KR20240090706A - Novel yarn and fabric - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention aims to provide fabrics useful in the manufacture of clothing and other textile products, especially for use in health care settings such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, etc. The present invention relates essentially to yarns consisting of cotton fibers, hemp fibers and fibers comprising porous particles, to yarns and fabrics comprising these yarns, and to the use of such garments as medical staff uniforms. Yarns and fabrics may additionally contain one or more metal wires that can be used as temperature sensors.

Description

Novel yarn and fabric}

The present invention relates to new combinations of fibers in the field of textiles and garments, especially in the production of yarns and fabrics made from such yarns.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are a major problem worldwide. It has been reported that approximately 6% of hospitalized patients in Europe suffer at least one healthcare-associated infection during their hospital stay. The prevalence of HAI in long-term care facilities is estimated to be 3.4% (European Center for Disease Prevention and Control; Technical report: Assessment of infection control, hospital hygiene capacity and training needs in the European Union, 2014). The cost of inpatient infections in Swedish hospitals is estimated at 6.5 * 10 ⁹ SEK per year.

The ability of bacteria to survive on various surfaces in hospitals is a key factor in the transmission of bacteria in the hospital environment, and textiles are recognized as the second leading cause of HAIs. A variety of enterococci and staphylococci were found to survive on hospital fabrics made of pure cotton for at least four days and on cotton/polyester blends for at least one day. In some cases, the bacteria survived for more than 90 days. (Neely and Maley, J Clin Microbiol, Feb 200, 724-726).

According to hospital guidelines, clothing used by medical staff should generally be changed at least once a day and always after contamination. Therefore, washing and drying employee uniforms requires a significant amount of energy. Frequent washing and drying wears away the fabric and shortens the life of the garment. Using stronger or thicker and therefore more abrasion-resistant fabrics often requires a compromise between abrasion resistance and garment comfort.

It has been proposed to treat fabrics with silver ions (Ag ⁺ ) or nano-sized silver colloids to achieve an antibacterial effect (Lee et al. Journal of Materials Science (2003) 38:2199). However, these fabrics are prone to leaking silver ions into the environment, especially when washed, which can have significant detrimental effects on the environment.

It is known in the art to provide temperature sensors in healthcare garments to monitor the cycle of use of the garment, especially to ensure that the garment is washed at an appropriate washing temperature after wear (see, for example, WO2017/099658). Fabrics comprising metal wires that can be used as temperature sensors are known (see, for example, WO2005083164).

The present invention recognizes the above problems and relates to the manufacture of textile products, particularly staff uniforms, lapcoats, patient clothing, towels, bed sheets, drapes, etc., for use in medical environments such as hospitals and long-term care facilities. It aims to provide fabrics useful for the manufacture of textile products such as: These textile products are particularly useful in facilities where infants, especially premature infants, immunocompromised patients, and sensitive patients such as intensive care unit patients and geriatric patients are cared for. They can be seriously affected by even otherwise harmless infections.

The fabric has antibacterial properties, which means that microorganisms that contaminate the fabric do not grow or replicate to a significant extent, reducing the risk of transmitting bacteria to other patients, staff, visitors or others. The fabric is also abrasion resistant, comfortable to wear, requires less energy for drying compared to standard medical uniforms made of cotton and/or polyester, has high tensile strength, good dimensional stability, and does not leak antibacterial substances into the environment.

The yarn may also contain one or more metal wires that may be used as temperature sensors.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a yarn essentially comprising cotton or rayon fibers, hemp fibers, and fibers comprising porous particles, and yarns comprising cotton or rayon fibers, hemp fibers, fibers comprising porous particles, and further It relates to a yarn comprising essentially polyester and/or metal wire.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a thread comprising two or more yarns according to the invention.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to one or more yarns according to the invention and/or fabrics comprising one or more yarns according to the invention.

The yarn and/or fabric of the present invention may further include at least one metal wire usable as a temperature sensor.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to the use of garments made from the fabric according to the invention as health care staff uniforms.

Preferred embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims.

The comfort of clothing made from the fabric can be assessed by providing clothing users with a survey asking questions related to the comfort of the clothing compared to conventional clothing. The findings indicate that clothing made from fabrics according to the invention is comfortable, more comfortable, or even more comfortable compared to conventional clothing.

Justice

All words and terms used herein are intended to have the meaning given them to those skilled in the art. For clarity, several terms are specifically defined below.

“Fibre” is a single filament of a material that may be natural (i.e., cotton, linen, wool, hemp) or man-made (i.e., polyester, metal, nylon, carbon fiber, glass).

A “particle” is a body that extends substantially in three dimensions, i.e., has width, length, and height. The outer surface of a particle defines the volume of the particle. Porous particles have one or more pores extending from the surface into the interior of the particles. Particles may be generally spherical, cubic, or irregular.

“Yarn” is a spun agglomeration of fibers.

A “thread” includes multiple yarns joined together.

Unless otherwise specified, all percentages are given as weight percentages.

In a first aspect, the invention provides a yarn comprising cotton or rayon fibers, hemp fibers, and fibers comprising porous particles and comprising these three types of fibers essentially and optionally polyester and/or metal wires. It's about.

In one embodiment, the yarn comprises a mixture of fibers comprising at least 95%, such as 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% cotton fibers, hemp fibers, and porous particles.

In one embodiment, the yarn comprises a mixture of rayon fibers, hemp fibers, and fibers comprising at least 95%, such as 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%, of porous particles.

In one embodiment, the yarn comprises a mixture of at least 95%, such as 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or 100% cotton or rayon fibers, hemp fibers, fibers containing porous particles, and metal wires. do.

In one embodiment, the yarn comprises a mixture of fibers comprising at least 95%, such as 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or 100% cotton fibers, polyester fibers, hemp fibers and porous particles.

The yarn comprises a mixture of fibers comprising at least 95%, such as 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or 100%, of rayon fibers, polyester fibers, hemp fibers and porous particles.

The yarn comprises a mixture of at least 95%, such as 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or 100% cotton or rayon fibers, polyester fibers, hemp fibers, fibers containing porous particles, and metal wires. .

Cotton fiber, rayon fiber, polyester, and hemp fiber are well-known commodities in yarn and fabric manufacturing and are commercially available from a number of suppliers.

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a fast-growing plant that quickly covers the ground and inhibits the growth of weeds and some soil-borne pathogens, substantially reducing or completely eliminating the need for herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers, as well as other fiber-producing plants. It is an environmentally friendly alternative ("Natural Fibers, Biopolymers, and Biocomposites", Mohanty et al. (eds) CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2005). Hemp has natural antibacterial properties (Khan et al., BioResources 9 (2), 3642-3659). Hemp has been cultivated for thousands of years for a variety of uses, including textiles and clothing.

Rayon is a fiber made from cellulose and can be manufactured in a variety of varieties, types and grades that may be included in the present invention. Rayon was first developed in the early 20th century and was used primarily for industrial purposes. Further developments and improvements in manufacturing techniques have resulted in a wide range of fibers with improved properties. Lyocell, sold under the trade name Tencel®, was developed in the 1990s (D JCole, 'A new cellulosic fiber - Tencel', Advances in Fibre Science, The Textile Institute, 1992). Viscose and lyocell are preferred examples of rayon in the present invention. Lyocell can be purchased, for example, from Lenzing AG, Austria.

The metal wire or metal wires that may optionally be included in the yarn, thread or fabric according to the invention are preferably useful as sensors, such as temperature sensors. It is known that the electrical resistance of metal wire can vary with temperature and can be used in temperature sensors. Metal wires may be made from a single metal or alloy, including but not limited to FeCrAl, NiCr, NiFe, CuNi, and CuMn. This metal alloy wire is available from Sandik AB (Sandviken, Sweden) under the trade name Kanthal®. Metal wires can also be used in thermocouples, two wires of dissimilar metals joined at one or two points to measure temperature. Suitable metal wires are available, for example, from Sandvik AB (Sandviken, Sweden) under the trade name EXERA™. The metal wire(s) are preferably coated with an insulating material such as a polymer before being incorporated into the yarn or fabric.

Fibers containing porous particles used in the present invention are also known in the art and can be prepared in a variety of ways. For example, the introduction of UV blocking particles into fabrics is known in the art from WO9842909. A method for permanently bonding particles such as zeolites to cellulosic fibers and synthetic fibers is disclosed in US5538783. Other methods are disclosed in WO03/000979 and WO03/105996.

Preferably, the porous particles have the ability to adsorb and/or absorb water. The pore structure of the particles increases the surface area of the fabric and promotes rapid evaporation of water.

In one example, the porous particles are 1-1000 μm across and/or length and/or height, such as 10-500 μm or 50-250 μm. In one example, the width, length, and height of the particles are within one to two orders of magnitude of each other.

In one example, the porous particles have a specific surface area of 500 m ² /g, 750 m ² /g, 1000 m ² /g or more.

In one example, the porous particles include charcoal or activated carbon particles. Activated carbon is a form of carbon that has been engineered to have small, low-volume pores that increase the surface area available for adsorption or chemical reactions.

In one example the porous particles include zeolites. Zeolite is an aluminum silicate mineral composed of aluminum, silicon, and oxygen. Zeolites form naturally in certain geological environments and can be obtained from some volcanic rocks. Zeolites can also be manufactured synthetically, and natural and synthetic zeolites are commercially available from a variety of suppliers.

In other examples, the porous particles include silica gel, graphite, and/or aluminum oxide.

In one example, the fiber comprising porous particles is polyester fiber, cotton fiber, rayon fiber, or nylon fiber.

In one example, the yarn according to the invention consists essentially of fibers comprising 20% cotton, 55% hemp, and 25% porous particles.

In one example, the yarn according to the invention consists essentially of 20% cotton, 35% hemp, 25% fiber comprising porous particles, and 20% polyester.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a yarn comprising two or more yarns according to the invention, and optionally one or more metal wires.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a fabric comprising one or more yarns or threads according to the invention.

In one example, a fabric according to the invention comprises first yarns or yarns according to the invention as warp yarns and second yarns or yarns according to the invention as weft yarns.

In one example, the fabric has a warp and/or weft tensile strength of at least 700 N. This can be measured using the international standard ISO 13934-1.

In one example, the fabric has a warp and/or weft tear strength of at least 30 N. This can be measured using the international standard ISO 13937-1.

In one example, the fabric has a dimensional stability of ±1%. This can be measured using the international standard BS EN ISO 26330-1A.

In one example, the fabric has improved drying times compared to fabrics made from pure cotton, pure polyester, or polyester/cotton blends. This can be measured using, for example, AATCC Standard 199-2013. In one example, the fabric has a dry time of less than 25 minutes as measured using AATCC Standard 199-2013. In one example, the fabric has a dry time of less than 24, 23, or 22 minutes as measured using AATCC Standard 199-2013. In one example, the fabric has a dry time of approximately 21 minutes as measured using AATCC Standard 199-2013.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to the use of a fabric according to the invention in the manufacture of textile products for use in a healthcare environment. These products include school uniforms, lab coats, patient clothing, towels, bed sheets and drapes.

Healthcare settings include hospitals, long-term care facilities, neonatal care facilities, and intensive care facilities.

In a preferred embodiment, the yarns, yarns and fabrics according to the invention do not contain any additional compounds, agents or substances with antibacterial activity. These additional substances may leak from the product according to the invention and cause environmental damage. In particular, the yarns, yarns and fabrics according to the invention do not contain silver, copper or zinc in metallic or salt form.

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples. The examples are merely for illustrating the invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is the scope of the appended claims. All documents cited herein as prior art are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Example

Yarns and threads were produced according to the invention and used as warp and weft yarns in the manufacture of woven fabrics according to the invention. The warp included fibers comprising 35% hemp, 20% polyester, 20% cotton, and 25% porous particles. The weft contained fibers comprising 55% hemp, 20% cotton, and 25% porous particles.

The properties of the fabric were tested according to the Swedish Standard for Fabrics for Healthcare and Social Care Facilities (SIS-CEN/TS 14237:2016), a reference standard set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Dimensional variation has been tested according to BS EN ISO 26330-1A and found to be -0.5% to -1.0%, within a tolerance of ±3.0% according to Swedish standards.

The tensile strength was tested according to ISO 13934-1 and found to be ~700 N (warp) and ~425 N (weft), which is much higher than the requirement of 400 N set by the Swedish standard.

The tear strength was tested according to ISO 13937-1 and found to be greater than 30 N (> 30 N) (warp) and greater than 20 N (> 20 N) (weft).

The antibacterial properties of fabrics were determined using the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) Standard 100- for Evaluation of Antimicrobial Finishes on Textile Materials using the test organism Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538). Tested using 2012. A control sample consisting of 100% cotton was used.

1 mL of inoculum containing ~1.1 * 10 ⁵ cfu/mL Staphylococcus aureus was applied to each of the eight fabric samples and the control sample. After 24 hours, the number of cfu per sample was calculated and found to be on average less than 100 (<100) for the fabric samples and 4.4 * 10 ⁶ for the control samples. Therefore, the fabric exhibits excellent antibacterial properties.

Drying time reflects the energy required to dry the fabric and was measured using AATCC Standard 199-2013. Water absorption time was measured using AATCC standard 79. Two fabrics according to the invention were tested and exhibited a moisture absorption time of 6-8 seconds, a moisture retention rate of 96-99% and an average drying time of 21 minutes (21.2 and 21.4 respectively). Accordingly, the fabric has improved drying times compared to fabrics made from pure cotton, pure polyester, or polyester/cotton blends.

The comfort of clothing made from the fabric can be assessed by providing clothing users with a survey asking questions related to the comfort of the clothing compared to conventional clothing. The findings indicate that clothing made from fabrics according to the invention is comfortable, more comfortable, or even more comfortable compared to conventional clothing.

Claims (11)

At least 20% cotton or rayon fiber by weight; 35% or 55% hemp fiber by weight; And a yarn made of fibers containing porous particles having the ability to absorb or adsorb 25% by weight water,
The remaining portion of the yarn is polyester fiber, and the yarn does not contain silver or copper. The yarn of claim 1, wherein the fiber comprising porous particles is made of polyester, cotton, rayon, or nylon. Yarn according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the porous particles are selected from the group consisting of charcoal, activated carbon, zeolite, silica gel, graphite and aluminum oxide. A yarn comprising at least one yarn according to claim 1 or 2 and optionally at least one metal wire. A fabric comprising at least one yarn according to claim 1 or 2 and/or at least one yarn comprising at least one yarn according to claim 1 or 2 and optionally at least one metal wire . A first yarn comprising as warp yarns a first yarn according to claim 1 or 2, or at least one yarn according to claim 1 or 2 and optionally at least one metal wire, and
A fabric comprising as weft a second yarn according to claim 1 or 2, or a second yarn comprising at least one yarn according to claim 1 or 2 and optionally at least one metal wire. 7. The fabric of claim 6, wherein the tensile strength of the warp and/or weft yarns is at least 700 N. 7. The fabric of claim 6, wherein the tear strength of the warp and/or weft yarns is at least 30 N. The fabric of claim 5, having a dimensional stability of ±1%, wherein the dimensional stability is measured using the international standard BS EN ISO 26330-1A. 6. The fabric of claim 5, having a drying time of less than 25 minutes as measured using AATCC Standard 199-2013. Fabric according to claim 5 used in the manufacture of textile products for use in a medical environment.