US 10,633,789 B2Granted

Flame retardant fabrics and process to make same

AssigneeMt. Vernon Mills, Inc.

InventorsWilliam D. Havird, David E. Tuggle, Michael E. Woods

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Abstract

A flame retardant fabric wherein a flame retardant composition is applied to the fabric while the fabric is being stretched. Preferably, the fabric is a blend of cotton and a thermoset. Carbon fibers may be included to impart anti-static properties. The present invention includes a method of treating a woven or knitted fabric of cotton blended with a thermoset, or with a thermoplastic, or with both with a flame retardant composition comprising the steps of stretching the fabric up to 12% greater than its un-stretched dimensions and, while so stretched, applying a flame retardant to the fabric and then allowing the fabric to shrink back to its approximate original dimensions. The flame retardant may either be applied to the fabric or the fabric may be immersed in an aqueous bath containing flame retardants.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method of treating a woven or knitted fabric comprising a cotton blended with at least one fiber selected from the group consisting of thermoset, thermoplastic, and carbon fibers, to impart flame retardant properties to the fabric, the method comprising the steps of:

a) stretching the fabric transversely to a width from 5 to 12% greater than its unstretched width resulting in a stretched fabric;
b) treating the stretched fabric with a flame retardant by immersing the fabric in its stretched condition in a bath of flame retardant monomer solution, wherein the flame retardant monomer solution comprises water and at least one selected from the group consisting of a phosphorous polymer of tetrakis(hydroxymethyl) phosphonium sulfate (THPS) and tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium chloride (THPC) monomers;
c) removing the stretched fabric from the bath of flame retardant monomer solution;
d) applying ammonia to the fabric in a controlled ammonia atmosphere chamber to polymerize and cross-link the flame retardant into a cross-linked flame retardant tetrakis(hydroxymethyl) phosphonium (THP) polymer composition while the fabric is in the stretched condition;
and
e) allowing the stretched fabric to shrink to its pre-stretched dimensions.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/342,608Filed 3 Nov 2016 · continuation
Priority: 16 Sep 2009
Published: US 2017/0067203 A19 Mar 2017
Granted: 28 Apr 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

D06M 15/431
Modified by phosphorus compounds: by phosphines or phosphine oxides; by oxides or salts of the phosphonium radical
D06M 11/50
With oxygen, ozone, ozonides, oxides, hydroxides or percompounds; Salts derived from anions with an amphoteric element-oxygen bond: with hydrogen…
D06M 11/59
With nitrogen or compounds thereof, e.g. with nitrides: with ammonia; with complexes of organic amines with inorganic substances
D06M 13/285
With compounds containing phosphorus: phosphines; Phosphine oxides; Phosphine sulfides; Phosphinic or phosphinous acids or derivatives thereof

Family

Application61/276,748Us provisional application · filed 16 Sep 2009
Application61/337,982Us provisional application · filed 16 Feb 2010
Application12/803,713Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Jul 2010
US 2017/0067203 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Mar 2017
US 9,499,936 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2011/0065347 A1Published application
US 10,633,789 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.