics made therefrom often have a less than ideal texture, unlike for example certain premium animal fibers/fabrics such as cashmere. For example, in order to process of soy protein into a fiber (SPF) the soy material including protein is baked at high temperatures to create a powder or flour which is then used to make soy fibers. As such when the soy material is heated the natural oils are stripped out and depleted. However, it is these oils that help lubricate the fibers and the lubrication helps to soften and relax the fiber, so a process that reintroduces oils to the fibers is believed to be necessary if the fibers are going to have the feel of fibers from other sources such as animals.
The present methods are believed to overcome the many of the drawbacks associated with the prior art and provide fibers made from plant-based or vegetable fiber and fabrics made therefrom with improved physical qualities more akin to that normally obtained from animal fibers.
More specifically present process includes a wet finishing of fabrics and cloths made from plant/vegetable fibers that are in some ways similar to processes for achieving superior results from animal fibers. For example, cashmere (wool) is full of rich animal oils. The present methods introduce emulsions into the Soy Protein Fiber (SPF) during the washing/wet finishing process as a method of introducing oils in the SPF mimicking the oil presence in animal fibers, such as cashmere.
The ultimate qualities of loft, fullness, and fuzziness occurring in these plant-based fibers and fabrics made therefrom is because some of the individual fibers break out of the twist and stick outward. This is done mechanically by “milling” during the wash (agitation in standard wash cycle) which makes the fibers rub against each other and furthered by separating the fibers in the brushing or sanding process. The present methods preferably include a wet finishing process for plant/vegetable-based fibers and/or fabrics made of such fibers, by introducing oils and other agents into the yarns and the fabric such that when they are milled, the final product will mimic that of animal-based fabrics such as cashmere.
Such a process as described herein can be implemented in the wet finishing phase, knitted or woven, of any garment for apparel, throws, blanket, rug, footwear, upholstery, bedding, outerwear, sleepwear, loungewear made from a plant-based fiber or yarns. As explained more detail below the present arrangement may be used with a unique blend of soy fabric but such wet finishing process can be used with other plant based, or other blends or unblended fiber and yarn combinations. This wet finishing process gives the knitted or woven item a softer, more luxurious hand and lofty visual effect similar to animal fiber cashmere. In another iteration with a different combination of yarns that are knitted or woven the process will yield a similar effect giving the item more softness and loft to the fibers.
To this end the present arrangement includes a method for wet finishing a plant-based fabric. The method includes obtaining a plant-based fabric, subjecting the plant-based fabric to amino silicone oil bath for a first predetermined amount of time, and subsequently subjecting the plant-based fabric to a silicone emulsion bath for a second predetermined amount of time.
In another embodiment the present includes a plant-based fabric obtained according to a wet finishing process that includes subjecting the plant-based fabric to amino silicone oil bath for a first predetermined amount of time, and subsequently subjecting the plant-based fabric to a silicone emulsion bath for a second predetermined amount of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a fabric made of plant-based fibers according to one embodiment; and

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for a wet finishing process for the fabric of FIG. 1, in accordance with one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present arrangement provides a wet finishing process that is used to give knits and woven fabrics, made from vegetable fibers, a more luxurious and full-bodied hand feel and a lofty visual appearance, more akin to what would be found in typical knits and woven fabrics made from animal fibers. As explained in more detail below the present embodiments of the washing process are used on knit or woven fabrics made from plant-based or vegetable-based fibers and/or yarns.
For example, in one embodiment, a knitted fabric 10 shown in FIG. 1 is made from soy protein fibers (SPF) that are spun into yarn. An exemplary yarn may be that obtained from LiangHong Textile Co., Ltd., Zhangjiagang, JiangSu Province, China. As explained in more detail below, fabric 10 is preferably knitted using the SPF yarn. In alternate embodiments, other plant-based fibers like cotton, lyocell and the like, or even synthetic fibers or even animal derived fibers can be spun together into a yarn from which knitted or woven fabric including soy protein fiber and other plant based or other yarns can be made. Once these fabrics are created, they are then washed or wet finished in a manner that softens the plant-based fibers so that the feel of the fabric is reminiscent of animal based fabrics such as cashmere in a knit or woven form. In alternate embodiments, knitted or woven fabrics made from SPF yarn may also include other plant-based yarns like cotton, lyocell and the like, or even synthetic yarns or even animal derived yarns. These alternate knitted and woven fabrics are also washed or wet finished in a manner that softens the plant-based fibers so that the feel of the fabric is reminiscent of cashmere animal fibers in a woven form.
In a first embodiment fabric 10 is a made from yarn purchased from LiangHong Textile Co., Ltd., Zhangjiagang, JiangSu Province, China, which consists essentially of SPF, lyocell and cotton in a ratio of 66 to 18 to 16, however, it will be appreciated that oilier yarns could be used that have ratio of these specific fiber contain materials of from 20 to 80, to 10 to 40, to 10 to 40 respectively. Furthermore, in yet other alternate embodiments, the yarn used to knit of weave additional alternate fabrics includes from 20 to 80 percent SPF, from 0 to 50 percent lyocell, from 0 to 50 cotton and 0 to 50 percent of well known synthetic fibers and from 0 to 50 percent of well known animal fibers. in yet other alternate embodiments, the fabric is made from the aforementioned soy protein fiber (SPF) yarn, yarn made from Lyocell (cellulosic fiber from wood pulp), and yarn made from Cotton, all of which are available for purchase from LiangHong Textile Co., Ltd., Zhangjiagang, JiangSu Province, China. and which are blended in a ratio of 66 SPF yarn to 18 lyocell yarn to 16 cotton yam in alternate knitted or woven fabrics. In other embodiments described in more detail below other plant-based fiber blends in varying ratios of other fibers may be used. However, for the purposes of illustration, the 66/18/16 blend of yarns or alternately, fibers in a single yarn, is preferred to illustrate the salient features of the invention.
As discussed above, it is noted that in order o process and spin soy material, including soy protein, into a yarn that is made from soy protein fibers (SPF), the soy material, including the protein is baked at high temperatures to create a powder or flour which is then used to make soy fibers. As the soy protein is heated, it will be appreciated that the natural oils are stripped from the fibrous material and depleted. Applicants submit that it is these oils that are needed to lubricate the fibers and that the lubrication is believed to soften and relax the fibers, and finding a suitable way to introduce such oils into knitted or woven fabrics containing plant-based fibers like SPF is desirable.
The present arrangement replaces the oils after the plant-based fibers like SPF has been spun into yarns and knit or woven into fabrics available as fabric yardage, garments, outerwear, accessories, upholstery, sleepwear, loungewear, and the like or any other knit or woven product made with plant based or soy protein yarns (i.e. fabric 10). The result is a softer more relaxed hand-feel and a loftier visual appearance. This process uses a combination of mixtures, oils and emulsions and soaking the respective fabrics to replace oils depleted in the development such plant-based fibers like the soy protein fibers so that the processed fibers are lubricated with oil. The preferred process helps to release the inherent qualities of the processed soy fibers. It is noted that the oils being “replaced” are not necessarily the same or same type of oils initial present before baking. Rather it is understood, as described in more detail below, that oils being introduced to the previously baked soy fibers may include natural and/or synthetic oils and combinations thereof, either soy derived or otherwise.
Thus, a result of the presently described fabric washing process or wet finishing process of the SPF containing fabric is to produce knits and woven items with qualities that resemble animal fibers, specifically fine animal fabrics like those made of cashmere, such as softness, smoothing, sheen and appearance. To achieve these results the following described processes, preferably including specific agents and process for applying the agents.
In at least some preferred embodiments, silicone emulsions, modified silicone oils, oils of any suitable kind and water-soluble plant-based oils are the preferred agents for washing knitted and woven fabrics that preferably contain yarns that preferably contain plant-based fibers such as SPF.
For example, in at least one embodiment, the present arrangement employs the following chemicals for wet finishing process:

- (A) Silicone emulsion with exceptional stability that provides sheen, lubricant, permeability, and washing resistance. A preferred silicone emulsion is HT-311 silicone emulsion from HT Fine Additives Co., LTD, Jianggu, Sihui, Guangdong, China. Silicone oil emulsions are used in this instance as a kind of textile finishing agent with excellent performance, commonly used for soft and smooth finishing, such silk-like finishing, wool-like finishing, and waterproof finishing, for yarns containing animal fibers. A wide variety of silicone emulsions can be used for this purpose. It can be used both alone and with other finishing agents. Silicone oil emulsions make the fabric comfortable, stylized, higher grade and functional quality. Wool softener HT-311 is a specific kind of silicone emulsion with excellent stability made of imported organic silicone materials. It has excellent smoothness, can be used as a smoothing agent and lubricant, and can greatly reduce the coefficient of friction of the fibers in various yarns. It can be used alone or mixed with cationic and non-ionic softener;
- (B) Amino silicone oil emulsion that provides softness, fluff, and delicate hand feeling to yarns containing plant-based fibers. A preferred brand is labeled HT-40 from HT Fine Additives Co., Ltd., Jianggu, Sihui, Guangdong, China. Amino silicone emulsions include large molecules called organopolysiloxane into the fabric during the washing of wet finishing process. The introduction of the amino silicone emulsion into the fabric not only makes the softening agent form a strong affinity with fiber, thus obtaining excellent softness and resilience; but it also has a soft and smooth hand feeling, as well as a good durability. Softener HT-40 is used in this instance to provide a soft finish for knitted sweaters, suitable for the finishing of various yarns contain a wide variety of fibers, including plant based fibers and yarns in blended fabrics containing acrylic, polyester, cotton and wool, which can give the fabric a soft, fluffy and delicate hand feeling;
- (C) Water soluble Almond Oil extract to provide moisture. In the present arrangement of generic, unscented, almond oil is used, such as that commonly used in the massage industry, but it will be appreciated that many different oils used in finishing fabrics of many kinds can also be used in substitution of a preferred almond oil extract. In the embodiments herein, preferred silicone emulsions are an aqueous silicone emulsion that includes a surfactant that enables the emulsion to be stable and to comprise a large number of very small micelles or emulsion particle containing the silicone. In preferred embodiments, the silicone emulsion has emulsion particle sizes of from about 0.05 to about 1.0 microns (um), preferably from about 0.075 to about 0.7 microns, more preferably from about 0.1 to about 0.5 microns.

In the embodiments herein, preferred silicone emulsions or organopolysiloxane emulsions may include silicone emulsions and organopolysiloxane emulsions selected from the group consisting of dimethyl silicone emulsions, amino type silicone emulsions, organo-functional silicone emulsions, other oil type silicone emulsions; resin type silicone emulsions, film-forming silicone emulsions and mixtures of each of the aforementioned emulsions with one or more of any of the other aforementioned emulsions. In preferred embodiments, the oil type silicone emulsions include dimethyl silicone emulsions and organo-functional silicone emulsions, preferably including amino silicone emulsions, epoxy silicone emulsions, mercapto silicone emulsions, phenyl silicone emulsions and reactive silicone emulsions. In preferred embodiments resin type silicone emulsions are used preferably including MQ resin silicone emulsions and methyl resin silicone emulsions. In alternate embodiments, rubber type silicone emulsions are use, including film-forming silicone emulsions and powder silicone emulsions. All of these emulsions are referenced on the .pdf published at https://www.shinetsusilicone-global.com/catalog/pdf/emulsions_e.pdf, which text is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
In the embodiments herein, silicone emulsions may be used in washing processes that are available from Shin-Etsu Silicones of America, Inc., division of Shin-Etsu Chemical C., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. these emulsions including the dimethyl silicone emulsions, the amino type silicone emulsions, the organo-functional silicone emulsions, the other oil type silicone emulsions; the resin type silicone emulsions and the film-forming silicone emulsions listed on the webpages at https://www.shinetsusilicone-global.com/catalog/pdf/emulsions_e. pdf, preferably Softnersil-10; Polon-MN-ST; Polon-MF-33; Polon-MF-14; Polon-MF-14E; Polon-MF-51; Polon-MF-63; Polon-MF-18T; Polon-MF-33A and each of the other silicone emulsions identified there.
Alternate silicone-based fabric finishing agents or silicone-based emulsifiers referenced in each of the following U.S. Patents, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, may be used as a washing agent in alternate methods of the present invention: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,987,180; 5,102,930; 5,232,611; 7,803,196 and 8,329,816.
Turning to the wet processing of fabric 10 in one embodiment a wet finishing process is applied to a fabric using a combination of the mixtures or fluids disclosed above. Such final steps in the processing of fabrics 10 achieves loft and softness, or whatever type of finish is desired to the garment or fabric. The below wet finish is applied after the yarn that includes the preferred fibers have been knit or woven into garments or fabric. In this way it is used to replace oils and lubricants that have been stripped from the fibers during processing.
In a preferred embodiment replacing the natural oils in the fibers is achieved with a combination of an amino silicone emulsion, water and oils, preferably plant-based oils. In a first step 100, fabric 10 is prewashed to remove residue and solutions. Such a step may be carried out at a water temperature of about 40 to about 60° F., preferably using a standard unscented detergent (chip soap is preferred, but many other soaps will suffice) and gentle agitation. After washing, the fabric is rinsed in an extract step 102 using cold water and gentle agitation.
In one embodiment, after the washing step and the rinsing step, at step 104 an amino silicone emulsion bath is used to re-introduce oils to the plant-based fibers in the yarns in the fabric and to achieve a soft delicate hand feel. Step 104 includes sub-routines of:

- 104 a—add about 6 gallons of water into a large vat (preferably at a water temp of from about 40 to about 60° F. at a preferred pH of from about 4.5 to about 6.5;
- 104 b—add 2 oz. Amino Silicone emulsion to the vat;
- 104 c—add 0.10 ml of Almond Oil to the vat;
- 104 d—mix fluid materials vigorously;
- 104 e—add about 5.6 lbs. of fabric material 10;
- 104 f—soak the fabric from about 45 minutes to about 1 hour, preferably with gentle agitation about every 10 minutes;
- 104 g—drain, remove excess fluids.

In another embodiment, a subsequent silicone emulsion step 106 is preferably added after step 104, which will further include agitation or milling to enhance stability, smoothness, and appearance of the fibers. Step 106 includes sub-routines of:

- 106 a—load fabric or garments remaining in the vat once the remaining fluids are removed from vat;
- 106 b—set washing machine using settings for delicate wash settings. In this embodiment the preferred time of the delicate wash is 36 minutes, and the preferred machine type is a front-loading washing machine with drum size of from about 3.1 to about 4 cubic-feet, however, variations in the size of the drum are not of consequence;
- 106 c—add 2 oz. of silicone emulsion to machine dispenser to be released during the wash or agitation cycle and run fabric or garments through a single wash cycle on a delicate setting followed by a spin cycle to remove the wash fluids;
- 106 d—transport the fabric, garments, or other materials to dryer;
- 106 e—set dryer to run on a delicate drying setting in order to separate and fluff fibers in the respective yarns at a preferred air temperature of from about 100 to about 135 degrees F., preferably from about 110 to about 130 degrees F., more preferably at about 125 degrees F.

As noted above, the processing discussed above is used on a preferred fabric that has a preferred ratio of 66% soy protein fiber yarn/18% lyocell yarn/and 16% cotton yarn, however such wet finishing processes described in steps 100-106 may be applied to any different fabrics 10 made of different compositions of yarns made of plant-based fibers and other fibers. For example, steps 100-106 can be practiced on fiber 10 made of 66% soy fiber yarns/18% lyocell yarns and 16% cotton yarns, however, fabric 10 may instead be made of soy fiber yarns and cotton yarns only, soy fiber yarns only, cotton yarns only, Lyocell yarns only, cotton and Lyocell yarns, and soy fiber yarns and lyocell yarns. It is further noted that it is possible to use the above wet finishing cycles on animal-based fiber yarns, synthetic fiber yarns, and fabrics that have a variety of mixtures of such yarns, as well to potentially improve the quality, feel and finish, even though the process is primarily intended to be used with plant-based fabrics.
While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes or equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore, to be understood that this application is intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for wet finishing a plant-based fabric, said method including the steps of:

obtaining a plant-based fabric;

subjecting said plant-based fabric to amino silicone oil bath containing a silicone emulsion and water for a first predetermined amount of time; and

subsequently subjecting said plant-based fabric to a silicone emulsion bath for a second predetermined amount of time.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said obtained fabric is a soy plant fiber (SPF) based fabric.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said soy plant fiber (SPF) based fabric is blended fabric of soy fiber, cellulosic fiber from wood pulp, and cotton.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of initially prewashing said plant-based fabric and a subsequent rinse and extract step prior to said amino silicone bath.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of subjecting said plant based-fabric to said amino silicone oil bath further includes an addition of soluble almond oil.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said step of subjecting said plant based-fabric to said amino silicone oil is run for approximately 45 min to an hour.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of subjecting said plant based-fabric to said silicone emulsion bath is run for approximately 36 minutes.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of subjecting said plant based-fabric to said silicone emulsion bath further includes drying said fabric at a temperature of about dry 125° F.

9. A plant-based fabric obtained according to a wet finishing process comprising:

subjecting said plant-based fabric to amino silicone oil bath for a first predetermined amount of time; and

10. The plant-based fabric as claimed in claim 9, wherein said plant-based fabric is a soy plant fiber (SPF) based fabric.

11. The plant-based fabric as claimed in claim 10, wherein said soy plant fiber (SPF) based fabric is blended fabric of soy fiber, cellulosic fiber from wood pulp, and cotton.

12. The plant plant-based fabric as claimed in claim 11, wherein said soy plant fiber (SPF) based fabric is blended fabric of soy fiber at approximately 66%, cellulosic fiber from wood pulp at approximately 18%, and cotton at approximately 16%.

13. The plant-based fabric as claimed in claim 10, wherein said plant-based fabric is entirely a soy plant fiber (SPF) based fabric.

14. The plant-based fabric as claimed in claim 10, wherein said plant-based fabric is a combination of soy plant fiber (SPF) and cotton fiber.

15. The plant-based fabric as claimed in claim 10, wherein said plant-based fabric is a combination of soy plant fiber (SPF) and cellulosic fiber from wood pulp.