Porous membranes, materials, composites, laminates, textiles and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046537-B2
Application number	US-201314037845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2013
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

The present invention is directed to novel, improved, modified or treated microporous membranes for use in textile related applications and which are preferably composed of two or more dissimilar porous membrane or material layers laminated together using heat, compression and/or adhesives. The preferred inventive laminated composite microporous membrane is modified using a technique or treatment such as microcreping to introduce permanent small, regularly spaced, crepes, profiles, compactions, pleats, or wrinkles into the laminated composite microporous membrane for the purpose of improving mechanical strength, elasticity and/or resiliency. In addition, the inventive microcreped microporous laminated membrane more preferably has significantly improved ‘hand’ or softness, has ‘next-to-the-skin’ softness, and/or is quiet without crinkling noises during movement, which may be desired performance properties or characteristics of or in textile garments, materials or applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microcreped composite microporous vapor permeable membrane comprising:
a laminated composite vapor permeable microporous membrane comprising a microporous membrane film laminated to a polyolefinic woven or nonwoven porous material, the microporous membrane film is dissimilar to the woven or nonwoven porous material, the membrane film consisting essentially of polyolefin, the microporous membrane film has an average diameter of the pores in the range 0.02 to 0.20 μm, the laminated composite microporous membrane has regularly spaced crepes, profiles, compactions, pleats, or wrinkles,
the microcreped composite microporous membrane has a recovery of between 20 to 100% after extension.

2. The microcreped composite microporous membrane of claim 1 wherein one or more layers of a nonwoven fabric has been thermally, ultrasonically or with the use of adhesives laminated to the microporous polyolefinic membrane film prior to any modification, treatment or microcreping.

3. The microcreped composite microporous membrane of claim 1 wherein machine direction stretch can be up to 200%.

4. The microcreped composite microporous membrane of claim 1 wherein the microporous membrane film is water impervious.

5. A textile or garment comprising the microcreped composite microporous membrane of claim 1 .

6. The microcreped composite membrane of claim 1 wherein the polyolefinic woven or nonwoven porous material is a polypropylene woven or nonwoven porous material.

7. A microcreped microporous vapor permeable membrane comprising:
a microporous vapor permeable membrane film having permanent, regularly spaced crepes, profiles, compactions, pleats, or wrinkles, the membrane film consisting essentially of polyolefin, the microporous membrane film has an average diameter of the pores in the range 0.02 to 0.20 μm, and
a polyolefinic woven or nonwoven porous material laminated to the microporous membrane film,
the microcreped microporous membrane film has a recovery of between 20 to 100% after extension.

8. The microcreped microporous membrane of claim 7 wherein the microcreped microporous membrane film has at least two of: improved puncture strength, increased % MD elongation at break, improved level of stretch and recovery, improved resiliency, and has a soft hand or drape as compared to non-microcreped microporous membranes.

9. A textile or garment comprising the microcreped microporous membrane of claim 7 .

10. The microcreped composite membrane of claim 7 wherein the polyolefinic woven or nonwoven porous material is a polypropylene woven or nonwoven porous material.

Assignees

• Celgard Llc

Inventors

• Humiston Karl F
• Rumierz Gerald P
• Brewer Dickie J

Classifications

• H01M50/494

  Tensile strength · CPC title

• H01M50/489

  Separators, membranes, diaphragms or spacing elements inside the cells, characterised by their physical properties, e.g. swelling degree, hydrophilicity or shut down properties · CPC title

• H01M50/454

  comprising a non-fibrous layer and a fibrous layer superimposed on one another · CPC title

• B32B3/28 Primary

  characterised by a layer comprising a deformed thin sheet {, i.e. the layer having its entire thickness deformed out of the plane}, e.g. corrugated, crumpled (B32B29/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T428/24446

  Wrinkled, creased, crinkled or creped · CPC title