Cork yarn, production method and uses

Abstract

The present disclosure refers to a cork yarn, in particular a yarn with incorporated cork, textile structures comprising said yarn, obtention method and uses thereof. The cork yarn described in the present disclosure is useful to the textile and clothing industry, and can be applied extensively in the textile industry namely in the manufacture of fabrics for clothing and home textiles, in particular technical clothing, duvets, blankets, covers, etc.

Claims

1. A cork yarn suitable for weaving or knitting, comprising: a textile yarn of natural or synthetic fibre, at least 2% cork particles (wt.sub.cork/wt.sub.final yarn), and a polymeric binder which binds the cork particles to the textile yarn, wherein the cork particles have a granulometry of size less than 1 mm, wherein the linear density of the cork yarn is less than 197 tex.

2. The cork yarn according to claim 1, wherein the linear density of the cork yarn is less than 118 tex.

3. The cork yarn according to claim 1, wherein the linear density of the cork yarn varies between 152 tex and 402 tex.

4. The cork yarn according to claim 1, wherein the cork yarn comprises at least 5% cork particles (wt.sub.cork/wt.sub.final yarn).

5. The cork yarn according to claim 1, comprising at least 10% of cork particles (wt.sub.cork/wt.sub.final yarn).

6. The cork yarn according to claim 1, wherein the cork yarn comprises at least 15% cork particles (wt.sub.cork/wt.sub.final yarn).

7. The cork yarn according to claim 1, wherein the cork particles have a granulometry of size less than 0.85 mm.

8. The cork yarn according to claim 1, wherein the cork particles have a granulometry of size less than 0.8 mm.

9. The cork yarn according to claim 1, wherein the cork particles have a granulometry of size between 0.001 mm and 0.5 mm.

10. The cork yarn according to claim 1, wherein the cork particles have a granulometry of size between 0.05 mm and 0.5 mm.

11. The cork yarn according to claim 1, wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of: polyurethane, acrylate, or combinations thereof.

12. The cork yarn according to the claim 1, wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of: thermoplastic resins, thermosetting resins, or combinations thereof, wherein the thermoplastic resins comprise polyvinyl chloride and polyurethane, and wherein the thermosetting resins comprise acrylic polyesters, polyurethane, and silicones.

13. The cork yarn according to claim 1, further comprising fixatives, thickeners, softeners, stabilizers, colorants, or combinations thereof.

14. The cork yarn according to claim 1, wherein the textile yarn comprises a mixture of the natural and the synthetic fibres.

15. The cork yarn according to the claim 1, wherein the textile yarn is selected from the group consisting of: cotton, linen, wool, silk, viscose, acetate, polyamide, polyester, acrylic, elastane, polyethylene, polyurethane, or combinations thereof.

16. A fabric comprising a weavable or knittable textile yarn of natural or synthetic fibre, at least 2% cork particles, and a polymeric binder which binds the cork particles to the textile yarn, wherein the cork particles have a granulometry of size less than 1 mm and wherein the linear density of the cork yarn is less than 197 tex.

17. The cork yarn according to the claim 1, wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of: thermoplastic resins, thermosetting resins, or combinations thereof, wherein the thermoplastic resins comprise polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane and polyethylene, and wherein the thermosetting resins comprise silicones and acrylic polyesters.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The following figures provide preferred embodiments for illustrating the description and should not be seen as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

(2) FIG. 1: Representation of a coating of a textile structure of a woven fabric, knitted fabric and non-woven fabric with the composition described in the present disclosure.

(3) FIG. 2: A and B represent different perspectives of a process for the coating of the textile yarn with the composition described in the present disclosure.

(4) FIG. 3: Representation of an embodiment of the present disclosure wherein A represents a view of the textile yarn without paste and B represents a view of the cork yarn of the present embodiment, i.e. textile yarn with cork coating and cross-section AA of the yarn coated with cork covering paste.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) The present disclosure relates to the application of different technological processes that resorted to technologies of superficial chemical deposition, namely coating by reactive action. The solutions obtained by adopting the preconized research process are: type-yarn, woven fabric, non-woven fabric and knitted fabric structures, in particular of natural or non-natural origin, in particular synthetic or artificial and coated with cork microparticles/micro-fines/granules.

(6) It is an innovative concept in relation to textile materials with cork, in particular yarns, woven fabrics, non-woven fabrics and knitted fabrics, since unlike the currently existing products on the market that are obtained by lamination of thin sheets of cork with a textile substrate, these incorporate high quantity of cork in reactive form, i.e. chemically bound to the textile substrate, making them unique and differentiating products with regard to the state of the art.

(7) In an embodiment, the following processes may also be used: exhaustion, immersion and/or spraying.

(8) In an embodiment, the following methodology was adopted: preparation of formula of the coating bath/paste of cork microfines/granules, since the cork alone is not capable of creating bonds of chemical nature with the textile substrates whether they are of natural origin or synthetic, there is the need to prepare coating baths and pastes that allow the stable chemical bond between the cork micro-additives and the textile substrates; coating baths/pastes have been formulated resorting either to the conventional resins and additives, namely glyoxal resins, thermoplastic resins (PVC, PU, etc.), thermosetting resins, in particular polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, acrylic polyesters, polystyrene, polyethylene, polyamide, polyurethane, among others, and other functional additives, for example waxes/paraffins, silicones, among others; bond between the cork bath/paste and the textile substrates through the coating technology by reactive action, that consists of deposing a polymer in the textile structure to be processed.

(9) In an embodiment, the composition of the coating bath/paste may comprise: cork additive, binder, fixative and thickener.

(10) In an embodiment, the coating process of the woven fabric, knitted fabric and non-woven fabric structures is carried out according to FIG. 1, wherein after the preparation of the coating bath/paste this one is deposited on the surface through knife coating technology in a quantity necessary to obtain in the end a value of cork additive (cork particles) more than 10% (wt.sub.cork/wt.sub.final yarn). Then the coated structure is subject to drying and thermosetting with dry heat (drying machine/stentering machine) during the time necessary for its effective setting.

(11) In an embodiment the coating process of yarn is carried out according to FIG. 2. The bath/paste is prepared and placed in the vat of the yarn coating machine. Then, the raw yarns are forced through the vat and dragged between 2 rollers of controlled pressure so as to guarantee the superficial deposition of bath uniformly and in a quantity necessary to finally obtain a percentage of more than 2% of cork particles (wt.sub.cork/wt.sub.final yarn). Then the yarns are guided between 2 heated rollers where pre-drying takes place and subsequently coiled when exiting the machine. After coating, the yarn can be softened by exhaustion in an autoclave-type equipment.

(12) In an embodiment the processes of application of the coating bath/paste to the textile substrates, as well as its processing parameters, temperature, pressure, time, speeds, among others, have also to be adjusted so as to guarantee the quality of the textile substrates with incorporation of cork. The processing conditions, both in terms of application technology, and in terms of parameters, are different for the various substrates, in particular yarn, woven fabric, non-woven fabric and knitted fabric. In an embodiment, in case there are constraints that prevent the success of this solution there will also be used processes of prior preparation of the materials through the superficial modification promoted by plasma, ozone, ultrasounds, swelling with isopropanol or toluene among others. These treatments help cleaning and activating and adding functionality to the surface of the textile substrates, making them more able to bond chemically.

(13) Another process of applying the pastes may be through spraying.

(14) An example of the present disclosure is presented below. The processes of application of the bath/paste to the textile substrates, as well as its processing parameters, temperature, pressure, time, speeds, among others, have also to be adjusted so as to guarantee the quality of the textile substrates with incorporation of cork.

(15) The processing conditions, both in terms of application technology, and in terms of parameters, were different for the yarns and for the remaining substrates, in particular woven fabric, non-woven fabric and knitted fabric.

(16) In an embodiment, in the case of woven fabrics, non-woven fabrics and knitted fabrics a cold-end coating made by knife coating and subsequent drying treatment at 100 C. and thermosetting at a temperature of approximately 160 C. may be carried out.

(17) In an embodiment, in the case of the textile yarn, a cold-end coating may be carried out in a yarn coating machine followed by a thermal treatment, in particular drying, in the same equipment through heated rollers.

(18) The products obtained incorporate high quantity of cork in a reactive way, i.e. chemically bonded to the textile substrate, making them unique and differentiating products with regard to the state of the art. Although only particular embodiments of the present disclosure have been represented and described herein, the subject matter expert will know how to introduce modifications and replace some technical features with equivalent ones, depending on the requisites of each situation, without leaving the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

(19) The presented embodiments are combinable. The following claims set out particular embodiments of the disclosure.