Biodegradable Yarn With An Increased Flame Resistance And Manufacturing Method Thereof

Abstract

This application relates to a biodegradable yarn which exhibits an increased flame resistance. The biodegradable yarn comprises from 25 to 55 weight-%, preferably from 35 to 45 weight-% of viscose fibers or of viscose filaments and from 45 to 65 weight-%, preferably from 50 to 60 weight-%, most preferably 55 weight-% of polybutylene succinate fibers. The viscose fibers or filaments are preferably free of chlorine. Further, the present application concerns a method for manufacturing a biodegradable yarn having an increased flame resistance.

Claims

1. A biodegradable yarn with an increased flame resistance, the biodegradeable yarn comprising: 25 to 55 weight-% of viscose fibers or viscose filaments; and 45 to 65 weight-% of polybutylene succinate fibers.

2. The biodegradable yarn according to claim 1, wherein the yarn further comprises from 5 to 15 weight-% of fibers of a co-polyester.

3. The biodegradable yarn according to claim 1, wherein the yarn comprises viscose filaments configured to act as a core of the yarn.

4. the biodegradable yarn according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the viscose fibers and the polybutylene succinate fibers comprise an average length of 25 to 45 mm.

5. The biodegradable yarn according to claim 1, wherein the yarn comprises a twist per meter of at least 400.

6. The biodegradable yarn according to claim 1, wherein the polybutylene succinate is of organic origin.

7. The biodegradable yarn according to claim 1, wherein the biodegradeable yarn comprises a linear density of at least 13 gram per 1000 m.

8. The biodegradable yarn according to claim 1, wherein the yarn further comprises at least one dye.

9. A method for manufacturing a biodegradable yarn with an increased flame resistance claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: spinning into the yarn 25 to 55 weight-% of staple fibers or filaments of viscose; and spinning into yarn 45 to 65 weight-% of staple fibres of polybutylene succinate.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of: first, mechanically stretching filaments of polybutylene succinate to an elongation of at least 300%; and second, ripping the filaments of polybutylene so as to form staple fibres of polybutylene succinate.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein: the step of spinning into the yarn comprises the step of spinning the staple fibres of viscose; and the yarn is a staple yarn.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of spinning into the yarn comprises the step of spinning filaments of viscose; the method further comprises the steps of arranging the filaments of viscose to a filament core around which the polybutylene succinate fibres are spun; and wherein the yarn is a core yarn.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of admixing 5 to 15 weight-% of fibers of a co-polyester to the fibers of polybutylene succinate prior to spinning of the yarn.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of spinning the yarn to a twist per meter of at least 400.

15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of dying the yarn after the steps of spinning the yarn and spinning the yarn.

16. The biodegradable yarn according to claim 1, wherein the viscose fibers or viscose filaments are chlorine free viscose fibers or viscose filaments.

17. The biodegradable yarn according to claim 1, wherein the co-polyester is a co-polyester free of antimony.

18. The biodegradable yarn according to claim 8, wherein the reactive dye is biodegradable.

19. The method according to claim 10, wherein the filaments of polybutylene succinate are mechanically stretched with a tension of at least 40 MPa.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] As used throughout the present disclosure, unless specifically stated otherwise, the term or encompasses all possible combinations, except where infeasible. For example, the expression A or B shall mean A alone, B alone, or A and B together. If it is stated that a component includes A, B, or C, then, unless specifically stated otherwise or infeasible, the component may include A, or B, or C, or A and B, or A and C, or B and C, or A and B and C. Expressions such as at least one of do not necessarily modify an entirety of the following list and do not necessarily modify each member of the list, such that at least one of A, B, and C should be understood as including not only one of A, only one of B, only one of C, or any combination of A, B, and C.

[0037] A yarn according to the present invention as well as three yarns belonging to the state of the art were compared in view of their flammability. For this comparative test, a strap of each of the four yarns was hung from a horizontal bar, wherein an identical weight was attached to each strap at its lower end. The vertical length of the strap from the horizontal bar was 28cm. Subsequently, about 2cm at the lower end of each strap were subjected to the flame of a Bunsen burner (Labflame RF of Biotool) for 8 seconds at a temperature of 960 C.

[0038] The yarn according to the present invention comprised 45 weight-% of viscose staple fibre 38 mm totally chlorine free and 55 weight-% of organic polybutylene succinate 38 mm. The fibres were wound to a density of 16.7 gram per 1000 m (167 DTEX).

[0039] The time until ignition of each of the straps as well as the duration of the subsequent burning of the yarns was measured until complete extinction of each yarn. Finally, the vertical length of each of the yarns was measured after 8 seconds.

[0040] The following yarns were used as comparison to the inventive yarn:

TABLE-US-00001 Type Source Comment Co-Polyester Inogema GmbH, Biodegradable yarn, antimony Eggingen, Germany free, multi-filament, petrochemical origin, 167 Dtex Viscose Lenzing GmbH, Biodegradable yarn, staple fibres, Dinslaken, Germany 200 Dtex Polyester Chahan Bursa Polyester treated for low Polyester, Bursa, flammability, not biodegradable, Turkey multi-filament, 167 Dtex

[0041] The time to ignition of the four filaments was measured twice. The result was as follows (in seconds):

TABLE-US-00002 Inventive yarn Co-Polyester Viscose Polyester 1.9 1.0 1.6 2.0 1.5 1.1 1.4 1.8

[0042] It is apparent that the inventive yarn is equally flame resistant as the treated polyester while being biodegradable. The other biodegradable yarns exhibited a much quicker ignition.

[0043] The burning time the yarn for each of the ignition measurements above was measured and was as follows (in seconds):

TABLE-US-00003 Inventive yarn Co-Polyester Viscose Polyester 1.5 4.2 5.0 2.0 1.2 3.0 5.6 1.8

[0044] The burning time until complete extinction of the inventive yarn was found to be even shorter compared to the treated polyester yarn. As is apparent from the table above, the burning time of the inventive yarn is significantly shorter than for any of the yarns with a comparable biodegradability.

[0045] The remaining vertical length of each of the yarn straps was measured after 8 seconds (in mm):

TABLE-US-00004 Inventive yarn Co-Polyester Viscose Polyester 220 60 42 120

[0046] Again, the inventive yarn yields better results than the polyester which was specifically treated for low flammability. Further, the difference to the other biodegradable yarns tested was found to be very significant.

[0047] In summary, the inventive yarn yields comparable good results in view of low flammability as a polyester yarn which has been specifically treated with flame retardant chemicals. In comparison to the latter, the inventive yarn is, however, fully biodegradable. The low flammability of the inventive yarn compared to other biodegradable yarns according to the state of the art was found to be significant.

[0048] Since the invention(s) described in detail above are examples of embodiments, they can be modified to a wide extent by the skilled person in the usual manner without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the mechanical arrangements and the proportions of the individual elements with respect to each other are merely exemplary. Some preferred embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention have been disclosed above. The invention is not limited to the solutions explained above, but the innovative solutions can be applied in different ways within the limits set out by the claims.