THERMALLY INSULATING CLOTHS

Abstract

A thermally insulating cloth is provided. The thermally insulating cloth has a layered structure comprising at least three layers, a first and a second outer textile layer providing the outer surfaces of said cloth, and an intermediate layer, wherein said first and said second outer textile layer are laminated to the intermediate layer, said first outer textile layer having an air permeability of less than or equal to 40 cc/sec*5 cm.sup.2, said second outer textile layer having air permeability of less than or equal to 40 cc/sec*5 cm.sup.2, said intermediate layer comprising a textile fabric comprising aerogel powder, in an amount in a range of 1 to 70% w.

Claims

1. A thermally insulating cloth having at least three layered structures, the insulating cloth comprising: a first and a second outer textile layer being the outer surfaces of the insulating cloth, and an intermediate layer, wherein the first and the second outer textile layer are laminated to the intermediate layer, the first outer textile layer having an air permeability of less than or equal to 40 cc/sec*5 cm.sup.2, the second outer textile layer having air permeability of less than or equal to 40 cc/sec*5 cm.sup.2, and the intermediate layer comprising including a textile fabric comprising aerogel powder, in an amount in a range of 1 to 70% w.

2. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or the second outer textile layer has a thickness in the range of 0.05 to 3 mm.

3. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or the second outer textile layer has a density in the range of 3 to 1300 kg/m.sup.3.

4. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or the second outer textile layer has a surface weight of 10 to 300 g/m.sup.2.

5. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein the fibers of the first and/or the second outer textile layer and/or the intermediate layer are fibers having a glass transition temperature of more than 200 C.

6. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein first and/or the second outer textile layer comprises glass fibers.

7. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer comprises glass fibers

8. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein first outer textile layer comprises a nonwoven textile fabric.

9. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 8, wherein the first outer textile layer has a density in the range of 3 to 300 kg/m.sup.3.

10. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 8, wherein the first outer textile layer has a surface weight of 10 to 30 g/m.sup.2.

11. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second outer textile layer are identical.

12. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein the second outer textile layer is a woven textile layer.

13. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 12, wherein the second outer textile layer has a density in the range of 300 to 1300 kg/m.sup.3.

14. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 12, wherein the second outer textile layer has a surface weight of 100 to 300 g/m.sup.2.

15. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein the textile fabric of the intermediate layer has a thickness in the range of 5 to 50 mm.

16. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a nonwoven textile fabric.

17. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has a density in the range of 100 to 180 kg/m.sup.3.

18. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein the aerogel powder has a powder fineness in the range of 0.1 to 50 micron (m).

19. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein the aerogel powder has a thermal conductivity of less than 25 mW/m*K.

20. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein the aerogel powder has a density in the range of 30 to 100 kg/m.sup.3.

21. The thermally insulating cloth according to claim 1, wherein the aerogel powder has an average particle diameter of 10 to 20 nm.

22. The thermally insulating cloth according to cllaim 1, wherein the aerogel powder has a pore size of less than 20 nm.

23. A method of using the cloth according to claim 1, comprising: using the cloth as thermal insulation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0070] FIG. 1 shows a schematically view of a cross section of a thermally insulating cloth according to the invention.

[0071] The same reference signs refer to the same, similar or analogous elements in the different figures.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0072] The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments. It is to be noticed that the term comprising, used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It is thus to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, steps or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression a device comprising means A and B should not be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B. It means that with respect to the present invention, the only relevant components of the device are A and B.

[0073] Throughout this specification, reference to one embodiment or an embodiment are made. Such references indicate that a particular feature, described in relation to the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases in one embodiment or in an embodiment in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, though they could.

[0074] Furthermore, the particular features or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0075] Unless otherwise specified, the thickness of the outer, intermediate or any other layer, or the cloth itself, is meausded accrodng to ISO 9073, using 0.5 kPa pressure.

[0076] Unless otherwise specified, the surface weight of the outer, intermediate or any other layer, or the cloth itself, is meausded accroding to EN12127. Unless otherwise specified, the density (g/m.sup.3) of the outer, intermediate or any other layer, or the cloth itself, is calculated from the thickness and surface weigth as obtained according to the above mentioned strandards.

[0077] A schematically view of a cross section of a thermally insulating cloth 100 is shown in FIG. 1.

[0078] A first 101 and a second 102 outer textile layer provides the outer surfaces111 and 112 of the cloth 100. An intermediate layer 103 is provided and contacts the outer layers at the surfaces 121 and 122 opposite to the surfaces 111 and 112. The first and second outer textile layers are laminated to the intermediate layer. The PA coating present at the surfaces 121 and 122 is melted using a heat source, e.g. IR heating, and is pressed to the intermediate layer 103 by means of one or more calenders.

[0079] The PA-coating is present in an amount of 4 gram per m.sup.2 surface.

[0080] The first and second outer textile layers are identical, are also referred to as veils, and have an air permeability of 35 cc/sec*5 cm.sup.2 .

[0081] The tensile strength is preferably about 50 N/5 cm MD and 40 N/5 cm CD. The layer is a nonwoven glass fiber layer with an average area weight of 21 g/m.sup.2, a thickness of 0.1 mm and a density of 210 kg/m.sup.3.

[0082] The glass fibers are in the range of about 10 to 11 m diameter and have an average length of 10 mm.

[0083] Suitable first and second outer textile layers are layers provided as fleeces AD-stick E2016.4, available from ADLEY NV, Belgium.

[0084] The intermediate layer 103 used has a density of about 110 kg/m.sup.3. It comprises needled E-glass fibers of 6 to 13 m diameter and an average length of about 10 mm. The intermediate layer 103 has thickness of about 13 mm, a surface weight of 1100 g/m.sup.2. The layer is free of binder. an alternative intermediate layer is a similar layere having a density of about 86 kg/m.sup.3. It comprises needled E-glass fibers of 6 to 13 m diameter and an average length of about 10 mm. The intermediate layer 103 has thickness of about 13 mm, a surface weight of 1100 g/m.sup.2. The layer is free of binder

[0085] The intermediate layer 103 further comprises aerogel powder, in an amount of 600 to 700 g/m.sup.2, hence 60 to 70 kg/m.sup.3. As such, the intermediate layer 103 is provided with about 35 to 39% w of aerogel.

[0086] A suitable aerogel are silicon oxide aerogels with a particle size range of 0.01 to 20 m, a pore mean diameter of 10 nm, a bulk density in the range of 0.04 to 0.1 g/cm.sup.3, a thermal conductivity in the range of 0.017 to 0.022 W/m*K, a porosity of more than 95%. The aerogel is hydrophobic, and comprises less than 16% W of silanes.

[0087] A suitable aerogel is AeroVa aerogel powder available from JIOS corporation, Korea.

[0088] The intermediate layer 103 of the cloth 100 according to the invention is filled with aerogel making use of the technique as described in EP3023528A1, hereby incorporated in its entirety be reference. By means of hollow needles, the aerogel powder, in suspension in a solvent, e.g. hexane, is injected in the textile fabric, after which the solvent is removed from the textile fabric, leaving the aerogel powder in the textile fabric. This injection of aerogel containing suspension can be done prior or after laminating the outer textile layers to the intermediate layer.

[0089] The cloths 100 obtained have a thermal conductivity of 23 to 24 mW/m*K. When used to cover e.g. a tubular pipe by bending the cloth 100 around the outer surface of said tube, e.g. a tube of 1 m diameter, little to no dust is released. The outer layers of textile remain undamaged and do not show cracks.

[0090] Alternative cloths according to the invention may be provided using an intermediate layer with an area weight of 1300 kg/m.sup.2 and a thickness of about 10 mm, all other parameters remaining.

[0091] A further cloth according to the invention may be provided using an intermediate layer with an area weight of about 600 kg/m.sup.2 and a thickness of about 5 mm.

[0092] A further cloth according to the invention may be provided using an intermediate layer with an area weight of about 3500 kg/m.sup.2 and a thickness of about 25 mm. Suitable intermediate layers are provided using glass fiber needle felts F01, F21 and F40 of JSC Valmiera Glass Fiber, Latvia.

[0093] Further cloths according to the invention may be provided using an alternative first and/or second outer textile layer being a veil, with tensile strength of about 12 N/15 mm MD and 5 N/15 mm CD. The layer is a nonwoven glass fiber layer with an average area weight of 10 g/m.sup.2, a thickness of 0.1 mm. The glass fibers are in the range of about 10 to 11 m diameter and have an average length of 12 mm.

[0094] Still an alternative first and/or second outer textile layer being a veil, with tensile strength of about 26 N/15 mm MD and 11 N/15 mm CD. The layer is a nonwoven glass fiber layer with an average area weight of 22 g/m.sup.2, a thickness of 0.19 mm. The glass fibers are in the range of about 10 to 11 m diameter and have an average length of 12 mm.

[0095] Suitable vails are the Optiveil series of veils of Technical Fibre Products Ltd, UK, such as 20103A Eglass veils, with areal weight of 10 g/m.sup.2, 17 g/m.sup.2, 22 g/m.sup.2, 30 g/m.sup.2 or 34 g/m.sup.2.

[0096] These first and second outer textile layers can be used in combination with the intermediate layers 103 as set out above.

[0097] In an alternative embodiemtn, the second outer textile layer is provided by a woven glassfiber cloth, such as a glassfiber cloth from glassfibers having a thickness of about 6 to 12 m, a thickness of about 0.18 mm, a surface weight of about 205 to 215 g/m.sup.2and an air permeability of about 4 to 7 cc/sec*5 cm.sup.2. Such cloths are available from a.o. Porcher or Hexcel. The glassfiber cloth is glued to the intermediate layer using a foil of PP or TPU, with thickness of less than 0.1 mm and a weight in the range of 15 to 25 g/m.sup.2, preferably of 17 to 21 g/m.sup.2. In still an other embodiment, the second outer textile layer is provided by a woven glassfiber cloth, such as a glassfiber cloth from glassfibers having a thickness of about 6 to 12 m, a thickness of about 0.18 mm, a surface weight of about 160 to 180 g/m.sup.2and an air permeability of about 4 to 7 cc/sec*5 cm.sup.2. Such cloths are available from a.o. Porcher or Hexcel. the glassfiber cloth is glued to the intermediate layer using a foil of PP or TPU, with thickness of less than 0.1 mm and a weight in the range of 15 to 25 g/m.sup.2, preferably of 17 to 21 g/m.sup.2.

[0098] It is to be understood that although preferred embodiments and/or materials have been discussed for providing embodiments according to the present invention, various modifications or changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention.