| Flame-retardant fiber composite and fabric produced therefrom -> Monitor Keywords |
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Flame-retardant fiber composite and fabric produced therefromRelated Patent Categories: Fabric (woven, Knitted, Or Nonwoven Textile Or Cloth, Etc.), Nonwoven Fabric (i.e., Nonwoven Strand Or Fiber Material), 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.)Flame-retardant fiber composite and fabric produced therefrom description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060234592, Flame-retardant fiber composite and fabric produced therefrom. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to an inexpensive and advanced flame resistant fiber composite for furniture and beddings that can solve difficult problems for conventional flame resistant fiber composites, that is, improved flame resistance of bedding products; further improved processability and bulkiness; and satisfactory processability, touch, feeling, and sensuousness, and to a fabric produced using the flame resistant fiber composite. BACKGROUND ART [0002] Flame resistance is preferably given to materials used for furniture, beddings, etc. in a house for prevention of fire. Since flammable materials, such as cotton and urethane foams, are used for comfort in use of furniture or beddings, prevention of flaming to the flammable materials over a long period of time is important for fire prevention. In addition, the flame retardant materials to be used must not impair comfort or sensuousness of the furniture or beddings in use. Although various flame resistant fibers and flame retardants have so far been examined, materials fully having these advanced flame resistance and requirements for materials for furniture and beddings have not yet been realized. [0003] A technique of coating of flame retardants to cotton cloths, that is, what is called "additional processing flame retardation" is now being used, but there are problems, such as in uniformity of application of flame retardants, hardening of cloth by means of application, omission by washing, and safety of health. In addition, although it is known that fabrics including fibers obtained using high polymers comprising copolymerized halogen has outstanding sensuousness and flame resistance, they continue burning in the case of power burner combustion and cannot maintain the structure thereof, and as a result, they give inadequate fire-resistant performance for preventing flaming to cotton and urethane foams that are used for the above-mentioned beddings and furniture. [0004] Although cloths obtained from the heat-resistant fibers have outstanding flame resistance, they have only poor power for preventing combustion of other non-flame resistant natural fibers and chemical fibers, and therefore materials obtained from those materials having been compounded only demonstrate inadequate flame resistance. Inevitably, there arise problems that extremely expensive materials made only from heat-resistant fibers can be used. In addition, heat-resistant fibers have problems of difficulty in production of colored patterns having high sensuousness resulting from problems of unsatisfactory processability at the time of filament opening, poor moisture absorptivity, or feeling and poor dye affinity. [0005] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-89339 proposes a flame resistant fiber composite obtained by combination of an advanced flame resistant halogen containing fiber comprising flame retardants added in large quantities, and a non-flame resistant other fiber, as materials for improving the previously described disadvantages in furniture and materials for beddings, and materials having touch, outstanding moisture absorptivity, and outstanding feeling needed as general characteristics, and also having stable flame resistance. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-218259 describes that the technique can provide an advanced flame resistant fiber composite having outstanding touch and outstanding moisture absorptivity, and advanced flame resistance by means of mixing of a small amount of a heat-resistant fiber, that is, of mixing of halogen atom and Sb compounds containing fiber that can be used for work uniform usage, and cotton, etc. However, this technique has following problems as a flame resistant fiber composite: difficulty in processing in manufacturing of nonwoven fabrics, and inadequate bulkiness in a quilting process when using as a nonwoven fabric, in order to prevent flaming to urethanes used for furniture or bedding products; problems in sensuousness caused by poor feeling of gloss and poor coloring property resulting from inclusion of fibers comprising a large quantity of added flame retardant; and inadequate fire-resistant performance for preventing flaming to cotton and urethane foams used for the above-mentioned beddings and furniture, in prolonged exposure to intense flame, while having self-extinguishing property in case of a source of fire being kept away. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] The present invention aims at improving difficult problems for conventional flame resistant fiber composites to solve, that is, flame resistance of bedding products, and at obtaining inexpensive and advanced flame resistant fiber composites used for furniture and beddings, having more improved processability and bulkiness that found in conventional products, satisfactory touch and feeling, and sensuousness. [0007] As a result of wholehearted investigation performed by the present inventors for solving the problems, it was found out that a flame resistant fiber composite having outstanding sensuousness, touch, and feeling, and flame resistance of durability over prolonged flaming might be obtained using a fiber composite obtained by mixing a fiber consisting of a chlorine containing polymer, and an inflammable fiber comprising other cellulosic fibers, to a heat-resistant fiber having poor ability for preventing combustion of other inflammable fibers. In addition, it was also found out that problems of processability or price as problems in independent use of heat-resistant fibers might also be improvable, leading to completion of the present invention. [0008] That is, the present invention relates to a flame resistant fiber composite obtained by compounding so as to give 100% by weight of a total amount of (A) to (D): 20 to 85% by weight of a fiber (A) containing 0.5 to 50 parts by weight of an Sb compound to 100 parts by weight of a polymer containing halogen atom of not less than 17% by weight; 5 to 80% by weight of a heat-resistant fiber (B); 0 to 40% by weight of a cellulosic fiber (C); and 0 to 40% by weight of an inflammable fiber (D), such as chemical fiber. In addition, the present invention also relates to a flame resistant fiber composite, wherein the polymer containing halogen atom of the fiber (A) is a copolymer comprising 30 to 70% by weight of acrylonitrile, 70 to 30% by weight of a halogen atom containing vinyl based monomer, and 0 to 10% by weight of a vinyl monomer copolymerizable therewith; the heat-resistant fiber (B) is a fiber selected from silicic acid containing cellulosic fibers, aramid fibers, and melamine fibers; the cellulosic fiber (C) is a fiber without flame retarding treatment selected from cotton, hemp, acetate based fibers, and rayon based fibers; and the inflammable fiber (D), such as a chemical fiber, is at least one kind of fiber in polyester fibers and nylon fibers. [0009] In the above-described composite, for touch or moisture absorptivity, preferable is a flame resistant fiber composite consisting of: 85 to 20% by weight of the fiber (A) containing 6 to 50 parts by weight of an Sb compound to 100 parts by weight of the polymer containing halogen atom of not less than 17% by weight; 15 to 80% by weight of a silicic acid containing cellulosic fiber as the heat-resistant fiber (B); and 0 to 40% by weight of one or more kinds of chemical fibers as the inflammable fiber (D), such as a chemical fiber, wherein the flame resistant fiber composite is compounded so as to give contents of each fiber of (A)>=(D) or (B)>=(D), or a flame resistant fiber composite obtained by compounding 85 to 20% by weight of a fiber (A) containing 6 to 50 parts by weight of an Sb compound to 100 parts by weight of the polymer containing halogen atom of not less than 17% by weight; 5 to 40% by weight of the heat-resistant fiber (B); 5 to 40% by weight of the cellulosic fiber (C); and 5 to 40% by weight of a polyester fiber as the inflammable fiber (D), such as a chemical fiber. Moreover, for touch or sensuousness, preferable is a flame resistant fiber composite consisting of: 30 to 70% by weight of a fiber, as the fiber (A), containing 0.5 to 5.5 parts by weight of Sb to 100 parts by weight of a polymer containing chlorine atom of not less than 25% by weight; 10 to 50% by weight of the heat-resistant fiber (B); 5 to 40% by weight the cellulosic fiber (C); and 0 to 30% by weight of the inflammable fiber (D), such as a chemical fiber, wherein contents of fibers (A) to (D) satisfy relationships of (1) (A)>=(D); (2) (A)+(D) is 50 to 90% by weight; and (3) (C)+(D) is 30 to 60% by weight. [0010] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a fabric and nonwoven fabric produced using the flame resistant fiber composite. [0011] In a flame resistant fiber composite of the present invention, as the fiber (A), used is a fiber containing 0.5 to 50 parts of an Sb compound to a polymer containing halogen atom of not less than 17%, and used is a fiber containing 0.5 to 5.5 parts by weight of an Sb compound to a polymer, as one example, containing chlorine atom of not less than 25% by weight. [0012] A lower limit value of a halogen atom content in the polymer containing halogen atom of not less than 17% is preferably 20%, and more preferably 26%, and an upper limit value is preferably 86% more preferably 73%, and especially preferably 48%. A halogen content of less than 17% disadvantageously gives difficulty in rendering the fiber flame resistant. A lower limit of chlorine content in the polymer containing chlorine atom of not less than 25% by weight is preferably 26%, and an upper limit value is preferably 73% by weight, and especially preferably 48 to 58% by weight. A chlorine content of less than 25% by weight disadvantageously gives difficulty in rendering a fiber composite with inflammable fibers flame resistant. [0013] The above-mentioned polymer containing halogen atom of not less than 17% includes, for example, but not limited to, polymers of monomers containing halogen; copolymers of the monomers containing halogen and monomers containing no halogen; mixtures of polymers containing halogen and polymers containing no halogen; or halogen containing polymer with halogen introduced during or after polymerization of monomers or polymers containing no halogen. [0014] Examples of such a polymer containing halogen atom of not less than 17% include, for example, but not limited to: homopolymers of halogen atom containing vinyl based monomers, such as vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, vinyl bromide, and vinylidene bromide, or copolymers of two or more kinds thereof; copolymers of halogen atom containing vinyl based monomers and acrylonitrile, such as, acrylonitrile-vinyl chloride, acrylonitrile-vinylidene chloride, acrylonitrile-vinyl bromide, acrylonitrile-vinyl chloride-vinylidene chloride, acrylonitrile-vinyl chloride-vinyl bromide, acrylonitrile-vinylidene chloride-vinyl bromide; copolymers of one or more kinds of vinyl monomers including halogen, such as vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, vinyl bromide, and vinylidene bromide, and vinyl monomers copolymerizable with acrylonitrile and the vinyl monomers including halogen; polymers obtained by adding or polymerizing halogen containing compounds in acrylonitrile homopolymers; halogen containing polyesters etc. In addition, the above-mentioned homopolymers and copolymers may be used in an appropriate combination. [0015] Examples of the copolymerizable vinyl monomer include, for example: acrylic acid, and esters thereof; methacrylic acid, and esters thereof; acrylamide; methacryl amide; vinyl acetate; vinyl sulfonic acid, and salts thereof; methallyl sulfonic acid, and salts thereof; styrene sulfonic acid, and salts thereof; 2-acrylamide-2-methylsulfonic acid, and salts thereof. These may be used independently or two kinds or more may be used in combination. [0016] When the polymer containing halogen atom of not less than 17% is a polymer consisting of 30 to 70% of acrylonitrile, 70 to 30% of a halogen containing vinyl based monomer, and 0 to 10% of a vinyl monomer copolymerizable therewith, and preferably consisting of 40 to 60% of acrylonitrile, 60 to 40% of a halogen containing vinyl based monomer, and 0 to 10% of a vinyl monomer copolymerizable therewith, a fiber obtained advantageously has excellent touch as found in acrylic fibers, while having desired performances (strength, flame resistance, dye affinity, etc.). In addition, when at least one kind of the copolymerizable vinyl monomer is a sulfonic group containing vinyl monomer, dye affinity advantageously improves. [0017] Examples of a copolymer containing units originated from the halogen containing vinyl based monomer and acrylonitrile include, for example, a copolymer consisting of 50 parts of vinyl chloride, 49 parts of acrylonitrile, and 1 part of sodium styrene sulfonate; a copolymer consisting of 43.5 parts of vinylidene chloride, 55 parts of acrylonitrile, and 1.5 parts of sodium styrene sulfonate; a copolymer consisting of 41 parts of vinylidene chloride, 56 parts of acrylonitrile, and 3 parts of sodium 2-acrylamide-2-methylsulfonate etc. [0018] Sb compounds used for the present invention are used as flame retardants, and examples of the compounds include, for example, but not limited to, inorganic antimony compounds, such as, antimony oxides (Sb.sub.2O.sub.3, Sb.sub.2O.sub.4, Sb.sub.2O.sub.5, etc.), antimonic acid and salts thereof, antimony oxychloride etc. These may be used independently and may be used in combination of two or more kinds. [0019] Moreover, a particle diameter of the Sb compound is preferably uniformly adjusted to give not more than 2 micrometers, in order to avoid troubles, such as nozzle clogging on a process for producing a fiber obtained by adding the Sb compound to a halogen containing polymer, and to improve strength of the fiber, etc. [0020] A percentage of the Sb compound to 100 parts by weight of the polymer containing halogen atom of not less than 17% by weight is 6 to 50 parts, preferably 8 to 40 parts, and more preferably 10 to 30 parts. In the case where the amount is less than 6 parts, for obtaining flame resistance necessary as a flame resistant fiber composite, a mixing percentage, in the flame resistant fiber composite, of a fiber (A) (hereinafter referred to as fiber (A)) having the Sb compound contained in the polymer containing halogen atom of not less than 17% is necessarily increased. In this case, however, characteristics other than the flame resistance as a flame resistant fiber composite, for example, excellent performances, such as touch, moisture absorptivity, and feeling, may be hard to be obtained. When the amount exceeding 50%, on the other hand, induces nozzle clogging at the process of fiber manufacturing, and impair of physical properties of the fibers (strength, elongation, etc.), leading to disadvantageous problems in respect of manufacturing, and quality of the fiber highly rendered flame resistant. [0021] In the present invention, as long as an amount of the Sb compound to the polymer containing halogen atom of not less than 17% is maintained to 6 to 50 parts, a combination with other flame retardants may be used. Continue reading about Flame-retardant fiber composite and fabric produced therefrom... 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