Claims
- 1. A hydrophobic, oleophobic and stain resistant fabric comprising:
a fabric substrate coated with a polymer system comprising: a) a scrub resistant first layer; and b) a second layer comprising a fluoropolymer bonded to the scrub resistant first layer.
- 2. The fabric of claim 1, wherein said first layer exhibits affinity to the fabric substrate through an interaction selected from the group consisting of coulombic interaction, ionic bonding, hydrogen bonding, London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions and charge transfer complexation.
- 3. The fabric of claim 1, wherein said first layer exhibits affinity to the fabric substrate through covalent bonding.
- 4. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the fabric substrate is covalently bonded to the first layer with a crosslinking material.
- 5. The fabric of claim 1, wherein said first layer exhibits affinity to the fabric substrate through crosslinking of the first layer, thereby mechanically binding the first layer to the fabric substrate.
- 6. The fabric of claim 5, wherein the first layer is crosslinked by reaction of carboxyl functionalities in the first layer through an aziridine crosslinking material.
- 7. The fabric of claim 5, wherein the first layer is crosslinked by reaction of hydroxyl functionalities in the first layer through a melamine formaldehyde crosslinking material.
- 8. The fabric of claim 5, wherein the first layer is crosslinked by reaction of hydroxyl functionalities in the first layer through a urea formaldehyde crosslinking material.
- 9. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a mixture of one or more soft polymers and one or more hard polymers.
- 10. The fabric of claim 9, wherein the soft polymers have a Tg of from 30° C. to about 0° C. and the hard polymers have a Tg of from about 120° C. to about 180° C.
- 11. The fabric of claim 9, wherein the first layer comprises from about 10% to about 45% of soft polymers have a Tg of from 30° C. to about 0° C. and about 55% to about 90% of hard polymers by weight.
- 12. The fabric of claim 9, wherein the first layer comprises from about 20 to about 35% of soft polymers and about 65 to about 80% of hard polymers by weight.
- 13. The fabric of claim 9, wherein the first layer includes a water-borne polycarbonate urethane with pendent carboxyl groups and a carboxylated acrylic copolymer.
- 14. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the second layer further comprises a polymer that is not a fluoropolymer.
- 15. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the fluoropolymer has been covalently bonded to the first layer through reactive carboxyl functionalities.
- 16. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the fluoropolymer has been covalently bonded to the first layer through reactive hydroxyl functionalities.
- 17. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the fluoropolymer comprises pendent fluorinated groups linked to the polymer through an ether linkage.
- 18. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the fluoropolymer comprises pendent fluorinated groups having a carbon chain length of equal to or less than four carbons.
- 19. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the fluoropolymer is prepared from monomers or oligomers comprising at least one fluorinated oxetane monomer.
- 20. The fabric of claim 1, further comprising at least one back coating.
- 21. A method for producing a hydrophobic, oleophobic and stain resistant fabric including the steps of
a) selecting a suitable fabric substrate; b) applying a first layer coating composition comprising at least one polymer having reactive functional groups; c) drying and curing said first layer coating composition, thereby forming a first layer having an affinity for the fabric substrate; d) applying a second layer coating composition different from said first layer coating composition to said first layer, said second layer coating composition comprising a fluoropolymer having reactive functional groups; and, in either order e) reacting at least a portion of the reactive functional groups of the fluoropolymer with at least a portion of the reactive functional groups of the first layer; and f) drying and curing said second layer coating composition to form a second layer.
- 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first layer is crosslinked, thereby mechanically binding the first layer to the fabric substrate.
- 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first layer is crosslinked by use of a crosslinking agent.
- 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the reactive functional groups of the first layer comprise carboxyl functionalities.
- 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first layer is crosslinked by a polyfunctional aziridine crosslinking agent.
- 26. The method of claim 23, wherein the reactive functional groups of the first layer comprise hydroxyl functionalities.
- 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first layer is crosslinked by a crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of melamine formaldehyde crosslinking agents and urea formaldehyde crosslinking agents.
- 28. The method of claim 21, wherein the fluoropolymer is covalently bonded to the first layer by use of a crosslinking agent.
- 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the reactive functional groups of the first layer and the fluoropolymer comprise carboxyl functionalities.
- 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the first layer and the fluoropolymer are covalently bonded by a polyfunctional aziridine crosslinking agent.
- 31. The method of claim 28, wherein the reactive functional groups of the first layer and the fluoropolymer comprise hydroxyl functionalities.
- 32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first layer and the fluoropolymer are covalently bonded by a crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of melamine formaldehyde crosslinking agents and urea formaldehyde crosslinking agents.
- 33. The method of claim 21 wherein the fluoropolymer comprises pendent fluorinated groups linked to the polymer through an ether linkage.
- 34. The method of claim 21 wherein the fluoropolymer comprises pendent fluorinated groups having a carbon chain length of equal to or less than four carbons.
- 35. The method of claim 21 wherein the fluoropolymer is prepared from monomers or oligomers comprising at least one fluorinated oxetane monomer.
- 36. The method of claim 21, comprising the further step of applying at least one back coating.
- 37. An article comprising the fabric of claim 1 on an outer surface thereof.
- 38. The article of claim 37, wherein the article physically supports at least a part of a patient during health care treatment.
- 39. The article of claim 37, wherein the fabric has been printed with a design prior to application of the first and second layers.
- 40. A garment comprising the fabric of claim 1.
Parent Case Info
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of commonly assigned patent application having Ser. No. 10/136,239, filed on May 1, 2002, and entitled HIGHLY DURABLE, COATED FABRICS EXHIBITING HYDROPHOBICITY, OLEOPHOBICITY AND STAIN RESISTANCE AND RELATED METHODS.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10136239 |
May 2002 |
US |
Child |
10427740 |
Apr 2003 |
US |