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AssigneeMilliken & Company
InventorsJohn Scott McDaniel, Kirkland W. Vogt, Woodrow P. Gilbert
Estimating the term…
In a preferred embodiment, the present process involves subjecting a fabric having splittable conjugate yarns both to an acidic treatment and to a basic treatment, each of which erodes a portion of the components of the conjugate yarns. The acid treatment, given certain reaction kinetics, removes a portion of the polyamide element of the conjugate filament. The basic treatment has a similar effect on the polyester element of the conjugate filament, making it more hydrophilic. The at least partial removal of the polyamide component, coupled with the increased hydrophilicity of the polyester component, results in a fabric having enhanced absorptive properties. In an alternate embodiment, treatments with only acid or only basic solution may be employed.
A process for improving the absorption characteristics of a fabric, the fabric being comprised of continuous conjugate filaments that are longitudinally separable into elementary filaments and having at least a first elementary filament material and a second elementary filament material, wherein said first filament material is substantially resistant to acid degradation and said second filament material is susceptible to acid degradation, said process comprising the steps of:
A process for improving the absorption characteristics of a fabric, said fabric being comprised of continuous conjugate filaments that are longitudinally separable into elementary filaments and having at least a first elementary filament material and a second elementary filament material, wherein said first filament material is substantially resistant to acid degradation and said second filament material is susceptible to acid degradation, said process comprising subjecting said fabric to an acid-containing solution for a determinate time and then rinsing, wherein the acid-containing solution wherein the acid-containing solution degrades at least a portion of said second filament material
The process of claim 41 wherein said first filament material that is substantially resistant to acid degradation is polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.