Patent Application
20230349077
The present invention is part of the field of application of textiles, more specifically, in the area of production of yarns and fabrics, since it refers to a yarn composed of the mixture of domestic animal fur with at least one polyester fiber, preferably recycled, which may also contain bacteriostatic and fungistatic properties.
Organic and inorganic trash are waste that, if poorly designated, pose a threat to the environment, since they can pose a risk of contamination, occupational accidents, or environmental damage. In the pet-shop segment, it is essential to prioritize care with the selection and destination of waste, such as feces, fur, wash water and shampoo.
In view of the need for a more sustainable disposal, the present invention proposes the use of wires from the grooming of domestic animals, which are discarded by pet-shops, veterinary clinics or other commercial establishments that perform animal, such as dogs, cats or other animals that need, for the production of a textile yarn.
Thus, the present invention helps to avoid the disposal of pet fur in the environment, regardless of breed, color and size, creating a new yarn capable of being used in the production of fabrics for the production of clothing items, such as clothes, accessories handbags and shoes, both for human and domestic animal use.
Another problem that the present invention proposes to solve is the amount of waste from the of domestic animals, with the consequent reduction of waste, providing the reuse of material through recovery.
Some prior art documents describe the use of dog fur for application in textiles.
Brazilian patent application No. BR 10 2014 025807 8, published on Apr. 19, 2016, on behalf of Renato Nogueirol Lobo, entitled: “IMPROVEMENT IN TEXTILE YARN, FABRIC AND CLOTHING” describes an improvement in fabrics and clothing, as well as a textile yarn composed of 25% of dog fur, preferably poodle, and 75% of acrylic fibers, such as: polyacryliconitro mass (PAC), whose selection process discards the short fibers and, after, goes through a process of five washings using ammonium hydroxide and detergent, in addition to an anti-static wash, mixing with synthetic fibers until the aforementioned textile yarn is obtained. However, the specification of the canine breed and the need to select long fibers make the process on an industrial scale difficult.
International patent application No. WO2009/152842 A2, published on Dec. 23, 2009, in the name of Loro Piana SPA, entitled “FABRIC OBTAINED BY WORKING YARN RESULTING FROM THE TWISTING OF ANIMAL FIBERS TWISTED WITH A STRAND OF SILK” describes a fabric obtained by mixed yarn of animal fiber twisted with silk yarn. It does not explicitly mention the use of dog fur, nor does it provide a solution for generating waste from dog.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,156, published on Apr. 20, 2020, in the name of Hanol Angora Fabric Co. Ltd., entitled “PROCESS FOR PRODUCING IN ANGORA RABBIT FUR YARN” describes a process for producing a textile yarn based on angora rabbit fur. It is a short fiber and processing follows wool standards in terms of chemical treatment, carding, spinning and weaving.
In contrast, the present invention proposes a functional textile yarn with antibacterial properties composed of a mixture of furs from the grooming of domestic animals and at least one polyester fiber, preferably polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber from recycled PET bottles.
Furthermore, the proposed textile yarn has a specific blend that provides a yarn resistant to fabric production processes and allows the production of an antibacterial fabric functionalized with microcapsules containing nanometric antibacterial actives on its surface.
In addition, the textile yarn proposed herein can provide structuring actions for the environment, contributing to the direct fulfillment of 2 of the 3Rs of sustainability: 1) reducing waste from the generation of waste from PET bottles and the disposal of fur from grooming of dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) or other domestic animals; and 2) recycle through a process of transforming these wastes.
Therefore, no prior art document describes or suggests a yarn composed of pet fur, polyester and other natural or non-natural fibers, recycled or not, without the need for prior separation by color or fiber size.
The present invention will provide significant advantages over the textile yarn proposed here, enabling an increase in its performance and presenting a more favorable cost/benefit ratio.
In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a yarn composed of a mixture of at least two different fibers, being 1 to 90% of pet fur and 1 to 90% of polyester fibers, which may also contain 1 to 90% natural fiber or not, recycled or not. The yarn is preferably composed of a mixture of at least two different fibers, 30 to 90% of which are pet fur and 40 to 80% of polyester fibers, and may also contain 1 to 90% of natural fibers or not, recycled or not. The yarn is more preferably composed of a mixture of at least two different fibers, being 40 to 80% of pet fur and 20 to 40% of polyester fibers, and may also contain from 1 to 10% of natural fibers or not, recycled or not. More preferably still, said textile yarn is composed of a mixture of at least 70% pet fur; and 30% of a recycled polyester fiber, such as recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber.
In a second aspect, the present invention further relates to the use of the textile yarn described herein in the production of a fabric, preferably a knitted or flat fabric, for application in a range of design and fashion products, for human or animal use.
The structure and operation of the present invention, along with additional advantages thereof, can be better understood by referring to the accompanying images and the following description.
Although the present invention may be susceptible to different embodiments, a preferred embodiment is shown in the drawings and in the following detailed discussion with the understanding that the present embodiment is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the present invention to what was illustrated and described in this specification.
The present invention relates to a textile yarn composed of a mixture of at least:
Preferably, said textile yarn is composed of a mixture of at least:
More preferably, said textile yarn is composed of a mixture of at least:
More preferably still, said textile yarn is composed of a mixture of at least:
Said pet furs are selected from the group consisting of grooming residues from domestic animals, such as dogs, cats, horses, rodents, or other animals in need of grooming. Preferably, those furs are residues from dog (Canis lupus familiaris).
More preferably, said fur is residue from poodle, bichon frize, cocker spaniel, lhasa apso, shih-tzu, maltese and yorkshire, and other extant breeds whose fur needs grooming.
It is important to note that the collected furs may or may not be segregated by color and average size.
Preferably the furs are not segregated during collection.
Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, the yarn is composed of fur from domestic animals that are obtained by collecting waste from grooming of different breeds, in which furs of different sizes and colors are used. Advantageously, this avoids all the work of selecting fur by breed and size, making it easier to collect it in establishments.
Collection establishments can be pet-shops, veterinary clinics or other commercial establishments that perform the grooming of animals, such as dogs, cats or other animals that need grooming.
Additionally, it is worth noting that the collected furs are sterilized.
Said polyester fiber is selected from the group consisting of virgin polyester fibers or recycled or non-recycled fibers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Preferably, said yarn is composed of recycled PET fiber, such as recycled PET bottle.
Additionally, the textile yarn of the present invention comprises from 60 to 80% natural or non-natural fibers, recycled or not, preferably 70%.
Said natural fibers are selected from the group consisting of cotton, wool, silk, linen, among others. Said non-natural fibers are selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyamide, acrylic, aramids, among others.
Additionally, the textile yarn of the present invention further comprises 0.3 to 1% bacteriostatic and fungistatic nanoparticles, preferably 0.5%.
Nanoparticles are biodegradable and natural with high textile anchoring power that inhibit microbial activity and growth.
Thus, optionally, said yarn has antibacterial properties.
Additionally, the textile yarn of the present invention comprises a conditioning agent which is sprayed onto the mixture. More specifically, said textile yarn comprises from 0.1 to 1% of a conditioning agent, preferably 0.5%.
Said conditioning agent is selected from the group consisting of antistatic for spinning, such as detergents, softeners or bleaches, preferably Gintex.
Furthermore, said textile yarn of the present invention can be enzymed to produce stronger fabrics. Furthermore, said yarn is dyeable, which can be dyed using conventional methods of the textile industry.
Although not claimed, the fabrication process of the textile yarn of the present invention is essential to achieve a textile yarn composed of recyclable animal fur and polyester fibers that has strength properties demanded by the market.
Thus, the process of obtaining said textile yarn comprises the following steps:
Thus, the production of said textile yarn begins with the collection of fur from domestic animals in veterinary clinics, pet-shops and/or other commercial establishments that perform the grooming of animals, as described in step “a”.
Still in step “a”, the collected furs may or may not be segregated by color and average size. Preferably the furs are not segregated during collection. The collected furs are obtained as mixtures of different breeds, with different sizes and colors. This avoids all the work of selecting furs by breeds and sizes, making it easier to collect them in establishments.
More preferably, the present invention aims at the use of yarn from animals such as poodle, bichon frize, cocker spaniel, lhasa apso, shih-tzu, maltese and yorkshire and other existing breeds whose fur needs grooming, including cats.
In step “b”, after collection, a dry sterilization of the fur of domestic animals obtained is performed. Dry sterilization is done by applying ultraviolet light and/or applying ozone, which are strong oxidizing agents and eliminate all microbiology present in the fibers, consequently eliminating the bad odor of the material. This procedure, in addition to being very effective, is cheaper, simpler and more beneficial to the environment than the chemical wash process that is contained in the state of the art, since, through sterilization by chemical washes, the water used in the various stages of the washes, it comes out contaminated and has to be discarded, causing a new problem to the environment or, it must go through a cleaning and purification process, which is usually expensive and makes its reuse unfeasible, thus harming the environment.
However, it is worth noting that any other sterilization procedure known from the prior art can be performed alternatively.
After the fur sterilization procedure, in step “c” a chemical treatment is carried out on the furs using an antistatic solution for better material processability. Said anti-aesthetic solution consists of a mixture of 30 g/L of water and Gintex which is applied in the form of steam on the fibers through a nebulizer, such as a homemade nebulizer.
In step “d”, the fibers are mixed.
The mixture, in turn, aims to choose the ratio of fibers used in the formation of the yarn. In this step, crucial issues are defined, such as the aggregation capacity of the fibers to form a yarn, as well as mechanical and touch properties. This step is also essential in quantifying the environmental and economic impact of the invention, since the higher the canine residue ratio, the greater the ability to add value to the production chain of domestic animals, as well as reduce the environmental pressure of this activity.
Therefore, the mixture of pet fur is characterized in that it comprises at least 1 to 90% pet fur and 1 to 90% polyester fiber, preferably a mixture of at least 30 to 90% pet fur and 10 to 50% polyester fiber, and more preferably 40 to 80% pet fur and 20 to 40% polyester fibers.
Even more preferably, the mixture is composed of 70% of domestic animal fur of various colors and sizes, obtained from the grooming of dogs of different breeds, and 30% of polyester fiber.
Said polyester fiber is selected from the group consisting of recycled or non-recycled fibers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), virgin or recycled fibers. Preferably, said polyester fiber is recycled PET.
The raw material of recycled PET comes from the recycling of plastic bottles produced from the polymer polyethylene terephthalate. The mixture of domestic animal fur with recycled PET facilitates the cohesion of the fibers for the production of the long yarn, providing them with easier processing, resulting in greater strength and shine to the yarn. Thus, the use of recycled PET fiber makes it possible to use any size of pet fur, without the need for a laborious prior separation of the fibers.
In step “e” occurs the process of obtaining the yarn proposed by the present invention, comprising the sub-steps of:
In sub-step “e.1”, the cleaning process is carried out through the use of equipment called Carder, and is done with the objective of removing possible solid particles by the physical process of brushing the fibers. These particles have the potential to disrupt the spinning process as well as compromise the quality of the final product.
The mixture defined in step “d” is also inserted into said carder, in which a solution of a conditioning agent, such as Gintex, is additionally sprayed at a concentration of 1 g/L.
The conditioning agent is intended to prevent canine fur static so that the fiber mixture can be properly pushed onto the carder.
In sub-step “e.2”, the parallelization aims to provide a standard conformation of the fibers so that these fibers can better interact with each other, enabling the spinning of a yarn with good mechanical properties. Thus, in this sub-step, the length of each fiber was seen to adjust the spinning machinery.
In sub-step “e.3”, the formation of the wick is carried out, this step, which begins to give the yarn aspect to the mixture. This step is of paramount importance in the feasibility of the spinning, as well as in the mechanical properties of the yarn.
The machine responsible for the process of sub-step “e.3” is the draw frame, whose function is to stretch the mixture that comes out of the carder, and which directly influences the title of these yarns. This grade is a quantity that quantifies the mass of the yarn per unit of length, with the final application of the wick being transformed into yarn, since higher titles give tensile strength, but lose flexibility and vice versa. This title control is proportional to the speed of the draw frame feed belt. The higher the speed, the higher the yarn count to be obtained, and this effect can be reinforced in the spinning feed.
Finally, after obtaining the wick, in sub-step “e.4” the yarn is produced using an “open ring” spinning machine, or any appropriate technique.
Optionally, after obtaining the wick (sub-step e.3), a yarn or fabric processing step is carried out, henceforth step “f”. This step includes the following sub-steps, which can occur separately or concurrently:
It is known that textile materials are an excellent medium for the proliferation of microorganisms, in order to prevent the installation of microorganisms, the yarn or fabric is treated from nanoparticles with bacteriostatic and fungistatic effect in a sub-step “f.1”.
Nanoparticles are biodegradable and natural with high textile anchoring power that inhibit microbial activity and growth.
Thus, in sub-step “f.1”, the application of nanoparticles is carried out via the depletion process using suitable equipment, such as the JFO equipment.
The number of nanoparticles used for the process varies from 0.4 to 1%, preferably 0.5% with a contact time of 15 to 40 minutes, preferably 30 minutes at 18 to 30° C., preferably 25° C.
After exhaustion, the fabric is dried on the branch at a temperature of 80 to 110° C. for 10 to 20 minutes, preferably 100° C. for 15 minutes.
Thus, in brief, sub-step “f.1” is carried out in such a way that the yarn or fabric is driven by hydrodynamic action in free flow in the nanoparticle wash in the Jet equipment and then thermoset on the branch.
In sub-step “f.2” the yarn is engraved in order to improve the conditions for weaving, protecting against tension and friction. For this purpose, from 0.2 to 1% of encase oil is applied, preferably 0.5%.
Said sizing oil is selected from the group of chemicals used in the textile industry, which consists of humectants, dispersants, surfactants, among others.
However, the stain oil prevents the fabric's hydrophilicity, preventing it from being dyed, in this case it is necessary to purge the fabric to eliminate the oils present through cooking and pre-bleaching.
Thus, still in sub-step “f.2”, to eliminate the oils present in the yarn or fabric, a purge is carried out using a wash composed of 1 to 5 g/L of sodium carbonate, preferably 4 g/L, and 1 to 5 g/L of detergent, preferably 2 g/L, at 50 to 80° C., preferably 60° C., for 20 to 60 minutes, preferably 30 minutes.
To dye homogeneously by applying dyes, in sub-step “f.3” dyeing is carried out in three stages: (i) migration, (ii) absorption and (iii) fixation.
Initially the fabric is prepared to receive the dye with 1:1:1 of equalizer, dispersant and acetic acid in the ATHT-1 equipment. Then, a 0.5 to 1% dye solution is prepared to be applied to the textile substrate.
The dye is added at a temperature of 80 to 100° C. for 20 to 40 minutes, preferably at 95° C. for 30 minutes. Afterwards, the fabric is soaped with detergent for X to Y minutes at X to Y ° C., preferably 15 minutes at 70° C., to remove excess dye that has not interacted with the fabric.
To ensure the fixation of the dye in the tissue, 1 to 5% of fixative is applied for 10 to 30 minutes at 60 to 80° C., preferably for 20 minutes at 70° C. Then the fabric is cold washed.
After dyeing and abundant rinsing, the fabric is dried on the ram at a temperature lower than 100° C. for 10 to 25 minutes, preferably 15 minutes.
Therefore, the developed fabric demonstrates compatibility for dyeing, and in addition, it also presents an excellent performance of fastness to washing.
Thus, the said long yarn obtained, with or without a processing stage, can be used to weave fabrics which, in turn, can be used to produce a range of design and fashion products, such as bags, shoes, clothes for human and animal use.
Thus, the present invention further relates to the use of the textile yarn described herein in the production of a fabric, preferably a knitted or woven fabric.
More preferably, the present invention relates to the use of the textile yarn described herein in the production of a range of design and fashion products, such as bags, footwear, clothing for both human and animal use.
Therefore, the textile yarn of the present invention has innovative characteristics, since it is composed of domestic fur from grooming residues and has properties in accordance with the stipulated standards, as shown in the tests below.
The raw material used by the present invention to compose the proposed thread needs to be previously treated for sterilization and deodorization.
Ozone treatment, use of UV radiation and autoclave are examples of sterilization processes that can be used in this step and were the processes adopted in this invention. However, the use of any other sterilization process can be adopted to achieve similar satisfactory results.
The yarn proposed by the present invention can be obtained by several spinning techniques, however, preferably said yarn is obtained via “open-ring” spinning or via “open-end” spinning.
By way of example, the process of obtaining the yarn proposed here is better explained below by means of “open-ring” spinning, however it is not limited to this spinning process.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the proposed yarn is composed of a mixture of 30% recycled polyester and 70% sterilized dog fur, which may or may not be processed.
A fabric obtained from a yarn composed of a mixture of 70% canine fur obtained from the collection of domestic dog grooming in pet shops and 30% recycled polyester was subjected to the following tests:
The results of these tests can be seen in Table 1.
Therefore, through the tests presented, it was possible to observe that the yarn proposed by the present invention presents properties in accordance with the stipulated standards, since the proposed yarn and fabric maintained their dimensional stability without being damaged.
Thus, the embodiments presented in the present invention do not limit the totality of possibilities, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and alterations can be made by one skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is expressly provided that all combinations of elements that perform the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Element substitutions from one described embodiment to another are also fully intended and contemplated.
It is also necessary to understand that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, but that they are only conceptual in nature.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate the knowledge presented herein and will be able to reproduce the invention in the presented embodiments and in other variants, falling within the scope of the claims.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/BR2020/050160 | 5/13/2020 | WO |
