Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Discontinuous or differential coating – impregnation or bond
Patent
1997-12-22
1999-11-30
McCamish, Marion
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond
428151, 428374, 428395, 428904, B32B 502, B32B 508
Patent
active
059939443
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD PERTINENT TO THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a non-impregnated type substrate. More specifically, the present inventing relates to a non-impregnated type substrate useful as a base fabric for artificial leather, which is superior in leather-like handle, air permeability and lightness properties; and to an artificial leather made therefrom.
PRIOR ART
A number of proposals have heretofore been made on a substrate for artificial leather, having a structure in which a non-woven fabric is impregnated with an elastic polymer (a polyurethane in most cases) as a binder [e.g. Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 42-18599, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-145569 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-29548, etc] These proposals were made from the standpoint that when a non-woven fabric composed of polymer fibers is used alone, it is difficult to obtain satisfactory levels in handle such as full and tight handle and durability such as strength and shape retention.
As well known, natural leather has a substrate structure in which the upper layer has a dense structure and the lower layer has a sparse structure. On the other hand, the above polyurethane impregnation needs a high level of technique for control of impregnation; and the polyurethane-impregnated substrate, although it is superior in handle and durability, has a dense structure in which a resin is stuffed between fibers and therefore, has low air permeability and is difficult to balance the lightness properties and other required properties. Further, since the polyurethane impregnation uses a solvent, the production steps are complex, the productivity is low, and moreover, a problem arises in an environmental aspect.
Meanwhile, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 52-87201 is proposed a method which comprises forming a sheet-like material from conjugated fibers which are formed of a non-elastic polymer and an elastic polymer, said elastic polymer occupying at least part of the fiber surfaces, and then subjecting the sheet-like material to a heating treatment under pressure at a temperature not lower than the heat-bonding temperature of the elastic polymer to make dense the surface layer of the sheet-like material. In the method described in the above publication, the main point lies at allowing the surface layer of the sheet-like material to have a dense structure, and if the aim is limited to the surface of the sheet-like material, the surface of the sheet-like material can certainly have an appearance similar to that of natural leather. However, the resulting material, when used as leather, has a drawback that it has rubber-like hard handle.
PROBLEMS THAT THE INVENTION INTENDS TO SOLVE
Objects of the present invention are to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and provide a non-impregnated type substrate useful as a base fabric for artificial leather, which uses a small amount of a binder, and yet has leather-like handle, excellent air permeability, excellent capability for elastic recovery and is light; and a process for production of the same.
Other objects of the present invention are to provide a novel base fabric for artificial leather formed from a non-impregnated type substrate, provided by the present invention, having an elastomer layer formed on the surface thereof; and a process for production of the same.
MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS
In the conventional impregnation method, desired handle of artificial leather has been obtained by setting the weight ratio of elastic polymer at a high level of 25 to 45% based on the total weight of the substrate, but studies by the present inventors have revealed surprisingly that when a specified structural change is given to a known cushioning material constituted by matrix fibers and binder fibers, the resulting cushioning material can be converted into an artificial leather having greatly improved air permeability in particular, even when the proportion of elastic polymer used therein is 25% by weight or less.
The
Honna Hiroshi
Matsui Michikage
Yoshida Makoto
McCamish Marion
Ruddock Ula C.
Teijin Limited
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