NONWOVEN MATERIAL AND DRYER WITH NONWOVEN MATERIAL

• US 20130266787A1
• Filed: 03/26/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Original Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Inventors: Rockwell, Anthony L., Johnson, Phillip J., Seward, Jason, Bragg, Jason C., Miller, Paula, Tilton, Jeffrey S.
• Application Number:
  US13/850,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20130266787A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/220
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43 Acrylonitrile series
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/435 Polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/558 in combination with mechanical or physical treatments other than embossing
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/72 the fibres being randomly arranged
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/04 Details controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 11/024 Arrangements for gas-sealing the drum
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 25/009 Alarm systems; Safety sytems, e.g. preventing fire and explosions using inert gases F26B21/14
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 25/16 mainly closed, e.g. drum
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/696 Including strand or fiber material which is stated to have specific attributes [e.g., heat or fire resistance, chemical or solvent resistance, high absorption for aqueous compositions, water solubility, heat shrinkability, etc.]

Abstract

A non-woven fabric includes flame retardant fibers and binding fibers mixed with the flame retardant fibers. The binding fibers set a thickness of the fabric. Application of a flame to the fabric causes the binding fibers to degrade and the flame retardant fibers to expand such that the thickness of the fabric increases, for example by a factor of two or more. The non-woven fabric can be used in a wide variety of different applications. For example, the non-woven fabric may be used to make seals of a drier, heat shields, fire barriers, and/or vents.

Claims

1. A non-woven fabric comprising:

flame retardant fibers;

binding fibers mixed with the flame retardant fibers;

wherein the binding fibers set a thickness of the fabric;

wherein application of a 1000°

F. flame to the fabric causes the binding fibers to degrade and the flame retardant fibers to expand such that said thickness increases by a factor of at least two.

2. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein said thickness increases by a factor of about two to about 6.

3. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein the binding fibers are self-extinguishing fibers.

4. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein the binding fibers are polyester fibers.

5. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein the binding fibers are polyester bi-component fibers.

6. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein the flame retardant fibers do not burn when the 1000°

F. flame is applied to the fabric.

7. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein the flame retardant fibers comprise oxidized Polyacrylonitrile fibers.

8. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein the weight percentage of the flame retardant fibers is between 55% and 75% and the weight percentage of binding fibers is between 25% and 45% of the weight of the blanket.

9. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein the binding fibers and the flame retardant fibers are not needled together.

10. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein said thickness is less than ½

″

.

11. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein said thickness is less than 8 mm and a weight of the fabric is greater than 200 grams per square meter.

12. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein said thickness is between about 1 mm and about 6 mm and a weight of the fabric is about 400 grams per square meter.

13. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein the thermal resistance across the width of the blanket increases as a result of the application of the flame.

14. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 an airflow resistance of the fabric is reduced after the application of a 1000°

F. flame to the fabric to cause the binding fibers to degrade and the flame retardant fibers to expand.

15. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 an airflow resistance of the fabric decreases after the application of a 1000°

F. and the flame retardant fibers expand, while preventing propagation of the flame through the fabric.

16. The non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein application of a 1000 degree F. flame to the fabric for eight hours causes substantially no drawing of the flame retardant fibers.

17. A non-woven fabric comprising:

flame retardant fibers;

binding material mixed with the flame retardant fibers;

wherein the binding material sets a thickness of the fabric;

wherein application of a 1000°

F. flame to the fabric causes the binding material to degrade and the flame retardant fibers to expand such that said thickness increases by a factor of at least two.

18. The non-woven fabric of claim 17 wherein application of a 1000°

F. flame to the fabric causes the binding material to transition to a gas state.

19. The non-woven fabric of claim 17 wherein the binding material is a self-extinguishing material.

20. The non-woven fabric of claim 17 wherein the binding material is polyester.

21. The non-woven fabric of claim 17 wherein the flame retardant fibers do not burn when the 1000°

F. flame is applied to the fabric.

22. The non-woven fabric of claim 17 wherein the flame retardant fibers comprise oxidized Polyacrylonitrile fibers.

23. The non-woven fabric of claim 17 wherein said thickness is less than 8 mm and a weight of the fabric is greater than 200 grams per square meter.

24. The non-woven fabric of claim 17 wherein application of a 1000 degree F. flame to the fabric for eight hours causes substantially no drawing of the flame retardant fibers.

25. A method of making a non-woven fabric comprising:

air laying a mixture flame retardant fibers and binding fibers;

heating and compressing the air laid flame retardant fibers and binding fibers;

cooling the binding fibers to set a thickness of the fabric;

wherein the flame retardant fibers, the binding fibers, a weight per unit area of the fabric, and said thickness are selected such that application of a 1000°

F. flame to the fabric causes the binding fibers to degrade and the flame retardant fibers to expand such that said thickness increases by a factor of at least two.

26. The method of making a non-woven fabric of claim 25 wherein the mixture of flame retardant fibers and binding fibers are air laid at a thickness greater than ½

inch.

27. The method of making a non-woven fabric of claim 26 wherein the air laid flame retardant fibers and binding fibers are heated and compressed from said thickness greater than ½

″

to a thickness that is less than or equal to ¼

″ and

then cooled to set said thickness of said fabric to less than or equal to ¼

″

.

28. The method of making a non-woven fabric of claim 27 wherein a weight of the fabric is greater than 200 grams per square meter.

29. The method of making a non-woven fabric of claim 25 wherein the binding fibers are polyester fibers.

30. The method of making non-woven fabric of claim 25 wherein the binding fibers are polyester bi-component fibers.

31. The method of making a non-woven fabric of claim 25 wherein the flame retardant fibers comprise oxidized Polyacrylonitrile fibers.

32. The method of making a non-woven fabric of claim 25 wherein the weight percentage of the flame retardant fibers is between 55% and 75% and the weight percentage of binding fibers is between 25% and 45% of the weight of the blanket.

33. The method of making a non-woven fabric of claim 25 wherein an airflow resistance of the fabric decreases after the application of a 1000°

F. flame to the fabric to cause the binding fibers to degrade and the flame retardant fibers to expand, while preventing propagation of said flame through the fabric.