Claims
- 1. A process for making a polyamide substrate of enhanced breaking strength after exposure to light comprising:
(a) treating a polyamide substrate with an effective amount of an ultraviolet inhibitor, an antioxidant, a swelling agent for the polyamide that is a solvent for the ultraviolet inhibitor and the antioxidant, and optionally, a dye; and (b) drying the polyamide to fix the ultraviolet inhibitor and antioxidant into the polyamide.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein the ultraviolet inhibitor and the antioxidant and swelling agent are mixed together for said treating step.
- 3. The process of claim 1 wherein the ultraviolet inhibitor and the antioxidant are mixed together with an acid dye for treating the substrate.
- 4. The process of claim 1 wherein the step of treating the nylon substrate occurs in a bath.
- 5. The process of claim 1 wherein the substrate is dyed prior to said treatment step and wherein the ultraviolet inhibitor and antioxidant are padded on the dyed substrate followed by drying.
- 6. The process of claim 1 wherein the dye comprises a direct or acid dye.
- 7. The process of claim 1 wherein the dye is a sulfonated acid dye selected from the group consisting of neutralized acid dyes, milling acid dyes, and pre-metallized acid dyes.
- 8. The process of claim 7 wherein the pre-metallized acid dye comprises a sulfonated complex of a cobalt or nickel metal compound.
- 9. The process of claim 1 wherein the dye comprises a sulfonated direct dye.
- 10. The process of claim 9 wherein the dye is selected from the group consisting of teal, blue and black.
- 11. The process of claim 1 wherein the polyamide has a hindered amine light stabilizer chemically bound thereto.
- 12. The process of claim 4 wherein the treating bath comprises from about 1.5 to about 3.0 weight percent ultraviolet inhibitor and from about 0.5 to about 4.0 weight percent antioxidant, and wherein the swelling agent concentration is at least 10% of the total concentration of ultraviolet inhibitor and antioxidant.
- 13. The process of claim 12 wherein the ultraviolet inhibitor is a benzotriazole, the antioxidant is a hindered phenol and the swelling agent is at least one member selected from the group consisting of caprolactam, a monoalkyl ether of diethylene glycol, a dialkyl ether of diethylene glycol, a monoalkyl ether of triethylene glycol, and a dialkyl ether of triethylene glycol.
- 14. The process of claim 12 wherein the ultraviolet inhibitor is a benzotriazole, the antioxidant is a hindered phenol and the swelling agent is at least one member selected from the group consisting of caprolactam, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, and triethylene glycol monobutyl ether.
- 15. The process of claim 12 wherein the ultraviolet inhibitor and at least one constituent of the swelling agent has the infra-red absorbance spectrum of FIG. 1, and the antioxidant and at least one constituent of the swelling agent has the infra-red absorbance spectrum of FIG. 2.
- 16. A product made in accordance with the process of claim 1.
- 17. The product of claim 16, characterized by a breaking strength of about 300 Newtons or more after 300 hours of Xenon weathering.
- 18. A product made in accordance with the process of claim 11.
- 19. The product of claim 18 wherein the polyamide substrate comprises a nylon 6 fiber.
- 20. The fiber of claim 19 characterized by a breaking strength of about 300 Newtons or more after 300 hours of Xenon weathering.
- 21. A fabric made of the polyamide substrate of claim 18.
- 22. A personal flotation device cover made of the fabric of claim 21.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/421,570.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09421570 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Child |
09864034 |
May 2001 |
US |