Liquid water impermeable reinforced nonwoven fire blocking fabric, method for making such fabric, and articles fire blocked therewith
AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorsLaurence Bascom, Warren Knoff
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to a thin reinforced nonwoven fabric comprising a liquid impervious polymeric layer, a compressed web of crimped fiber, a binder, and a reinforcing scrim. The fabric bulks when exposed to heat or flame and is useful as a component for fire blocking mattresses, upholstery, and the like.
Claims22
A reinforced nonwoven fabric for fire blocking an article, comprising a liquid water impermeable polymeric layer and an open mesh scrim having a first side and a second side, the first side of the scrim having crimped, heat-resistant organic fibers compressed thereon and held in a compressed state by a thermoplastic binder,
- wherein when the fabric is exposed to heat or flame, the fabric is capable of increasing its thickness by at least two times.
A process for making a reinforced nonwoven fabric that bulks in heat or flame for fire blocking an article, comprising the steps of:
- a) forming a first web comprising crimped heat-resistant organic fiber and binder fiber,
- b) contacting the web with the first side of an open mesh scrim, said scrim having a first and a second side, to form a fabric assembly,
- c) applying binder powder to the fabric assembly,
- d) contacting the web with a polymeric film,
- e) heating the fabric assembly and the polymeric film to activate the binder fiber and binder powder and soften the polymeric film,
- f) compressing the fabric assembly to a compressed state wherein the polymeric film is laminated to the web, and
- g) cooling the fabric assembly in a compressed state to form a reinforced nonwoven fabric.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.