FABRIC MATERIAL THAT IS RESISTANT TO FLASH FIRES AND ELECTRICAL ARC FLASHES

Fabrics and garments are disclosed that have dual protection against flash fires and electrical arc flashes. The fabrics can be made from spun yarns containing an intimate blend of fibers. The fibers contained in each yarn can include modacrylic fibers, cellulose fibers, polyamide fibers, and inherently flame resistant fibers.

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Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is based upon, and claims priority to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/389,592 filed Jul. 15, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Workers in many industrial settings and in various other occupations can be exposed to hazardous and life threating situations. For example, some workers operate in environments where there is a possibility that they will be exposed to flash fires or electrical arc flashes. For example, workers in many chemical factories face the risk of exposure to chemical flash fires. These flash fires can occur quickly and without warning.

In addition to flash fires, many workers can also be exposed to electrical arc flashes. For example, almost every industrial or manufacturing facility employs electricians to make changes or modify the existing electrical system, to make repairs and/or to change out electrical components. During these operations and procedures, the workers face inherent dangers in working with the electrical lines and the power supply.

To avoid being injured while working in the environments as described above, workers and other personnel should be provided protective apparel that is capable of protecting the worker against the hazards that they may face, including electrical arcs, open flames, and fires. These protective garments can take various forms including full body suits, pants, shirts, aprons, gloves, and the like. Ideally, the protective garment should possess life-saving properties for protecting the wearer should any accidental exposure occur. For example, garments designed to protect workers from flash fires should be made from materials that do not ignite when contacted with an open flame and provide a thermal barrier for the user. Similarly, protective garments designed to protect workers from arc flashes should be capable of being exposed to the arc flash without igniting or allowing the arc flash to propagate through the material.

In the past, various different fabrics have been proposed for producing garments and apparel that will protect workers from flash fires, electrical arc flashes, and the like. Most conventional fabrics, for instance, are very heavy and thick, essentially relying on having enough fabric material between the worker and the hazardous condition to prevent injury. Although capable of protecting workers, these fabrics can cause other problems. For instance, the fabrics add a significant amount of weight to the wearer and typically do not have very good moisture management properties. Thus, workers can become stressed and undergo physical fatigue when wearing garments or apparel made from the fabric.

In view of the above, a need currently exists for an improved fabric and garments made from the fabric that can provide protection against flash fires and/or electrical arc flashes. A need also exists for a fabric that has improved electrical arc flash resistance, while containing breathable materials, such as cellulose-based fibers. A need also exists for a fabric and garment that can provide resistance to electrical arc flashes made from a blend of different fibers that can be produced having a uniform color and/or appearance.

SUMMARY

In general, the present disclosure is directed to a fabric made from a blend of fibers that can provide protection against flash fires and/or electrical arc flashes. Of particular advantage, the fabric can be made containing cellulose fibers, such as regenerated cellulose fibers, which not only provide protection to the wearer but also greatly improve comfort and wearability, especially in industrial environments that are not temperature controlled. In one aspect, the fabric can be made from yarns that are the same or substantially the same in both the warp and fill directions providing the fabric with a great balance of physical properties in both directions and dimensional stability. The fabric of the present disclosure can be used to make all different types of garments and apparel.

In one embodiment, for instance, the present disclosure is directed to a garment that is resistant to flash fires and/or electrical arc flashes. The garment includes a fabric shaped to cover at least a portion of a wearer's body. The fabric comprises a woven fabric made from a plurality of yarns. The fabric comprises warp yarns and fill yarns. The warp yarns and fill yarns comprise a fiber blended yarn. The fiber blended yarn comprises a blend of fibers including modacrylic fibers in an amount of from about 38% to about 49% by weight, regenerated cellulose fibers in an amount of from about 36% to about 48% by weight, polyamide fibers in an amount from about 5% to about 15% by weight, and inherently flame resistant fibers in an amount of from about 5% to about 15% by weight. Alternatively, the fiber blended yarn comprises a blend of fibers including modacrylic fibers in an amount of from about 40% to about 44% by weight, regenerated cellulose fibers in an amount from about 40% to about 44% by weight, polyamide fibers in an amount from about 6% to about 9% by weight, and inherently flame resistant fibers in an amount from about 6% to about 10% by weight.

In one aspect, the yarns contained within the woven fabric are made from an intimate blend of the modacrylic fibers, the regenerated cellulose fibers, the polyamide fibers, and the inherently flame resistant fibers. The inherently flame resistant fibers, for instance, can be para-aramid fibers, meta-aramid fibers, or mixtures thereof.

The woven fabric made in accordance with the present disclosure can generally have a basis weight of from about 5 osy to about 12 osy, including all increments of 0.1 osy therebetween. For example, the basis weight can be greater than about 5.5 osy, such as greater than about 6 osy, such as greater than about 6.4 osy, such as greater than about 6.6 osy, such as greater than about 6.8 osy, and generally less than about 11 osy, such as less than about 10 osy, such as less than about 9.5 osy, such as less than about 8 osy, such as less than about 7.7 osy. The fabric can made exclusively from the fiber blended yarns. In one aspect, the fabric comprises from about 65 yarns per inch to about 95 yarns per inch in the warp direction and about 50 yarns per inch to about 75 yarns per inch in the fill direction.

In one aspect, the fiber blended yarn as described above extends in both the warp direction and the fill direction and comprises at least about 85% by weight of the fabric. For instance, the fiber blended yarn can comprise greater than about 90% by weight of the fabric, such as greater than about 95% of the weight of the fabric. In one aspect, the woven fabric is made entirely from the fiber blended yarn or includes the fiber blended yarn in combination with from about 0.5% to about 2.5% of antistatic yarns.

The woven fabric can have any suitable weave, such as a twill weave. In one aspect, the woven fabric has a 2×1 twill weave. Alternatively, the fabric can have a rip stop weave.

The present disclosure is also directed to the fabric material as described above used to produce the garment. When tested according to Test ASTM D6413, for instance, the fabric material can display a char length of less than about 4 inches in the warp direction and less than about 4 inches in the weft or fill direction before being laundered. When tested for arc flash protection according to Test ASTM F1959, on the other hand, the fabric material can display a result of greater than about 7 cal/cm2s, such as greater than about 7.5 cal/cm2s, such as greater than about 8 cal/cm2s, such as greater than about 8.5 cal/cm2s, such as greater than about 9 cal/cm2s, such as greater than about 9.5 cal/cm2s, such as greater than about 9.8 cal/cm2s, and generally less than about 18 cal/cm2s.

In one aspect, all of the fibers contained in the warp yarns and fill yarns can be solution dyed yarns. For instance, the modacrylic fibers, the regenerated cellulose fibers, the polyamide fibers, and the inherently flame resistant fibers can all be solution dyed providing the garment not only with a distinctive and uniform color or appearance, but also with excellent color fastness.

Garments made in accordance with the present disclosure include shirts, overalls, trousers, aprons, and the like.

The present disclosure is also directed to a fabric material as described above that is used to construct the garment.

Garments and fabric materials made according to the present disclosure have an excellent balance of properties. In one aspect, the fabric material can be both resistant to flash fires and electrical arc flashes.

Other features and aspects of the present disclosure are discussed in greater detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present disclosure is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, including reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is one embodiment of a garment made in accordance with the present disclosure.

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present disclosure.

In general, the present disclosure is directed to a fabric material and apparel made from the fabric material that are resistant to flash fires and/or arc flashes. The fabric of the present disclosure generally comprises yarns made from a fiber blend that includes modacrylic fibers and inherently flame resistant fibers combined with cellulose fibers, particularly regenerated cellulose fibers, and polyamide fibers. The fiber blend made in accordance with the present disclosure has been found to produce fabrics having unexpectedly improved properties with respect to arc flash protection. In addition, fabrics made according to the present disclosure are comfortable to wear and breathable.

In addition, the fabrics made according to the present disclosure can have a distinctive look and aesthetic appeal. For instance, in one embodiment, the modacrylic fibers, the regenerated cellulose fibers, the polyamide fibers, and the inherently flame resistant fibers can all be solution dyed, which is also referred to as producer dyed fibers. The fibers used to make the yarns, for instance, can be solution dyed the same color, a similar color, or a complementary collection of colors. In this manner, once woven, the fabric has a uniform appearance. In addition, because the fibers are solution dyed, the color of the fabric is wear resistant and will not fade or degrade, even when subjected to multiple laundry cycles.

The fiber blended fabric can be incorporated into all different types of protective apparel including shirts, pants, coveralls, coats, aprons, gloves, hoods, and the like.

In one aspect, the fabric of the present disclosure can be designed to protect not only against electrical arc flash exposure, but also against flash fire exposure. For example, many workers operate in environments where possible exposure to flash fires, such as chemical fires, and possible exposure to electrical arc flashes are both present. Alternatively, workers may move in between manufacturing areas and thus can be exposed to both of the above hazards. The fabric of the present disclosure can provide dual hazard protection.

Due to the fiber blend, the fabric of the present disclosure has dramatically improved and unexpected properties when tested against resistance to arc flashes. For instance, when tested according to Test ASTM F1959/F1959M-14-e1 (current year test), the fabric of the present disclosure can display an arc rating of greater than about 7 cal/cm2, such as greater than about 7.5 cal/cm2, such as greater than about 8 cal/cm2, such as greater than about 8.5 cal/cm2, such as greater than about 9 cal/cm2, such as even greater than about 9.5 cal/cm2. The arc rating is generally less than about 25 cal/cm2. The fabric can also display a material break-open (Ebt) of greater than about 9 cal/cm2, such as greater than about 10 cal/cm2, such as greater than about 11 cal/cm2, such as greater than about 12 cal/cm2, such as greater than about 13 cal/cm2, such as even greater than about 13.5 cal/cm2. The material break-open of the fabric is generally less than about 30 cal/cm2. Further, the fabric can display a heat attenuation factor (HAF) of greater than about 70%, such as greater than about 73%, such as greater than about 75%, such as greater than about 77%, such as greater than about 80%, and generally less than about 98%. The above properties and characteristics of the fabric are especially dramatic and unexpected in view of the amount of regenerated cellulose contained within the fiber blend. As will be described below, in one aspect, a particular type of regenerated cellulose fiber is used that is believed to at least in part contribute to the dramatic results.

In addition to providing excellent protection again electrical arc flashes and flash fires, the fabric of the present disclosure offers many benefits and advantages. More particularly, the fabric is made from yarns that each contain an intimate blend of fibers including modacrylic fibers, inherently flame resistant fibers, polyamide fibers, and cellulose fibers. The yarns made from the intimate blend have been found to be well suited for use in both the warp direction and the fill direction of a woven fabric. By having similar yarns in the warp and fill directions, fabrics made according to the present disclosure have an excellent balance of properties. For example, the fabric can have comparable physical properties, such as strength properties, in both directions which provide the fabric with dimensional stability.

As described above, the fabric material of the present disclosure contains substantial amounts of cellulose fibers, particularly regenerated cellulose fibers. The use of cellulose fibers can provide various advantages and benefits, especially in relation to fabrics that contain polymer synthetic fibers. Cellulose fibers, such as regenerated cellulose fibers, for instance, can increase comfort, and breathability. Cellulose fibers are also considered a renewable resource that makes the product more sustainable and better for the environment. The use of regenerated cellulose fibers can also provide various unique advantages and benefits. For instance, regenerated cellulose fibers can be solution dyed, making the fibers resistant to fading and degradation. The use of solution dyed cellulose fibers can greatly enhance the overall aesthetic appearance of fabrics and garments made from the fiber blend.

As described above, the fabric material of the present disclosure can contain substantial amounts of cellulose fibers, particularly regenerated cellulose fibers, while still displaying significant levels of protection against flash fires and electrical arc flashes. The fabric material of the present disclosure can maintain government mandated safety performance properties while providing improved economics, quality, aesthetics and comfort relative to other fabrics made in the past. For example, fabrics materials and protective garments made according to the present discourse can meet all of the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 70E that relates to chemical flash fire protection and protective apparel for electrical arc hazards.

As described above, the fabric of the present disclosure is formed from spun yarns that contain a particular blend of fibers. More particularly, the blend of fibers include modacrylic fibers, cellulose fibers, polyamide fibers, and inherently flame resistant fibers, such as aramid fibers. The spun yarns incorporated into the fabric can be single spun yarns or can be plied yarns, such as two ply yarns. Alternatively, the fabric can contain both single spun yarns and plied yarns. In one aspect, the fabric contains plied yarns in at least one direction, such as in the warp direction, the fill direction or in both directions.

The size of the spun yarns can vary depending upon the particular application and the desired result. For example, the size of the spun yarns can depend upon the desired overall fabric weight of the fabric, the type of garment being formed, and the like. In one aspect, when using single yarns, the yarn size can be 12/1, 14/1, 16/1, 18/1, 20/1, 22/1, 24/1, 26/1, 28/1, 30/1, 32/1, 34/1, 36/1, 38/1, and/or 40/1 including all intervening sizes therebetween and all ranges therebetween. When using plied yarns, on the other hand, the size of the yarns can be 20/2, 22/2, 24/2, 26/2, 28/2, 30/2, 34/2, 36/2, 38/2, 40/2, 44/2, 48/2, 52/2, 56/2, 60/2, 64/2, 68/2, 72/2, or 76/2 including all intervening sizes therebetween and all ranges therebetween. The above sizes are based on a cotton count.

The spun yarns produced according to the present disclosure containing modacrylic fibers, cellulose fibers, polyamide fibers, and inherently flame resistant fibers, can extend only in the warp direction, only in the fill direction, or can extend in both the warp direction and the fill direction. Improved physical properties may be realized by having yarns made according to the present disclosure extend in both the warp direction and the fill direction. In fact, in one embodiment, greater than 90% by weight, such as greater than about 95% by weight, such as 100% by weight of the fabric can be formed from spun yarns made in accordance with the present disclosure. The spun yarns contained in the fabric can all be identical and can be made from the exact same intimate blend of fibers. Alternatively, different spun yarns can be incorporated into the fabric that are all made with different ratios or amounts of the modacrylic fibers, cellulose fibers, polyamide fibers, and inherently flame resistant fibers.

Modacrylic fibers can be present in the spun yarns and in the fabric generally in an amount from about 35% by weight to about 60% by weight, including all increments of 1% by weight between. For example, the modacrylic fibers can be present in the spun yarns in an amount greater than about 38% by weight, such as in an amount greater than about 39% by weight, such as in an amount greater than about 40% by weight. The modacrylic fibers are generally contained in the spun yarns in an amount less than about 49% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 47% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 45% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 44% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 43% by weight. The modacrylic fibers incorporated into the fabric material can serve several different functions. For example, modacrylic fibers can provide resistance to flash fires and electric arc flashes while having a relatively low density. The lower density translates into a protective fabric having a lighter basis weight. In addition, modacrylic fibers have good dimensional stability. Modacrylic fibers are also soft, strong and are resistant to chemicals and solvents. Thus, modacrylic fibers are particularly well suited for use in fabric materials that may be exposed to chemical flash fires.

In addition to modacrylic fibers, the yarns and fabric material of the present disclosure also contain cellulose fibers. The cellulose fibers, for instance, improve comfort and breathability. Overall, the addition of cellulose fibers, such as regenerated cellulose fibers, improve quality, aesthetics and comfort.

In one embodiment, a particular type of regenerated cellulose fiber is incorporated into the fiber blend. The regenerated cellulose fibers, for instance, can have a tenacity of from about 28 cN/tex to about 39 cN/tex, including all increments of 1 cN/tex therebetween. For instance, the tenacity of the fibers can be greater than about 28 cN/tex, such as greater than about 29 cN/tex, such as greater than about 30 cN/tex, such as greater than about 31 cN/tex, such as greater than about 32 cN/tex. The tenacity is generally less than about 38 cN/tex, such as less than about 37 cN/tex, such as less than about 36 cN/tex.

The regenerated cellulose fibers can have an elongation of generally less than about 20%. For instance, the elongation can be less than about 18%, such as less than about 17%, and generally greater than about 8%, such as greater than about 10%, such as greater than about 12%. The regenerated cellulose fibers can also be selected so as to have a relatively low water retention ability. For instance, the water retention ability of the fibers can be less than about 70%, such as less than about 65%, such as less than about 63%, such as less than about 61%, and generally greater than about 40%, such as greater than about 52%.

The regenerated cellulose fibers can also have a relatively low crystallinity. For instance, the crystallinity of the fibers can be less than about 39%, such as less than about 37%, such as less than about 35%, such as less than about 33%, such as less than about 30%, such as less than about 28%, such as less than about 26%. The crystallinity is generally greater than about 10%, such as greater than about 15%. The regenerated cellulose fibers can have a size of generally greater than about 0.5 dtex, such as greater than about 0.8 dtex, such as greater than about 1 dtex, such as greater than about 1.2 dtex, such as greater than about 1.5 dtex. The size of the fibers is generally less than about 10 dtex, such as less than about 8 dtex, such as less than about 5 dtex, such as less than about 3 dtex, such as less than about 2.5 dtex, such as less than about 2 dtex.

In accordance with the present disclosure, significant amounts of cellulose fibers are incorporated into the fabric material and blended with other fibers that results in a fabric material that meets government safety standards with respect to flash fires and electrical arc flashes. In general, the cellulose fibers can be present in the spun yarns and in the fabric material generally in an amount of from about 30% by weight to about 60% by weight or from about 36% to about 48% by weight, including all increments of 1% by weight therebetween. For example, natural cellulose fibers can be present in the spun yarns in an amount greater than about 36% by weight, such as in an amount greater than about 37% by weight, such as in an amount greater than about 38% by weight, such as in an amount greater than about 39% by weight, such as in an amount greater than about 40% by weight, and generally in an amount less than about 49% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 48% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 47% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 45% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 44% by weight.

The fiber blend of the present disclosure also contains polyamide fibers. The polyamide fibers can be made from polyamide 6, polyamide 6,6 or mixtures thereof. The polyamide fibers are present in the fiber blend in order to provide the fabric with greater strength and abrasion resistance. The polyamide fibers can be present in the fabric generally in an amount from about 3% to about 25% by weight, including all increments of 1% by weight therebetween. In one aspect, the polyamide fibers are present in the fiber blend and in the fabric in an amount greater than about 5% by weight, such as in an amount greater than about 6% by weight, such as in an amount greater than about 7% by weight, and generally in an amount less than about 15% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 12% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 9% by weight.

The modacrylic fibers, cellulose fibers, and polyamide fibers are also combined with inherently flame resistant fibers in producing the spun yarns. The inherently flame resistant fibers can include, for instance, aramid fibers such as para-aramid fibers and/or meta-aramid fibers. Other inherently flame resistant fibers include polybenzimidazole (PBI) fibers or poly(p-phenylene-2,6-bezobisoxazole) (PBO) fibers and the like. In one embodiment, for instance, the fabric material only contains aramid fibers such as para-aramid fibers alone or in combination with meta-aramid fibers. In still another embodiment, the fabric material contains only meta-aramid fibers. In still another embodiment, the fabric material contains aramid fibers in combination with PBI fibers. The inherently flame resistant fibers can be present in the spun yarns and in the fabric material generally in an amount from about 3% by weight to about 30% by weight, such as in an amount of from about 5% by weight to about 25% by weight including all increments of 1% therebetween. For example, the inherently flame resistant fibers can be present in the spun yarns in an amount greater than about 5% by weight, such as in an amount greater than about 6% by weight, such as in an amount greater than about 7% by weight, and generally in an amount less than about 15% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 14% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 13% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 12% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 10% by weight.

As described above, the fabric material of the present disclosure can be made exclusively from the spun yarns as described above. In one aspect, antistatic fibers and/or yarns can also be incorporated into the fabric. The antistatic fibers or yarns, for instance, can be contained in the fabric material generally in an amount less than about 3% by weight, such as in an amount less than about 2% by weight, and generally in an amount greater than about 0.5% by weight. The antistatic fibers can contain carbon.

In one aspect, the spun yarns made according to the present disclosure include an intimate fiber blend containing modacrylic fibers in an amount of from about 38% to about 49% by weight, cellulose fibers in an amount of from about 36% to about 48% by weight, polyamide fibers in an amount from about 5% to about 15% by weight, and inherently flame resistant fibers, particularly meta-aramid fibers alone or in combination with para-aramid fibers, in an amount of from about 5% by weight to about 15% by weight.

In another aspect, the spun yarns made according to the present disclosure include an intimate fiber blend containing modacrylic fibers in an amount of from about 40% to about 44% by weight, cellulose fibers in an amount of from about 40% to about 44% by weight, polyamide fibers in an amount from about 6% to about 9% by weight, and inherently flame resistant fibers, particularly meta-aramid fibers alone or in combination with para-aramid fibers, in an amount of from about 6% by weight to about 10% by weight.

The size and length of the fibers contained in the fiber blend can be the same or can differ depending upon the type of material used to produce the fiber. In general, the each type of fiber can have a fiber length of greater than about 25 mm, such as greater than about 30 mm, such as greater than about 35 mm, such as greater than about 40 mm, such as greater than about 45 mm, such as greater than about 50 mm, and less than about 80 mm, such as less than about 70 mm, such as less than about 60 mm, such as less than about 55 mm, such as less than about 50 mm, such as less than about 40 mm.

In one aspect, spun yarns made in accordance with the present disclosure can account for about 50% to about 100% of the warp yarns used to produce the fabric, such as from about 70% to about 100%, such as from about 70% to about 98%, such as from about 80% to about 90%. Similarly, the spun yarns made in accordance with the present disclosure can account for from about 50% to about 100% of the fill yarns, such as from about 60% to about 100% of the fill yarns, such as from about 70% to about 100% of the fill yarns, such as from about 70% to about 98% of the fill yarns.

When producing a woven fabric in accordance with the present disclosure, the fabric can have any suitable weave. For instance, the fabric can have a plain weave, a twill weave, or a rip stop weave. In one embodiment, the fabric can also be made with a herringbone weave. Twill weaves that can be used include 1 by 2 twill weaves, 1 by 3 twill weaves, 1 by 4 twill weaves, 2 by 1 twill weaves, and the like. Alternatively, the fabric can have a rip stop weave.

The yarn density of fabrics made according to the present disclosure can vary depending upon the size and type of yarns used, the desired basis weight of the fabric, and other various factors.

In one aspect, the fabric can have greater than about 50 ends per inch, such as greater than about 65 ends per inch, such as greater than about 70 ends per inch, such as greater than about 75 ends per inch and generally less than about 100 end per inch, such as less than about 95 ends per inch, such as less than about 90 ends per inch. The fabric can have generally greater than about 30 picks per inch, such as greater than about 50 picks per inch, such as greater than about 55 picks per inch, such as greater than about 60 picks per inch, such as greater than about 65 picks per inch, and generally less than about 90 picks per inch, such as less than about 75 picks per inch, such as less than about 70 picks per inch, such as less than about 65 picks per inch.

In general, the fabric can have a basis weight of from about 4 osy to about 14 osy, including all increments of 0.1 osy therebetween. In one embodiment, the fabric can have a basis weight of greater than about 5.5 osy, such as greater than about 6 osy, such as greater than about 6.4 osy, such as greater than about 6.6 osy, such as greater than about 6.8 osy. The basis weight of the fabric can be generally less than about 12 osy, such as less than about 10 osy, such as less than about 9 osy, such as less than about 8.5 osy, such as less than about 8 osy, such as less than about 7.8 osy, such as less than about 7.6 osy, such as less than about 7.4 osy.

The fabrics constructed in accordance with the present disclosure can be used to construct numerous different types of products for use in various applications. In one embodiment, for instance, the fabrics can be used to produce apparel or garments for providing protection against hazards, such as flash fires or electric arc flashes. Due to the combination of comfort, durability and protection, fabrics of the present disclosure are particularly well suited for producing protective apparel to be worn by workers in various environments, such as in industrial environments and manufacturing facilities. Garments or apparel made in accordance with the present disclosure can include shirts, pants, bib overalls, one-piece bodysuits, socks and other leg wear, gloves, scarves, hats, hoods, aprons, and the like.

For instance, referring to FIG. 1, one example of a coverall 10 made in accordance with the present disclosure is shown. The coverall 10 includes pants or leg coverings 12 and sleeves 14 all integrated into a single garment. The garments can include various pockets but also include flaps 16 for covering the pockets.

It should be understood that the coveralls 10 as shown in FIG. 1 is merely one embodiment of a garment made in accordance with the present disclosure. In other embodiments, the garment can include separate pants or trousers that are worn with a shirt all made from the same fabric of the present disclosure.

The fabric of the present disclosure and/or apparel or garments made from the fabric can be dyed any desired color. For example, in one aspect, fabrics made according to the present disclosure can be piece dyed when producing garments. During piece dying, the woven fabric is fed through a dying process. Of particular advantage, fabrics can be piece dyed according to the present disclosure and have a uniform and consistent shade of color even though the fabric contains different types of fibers.

Alternatively, the yarns can first be dyed and then woven to form the fabric. For instance, fabrics can be made according to the present disclosure containing yarns that have been packaged dyed, which includes doped dyed yarns.

In still another aspect, the fibers incorporated into the fabric of the present disclosure can first be dyed prior to forming the yarns. For example, in one embodiment, the modacrylic fibers, the cellulose fibers, the polyamide fibers, and the inherently flame resistant fibers can all be solution dyed. Using a fiber blend in which all of the fibers have been solution dyed can provide various advantages and benefits. Solution dyed fibers refer to fibers that are extruded from a molten polymer or made from a regenerated cellulose and formed into filaments in which a coloring agent, such as a pigment, is mixed with the polymer or dope prior to extrusion. Solution dyed fibers are fibers that have perfect or nearly perfect color retention even after exposure to sunlight, being worn multiple times, or subjected to multiple laundry cycles.

In one embodiment, the spun yarns can include fibers that have been solution dyed and the woven fabric can be later piece dyed.

In one aspect, the fabric or garment can be dyed to shades that have high visibility in accordance with The American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel (ANSI/ISEA 107-2020). For example, the fabric can display a background color of fluorescent yellow-green, fluorescent orange-red or fluorescent red in accordance with the ANSI 107 standard. The colors can also be wash resistant and maintain the ANSI 107 standard after 5 laundry cycles or after 10 laundry cycles.

Fabrics made according to the present disclosure can have numerous beneficial properties and characteristics that provide protection against hazards, such as flash fires and/or electrical arc flashes, but also provide comfort to the wearer. Fabrics made according to the present disclosure, for instant, can be durable, be resistant to pilling and be abrasion resistant. Of particular advantage, fabrics made according to the present disclosure also have excellent dimensional stability and retain their mechanical properties even when wet.

Regarding protection against various hazards, the fabric material of the present disclosure can display excellent flame protection. For example, when tested according to Test ASTM D6413 (flame performance), fabric materials according to the present disclosure display a char length before laundering of less than about 4.5 inches, such as less than about 4 inches, such as less than about 3.5 inches in the warp direction. The fabric material may display a char length of less than about 3.5 inches, such as less than about 3.3 inches, such as less than about 3 inches in the fill direction. When tested according to the vertical burn after flame, the fabric can display an after flame of 0 seconds in both the warp and fill directions.

The fabric of the present disclosure can also display excellent physical properties. For instance, the fabric can display a tensile strength in the warp direction of greater than about 125 lbs., such as greater than about 130 lbs. In the fill direction, the tensile strength can be greater than about 80 lbs, such as greater than about 85 lbs., such as greater than about 90 lbs. The fabric can have a tear strength in the warp direction of greater than about 5.5 lbs., such as greater than about 6 lbs., such as greater than about 6.3 lbs. In the fill direction, the tear strength can be greater than about 4.5 lbs., such as greater than about 5 lbs., such as greater than about 5.3 lbs.

The present disclosure may be better understood with reference to the following example.

Example No. 1

The following example demonstrates some of the advantages and benefits of fabrics made according to the present disclosure.

A fabric was made in accordance with the present disclosure. The fabric was made exclusively from spun yarns formed from an intimate fiber blend. The fiber blend contained 42% by weight modacrylic fibers, 42% by weight regenerated cellulose fibers, 8% by weight nylon fibers, and 8% by weight aramid fibers. The yarns had a size of 30/2 base. The fabric had a twill weave. The fabric had a basis weight of 7 osy. All of the fibers contained in the fabric were solution dyed to produce a navy color. The regenerated cellulose fibers had a tenacity of from 33 to 34 cN/tex, an elongation of from 12 to 14%, and a water retention ability of 60%. The fabric contained 76 yarns per inch in the warp direction and 59 yarns per inch in the fill direction.

The fabric was tested for various properties and the following results were obtained:

Test Results Tensile strength (lbs) 131 × 95  Tear strength (lbs) 6.5 × 5.5 Air permeability (cfm) 34 Home laundry shrinkage (%) 2.1 × 3.4 Vertical burn char (inch) 3.4 × 2.8 Vertical burn after flame (s) 0 × 0

The fabric as described above was also tested according to Test ASTM F1959/F1959M-14-e1. The fabric was tested for arc rating, material break-open, and heat attenuation factor. The test curve was 8 kA. The arc gap was 30 cm and the distance to fabric was 30 cm. The number of samples analyzed was 30. The incident energy range was 8 to 17 cal/cm2.

The following results were obtained and compared to a fabric disclosed in Australian Patent Application No. AU 2012208990. The AU '990 fabric contained 50% by weight FR modacrylic fibers, 35% by weight TENCEL cellulosic fibers, 10% by weight nylon fibers, and 5% by weight para-amid fibers. The following results were obtained:

Fabric made according to Fabric the present according to Test disclosure AU 2012208990 Arc rating, ATPV (cal/cm2) 10 6.5 Material break-open, Ebt (cal/cm2) 14 — Heat attenuation factor, HAF (%) 82 —

As shown above, the fabric made according to the present disclosure performed dramatically and unexpectedly better than the fabric disclosed in AU 2012208990. In addition, the fabric made according to the present disclosure was made exclusively from solution dyed fibers that provided the fabric with not only a distinctive and uniform color, but also with a color that would not degrade or fade.

These and other modifications and variations to the present invention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of the various embodiments may be interchanged both in whole or in part. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only and is not intended to limit the invention so further described in such appended claims.

Claims

1. A garment for producing protection against flash fires and electrical arc flashes comprising;

a fabric shaped to cover at least a portion of a wearer's body, the fabric comprising a woven fabric made from a plurality of yarns, the fabric comprising warp yarns and fill yarns, the warp yarns and fill yarns comprising a fiber blended yarn, the fiber blended yarn comprising a blend of fibers including:
modacrylic fibers in an amount from about 38% to about 49% by weight;
regenerated cellulose fibers in an amount from about 36% to about 48% by weight;
polyamide fibers in an amount from about 5% by weight to about 15% by weight;
inherently flame resistant fibers in an amount from about 5% to about 15% by weight; and
wherein the fabric displays an arc rating (ATPV) of greater than 7.5 cal/cm2 when tested according to Test ASTM F1959/F1959M-14-e1.

2. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein the yarns contained within the woven fabric are made from an intimate blend of the modacrylic fibers, the regenerated cellulose fibers, the polyamide fibers, and the inherently flame resistant fibers.

3. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein the woven fabric has a twill weave or a rip stop weave.

4. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein the regenerated cellulose fibers have a tenacity of from about 28 cN/tex to about 38 cN/tex, such as from about 30 cN/tex to about 37 cN/tex, and have a water retention of less than about 70%, such as less than about 65%, such as less than about 63%.

5. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein the modacrylic fibers are present in the fiber blended yarn in an amount from about 40% by weight to about 44% by weight, the regenerated cellulose fibers being present in the fiber blended yarn in an amount from about 40% by weight to about 44% by weight, the polyamide fibers being present in the fiber blended yarn in an amount from about 6% to about 9% by weight, and the inherently flame resistant fibers being present in the fiber blended yarn in an amount from about 6% by weight to about 10% by weight.

6. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein the inherently flame resistant fibers comprise para-aramid fibers, meta-aramid fibers, or mixtures thereof.

7. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein the woven fabric has a basis weight of from about 6.4 osy to about 9.5 osy.

8. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein the fiber blended yarn comprises greater than about 85% by weight of the woven fabric.

9. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein the woven fabric comprises about 65 yarns per inch to about 95 yarns per inch in the warp direction and from about 50 yarns per inch to about 75 yarns per inch in the fill direction.

10. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein the garment comprises a shirt, overalls, trousers, or an apron.

11. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein the woven fabric has an arc rating (ATPV) of greater than about 8 cal/cm2, such as greater than about 9 cal/cm2, such as greater than about 9.5 cal/cm2.

12. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein the modacrylic fibers, the regenerated cellulose fibers, the polyamide fibers, and the inherently flame resistant fibers have been solution dyed.

13. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein the woven fabric displays a material break-open (Ebt) when tested according to Test ASTM F1959 of greater than about 10 cal/cm2, such as greater than about 12 cal/cm2, such as greater than about 13 cal/cm2.

14. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein the woven fabric displays a char length of less than about 4 inches in the warp direction and less than about 3 inches in the weft direction when tested according to Test ASTM D6143 before laundering.

15. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein the woven fabric displays a heat attenuation factor (HAF) when tested according to Test ASTM F1959 of greater than about 65%, such as greater than about 70%, such as greater than about 75%, such as greater than about 80%.

16. A garment for producing protection against flash fires and electrical arc flashes comprising;

a fabric shaped to cover at least a portion of a wearer's body, the fabric comprising a woven fabric made from a plurality of yarns, the fabric comprising warp yarns and fill yarns, the warp yarns and fill yarns comprising a fiber blended yarn, the fiber blended yarn comprising a blend of fibers including:
modacrylic fibers in an amount from about 38% to about 49% by weight;
regenerated cellulose fibers in an amount from about 36% to about 48% by weight;
polyamide fibers in an amount from about 5% by weight to about 15% by weight;
inherently flame resistant fibers in an amount from about 5% to about 15% by weight; and
wherein the modacrylic fibers, the regenerated cellulose fibers, the polyamide fibers, and the inherently flame resistant fibers have all been solution dyed.

17. A garment as defined in claim 16, wherein the modacrylic fibers are present in the fiber blended yarn in an amount from about 40% by weight to about 44% by weight, the regenerated cellulose fibers being present in the fiber blended yarn in an amount from about 40% by weight to about 44% by weight, the polyamide fibers being present in the fiber blended yarn in an amount from about 6% to about 9% by weight, and the inherently flame resistant fibers being present in the fiber blended yarn in an amount from about 6% by weight to about 10% by weight.

18. A garment as defined in claim 16, wherein the regenerated cellulose fibers have a tenacity of from about 28 cN/tex to about 38 cN/tex, such as from about 30 cN/tex to about 37 cN/tex, and have a water retention of less than about 70%, such as less than about 65%, such as less than about 63%.

19. A garment as defined in claim 16, wherein the woven fabric displays a material break-open (Ebt) when tested according to Test ASTM F1959 of greater than about 10 cal/cm2, such as greater than about 12 cal/cm2, such as greater than about 13 cal/cm2.

20. A fabric material for providing protection against flash fires and electrical arc flashes comprising a woven fabric made from a plurality of yarns, the fabric comprising warp yarns and fill yarns, the warp yarns and fill yarns comprising a fiber blended yarn, the fiber blended yarn comprising a blend of fibers including:

modacrylic fibers in an amount from about 38% to about 49% by weight;
regenerated cellulose fibers in an amount from about 36% to about 48% by weight;
polyamide fibers in an amount from about 5% by weight to about 15% by weight;
inherently flame resistant fibers in an amount from about 5% to about 15% by weight; and
wherein the fabric displays an arc rating (ATPV) of greater than 7.5 cal/cm2 when tested according to Test ASTM F1959/F1959M-14-e1.
Patent History
Publication number: 20240018704
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 14, 2023
Publication Date: Jan 18, 2024
Inventor: Cevin Brent Smith (Greensboro, NC)
Application Number: 18/352,777
Classifications
International Classification: D03D 15/513 (20060101); D03D 1/00 (20060101); D03D 15/225 (20060101); D03D 15/283 (20060101); D03D 15/47 (20060101); D03D 15/573 (20060101); D03D 13/00 (20060101); D03D 15/54 (20060101); D02G 3/44 (20060101); D02G 3/04 (20060101); A41D 13/002 (20060101); A41D 31/08 (20060101);