WO2021138326A1

WO2021138326A1 - Low mass shedding bonded knit fabric

Info

Publication number: WO2021138326A1
Application number: PCT/US2020/067315
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vanessa Mason; Jim ZEIBA
Original assignee: Primaloft, Inc.
Priority date: 2019-12-31
Filing date: 2020-12-29
Publication date: 2021-07-08
Also published as: TW202140880A

Abstract

The disclosure provides fabric having a unitary knit construction that includes a technical face and, opposite to the technical face, a technical back. The technical face includes loop yarn that forms a raised surface of the technical face in a direction opposite the technical back, the loop yarn extending perpendicularly from stitch yarn to the raised surface of the technical face. The stitch yarn includes adhesive binder fibers capable to fuse on the loop yarn in place, thereby reducing shedability of the fabric.

Description

LOW MASS SHEDDING BONDED KNIT FABRIC

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Number 62/955,566, filed on December 31, 2019, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention generally relates to low shedding fabric.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The matter of ocean pollution has become a global crisis, and plastic pollution is a primary culprit. Images of plastic debris and the accompanying toll on marine life are ubiquitous across the world’s oceans. Plastic bags, waste, trash, and single-use items are among those pictured in so many astonishing photographs that attest to the deplorable state of ocean health. However, there is another major, but much less visible plastic pollution problem: microplastics. [0004] Microplastics are very small pieces of plastic pollution that enter natural ecosystems from various sources, including industrial processes and wastewater streams. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines microplastics as those having a length of less than 5 mm. Unfortunately, clothing comprising synthetic fibers is a major source of microplastic pollution.

[0005] Synthetic fibers (for example, polyester, nylon, acrylic fibers, etc.) are amenable to use in affordable and versatile textile insulation and articles. Unfortunately, textile production and laundering can generate an excessive amount of microplastic waste. Studies have estimated that in a single load of laundry, hundreds of thousands of synthetic fibers can be shed from clothing. Synthetic fleece is one of the most notorious sources of microplastics, and it has been estimated that fleece sheds about one million fibers in a single wash.

[0006] Too small to be caught in washing machine filters, the microplastic fibers from synthetic clothing often pass through sewage treatment plants that likewise do not have sufficiently fine filters to catch the fibers. If the fibers are caught, they can end up in sewage byproducts that enter the ecosystem. If the fibers are not caught, they can enter rivers or oceans via wastewater streams. From there, they infest waterways, are ingested by marine life, and accumulate throughout the ecosystem and food chain.

[0007] Thus, a need exists for improved fabric exhibiting reduced shedding (i.e., fabric having reduced shedability).

[0008] While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate disclosure of Applicant’s inventions, the Applicant in no way disclaims these technical aspects, and it is contemplated that their inventions may encompass one or more conventional technical aspects.

[0009] In this specification, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was, at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Briefly, the present invention satisfies the need for fabric having reduced shedability. In various embodiments, the inventive fabric lends itself toward use in articles that likewise demonstrate reduced shedability. Methods of making the inventive fabric are also provided. [0011] Fabric fiber shedding is a major concern in the apparel industry, and it is a significant contributor to microplastics in the ocean. Shedding occurs when fibers detach from fabric. Fiber shedding is discussed, for example in Carney Almroth, B.M., Astrom, L., Roslund, S. et al. Quantifying shedding of synthetic fibers from textiles; a source of microplastics released into the environment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 1191-1199 (2018) doi:10.1007/sll356-017-0528-7. [0012] Embodiments of the present invention address the problem of fiber shedding by providing an adhesive binder fiber in stitch yarn of the fabric construction such that after heat setting, the stitch yarn locks loop fibers in place, thereby minimizing or eliminating shedding. [0013] The present invention may address one or more of the problems and deficiencies of the art discussed above. However, it is contemplated that the invention may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claimed invention should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed herein.

[0014] In a first aspect, the invention provides a fabric having a unitary knit construction comprising a technical face and, opposite the technical face, a technical back, wherein the technical face comprises loop yarn that forms a raised surface of the technical face in a direction opposite the technical back, said loop yam extending perpendicularly from stitch yarn to the raised surface of the technical face, wherein said stitch yam comprises adhesive binder fibers that fuse (or thermally bond) the loop yarn in place, thereby reducing shedability of the fabric. [0015] In a second aspect, the invention provides an article (e.g., insulation material or a textile article or article of clothing) comprising the fabric according to the first aspect of the invention. [0016] In a third aspect, the invention provides a method of making the fabric according to the first aspect of the invention, or the article according to the second aspect of the invention. The method may comprise knitting (e.g., by plaiting) stitch yarn and loop yam, the stitch yarn comprising adhesive binder fiber, thereby forming a fabric intermediate having loops at a technical face that is opposite a technical back, performing one or more further processing steps on the fabric intermediate, and performing heat treatment to fuse the adhesive binder fiber in the stitch yarn to the loop yarn.

[0017] Certain embodiments of the presently-disclosed fabric, articles comprising the fabric, and methods of making the fabric and/or articles have several features, no single one of which is solely responsible for their desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of the fabric, articles, and methods as defined by the claims that follow, their more prominent features will now be discussed briefly. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section of this specification entitled “Detailed Description of the Invention,” one will understand how the features of the various embodiments disclosed herein provide a number of advantages over the current state of the art. For example, in some embodiments, the fabric and articles exhibit improved shedability as compared to non-inventive fabric embodiments (in other words, inventive embodiments shed less than non-inventive embodiments).

[0018] These and other features and advantages of embodiments of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0019] The present disclosure will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, which are not necessarily drawn to scale for ease of understanding, wherein the same reference numerals retain their designation and meaning for the same or like elements throughout the various drawings, and wherein:

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a simplified portion of an embodiment of fabric.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows orientation of fabric embodiments wherein stitch yam is oriented on plane xy, and loop yarn extends perpendicularly in the z direction.

[0022] FIGS. 3A-C show different embodiments of fabric intermediates, wherein loop yarn is plaited with different stitch yams.

[0023] FIG. 4 shows a very simplified drawing of a portion of an embodiment of a fabric intermediate comprising loop yam plaited with stitch yarn.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0024] Aspects of the present inventions and certain features, advantages, and details thereof, are explained more fully below with reference to the non-limiting embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Descriptions of well-known materials, fabrication tools, processing techniques, etc., are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the inventions in detail. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific example(s), while indicating embodiments of the inventions, are given by way of illustration only, and are not by way of limitation. Various substitutions, modifications, additions and/or arrangements within the spirit and/or scope of the underlying inventive concepts will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

[0025] In a first aspect, the invention provides fabric having a unitary knit construction comprising a technical face and, opposite the technical face, a technical back, wherein the technical face comprises loop yarn that forms a raised surface of the technical face in a direction opposite the technical back, said loop yam extending perpendicularly from stitch yarn to the raised surface of the technical face, wherein said stitch yam comprises adhesive binder fibers that fuse the loop yarn in place, thereby reducing shedability of the fabric.

[0026] As used herein, the term “unitary knit construction” means that the fabric is formed as a one-piece element through a knitting process. In some embodiments, the knitting process forms or substantially forms the various features and structures of the unitary knit construction without the need for significant additional manufacturing steps or processes. In the inventive fabric having a unitary knit construction, the technical face and the technical back share the same continuous loop yarn, which is knitted with the stitch yam so as to form a one-piece fabric having a unitary knit construction. Embodiments of the inventive fabric having a unitary knit construction can be distinguished, for example, from fabrics that do not have a unitary knit construction, such as that described in US 7,240,522 or WO 2015/182923, wherein separate and distinct layers are mechanically bound together. Embodiments of the inventive fabric having a unitary knit construction can also be distinguished, for example, from composite fabrics requiring multiple separate and distinct fabric layers, such as those described in US 2015/0104604.

[0027] Embodiments of the inventive fabric can be formed from any desired knitting technique, including, for example, weft knitting, warp knitting, flat knitting, circular knitting, or other suitable methods, all being familiar to a person having ordinary skill in the art.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a simplified portion of an embodiment of fabric 100 comprising loop yarn 2, which is knitted (specifically, in the case of FIG. 1, plaited) with stitch yam (which can also be referred to as backing yarn) 4, thereby forming the technical face 20 comprising loop yarn 2 which forms a raised surface in a direction opposite of technical back 22, which formed from the same loop yarn as technical face 20. Plaiting techniques are known in the art and are well within the purview of a skilled artisan. Stich yam 4 comprises adhesive binder fiber that fuses loop yam 2, thereby reducing or preventing loop yarn 2 from shedding out from fabric 100. The loop yam 2 extends perpendicularly from stitch yarn 4 to form the technical face 20. The loop yam 2 extends perpendicularly in the opposite direction from stitch yarn 4 to form the technical back 20

[0029] FIG. 2 is helpful in understanding some embodiments of the inventive fabric; the stitch yam can be understood as being oriented on plane xy, and loop yarn extends perpendicularly in the z direction, forming technical face 20, which is opposite technical back 22, which is also a raised surface in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2. In other embodiments, technical back 22 is not a raised surface (e.g., where loop yarn makes up shallow loops that are not cut or sheared).

As shown, in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the stitch yarn 4 is located between the technical face 20 and the technical back 22 of the fabric 100.

[0030] In some embodiments, the loop yarn comprises polymeric fibers (e.g., natural and/or synthetic polymeric fibers). Polymeric fibers are fibers that comprise one or more polymer materials. In particular embodiments, the loop yarn comprises synthetic polymeric fibers. As noted herein, the stitch yarn can comprises any of the same fibers as the loop yarn, provided that the stitch yarn additionally comprises adhesive binder fibers.

[0031] In some embodiments, the loop yarn comprises polymer material and the polymer material, or one or more component(s) comprised therein is virgin polymer material. In some embodiments, the polymer material or one or more component(s) comprised therein is recycled polymer material.

[0032] In some embodiments, nonexclusive polymers that may be used in the loop yam are selected from nylon, polyester, polypropylene, polylactic acid (PLA), poly(butyl acrylate)

(PBA), polyamide (e.g., nylon/polyamide 6.6, polyamide 6, polyamide 4, polyamide 11, and polyamide 6.10, etc.), acrylic, acetate, polyolefin, rayon, lyocell, aramid, spandex, viscose, and modal fibers, and combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the loop yam comprises polyester selected from poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(hexahydro-p- xylylene terephthalate), poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT), poly-l,4-cyclohexelyne dimethylene (PCDT), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), and terephthalate copolyesters in which at least 85 mole percent of the ester units are ethylene terephthalate or hexahydro-p-xylylene terephthalate units. In a particular embodiment, the polyester is polyethylene terephthalate. In some embodiments, the loop yam comprises virgin polymer material, such as virgin polyester (e.g., PET). In some embodiments, the loop yarn comprises recycled polymer material (e.g., polyester, such a PET), such as post-consumer recycled (PCR) polymer material (e.g., polyester, such as PET).

[0033] In some embodiments, the loop yam comprises polyester, wherein said polyester is selected from poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(hexahydro-p-xylylene terephthalate), poly(butylene terephthalate), poly-l,4-cyclohexelyne dimethylene (PCDT) and terephthalate copolyesters in which at least 85 mole percent of the ester units are ethylene terephthalate or hexahydro-p-xylylene terephthalate units. In a particular embodiment, the polyester is polyethylene terephthalate.

[0034] In some embodiments, the loop yam comprises recycled material, for example, recycled polyester.

[0035] In some embodiments, the loop yam comprises one or more polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biodegradable polymers (polyesters) that can be produced in nature by numerous microorganisms, including through bacterial fermentation of sugars or lipids. There are many options of commercially available PHA. When produced by bacteria PHA serve as both a source of energy and as a carbon store. Various monomers can be combined with PHA to produce PHA polymers having different properties. As used herein, PHA includes polyhydroxyalkanoates and copolymers thereof. In some embodiments, the PHA comprises one or more poly(hydroxy butyrate) (PHB) polymers.

[0036] In some embodiments, the loop yam comprises polymeric fibers containing one or more additives (e.g., aerogel, as described in U.S. Publication No. U.S. 2018-0313001, microcapsules, as described in U.S. Publication No. U.S. 2020-0141029, etc.).

[0037] In some embodiments, the loop yarn does not comprise adhesive binder fiber. In such embodiments, all or substantially all (meaning at least 90 weight % (wt%), e.g., at least 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, or 99 wt%), fiber constituents in the loop yarn have a melting point greater than the highest bonding or melting point of adhesive binder fiber comprised within the stitch yam. In some embodiments, the loop yarn comprises 0 to 20 wt% adhesive binder fiber (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3,

4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20 wt%), including any and all ranges and subranges therein (e.g., 0-15 wt%, 0-10 wt%, 0-5 wt%, 0-3 wt%, 0-2 wt%, 0-1 wt%, etc.).

[0038] In some embodiments of the inventive fabric, the technical face comprises less than or equal to 5 wt% adhesive binder fiber (e.g., less than or equal to 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 wt%).

[0039] In some embodiments of the inventive fabric, the technical back comprises less than or equal to 5 wt% adhesive binder fiber (e.g., less than or equal to 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 wt%).

[0040] As will be appreciated by persons having ordinary skill in the art, yarn (including both the loop yarn and stitch yam discussed herein) is typically made up of numerous fibers (e.g., filaments).

[0041] In some embodiments, the loop yarn has a denier of 70 to 600 (e.g., 70, 80, 90, 100, 110,

120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300, 310, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 390, 400, 410, 420, 430, 440, 450, 460, 470, 480, 490, 500, 510,

520, 530, 540, 550, 560, 570, 580, 590, or 600 denier), including any and all ranges and subranges therein (e.g., 150 to 600 denier). [0042] Denier is a unit of measure defined as the weight in grams of 9000 meters of a fiber or yam. It is a common way to specify the weight (or size) of the fiber or yarn. For example, polyester fibers that are 1.0 denier typically have a diameter of approximately 10 micrometers. Micro-denier fibers are those having a denier of 1.0 or less, while macro-denier fibers have a denier greater than 1.0.

[0043] In some embodiments, the denier of the loop yam is at greater than the denier of the stitch yam. In some embodiments, the denier of the loop yarn is at least 50% greater than the denier of the stitch yarn.

[0044] In some embodiments, the denier of the stitch yarn is greater than the denier of the loop yarn.

[0045] The stitch yarn comprises adhesive binder fibers that fuse the loop yam in place, thereby reducing shedability of embodiments of the inventive fabric.

[0046] In some embodiments of the inventive fabric, shedding is reduced by at least 20% (e.g., at least 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43,

44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69,

70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, or 85%) as compared to shedding in an otherwise identical fabric lacking adhesive binder fiber in the stitch yam as described herein. [0047] In some embodiments of the inventive fabric, shedding in is reduced by 20-85% (e.g., 20,

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72

73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, or 85%), including any and all ranges and subranges therein (e.g., 20 to 80%) as compared to shedding in an otherwise identical fabric lacking adhesive binder fiber in the stitch yarn as described herein.

[0048] In some embodiments, the stitch yam has a denier of 15 to 150 (e.g., 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,

20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45,

46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71,

72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97

98, 99, or 100 denier), including any and all ranges and subranges therein (e.g., 20 to 100 denier, 30 to 90 denier, etc.).

[0049] In some embodiments, the stitch yam consists of adhesive binder fibers. In other embodiments, the stitch yarn comprises adhesive binder fibers in addition to one or more other natural fibers (e.g., wool, cotton, tencel, kapok, flax, animal hair, silk, down, and/or natural polymeric fibers) and/or synthetic polymeric fibers. Provided that the stitch yarn comprises one or more adhesive binder fibers, embodiments of the stitch yam may additionally comprise one or more of any fiber types discussed above with respect to the loop yam. For example, in some embodiments, the stitch yarn comprises one or more polymeric materials discussed above with respect to the loop yarn, together with one or more types of adhesive binder fibers.

[0050] In some embodiments, the stitch yam comprises 25 to 100 wt% adhesive binder fibers (e.g., 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48,

49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74,

75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, or

100 wt%), including any and all ranges and subranges therein (e.g., 30-100 wt%, 40-100 wt%, 50-100 wt%, 60-100 wt%, 70-100 wt%, 80-100 wt%, 90-100 wt%, 80-99.5 wt%, etc.).

[0051] The adhesive binder fibers may be filaments and/or staple fibers.

[0052] Staple fibers are fibers having a standardized length. For example, in some embodiments, the fiber is a staple fiber having a length of 5 to 120 mm (e.g., 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,

12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37,

38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63,

64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89,

90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111,

112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, or 120 mm), including any and all ranges and subranges therein (e.g., 8 to 85 mm).

[0053] A filament is a single long threadlike continuous textile fiber/strand. Unlike staple fibers, which are of finite length, filaments are of indefinite length, and can ran for yards or miles (or e.g., where employed in yarn, can ran the entire length of yarn). In some embodiments, the filament ranges in length from 5 inches to several miles, including any and all ranges and subranges therein. For example, in some embodiments, the filament may be at least 5 inches in length (e.g., at least 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59,

60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85,

86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, or 100 inches in length, or any range or subrange therein). In some embodiments, the filaments may be at least 1 foot in length (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54,

55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80,

81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140,

150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300, 310, 320, 330, 340,

350, 360, 370, 380, 390, 400, 410, 420, 430, 440, 450, 460, 470, 480, 490, 500, 510, 520, 530, 540,

550, 560, 570, 580, 590, 600, 610, 620, 630, 640, 650, 660, 670, 680, 690, 700, 710, 720, 730, 740, 750, 760, 770, 780, 790, 800, 810, 820, 830, 840, 850, 860, 870, 880, 890, 900, 910, 920, 930, 940

950, 960, 970, 980, 990, or 1000 feet in length, or any range or subrange therein).

[0054] In particular embodiments, the stitch yarn comprises adhesive binder fibers that are filaments.

[0055] The adhesive binder fibers may have any desirable denier. In some embodiments the adhesive binder fibers have a denier of 0.4 to 7.5 denier (e.g., 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1,

1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 6.0, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, or 7.5 denier), including any and all ranges and subranges therein (e.g., 0.5 to 4.0 denier, 0.4 to 3.0 denier, etc.). [0056] Adhesive binder fibers are well known in the art, and an array of adhesive binder fibers are commercially available. The adhesive binder fibers used in the present invention may be conventional adhesive binder fibers (e.g., low-melt synthetic - e.g., polyester - binder fibers), or other adhesive binder fibers, provided that whatever adhesive binder fiber is used, the adhesive binder fiber has a bonding temperature lower than the softening temperature of the loop yarn. Adhesive binder fibers are discussed, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 4,794,038, and general protocols for certain embodiments of adhesive binder fibers are set forth in U.S. Patent No. 4,281,042 and in U.S. Patent No. 4,304,817. In some embodiments, the adhesive binder fibers are monocomponent fibers. In some embodiments, the adhesive binder fibers are multicomponent fibers (e.g., bicomponent fibers, for example, sheath-core fibers, where the core comprises a higher melting component than the sheath). In some embodiments, the adhesive binder fibers comprise blends of one or more different types of adhesive binder fibers. As used herein, the term “adhesive binder fibers” refer to fibers capable of thermally bonding to other fibers, and are thus distinguishable from fibers used in the art to mechanically bind (or tie) fibers. [0057] As mentioned above, the adhesive binder fibers in the stitch yarn have a bonding temperature lower than the softening temperature of the loop yarn. In some embodiments, the adhesive binder fibers have a bonding temperature of less than or equal to 200 °C. In some embodiments, the adhesive binder fibers have a bonding temperature of 50 to 200 °C (e.g., 50, 51,

52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, or 200 °C), including any and all ranges and subranges therein (e.g., 85 to 200 °C, 85 to 180 °C ,110 to 180 °C, 80 °C to 150 °C, 150 °C to 185 °C etc.). In some embodiments, the adhesive binder fibers have a bonding temperature of less than 190 °C (e.g., less than 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, or 190 °C).

[0058] In some embodiments, the adhesive binder fibers have a melting temperature that is 15 to 60 °C (or more) less than the melting temperature of the loop yarn. For example, in some embodiments, the adhesive binder fibers have a melting temperature that is at least 15, 16, 17, 18,

19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44,

45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, or 60 °C less than the melting temperature of the loop yarn.

[0059] In some embodiments, the adhesive binder fibers comprise low-melt polyester fibers. [0060] In some embodiments, the adhesive binder fibers are bicomponent fibers comprising a sheath and a core, wherein the sheath comprises a material having a lower melting point than the core.

[0061] The stitch yarn can comprise one or more (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) types of adhesive binder fibers. In some embodiments the stitch yarn comprises monocomponent and/or multicomponent (e.g., bicomponent) adhesive binder fiber.

[0062] In some embodiments, the fabric comprises a multicomponent adhesive binder fiber having a configuration selected from: core-sheath, wherein the core comprises the first component and the sheath comprises the second component; islands in a sea, wherein the islands comprise the first component and the sea comprises the second component; side-by-side, wherein the first component is adjacent to the second component; splittable pie, having segments comprising the first component, and other segments comprising the second component; or hollow-center pie, having segments comprising the first component, and other segments comprising the second component, the fiber having a hollow center.

[0063] In some embodiments, the multicomponent adhesive binder fiber comprises 20 to 90 wt% of the first component (e.g., 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37,

38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89 or 90 wt%), including any and all ranges and subranges therein.

[0064] In some embodiments, the multicomponent adhesive binder fiber comprises 10 to 80 wt% of the second component (e.g., 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52,

53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78,

79, or 80 wt%), including any and all ranges and subranges therein. [0065] In some embodiments, the loop yarn is elastic. In some embodiments, the loop yarn is inelastic.

[0066] In some embodiments, the stitch yam is elastic. In some embodiments, the stitch yarn is inelastic.

[0067] The term "elastic" is used herein to mean any material which, upon application of a biasing force, is stretchable, that is, elongatable, to a stretched, biased length which is at least about 150 percent of its relaxed unbiased length, and which will recover at least 50 percent of its elongation upon release of the stretching, elongating force in less than one minute. Many elastic materials may be stretched by much more than 50 percent of their relaxed length, for example,

80 percent or more, and many of these will recover to substantially their original relaxed length, for example, to within 105 percent of their original relaxed length, upon release of the stretching force. The term “inelastic” refers to materials that do not fall within the definition of "elastic" above.

[0068] While it is contemplated that the loop yam and/or stitch yam may optionally comprise yam of any desired elasticity, in some embodiments, the loop yam and/or stitch yarn have a breaking elongation of less than 60%.

[0069] In some embodiments, after 15% elongation, the loop yam has a rate of elastic recovery of less than 90% (e.g., less than 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, or 90%). [0070] In some embodiments, after 15% elongation, the stitch yam has a rate of elastic recovery of less than 90% (e.g., less than 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, or 90%). [0071] FIGS. 3A-C show different embodiments of fabric intermediates 10, wherein loop yarn 2 is plaited with different stitch yams. In FIG. 3 A, the stitch yarn 4 comprises sheath-core bicomponent adhesive binder fiber, the sheath of which comprises low-melt polymer material.

In FIG. 3B, the stitch yarn 4’ comprises monocomponent low-melt adhesive binder fiber. In FIG. 3C, the stitch yarn comprises polymeric stitch yarn 4’” as well as adhesive binder fiber 4” (which can be mono- or multi-component adhesive binder fiber). In embodiments such as that of FIG. 3C, the stitch yard includes both an adhesive binder fiber (4”) as well as fiber 4’”, which, in the depicted embodiment, is not a low-melt adhesive binder fiber.

[0072] In some embodiments, the fabric is not needle-punched.

[0073] In some embodiments, 75 to 100 wt% (e.g., 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86,

87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 99.1, 99.2, 99.3, 99.4, 99.5, 99.6, 99.7, 99.8,

99.9, or 100 wt%), including any and all ranges and subranges therein (e.g., 90 to 100 wt%, 90 to 99 wt%, 90 to 99.5 wt%, etc.) of the technical face does not comprise adhesive binder fiber. [0074] In some embodiments, 75 to 100 wt% (e.g., 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86,

87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 99.1, 99.2, 99.3, 99.4, 99.5, 99.6, 99.7, 99.8, 99.9, or 100 wt%), including any and all ranges and subranges therein (e.g., 90 to 100 wt%, 90 to 99 wt%, 90 to 99.5 wt%, etc.) of the technical back does not comprise adhesive binder fiber [0075] In some embodiments, the stitch yam includes one or more heat shrinkable and/or elastomeric materials. In some embodiments, the stitch yarn does not include heat shrinkable and/or elastomeric materials.

[0076] The loop yarn and stitch yarn may comprise dry fibers (i.e., non-slickened, e.g., non- siliconized fibers), and/or slickened fibers, e.g., siliconized fibers. The term “siliconized” is used herein to refer to a fiber that is coated with a silicon-comprising composition (e.g., a silicone). Siliconization techniques are well known in the art, and are described, e.g., in U.S. Patent No. 3,454,422. The silicon-comprising composition may be applied using any method known in the art, e.g., spraying, mixing, dipping, padding, etc. the fiber. The silicon-comprising (e.g., silicone) composition, which may include an organosiloxane or polysiloxane, bonds to an exterior portion of fiber. In some embodiments, the silicone coating is a polysiloxane such as a methylhydrogenpolysiloxane, modified methylhydrogenpolysiloxane, polydimethylsiloxane, or amino modified dimethylpolysiloxane. As is known in the art, the silicon-comprising composition may be applied directly to a fiber, or may be diluted with a solvent as a solution or emulsion, e.g. an aqueous emulsion of a polysiloxane, prior to application. Following treatment, the coating may be dried and/or cured. As is known in the art, a catalyst may be used to accelerate the curing of the silicon-comprising composition (e.g., polysiloxane containing Si-H bonds) and, for convenience, may be added to a silicon-comprising composition emulsion, with the resultant combination being used to treat the fiber. Suitable catalysts include iron, cobalt, manganese, lead, zinc, and tin salts of carboxylic acids such as acetates, octanoates, naphthenates and oleates. In some embodiments, following siliconization, the fiber may be dried to remove residual solvent and then optionally heated to between 65° and 200° C to cure.

[0077] In some embodiments, the loop yarn and/or the stitch yam are texturized. In some embodiments, the loop yarn and/or the stitch yarn are not texturized. In particular embodiments, the loop yarn is texturized.

[0078] Texturizing techniques are well known in the art, and may be performed on yarn filament bundles to disrupt the parallelization of the filaments, and used on monofilaments to texturize the monofilaments. Such techniques may serve, for example, to add bulk without adding weight, which can make the resultant yarn seem lighter in weight, have improved hand-feel (softness), appear more opaque, and/or have improved temperature insulating properties. While any art- acceptable texturizing processes may be employed, examples of texturizing processes to which yam (e.g., the loop yam) in the inventive fabric may have been subjected include crimping, looping, coiling, crinkling, twisting then untwisting and knitting then deknitting. [0079] During processing, embodiments of the inventive fabric will typically have been heat treated so as to melt all or a portion of the adhesive binder fibers, thereby fusing the loop yarn and reducing or preventing the fiber shedding property of the fabric. Persons having ordinary skill in the art will understand that, in such embodiments, although "adhesive binder fibers" are recited as being comprised within the fabric, said fibers may be wholly or partially melted fibers, as opposed to adhesive binder fibers in their original, pre-heat treatment form.

[0080] It is contemplated that any desired finish chemistries may be used on embodiments of the inventive fabric in accordance with the invention. Finish chemistries are well known in the art and include, e.g., siliconization, durable water repellency treatment, water resistance treatments, anti pulling treatments, etc.

[0081] The inventive fabric is pliable, meaning that the fabric can be folded without cracking or breaking.

[0082] In some embodiments, the inventive fabric has good drape (i.e., the fabric hangs under its own weight). In some embodiments, the fabric has a drape of 1.5 cm to 10.0 cm (e.g., 1.5, 1.6,

1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8,

3.9, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 6.0,

6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.9, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2,

8.3, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7, 8.8, 8.9, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, 9.7, 9.8, 9.9, or 10.0 cm) including any and all ranges and subranges therein, as measured in accordance with Method ASTM D1388.

[0083] In a second aspect, the invention provides an article (including an article of insulation material) comprising the fabric.

[0084] In some non-limiting embodiments, the article is an article of footwear (e.g., shoes, socks, slippers, boots), outerwear (e.g. outerwear garments such as a jacket, coat, shoe, boot, pants (e.g., snow pants, ski pants, etc.) glove, mitten, scarf, hat, etc.), clothing/apparel (e.g., shirts, pants, undergarments (e.g., underwear, thermal underwear, socks, hosiery, etc.), sleepwear (e.g., pajamas, nightgown, robe, etc.)), active wear (e.g., clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise), sleeping bag, bedding (e.g., comforter), pillow, cushion, pet bed, home good, etc. In embodiments, the inventive fabric is comprised within at least a part of one of the articles listed above.

[0085] In a third aspect, the invention provides a non-limiting method of making the fabric or article comprising the fabric. The method may comprise knitting (e.g., by plaiting) stitch yarn and loop yarn, the stitch yarn comprising adhesive binder fiber, thereby forming a fabric intermediate having loops at a technical face that is opposite a technical back, performing one or more further processing steps on the fabric intermediate (e.g., brushing, napping, and/or cutting the loops at the technical face, and optionally performing steps on loop yarn at the technical back), and performing heat treatment to fuse the adhesive binder fiber in the stitch yam to the loop yarn.

[0086] In some embodiments, the heat treatment that fuses the adhesive binder fiber in the stitch yam to the loop yarn takes place during a dying process that is performed to dye the fabric.

[0087] FIG. 4 shows a simplified portion of an embodiment of fabric intermediate 10 comprising loop yarn 2, which is knitted (in the case of FIG. 4, plaited) with stitch yam 4, thereby forming loops 6 from the loop yarn 2. After plaiting, fabric intermediate 10 as pictured in FIGS. 3A-3C and FIG. 4 is subjected to one or more further processing steps as mentioned above, which results in disrupting loops 6 pictured in FIG. 4 (e.g., by cutting, napping, and/or shearing, and/or other process(es)), thereby yielding loop yam 2 in the technical face that does not have loops 6 at the surface of the technical face (as shown, e.g., in FIG. 1). In some embodiments, loops on the technical back are subject to shearing, cutting, brushing, napping, etc.) Any further desired finishing steps may be performed on the fabric.

Non-Limiting Embodiments

[0088] In some embodiments, the invention is as described in one of the following embodiments 1-20:

[0089] 1. Fabric having a unitary knit construction comprising a technical face and, opposite the technical face, a technical back, wherein the technical face comprises loop yarn that forms a raised surface of the technical face in a direction opposite the technical back, said loop yam extending perpendicularly from stitch yarn to the raised surface of the technical face, wherein said stitch yarn comprises adhesive binder fibers that fuse the loop yam in place, thereby reducing shedability of the fabric.

[0090] 2. The fabric according to embodiment 1, wherein the loop yarn is plaited with the stitch yarn.

[0091] 3. The fabric according to embodiments 1 or 2, wherein the loop yam additionally forms a raised surface on the technical back of the fabric, which extends perpendicularly from the stitch yarn in a direction opposite the technical face.

[0092] 4. The fabric according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the loop yam comprises polymeric fibers.

[0093] 5. The fabric according to embodiment 4, wherein the loop yarn comprises synthetic polymeric fibers. [0094] 6. The fabric according to embodiment 5, wherein the loop yarn comprises synthetic polymeric fibers that are polyester, nylon, polypropylene and/or acrylic fibers, or a copolymer comprising one or more of polyester, nylon, polypropylene or acrylic fibers.

[0095] 7. The fabric according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the stitch yam comprises mono-component adhesive binder fibers.

[0096] 8. The fabric according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the stitch yam comprises bicomponent adhesive binder fibers.

[0097] 9. The fabric according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the stitch yam comprises adhesive binder fibers in the form of filaments.

[0098] 10. The fabric according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the stitch yam comprises adhesive binder fibers in the form of staple fibers.

[0099] 11. The fabric according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the stitch yam comprises adhesive binder fibers having a denier of 0.5 to 4.0.

[00100] 12. The fabric according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the stitch yam comprises 25 to 100 wt% adhesive binder fibers.

[00101] 13. The fabric according to embodiment 12, wherein the stitch yam comprises 90 to 100 wt% adhesive binder fibers.

[00102] 14. The fabric according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the stitch yam has a denier of 15 to 150.

[00103] 15. The fabric according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the loop yam has a denier of 70 to 600.

[00104] 16. The fabric according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the fabric is not needle-punched.

[00105] 17. The fabric according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the technical face does not comprise adhesive binder fiber.

[00106] 18. An article comprising the fabric according to any one of embodiments 1 to 17. [00107] 19. A method of making the fabric according to any one of embodiments 1 to 17, the method comprising knitting (e.g., plaiting) stitch yarn and loop yam, the stitch yam comprising adhesive binder fiber, thereby forming a fabric intermediate having loops at a technical face that is opposite a technical back, performing one or more further processing steps on the fabric intermediate (e.g., brushing, napping, and/or cutting the loops at the technical face, and optionally performing steps on loop yam at the technical back), and performing heat treatment to fuse the adhesive binder fiber in the stitch yarn to the loop yarn.

[00108] 20. The method according to embodiment 19, wherein the heat treatment is performed during a dying process. [00109] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprise” (and any form of comprise, such as “comprises” and “comprising”), “have” (and any form of have, such as “has” and “having”), “include” (and any form of include, such as “includes” and “including”),

“contain” (and any form contain, such as “contains” and “containing”), and any other grammatical variant thereof, are open-ended linking verbs. As a result, a method or article that “comprises”, “has”, “includes” or “contains” one or more steps or elements possesses those one or more steps or elements, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more steps or elements. Likewise, a step of a method or an element of an article that “comprises”, “has”, “includes” or “contains” one or more features possesses those one or more features, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more features.

[00110] As used herein, the terms “comprising,” "has," “including,” "containing," and other grammatical variants thereof encompass the terms “consisting of’ and “consisting essentially of.”

[00111] The phrase “consisting essentially of’ or grammatical variants thereof when used herein are to be taken as specifying the stated features, integers, steps or components but do not preclude the addition of one or more additional features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof but only if the additional features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof do not materially alter the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed compositions or methods. [00112] All publications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference herein as though fully set forth.

[00113] Subject matter incorporated by reference is not considered to be an alternative to any claim limitations, unless otherwise explicitly indicated.

[00114] Where one or more ranges are referred to throughout this specification, each range is intended to be a shorthand format for presenting information, where the range is understood to encompass each discrete point within the range as if the same were fully set forth herein.

[00115] While several aspects and embodiments of the present invention have been described and depicted herein, alternative aspects and embodiments may be affected by those skilled in the art to accomplish the same objectives. Accordingly, this disclosure and the appended claims are intended to cover all such further and alternative aspects and embodiments as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Fabric having a unitary knit construction comprising a technical face and, opposite the technical face, a technical back, wherein the technical face comprises loop yarn that forms a raised surface of the technical face in a direction opposite the technical back, said loop yarn extending perpendicularly from stitch yarn to the raised surface of the technical face, wherein said stitch yarn comprises adhesive binder fibers that fuse the loop yam in place, thereby reducing shedability of the fabric.

2. The fabric according to claim 1, wherein the loop yarn is plaited with the stitch yarn.

3. The fabric according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the loop yarn additionally forms a raised surface on the technical back of the fabric, which extends perpendicularly from the stitch yam in a direction opposite the technical face.

4. The fabric according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the loop yarn comprises polymeric fibers.

5. The fabric according to claim 4, wherein the loop yarn comprises synthetic polymeric fibers.

6. The fabric according to claim 5, wherein the loop yam comprises synthetic polymeric fibers that are polyester, nylon, polypropylene and/or acrylic fibers, or a copolymer comprising one or more of polyester, nylon, polypropylene or acrylic fibers.

7. The fabric according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stitch yarn comprises mono-component adhesive binder fibers.

8. The fabric according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stitch yam comprises bicomponent adhesive binder fibers.

9. The fabric according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stitch yarn comprises adhesive binder fibers in the form of filaments.

10. The fabric according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stitch yarn comprises adhesive binder fibers in the form of staple fibers.

11. The fabric according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stitch yarn comprises adhesive binder fibers having a denier of 0.5 to 4.0.

12. The fabric according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stitch yarn comprises 25 to 100 wt% adhesive binder fibers.

13. The fabric according to claim 12, wherein the stitch yarn comprises 90 to 100 wt% adhesive binder fibers.

14. The fabric according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stitch yarn has a denier of 15 to 150.

15. The fabric according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the loop yarn has a denier of 70 to 600.

16. The fabric according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fabric is not needle- punched.

17. The fabric according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the technical face does not comprise adhesive binder fiber.

18. An article comprising the fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. A method of making the fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 17, the method comprising knitting (e.g., plaiting) stitch yam and loop yarn, the stitch yarn comprising adhesive binder fiber, thereby forming a fabric intermediate having loops at a technical face that is opposite a technical back, performing one or more further processing steps on the fabric intermediate (e.g., brushing, napping, and/or cutting the loops at the technical face, and optionally performing steps on loop yam at the technical back), and performing heat treatment to fuse the adhesive binder fiber in the stitch yarn to the loop yarn.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the heat treatment is performed during a dying process.