Woven UHMWPE fabric stretches in the bias direction to such an extent that it is unsuitable for many potential applications and is porous, allowing air and water transmission. A composite UHMWPE material includes a single ply of high tenacity woven UHMWPE fabric having warp fibers in a first direction and weft fibers in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The UHMWPE fabric has first face and a second face. A stretch resisting axially oriented fusion layer is fused to at least one of the first face or the second face of the UHMWPE fabric with an axis aligned parallel to at least one of the UHMWPE fabric warp and weft axes, such that the stretch resisting fusion layer increases fabric tensile strength and inhibits bias stretch of the UHMWPE fabric, and renders the UHMWPE woven fabric air and water impermeable.

A sailcloth including a woven fabric of a first fiber material and a second fiber material woven into it, in which the second fiber material forms a network structure within the woven fabric, with the second fiber material having a higher tearing resistance than the first fiber material and with the second fiber having a sliding ability within the woven fabric.

A multi-layer bladder construct consisting of a non-stretchable outer covering and a stretchable inner bladder. The outer covering has an inner surface and is made from woven polymer fibers having a warp direction and a weft direction. The inner bladder is made from a bi-axially oriented polymer film. The inner bladder has an outer surface area that is smaller than the inner surface area of the outer covering. Upon inflation, the inner bladder stretches and expands until the outer surface of the inner bladder engages the inner surface of the outer covering, whereby a portion of tensile force loading on the outer covering is shared with the inner bladder. A stretchable flexible film is incorporated into the inner bladder in at least one selected location. The stretchable flexible film has an elastic expansion range which is greater that the elastic expansion range of the remainder of the inner bladder.

The invention relates to a fabric for lightweight nautical sails, such as spinnakers, asymmetric spinnakers, and gennakers, for sailboats and other surface vessels, the fabric being formed of continuous polyester warp and weft yarns and being coated on one or both of its two surfaces with a crosslinked polymer, characterised in that the polyester is poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) having a tenacity greater than or equal to 6 cN/dtex; in that the fabric has a density of between 20 and 50 threads/cm, in terms of warp and weft density; in that the polymer is a crosslinked polyurethane (PU) that is polyether-, polyester-, or polycarbonate based; and in that this PU is derived from the crosslinking (1) of a single-component polyurethane elastomer having a modulus at 100% elongation comprised between 1 and 15 MPa, better still between 2 and 15 MPa, in particular between 6 and 15 MPa, according to the standard DIN 53504, used in implementation in solvent phase; and (2) by a crosslinking agent, based on a proportion of dry crosslinking agent relative to the dry elastomer of between 20% and 75% by weight, in particular between approximately 30% and approximately 75% by weight. The coated fabric has an elongation in the bias direction under 20 Lbs, comprised between 10 and 30 hundredths of an inch.

A multi-layer bladder construct consisting of a non-stretchable outer covering and a stretchable inner bladder. The outer covering has an inner surface and is made from woven polymer fibers having a warp direction and a weft direction. The inner bladder is made from a bi-axially oriented polymer film. The inner bladder has an outer surface area that is smaller than the inner surface area of the outer covering. Upon inflation, the inner bladder stretches and expands until the outer surface of the inner bladder engages the inner surface of the outer covering, whereby a portion of tensile force loading on the outer covering is shared with the inner bladder. A stretchable flexible film is incorporated into the inner bladder in at least one selected location. The stretchable flexible film has an elastic expansion range which is greater that the elastic expansion range of the remainder of the inner bladder.

The invention relates to hybrid fabric comprising: a high-performance polyethylene (HPPE) fiber having a tensile modulus of at least 110 GPa, preferably higher than 135 GPa, as measured according to ASTM D885M-2014; and a non-polymeric fiber, wherein the cross-sectional area of the HPPE fiber is equal to or smaller than the cross-sectional area of the non-polymeric fiber, the cross-sectional area being defined as the linear density of the fiber divided by volumetric density of the fiber. The invention also relates to a composite comprising the hybrid fabric and to an article comprising the composite.

A woven sailcloth has groups of load-bearing yarns which extend in straight lines through tunnels without being woven. The tunnels are bordered front and back by woven layers and at the sides by crossing-over yarns. Because the load-bearing yarns extend along the tunnels there is no crimp in their longitudinal direction. The load-bearing yarns may include components for resistance to displacement along the tunnels, such as resin adhesives or wrapped-around filament.

A fabric structure includes a woven polyester fabric and a layer of butyl rubber disposed on the woven polyester fabric. The fabric structure includes a layer of polyacrylonitrile attached to the butyl rubber layer. The fabric structure includes at least one flexible thin-film solar cell element located on the polyacrylonitrile layer. The fabric structure includes a plurality of electrical connecting lines extending between the polyacrylonitrile layer and the butyl rubber layer and connected to the at least one solar cell element. The fabric structure forms part of a device, such as a convertible top, a carport covering, a sun shade, or a boat sail.

Woven UHMWPE fabric stretches in the bias direction to such an extent that it is unsuitable for many potential applications and is porous, allowing air and water transmission. A composite UHMWPE material includes a single ply of high tenacity woven UHMWPE fabric having warp fibers in a first direction and weft fibers in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The UHMWPE fabric has first face and a second face. A stretch resisting axially oriented fusion layer is fused to at least one of the first face or the second face of the UHMWPE fabric with an axis aligned parallel to at least one of the UHMWPE fabric warp and weft axes, such that the stretch resisting fusion layer increases fabric tensile strength and inhibits bias stretch of the UHMWPE fabric, and renders the UHMWPE woven fabric air and water impermeable.

A sailcloth including a woven fabric of a first fiber material and a second fiber material woven into it, in which the second fiber material forms a network structure within the woven fabric, with the second fiber material having a higher tearing resistance than the first fiber material and with the second fiber having a sliding ability within the woven fabric.