Metal impregnated dryer fabric

In a papermaking machine having a dryer section including a plurality of dryer cylinders which emit heat for drying a wet paper web, a papermaking dryer fabric having a face side and a back side, means passing said dryer fabric about said cylinders for a portion of the circumference thereof while said back side is in direct contact with a first set of said cylinders, and means passing the web about and in intimate contact with said face side of said fabric as said fabric and the web pass partially about said first set of cylinders, said fabric passing from a last of said cylinders to a first of said cylinders along a return path wherein said fabric is out of contact with any of said cylinders, the improvement wherein said dryer fabric comprises an elongated web formed of a plurality of synthetic strands and having a plurality of interstices forming an open mesh of a first air permeability value, said fabric having a first coating applied to one of said sides thereof so as to substantially impregnate said fabric, said coating comprising a resin having a quantity of metallic particles therein, said resin containing said particles lying wholly within said fabric and after said resin is dried substantially filling said interstices without covering said sides of said fabric for thereby forming an open mesh having a second air permeability value and for increasing the thermal conductivity of said fabric, whereby heat is conducted from said cylinders to the web by said fabric having said back side thereof in direct contact with said first set of cylinders, and whereby said coated fabric has a reduced heat emissivity property thereby reducing heat losses of said fabric when passing along said return path.