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US 11,168,441 B2Granted
Process for producing polyvinyl alcohol articles
AssigneeLakeland Industries, Inc.
InventorsNovis Smith, Charles Roberson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a process for modifying the surface of a polyvinyl alcohol film or fabric by applying heat and pressure to the film or fabric to increase the moisture on the surface which is held by the fabric and to coalesce the surface fibers and reduce the porosity of the surface.
Claims15
A polyvinyl alcohol article comprising:
- a first outer surface;
- a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface, wherein the polyvinyl alcohol article is made by:
- subjecting a starting material of polyvinyl alcohol film or fabric having a water content of from 5 to 15 percent by weight to heat and pressure conditions by passing the starting material through a pair of opposed calendar rollers to cause the first outer surface to coalesce and have a reduced surface porosity relative to the starting material while the second outer surface has a surface porosity different than that of the first outer surface, wherein the reduced surface porosity is uniform extending continuously along the first outer surface.
A polyvinyl alcohol fabric having a first outer surface with reduced porosity relative to a starting polyvinyl alcohol material, the polyvinyl alcohol fabric prepared by the process of:
- applying heat and pressure to a staring polyvinyl alcohol material comprising up to about 10 percent by weight water by a pair of opposed calendar rollers to cause only the fabric first outer surface to coalesce and have a reduced porosity relative to the staring polyvinyl alcohol material, wherein reduced porosity is uniform and extends continuously along the first outer surface;
- and
- subjecting the polyvinyl alcohol fabric to a cooling process in a manner that does not change the reduced porosity of the fabric first outer surface, wherein the polyvinyl alcohol fabric has a second outer surface that is opposite the first outer surface and that has a porosity similar to the starting polyvinyl alcohol material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.