Alcohol repellent treated nonwoven

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12428777-B2
Application number	US-201615166398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	May 29, 2015
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

Alcohol repellent fabrics having a wide variety of uses (e.g., surgical drapes, surgical gowns, etc.) are provided. The alcohol repellent fabric includes a fibrous substrate and an alcohol repellent composition (ARC). The ARC includes at least one fluorochemical and at least one binder.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A topically-treated, alcohol repellent fabric, comprising:
(a) a fibrous substrate consisting of a plurality of fibers including at least one layer of fine fibers having an average diameter from 1 micron to 10 microns, wherein all of the plurality of fibers comprise one or more polymers that consist of a homopolymer, a random copolymer, a block copolymer, or blends thereof; and
(b) an alcohol repellent composition (ARC) comprising a mixture of:
i. from 0.065 to 0.6 wt % of at least one fluorochemical compound on a dry basis of the ARC;
ii. from 0.02 to 0.4 wt % of at least one binder on a dry basis of the ARC;
iii. at least one antistatic agent comprising a phosphate ester, a neutralized alcohol phosphate, a fatty quaternary ammonium compound or salt thereof, a fatty amine, an aliphatic amine, an aliphatic amide, a polyethylene glycol ester, or combinations thereof; and
iv. from 0.2 to 0.6 wt % of at least one surfactant on a dry basis of the ARC;

wherein a first weight ratio of the at least one fluorochemical compound to the at least one binder, as measured on a dry basis, is from 0.7:1 to 2:1 and the alcohol repellent fabric has a hydro head from about 80 mbar to about 100 mbar as measured by standard test method EN 20811 and ramping up the pressure at a rate of 60 mbar/min.

2. The alcohol repellent fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the ARC is directly or indirectly disposed over at least a portion of an outer surface of the fibrous substrate.

3. The alcohol repellent fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the ARC comprises a dry coating.

4. The alcohol repellent fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the fibrous substrate comprises at least one nonwoven.

5. The alcohol repellent fabric according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more polymers is a polypropylene, a polyethylene, a polyester, a polyamide, or any combination thereof.

6. The alcohol repellent fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluorochemical compound comprises at least one of a C4 fluorochemical, a C6 fluorochemical, a C8 fluorochemical, a C10 fluorochemical, or any combination thereof.

7. The alcohol repellent fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one binder comprises at least one of an acrylic binder, a styrene-butadiene rubber binder, a vinyl copolymer binder, a vinyl acetate binder, an ethylene vinyl acetate binder, a polyvinyl chloride binder, a polyurethane binder, or any combination thereof.

8. The alcohol repellent fabric according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one binder comprises an acrylic binder.

9. The alcohol repellent fabric according to claim 8 , wherein the acrylic binder comprises an anionic acrylic binder, a cationic acrylic binder, or a non-ionic acrylic binder.

10. The alcohol repellent fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the ARC comprises a second weight ratio of the at least one antistatic agent to the at least one binder, as measured on a dry basis, from 1:1 to 2:1, and a third weight ratio of the at least one antistatic agent to the at least one fluorochemical compound, as measured on a dry basis, from 1.1 to 1.67:1.

11. The alcohol repellent fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the alcohol repellent fabric has one or more of the following: (i) an alcohol repellency rating of at least 7 as measured by the harmonized test method WSP 80.85; (ii) a static decay as tested using the TC1 condition from about 0.01 seconds to about 0.5 seconds as measured by standard test method NFPA 99 performed at 50% R.H. using 10% remaining charge as the cut-off level; and (iii) a hydrohead from about 80 mbar to about 90 mbar as measured by standard test method EN 20811 and ramping up the pressure at a rate of 60 mbar/min.

12. A process for forming a topically-treated, alcohol repellent fabric, comprising:
(a) providing a fibrous substrate consisting of a plurality of fibers including at least one layer of fine fibers having an average diameter from 1 micron to 10 microns, wherein all of the plurality of fibers comprise one or more polymers that consist of a homopolymer, a random copolymer, a block copolymer, or blends thereof and
(b) topically applying an alcohol repellent composition (ARC) to at least a first portion of a first outer surface and to at least a second portion of a second outer surface of the fibrous substrate to form the alcohol repellent fabric, wherein the ARC comprises a mixture of from 0.065 to 0.6 wt % of at least one
fluorochemical compound on a dry basis of the ARC, from 0.02 to 0.4 wt % of at least one binder on a dry basis of the ARC, at least one antistatic agent; and from 0.2 to 0.6 wt % of at least one surfactant on a dry basis of the ARC; wherein a first weight ratio of the at least one fluorochemical compound to the at least one binder, as measured on a dry basis, is from 0.7:1 to 2:1, and the alcohol repellent fabric has a hydro head from about 80 mbar to about 100 mbar as measured by standard test method EN 20811 and ramping up the pressure at a rate of 60 mbar/min; and
wherein the at least one antistatic agent comprises a phosphate ester, a neutralized alcohol phosphate, a fatty quaternary ammonium compound or salt thereof, a fatty amine, an aliphatic amine, an aliphatic amide, a polyethylene glycol ester, or combinations thereof.

13. The process according to claim 12 , wherein topically applying the ARC to the fibrous substrate comprises at least one of padding, spraying, printing, foaming, or any combination thereof.

14. The process according to claim 12 , further comprising:
(a) removing excess ARC from the alcohol repellent fabric; and
(b) drying the alcohol repellent fabric to provide a dried alcohol repellent fabric.

15. The alcohol repellent fabric according to claim 1 , wherein at least one layer of fine fibers comprises meltblown fibers, melt film fibrillation fibers, or sub-micron fibers.

16. The alcohol repellent fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the fibrous substrate comprises a first outer spunbond layer, a second outer spunbond layer, and at least two adjacent meltblown layers located between the first outer spunbond layer and the second outer spunbond layer; the at least two adjacent meltblown layers comprising fine fibers having an average diameter from 1 to 10 microns.

17. The alcohol repellent fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the alcohol repellent fabric is provided in the form of surgical gown or a surgical drape.

18. The alcohol repellent fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more polymers is a polypropylene homopolymer.

19. A topically-treated, alcohol repellent fabric, comprising:
(a) a fibrous substrate consisting of:
(i) a first outer spunbond layer consisting of a plurality of first continuous fibers formed from one or more polymers consisting of a homopolymer, a random copolymer, a block copolymer, or blends thereof;
(ii) a second outer spunbond layer consisting of a plurality of second continuous fibers formed from one or more polymers consisting of a homopolymer, a random copolymer, a block copolymer, or blends thereof; and
(iii) at least two adjacent meltblown layer located between the first outer spunbond layer and the second outer spunbond layer, that at least two adjacent meltblown layers consist of a plurality of fine fibers formed from one or more polymers consisting of a homopolymer, a random copolymer, a block copolymer, or blends thereof, and wherein the at least two adjacent meltblown layers have an average diameter from 1 to 10 microns;

(b) an alcohol repellent composition (ARC) comprising a mixture o

Assignees

• Avintiv Specialty Materials Inc

Inventors

• Wang Lei
• Bishop Nyle

Classifications

• C09D7/63

  organic · CPC title

• D06M23/16

  Processes for the non-uniform application of treating agents, e.g. one-sided treatment; Differential treatment · CPC title

• D06M2101/20

  Polyalkenes, polymers or copolymers of compounds with alkenyl groups bonded to aromatic groups · CPC title

• D06M2200/10

  Repellency against liquids · CPC title

• C09D133/06

  of esters containing only carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, the oxygen atom being present only as part of the carboxyl radical · CPC title