Metallized textiles and process for manufacturing same

Abstract

The present invention provides a textile metallized on at least one of its faces comprising a textile layer of inorganic fibers and a metallic layer, the textile being characterized in that the connection between the textile layer and the metallic layer is provided by a polymeric intermediate layer formed by a matrix having at least one coupling polymer in which at least one flame retardant agent is distributed, said coupling polymer being bonded by chemical bonds firstly to the textile layer and secondly to the metallic layer. The present invention also provides the method of fabricating this metallized textile.

Claims

1. A textile metallized on at least one of its faces, the textile comprising: a textile layer of inorganic fibers, and a metallic layer, wherein a connection between the textile layer and the metallic layer is provided by a polymeric intermediate layer formed by a matrix having at least one coupling polymer in which at least one flame retardant agent is distributed, wherein said coupling polymer is bonded by chemical bonds to the textile layer and to the metallic layer.

2. The metallized textile according to claim 1, wherein the chemical bonds existing between the coupling polymer and the textile layer, and chemical bonds existing between the coupling polymer and the metallic layer, are covalent bonds, hydrogen bonds, or polar bonds.

3. The metallized textile according to claim 1, wherein the textile is a woven fabric, a non-woven fabric, or a grid of glass fibers.

4. The metallized textile according to claim 1, wherein the metal constituting the metallic layer is aluminum.

5. The metallized textile according to claim 1, wherein the chemical bonds existing firstly between the coupling polymer and the textile layer, and between the coupling polymer and the metal layer, are provided by M-OH functions carried by the polymer layer, or by O-M-O covalent bridges, where M=Al, Zr, Ti, or Si.

6. The metallized textile according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric intermediate layer is constituted by one or more polymers having reactive functions selected from the following monovalent or divalent groups: hydroxy, carboxylic acid, amine, amide, acid anhydride, isocyanate, epoxy, caprolactam, and carbodimide.

7. The metallized textile according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric intermediate layer is a polymer selected from: polyesters, polyamides, polyurethanes, polyolefins, and mixtures thereof.

8. The metallized textile according to claim 1, wherein the flame retardant agent represents 20% to 25% by weight of the weight of the polymeric layer.

9. The metallized textile according to claim 1, wherein the coupling polymer represents 1% to 25% by weight of the total weight of the metallized textile.

10. The metallized textile according to claim 1, having a reflecting portion of solar radiation index greater than, or equal to, 70%.

11. The metallized textile according to claim 1, wherein the metallic layer is covered in a varnish in order to avoid oxidation and/or corrosion of the metallic layer, the varnish representing less than 1% by weight of the weight of the textile.

12. A method of fabricating a metallized textile according to claim 1, the method comprising the following successive steps: a) preparing a solution or a dispersion including at least one flame retardant agent, and a coupling polymer or a mixture of coupling polymers, said coupling polymer or said mixture of coupling polymers carrying coupling functions capable of making chemical bonds between the polymer and the inorganic textile fibers, and coupling functions capable of making chemical bonds between the polymer and the metal, which functions may be identical or different; b) sizing one of the faces of the inorganic fiber textile layer with the solution or dispersion prepared in step a); c) applying heat treatment serving to fix the coupling polymer chemically to the surface of the textile layer so as to fix an intermediate polymer layer on the textile layer; and d) metallizing at least a portion of the previously treated surface by depositing metal vapor under low pressure, thereby forming chemical bonds between the intermediate polymer layer and the metal layer that is formed.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the solution or dispersion prepared in step a) is made with 1% to 10% of a coupling agent, 50% to 80% of a reactive function polymer, 5% to 40% of a flame retardant agent, and 0.1% to 10% of a formulation agent, these percentages being given for dry matter relative to the total weight of the dry matter corresponding to the prepared solution or dispersion.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the coupling agent is selected from the group consisting of silanes, titanates, zirconates, aluminates, and organochromium complexes.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the coupling agent is selected from organosilanes carrying one to three OH or alkoxy functions, and at least an organic portion R possessing a function enabling them to be covalently grafted to the polymer having reactive functions.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein step d) is followed by a step of depositing a varnish on the surface of the metallized layer in order to avoid at least one of oxidizing and corroding of the surface of the metallized layer.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein step b) is preceded by an operation of dyeing the textile layer, leaving the textile fibers of the textile layer accessible for bonding with the coupling polymer.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein step b) is preceded by an operation of dyeing the textile layer, leaving the textile fibers of the textile layer accessible for bonding with the coupling polymer, said dyeing operation being performed by treating the textile layer with a dyeing formulation leading to a textile layer including 0.5% to 1% dry matter of the dye formulation.

Description

TREATMENT EXAMPLE 1

Composition of the Bath

(1) TABLE-US-00001 Raw material Chemical nature Percentage by type Commercial reference weight Polymer polyurethane 45.90 binder BAYER Impranil DLN Coupling 3-glycidoxypropylmethyl- 0.70 agent diethoxysilane MOMENTIVE Coatosil C2287 Flame phosphorus nitrogen flame 5.00 retardant retardant THOR PCO 900 Anti- poly dimethyl siloxane 0.10 foaming BYK Chemie Byk 094 agent Dispersive Water 48.30 medium TOTAL 100.00

(2) The deposition preparation was prepared by adding in succession to the necessary quantity of water maintained under stirring: BYK 094, Impranil DLN, and Coatosil C 2287. Stirring was then maintained for 48 hours (h) at a speed of 300 revolutions per minute (rpm) (for vortex creation). The pH was monitored at t=0, t=24 h, and then t=48 h: the pH needs to increase by at least one pH unit by the end of 48 h, which is indicative of the polyurethane bridging with the silane.

(3) Once that step had been completed, PCO 900 was added progressively into the previously obtained preparation while stirring at a speed of 300 rpm for 1 h.

(4) The mixture could then be applied on the fabric to be treated.

TREATMENT EXAMPLE 2

(5) The treatment was applied to a fabric that had previously received a dye.

(6) The dye possessed the following composition:

(7) TABLE-US-00002 Raw material Chemical nature Percentage by type Commercial reference weight Wetting Non ionic 0.50 agent CLARIANT Hostapal NAN Anti- HUNTSMAN Albaflow FF01 0.5 foaming agent Polymer Poly hydroxyl ether 12 binder INCHEMREZ PKHW38 Medium Water 87.45 TOTAL 100.00 Coloring Depending on the looked-for <5 agent (s) tint

(8) The dye was deposited dry on the fabric at about 1 gram per square meter (g/m.sup.2) to 2 g/m.sup.2, i.e. 0.5% to 1% of the weight of the fabric as obtained after dyeing.

(9) The fabric as obtained in this way then received treatment identical to that described in example 1.

TREATMENT EXAMPLE 3

(10) Composition of bath 1 (hydrolyzing silane: Coatosil MP 200)

(11) TABLE-US-00003 Raw material Chemical nature Percentage type Commercial reference by weight Coupling 3-glycidoxypropylmethyl- 30 agent diethoxysilane MOMENTIVE Coatosil MP 200 Acid Acetic acid solution (90% 10 water/10% acetic acid by weight) Dispersive Water 60 medium TOTAL 100.00
Method of Operation

(12) Coatosil MP 200 was introduced into a container provided for this purpose (e.g. a plastic drum). The water and acetic acid solution was added under stirring, mixing for 10 minutes (min) at a speed of 200 rpm. 10% of the water was added progressively (2% by 2%) under stirring, then 10% of the water, then the remainder of the water (40%) while continuing stirring. Stirring was maintained for 3 h while verifying pH. The pH was close to 3 (revealing hydrolysis of the Coatosil MP 200).

(13) After hydrolysis of the Coatosil MP 200, a compound was obtained having the following formula:

(14) ##STR00001##
Composition of Bath 2 (Deposition Preparation)

(15) TABLE-US-00004 Raw material Chemical nature Percentage type Commercial reference by weight Polymer polyurethane 45.90 binder BAYER Impranil DLN Coupling 3-glycidoxypropylmethyl- 2.4 agent diethoxysilane MOMENTIVE Coatosil MP 200 (ES: 30%) - mixture 1 Flame Phosphorus nitrogen flame 5.00 retardant retardant THOR PCO 960 Anti- poly dimethyl siloxane 0.10 foaming BYK Chemie Byk 094 agent Dispersive Water 46.60 medium TOTAL 100.00

(16) The deposition preparation was prepared as in Example 1.

(17) Treatment Conditions:

(18) Stirring speed while preparing the bath: 450 rpm. Type of blade: rotor/stator. Maturation of bath: 48 h. Type of treatment of the textile surface: full-bath followed by mangle drying; closure pressure of the mangle cylinders: 16 Newtons per millimeter (N/mm); temperature of the batch: 16 C.; treatment speed: 12 meters per minute (m/min).
Heat Treatment:

(19) 160 C.-1 min 20 s.

(20) Vacuum Metallization:

(21) Vacuum metallization performed 7 days after treating the fabric. Method in three stages: drying the fabric: 105 C.-2 min; plasma treatment: plasma temperature 900 C. to 1000 C.treatment time <1s; vacuum metallization: P0: 10.sup.3 Torr.
Characterization of Fabrics: Weight of fabric before treatment: 149 g/m.sup.2. Weight of treated fabric: 160 g/m.sup.2. Thickness of finished product: 0.21 millimeters (mm). Fire behavior: M0 in accordance with the standard NFP 92507Euroclass classification in accordance with the standard EN 13.501-1: A2s1d0 in both cases.

(22) Once metallization had been performed, a protective varnish was also applied to the fabric obtained in accordance with Example 1. That serves to avoid any corrosion/oxidation phenomenon of the aluminum and thus any loss of performance for the fabric in terms of its thermal/optical properties. The varnish was applied by the mangle method (full-bath impregnation).

(23) The composition of the varnish was as follows:

(24) TABLE-US-00005 % by weight of Raw material the formulation Water 89.95 Impranil DLN 10 Polyurethane (40%) Byk 094 polydimethyl 0.05 siloxane (100%) TOTAL 100

(25) The dry deposit of varnish on the fabric was 0.5 g/m.sup.2, i.e. 0.3% by weight of the final fabric.

(26) Measuring Rs (Over a Wavelength Range of 250 nm to 2500 nm)

(27) TABLE-US-00006 Before varnish After varnish Rs (%) 73.4 70
Fire Properties

(28) The varnish applied to the fabric does not degrade its fire properties. The amount of organic material added to the fabric is practically negligible, thus making it possible to conserve the M0 and A2s1d0 fire classification.