Patent Application
20250043474
The present invention relates to a reinforcement material for textiles, consisting of a non-woven support made of melt-spun polymer fibers and a hot-melt adhesive composition applied thereto, and the use thereof.
Textiles in their various forms are among the oldest artefacts produced since the early age of humanity, and find application still today in all aspects of life, in which clothing is the by far best known field of application. In order to meet the varied and constantly increasing requirements applied to textiles in terms of functionality and durability, these may be combined with a number of auxiliary and reinforcing materials.
Thus, for example, WO 2004/090061 describes a thermoplastic stiffening material in the form of a hot-melt adhesive/filler compound comprised of one or more hot-melt adhesives in a quantity of from 50 to 95% by weight having MVR values of from 2 to 300, and of one or more fillers in quantities of from 50 to 5% by weight and which do not dissolve in the hot-melt adhesive.
WO 2005/110719 describes a process for forming elastic film nonwoven laminates said process comprising: extruding a thermoplastic polymer composition comprising elastic polymer; blowing said extruded thermoplastic polymer composition to form a blown film bubble; directing said bubble to a first nip formed between a pair of rollers to collapse said bubble into a nascent film sheet; providing at least a first fibrous nonwoven web; and directing said at least a first fibrous nonwoven web to said nip to contact a side of said nascent film sheet to form a laminate comprising said film sheet and said at least first fibrous nonwoven web.
DE 10 2005 057 221 relates to a fixable textile fabric that can be used especially as an interlining material in the textile industry, and comprises a carrier based on a non-woven fabric, a woven cloth, a knitted fabric or the like, which is provided with an adhesive coating on at least one side. At least one additional layer consisting of fibers and having a pre-determined functionality is applied to the adhesive coating.
WO 2010/127781 discloses a stiffening materials in the form of a hot-melt adhesive/plastic compound having a proportion of plant fiber filling material 1-30 mm long and in a quantity of as much as 65 weight-% where the compound has a bending strength of 1000-2500 N measured in conformity with DIN 53121, the two components of the compound, namely the plant fiber filling materials and the thermoplastic hot-melt adhesive, are agglomerated before extruding and are inserted into the extruder as a pre-agglomerate and extruded there.
DE 10 2019 106 995 describes a thermally fixable textile fabric, particularly useful as a fixable interlining, lining, and/or outer fabric in a textile industry, comprising a carrier material based on a melt-blown non-woven fabric, wherein the carrier material has flock fibers on one side and a hot-melt adhesive on a side facing away from the flock fibers. The claimed fixable textile fabric is claimed to be characterized by a pleasant feel combined with low thickness and high elasticity.
EP 2 846 653 refers to a thermo-fusible sheet material, particularly for use as a fusible interlining in the textile industry, having a substrate layer that has a textile material that has an adhesive compound structure thereupon with a polyurethane hot-melt adhesive composition. The thermo-fusible sheet material is said to have a high degree of adhesive strength, particularly on outer fabrics that are difficult to fuse such as, for example, outer fabrics coated with fluorocarbon or polyurethanes.
Textile fabrics in which a loop formed from a thread is entwined into another loop are referred to as knitted fabric, and are characterized as compared to woven fabrics, in which the sheet is prepared by crossing two thread systems, by a higher stretchability and elasticity. In order to provide such knitted fabrics with the strength required for certain applications, for example when used as in the production of shoes, the knitted fabrics can be combined with a reinforcing material.
The solution for stiffening textiles as proposed in the prior art mostly have the disadvantage they usually cannot be used for reinforcing elastic and/or flexible textiles while maintaining the advantageous elasticity and breathability, and often require a complicated construction. In particular, the combination of strength and elasticity for sufficient reinforcement while maintaining the elasticity of the knitted fabric remains desirable.
Therefore, it has been the object of the present invention to provide a material that can be used, in particular, for reinforcing flexible textiles, such as knitted fabrics and textiles with proportions of Elastan or Lycra, without adversely affecting the advantageous properties of these materials.
Surprisingly, it has been found that this object is achieved by a combination of a non-woven support made from melt-spun polymer fibers, and a hot-melt adhesive composition applied to such non-woven support.
Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention relates to a reinforcement material for textiles, wherein the reinforcing material consists of a non-woven support made of melt-spun polymer fibers and a hot-melt adhesive composition applied to said non-woven support, wherein said reinforcing material is characterized by an elongation at 100 N in at least one direction of at least 120% and no more than 350%, as determined according to ISO 9073-3.
Surprisingly, it has been shown that in this way the material to be reinforced can be supported in a dimensionally stable manner.
In a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing material according to the invention has an elongation at 100 N in at least one direction of at least 140%, as determined according to ISO 9073-3.
Within the scope of the present invention, a “textile” includes both textile and non-textile raw materials that can be processed into linear, two-dimensional and three-dimensional fabrics by various methods. “Textile raw materials” is used to designate synthetic fibers and natural fibers, while the term “non-textile raw materials” covers leather, in particular.
Within the scope of the present invention, it has surprisingly been found that the combination according to the invention of the specific non-woven support and the hot-melt adhesive composition yields a material that offers a high wear comfort at a low weight and a good breathability, in addition to excellent mechanical properties, especially its elasticity and flexibility, and thus is excellently suitable as a reinforcing material for textiles, especially elastic textiles, such as knitted fabrics and textiles having proportions of Elastan and Lycra, but without adversely affecting the advantageous properties of such textiles.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the reinforcing material according to the invention has an elongation at 100 N of from 120 to 300%, preferably from 140 to 250%, respectively determined according to ISO 9073-3. In this manner, the original elasticity and flexibility of the material to be reinforced could be maintained even in combination with the reinforcing material according to the invention while at the same time providing dimensionally stable support.
In addition to its elastic properties, the reinforcing material according to the invention has other advantageous mechanical properties. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing material according to the invention is characterized by a maximum tensile force, as measured according to ISO 9073-3, in at least one direction of at least 100 N.
Within the scope of the present invention, the “maximum tensile force” means the maximum force measured during the tensile test. This force serves as a measure of the tearing strength of the reinforcing material.
In a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing material according to the invention has a maximum tensile force of at least 120 N, preferably at least 140 N, in at least one direction, respectively determined according to ISO 9073-3.
The reinforcing material according to the invention is further characterized by its isotropy, so it can be used in a wide range of ways. Thus, the reinforcing material according to the invention has only small differences in elongation and maximum tensile force in different directions. Accordingly, an embodiment is preferred in which the elongation of the reinforcing material according to the invention at 100 N in a first direction differs from the elongation at 100 N in a second direction by no more than 30%, preferably no more than 20%, wherein said elongation is determined according to ISO 9073-3, and the second direction is preferably perpendicular to said first direction.
With respect to the maximum tensile force, an embodiment is preferred in which the maximum tensile force of the reinforcing material according to the invention in a first direction differs from the maximum tensile force in a second direction by no more than 30%, preferably no more than 20%, wherein said maximum tensile force is determined according to ISO 9073-3, and the second direction is preferably perpendicular to said first direction.
The reinforcing material according to the invention may be employed, in particular, for reinforcing heavily mechanically stressed materials, as used, for example, for shoes, without adversely affecting their original properties. Thus, the reinforcing material according to the invention is characterized by a corresponding elongation at break, which indicates the percent change in length of the reinforcing material after the break in proportion to the initial length. In a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing material according to the invention has an elongation at break of from 200 to 700%, preferably from 300 to 600%, as determined according to ISO 9073-3.
Without being bound to theory, it is assumed that the advantageous properties of the reinforcing material according to the invention are achieved, in particular, by said combination of said non-woven support and said hot-melt adhesive composition. In this respect, non-woven supports made from melt-spun polymer fibers having a base weight of from 150 to 500 g/m2, preferably from 250 to 400 g/m2, are preferred.
The non-woven support employed is provided with a hot-melt adhesive composition that is assumed to contribute to the advantageous properties of the reinforcing material according to the invention. In this, those embodiments are preferred in which said hot-melt adhesive composition has a base weight of from 30 to 120 g/m2, preferably from 50 to 80 g/m2. the properties of the reinforcing material according to the invention can be advantageously adapted by selecting suitable polymers for the non-woven support. In a preferred embodiment, the polymer of the non-woven support is selected from the group of polyester-based polymers, polyamide-based polymers, polyolefin-based polymers, polyurethane-based polymers, ethylene/vinyl acetate-based polymers, polyether-based polymers, elastomer-based polymers, copolymers thereof, and blends thereof, wherein polyurethane-based polymers are preferred, in particular. Among the group of polyurethane-based polymers, thermoplastic polyurethanes are particularly preferred.
Depending on the range of requirements applied to the reinforcing material, the non-woven support may be combined with a suitable hot-melt adhesive composition. In a preferred embodiment, the hot-melt adhesive composition employed according to the invention is selected from the group consisting of linear polyesters, linear polyethers, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, polyethylene, high density polyethylene (HDPE), thermoplastic polyurethanes, polypropylenes, polyamides, thermoplastic elastomers, polyolefins, and mixtures and blends thereof. Especially in view of the elastic advantages of the reinforcing material according to the invention, hot-melt adhesive compositions based on thermoplastic polyurethanes are particularly preferred.
Another possibility of adapting the properties of the reinforcing material according to the invention is offered by the method by which the hot-melt adhesive composition is applied to the non-woven support. In one embodiment, said hot-melt adhesive composition is preferably spread continuously throughout the surface of the non-woven support. By the continuous application of the hot-melt adhesive composition, a full-surface coating of the non-woven support with the hot-melt adhesive composition, for example, in the form of a film, is achieved. In this manner, the mechanical properties of the reinforcing material can be promoted, in particular.
In an alternatively preferred embodiment, the hot-melt adhesive composition preferably has been applied discontinuously to the non-woven support. In this manner, in particular, the elastic properties and the breathability of the reinforcing material can be adjusted advantageously. For example, the hot-melt adhesive composition can be applied to the non-woven support in dots, arrays, stripes, or in a net shape. In this, the distribution of the hot-melt adhesive composition may be either regularly or irregularly. In a preferred embodiment, the hot-melt adhesive composition is preferably applied as fibers in the shape of a net, wherein the hot-melt adhesive fibers may be either spun, sprayed or laminated onto said non-woven support. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the hot-melt adhesive composition is also in the form of an adhesive non-woven, and/or contains polymer fibers itself.
In addition to advantageous mechanical properties, the reinforcing material according to the invention also has an advantageous air permeability, which is desirable, in particular, in the use for reinforcing shoes or functional textiles, and results in an improved wear comfort in terms of breathability. Preferably, the reinforcing material according to the invention has an air permeability, as determined according to DIN EN ISO 9237, at 100 kPa of at least 25 l/m2/s, preferably at least 30 l/m2/s, and/or an air permeability at 200 kPa of at least 50 l/m2/s, preferably at least 55 l/m2/s.
Further preferably, the reinforcing material according to the invention has an air permeability at 100 kPa of not more than 1000 l/m2/s, preferably not more than 750 l/m2/s. In this manner, a material can be provided that is advantageously water-repelling, especially for use in shoes.
In particular, the reinforcing material according to the invention is characterized in that said advantageous properties are achieved by a combination of only two materials, while conventional reinforcing materials usually have significantly more layers. Therefore, an embodiment of the reinforcing material according to the invention is preferred in which said reinforcing material comprises no further layers.
A wide variety of applications suggests itself for the reinforcing material according to the invention. Therefore, the present invention further relates to the use of the reinforcing material in the manufacturing of shoes, clothing and accessories, such as bags, belts and bracelets, in the lifestyle field, and in orthopedics. Because of its advantageous elastic properties, the use of the reinforcing material according to the invention for reinforcing flexible materials, such as knitted fabrics and/or textiles with proportions of Elastan and Lycra, is particularly preferred.
The reinforcing material according to the invention can be combined with the textile to be reinforced by any of the usual methods, for example, by hot pressing.
The present invention is further explained by means of the following Examples, which should by no means, however, be understood as limiting the idea of the invention.
A reinforcing material according to the invention was prepared from a TPU melt-blown non-woven with a TPU hot-melt adhesive composition, wherein said hot-melt adhesive composition was applied to the non-woven support at a base weight of 60 g/m2 in the form of a net. The mechanical properties and air permeability of the reinforcing material obtained are summarized in Tables 1 and 2.
For Example 1, a non-woven support with a base weight of 390 g/m2 was used, and for Example 2, one with a base weight of 310 g/m2 was used.
1determined according to ISO 9073-3
2determined according to ISO 9073-3
3determined according to ISO 9073-3
4determined according to DIN EN ISO 9237
As can be seen from the data provided, the reinforcing material according to the invention combines advantageous mechanical properties with air permeability, which allows for a high wear comfort.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21216506.2 | Dec 2021 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2022/087050 | 12/20/2022 | WO |
