Composite chemical barrier fabric for protective garments

• US 5,626,947 A
• Filed: 09/25/1995
• Issued: 05/06/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zeigler, James P., Rudys, Stasys K., Hauer, Ernst J.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAIMUND, CHRISTOPHER W
• Application Number:
  US08/533,407
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 428/195, 428/102, 428/104, 428/286
• US Class Current: 428/195.1
• CPC Class Codes: A62D 5/00 Composition of materials for coverings or clothing affording protection against harmful chemical agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/10 on synthetic resin layer or on natural or synthetic rubber layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/20 Inorganic coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0253 Polyolefin fibres vinyl or acrylic copolymers B32B2262/0223 or B32B2262/0246
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0261 Polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0269 Aromatic polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0276 Polyester fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/4026 within the layer by addition of a colorant, e.g. pigments, dyes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/518 bi-axially
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/546 Flexural strength; Flexion stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/5825 Tear resistant
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/714 Inert, i.e. inert to chemical degradation, corrosion
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/718 Weight, e.g. weight per square meter
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7242 Non-permeable
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7246 Water vapor barrier
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7265 Non-permeable
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2437/00 Clothing anti-ballistic clothing B32B2571/02
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2437/02 Gloves, shoes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2571/00 Protective equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 : next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/16 : specially treated, e.g. irradiated
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 : using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/308 : comprising acrylic (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 : comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/34 : comprising polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 : comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 : Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/024 : Woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/06 : characterised by a fibrous or filamentary layer mechanically connected, e.g. by needling to another layer, e.g. of fibres, of paper
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/24 : one layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 : using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24033 : including stitching and discrete fastener[s], coating or bond
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2405 : Coating, impregnation, or bond in stitching zone only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 : Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

Composite chemical barrier films and fabrics that are particularly useful in protective garments. The composite barrier material may be made by laminating a barrier film to a flexible substrate using a thermoplastic resin and topcoating the barrier film with a similar or dissimilar thermoplastic resin to allow fabric seaming when the fabric is fabricated into a protective garment. Protective garments made from the materials are lightweight while maintaining an adequate balance of strength and chemical protection.

Claims

1. A chemical protective garment comprising a plurality of interconnected protective material pieces, each of said protective material pieces consisting essentially of:

(a) a point bonded non-woven, flexible, reinforcing, fabric substrate;

(b) a barrier film selected from the group consisting of oriented nylon, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyethylene naphthalate films laminated to the fabric substrate by a thermoplastic polymeric adhesive layer; and

(c) a thermoplastic polymeric adhesive topcoat adhered to the unlaminated side of the barrier film, the protective material pieces of the garment having a burst strength of at least 75 psi, a chemical barrier rating of at least 50 when the barrier film is less than 0.5 mils thick, and a chemical barrier rating of at least 75 when the barrier film is greater than 0.5, but less than 1.3 mils thick.

2. The chemical protective garment of claim 1 wherein the protective material pieces of the garment are interconnected by stitched seams and said seams are sealed with a thermoplastic polymer adhesive.

3. The chemical protective garment of claim 2 wherein the stitched seams are covered on the side of the garment facing away from a wearer of the garment with sealed strips of a barrier film bonded to opposite sides of the seam by a thermoplastic polymer adhesive, the barrier film selected from the group consisting of oriented nylon, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyethylene naphthalate films.

4. The chemical protective garment of claim 3 wherein the seams of the garment have a seam peel strength of at least 1500 g/inch.

5. The chemical protective garment of claim 2 wherein the barrier film in the protective material pieces of the garment is covered on at least one side with a vapor-deposited coating of an inorganic oxide selected from the group consisting of oxides of silicon, aluminum, and zirconium.

6. The chemical protective garment of claim 5 wherein the chemical barrier rating of the protective material is at least 90 and the barrier film is less than 0.5 mils thick.

7. The chemical protective garment of claim 3 wherein the fabric substrate of the protective material pieces of the garment comprises a non-woven fabric of polyethylene, wherein the barrier film in the protective material pieces of the garment fabric and in the strips sealing the seams of the garment is biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate, and wherein the thermoplastic polymer adhesive consists essentially of low-density polyethylene.

8. The chemical protective garment of claim 2 wherein the protective material pieces of the garment have a basis weight no greater than 185 g/m².

9. The chemical protective garment of claim 2 wherein the garment is a glove.

10. The chemical protective garment of claim 3 wherein the seams of the garment are substantially impermeable to liquid and vapor.