Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-20
2003-07-01
Bryant, David P. (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent...
C427S412000, C442S123000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06584668
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to improvements in durable non-conductive metal-based treatments (such as coatings or finishes) for yarns and textile fabrics. Such treatments preferably comprise silver and/or silver ions; however, other metals, such as zinc, iron, copper, nickel, cobalt, aluminum, gold, manganese, magnesium, and the like, may also be present or alternatively utilized. Such a treatment provides, as one example, an antimicrobial fiber and/or textile fabric which remains on the surface and does not permit electrical conductivity over the surface. The treatment is extremely durable on such substrates; after a substantial number of standard launderings and dryings, the treatment does not wear away in any appreciable amount and thus the substrate retains its antimicrobial activity (or other property). The method of adherence to the target yarn and/or fabric may be performed any number of ways, most preferably through the utilization of a binder system or through a transfer method from a donor fabric to a target textile fabric in the presence of moisture and upon exposure to heat. The particular methods of adherence, as well as the treated textile fabrics and individual fibers are also encompassed within this invention.
DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
There has been a great deal of attention in recent years given to the hazards of bacterial contamination from potential everyday exposure. Noteworthy examples of such concern include the fatal consequences of food poisoning due to certain strains of
Eschericia coli
being found within undercooked beef in fast food restaurants; Salmonella contamination causing sicknesses from undercooked and unwashed poultry food products; and illnesses and skin infections attributed to
Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae
, yeast, and other unicellular organisms. With such an increased consumer interest in this area, manufacturers have begun introducing antimicrobial agents within various household products and articles. For instance, certain brands of polypropylene cutting boards, liquid soaps, etc., all contain antimicrobial compounds. The most popular antimicrobial for such articles is triclosan. Although the incorporation of such a compound within liquid or polymeric media has been relatively simple, other substrates, including the surfaces of textiles and fibers, have proven less accessible. There is a long-felt need to provide effective, durable, and long-lasting antimicrobial characteristics for textile surfaces, in particular on apparel fabrics, and on film surfaces. Such proposed applications have been extremely difficult to accomplish with triclosan, particularly when wash durability is a necessity (triclosan easily washes off any such surfaces). Furthermore, although triclosan has proven effective as an antimicrobial compound, the presence of chlorines and chlorides within such a compound causes skin irritation which makes the utilization of such with fibers, films, and textile fabrics for apparel uses highly undesirable. Furthermore, there are commercially available textile products comprising acrylic and/or acetate fibers co-extruded with triclosan (for example Celanese markets such acetate fabrics under the name Microsafe™ and Acordis markets such acrylic fibers under the tradename Amicor™). However, such an application is limited to those types of fibers; it does not work specifically for and within polyester, polyamide, cotton, spandex, etc., fabrics. Furthermore, this co-extrusion procedure is very expensive.
Silver-containing inorganic microbiocides have recently been developed and utilized as antimicrobial agents on and within a plethora of different substrates and surfaces. In particular, such microbiocides have been adapted for incorporation within melt spun synthetic fibers, as taught within Japanese unexamined Patent Application No. H11-124729, in order to provide certain fabrics which selectively and inherently exhibit antimicrobial characteristics. Furthermore, attempts have been made to apply such specific microbiocides on the surfaces of fabrics and yarns with little success from a durability standpoint. A topical treatment with such compounds has never been successfully applied as a durable finish or coating on a fabric or yarn substrate. Although such silver-based agents provide excellent, durable, antimicrobial properties, to date such is the sole manner available within the prior art of providing a long-lasting, wash-resistant, silver-based antimicrobial textile. However, such melt spun fibers are expensive to make due to the large amount of silver-based compound required to provide sufficient antimicrobial activity in relation to the migratory characteristics of such a compound within the fiber itself to its surface. A topical coating is also desirable for textile and film applications, particularly after finishing of the target fabric or film. Such a topical procedure permits treatment of a fabric's individual fibers prior to or after weaving, knitting, and the like, in order to provide greater versatility to the target yarn without altering its physical characteristics. Such a coating, however, must prove to be wash durable, particularly for apparel fabrics, in order to be functionally acceptable. Furthermore, in order to avoid certain problems, it is highly desirable for such a metallized treatment to be electrically non-conductive on the target fabric, yarn, and/or film surface. With the presence of metals and metal ions, such a wash durable, non-electrically conductive coating has not been available in the past. Such an improvement would thus provide an important advancement within the textile, yarn, and film art. Although antimicrobial activity is one desired characteristic of the inventive metal-treated fabric, yarn, or film, this is not a required property of the inventive article. Odor-reduction, heat retention, distinct colorations, reduced discolorations, improved yarn and/or fabric strength, resistance to sharp edges, etc., are all either individual or aggregate properties which may be accorded the user of such an inventive treated yarn, fabric, or film.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a simple manner of effectively treating a yarn, textile, or film with a wash-durable antimicrobial metal or metal-ion containing treatment. A further object of the invention is to provide a treatment for textiles or films which is wash-durable and continuously reduces and/or removes malodors from the target surface through the utilization of metals or metal-ions. Another object of the invention is to provide an aesthetically pleasing metal- or metal-ion-treated textile or film which is non-electrically conductive, wash durable, non-yellowing, non-irritating to skin, and which provides either or both antimicrobial or odor-reducing properties.
Accordingly, this invention encompasses a treated substrate comprising a non-electrically conductive treatment comprising metal-containing compounds selected from the group consisting of metal particle-containing compounds, metal ion-containing compounds, and any combinations thereof, and a substrate selected from the group consisting of a yarn, a fabric comprised of individual yarns, and a film; wherein said compound or compounds is present on at least a portion of the surface of said substrate; and wherein at least about 30%, of the originally adhered metal-containing treatment remains on said treated portion of said substrate surface after at least 10 washes, said washes being performed in accordance with the wash procedure as part of AATCC Test Method 130-1981. Still more preferably at least 50% of the metal-containing compounds remain after 10 washes, more preferably 60% after 10 washes, and most preferably at least 75% after the same number of washes. Furthermore, it is also highly preferred that at least 30% of the finish is retained after 15 washes, 20 washes, and most preferably about 30 washes. Also, and alternatively, this invention encompasses a treated substrate comprising a non-electrically
Close, Jr. Leland G.
Goulet Robert J.
Green David E.
Li Shulong
Van Hyning Dirk L.
Bryant David P.
Milliken & Company
Moyer Terry T.
Parks William S.
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