Non-Woven Fabric

• US 20090036014A1
• Filed: 06/28/2006
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manel Torres
• Original Assignee: Manel Torres
• Inventors: Torres, Manel, Luckham, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,088,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 442/327
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 3/30 for aerosols aerosol containers B65D83/14
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/407 containing absorbing substances, e.g. activated carbon
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4218 Glass fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4234 Metal fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4242 Carbon fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/425 Cellulose series
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4266 Natural fibres not provided for in group D04H1/425
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4291 Olefin series
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/587 characterised by the bonding agents used
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/64 the bonding agent being applied in wet state, e.g. chemical agents in dispersions or solutions
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/655 characterised by the apparatus for applying bonding agents
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/72 the fibres being randomly arranged
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/60 Nonwoven fabric [i.e., nonwoven strand or fiber material]

Abstract

This invention relates to non-woven fabrics, in particular to a method of making fabrics by spraying fibres onto a support member, and to a mixture of fibres, binder and diluent for use in the method of the invention. The present invention has the objective of providing a composition that can be used to produce fabrics having an improved texture and which gives excellent results when sprayed as an aerosol using a propellant.

Claims

1. A composition for forming a fabric by spraying onto a supporting surface, the composition comprising fibres, a binder and a diluent characterized in that the binder is a thermoplastic elastomeric block copolymer.

2. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the binder is a styrene-diene-styrene triblock copolymer.

3. A composition according to claim 2 wherein the diene is butadiene or isoprene.

4. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the diluent comprises a propellant and/or a solvent.

5. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the diluent comprises a propellant selected from the group consisting of liquefied petroleum gas, dimethyl ether or carbon dioxide and mixtures thereof.

6. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the diluent comprises a propellant which makes up between 20 and 90% of the composition, preferably between 40 and 80%, more preferably between 50 and 70%, of the composition by weight, based on the total weight of composition.

7. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the diluent comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of petroleum ether having a boiling point of between 30 to 60°

C., dimethoxymethane, diethyl ether or dimethyl ether, wherein the solvent is preferably dimethyl ether.

8. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the diluent comprises a first carrier in which the binder is dissolved and a second carrier wherein the boiling point of the second carrier is at least 40°

C. and is higher than the boiling point of the first carrier.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the diluent in the composition comprises a propellant and the container is at a pressure of above 1 and up to 20 atmospheres.

12. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the device capable of producing a spray has a nozzle with an internal diameter of 0.05 to 2 mm.

13. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the container is an aerosol can.

9. An apparatus comprising a container containing the composition for forming a fabric by spraying onto a supporting surface, the composition comprising fibres, a binder and a diluent characterized in that the binder is a thermoplastic elastomeric block copolymer and a device capable of producing a spray of the composition from the container.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the pressure within the container is between 5 and 20 atmospheres, preferably between 8 and 15 atmospheres.

14. A non-woven fabric produced by spraying a composition for forming a fabric by spraying onto a supporting surface, the composition comprising fibres, a binder and a diluent characterized in that the binder is a thermoplastic elastomeric block copolymer, wherein the fabric comprises the binder in solid form and fibres bound by the binder.

15. An article comprising a non-woven fabric according to claim 14.

16. An article according to claim 15, wherein the article is selected from a piece of clothing, furniture or millinery item.

18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the diluent in the composition comprises a propellant and step a) involves pressurising the container above 1 and up to 20 atmospheres, preferably between 5 and 20 atmospheres, more preferably between 8 and 15 atmospheres.

17. A method for producing a non-woven fabric comprising the steps of:

providing a container containing a composition for forming a fabric by spraying onto a supporting surface, the composition comprising fibres, a binder and a diluent characterized in that the binder is a thermoplastic elastomeric block copolymer, which Is capable of producing a spray of the composition and;

b) spraying the composition onto a supporting surface.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the spray formed in step b) is a fine spray with droplet size less than 500 micron.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the distance between a spray point on the container and the supporting surface is 10 to 200 cm preferably 50 to 150 cm.

21. (canceled)