Fabric treatment with ultrasound
AssigneeHer Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence
InventorsAnthony J. Last, John M. McAndless
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for the treatment of fabric materials with a liquid finishing agent such as a liquid repellant is disclosed. The method involves passing a strip of the fabric through a bath of the liquid finishing agent across a stationary fabric contacting surface. In the preferred embodiment, the fabric is subjected to ultra-sonic energy while immersed in the bath at a power level and frequency such that cavitation occurs in the bath adjacent the submerged material.
Claims19
A method for the treatment of textile fabric materials with a liquid finishing agent, said textile fabric being selected from the group consisting of nylon/cotton blends and polyester/cotton blends, comprising
- (a) providing an open-topped container for a bath of liquid finishing agent,
- (b) guiding the fabric material from a supply position downwardly into the container across a guide means including a stationary fabric-contacting surface disposed within said container, to immerse a portion of the length of said fabric material in the bath,
- (c) applying high frequency sonic energy to the bath at said stationary fabric-contacting surface at a power level and frequency such that effective cavitation occurs in the bath adjacent the immersed material, said frequency being in the range of 5-50 KHz and said power level expressed as power density at the fabric-contacting surface being in the range of 2-10 acoustic watts/cm.sup.2, and drawing the fabric material through the bath and upwardly out of the bath.
An apparatus for the treatment of fabric materials with a liquid finishing agent, comprising
- (a) an open-topped container for a bath of liquid finishing agent,
- (b) guide means including a stationary fabric-contacting surface disposed within said container,
- (c) means for drawing said fabric material from a supply position outside the container downwardly into the container across said fabric-contacting surface and upwardly out of the container, and
- (d) means for applying high frequency sonic energy to the bath at said stationary fabric-contacting surface, at a power level and frequency such that effective cavitation occurs in the bath adjacent the immersed fabric, said means for applying high frequency sonic energy including said fabric-contacting surface, and said frequency being in the range of 5-50 KHz and said power level expressed as power density at the fabric-contacting surface being in the range of 2-10 watts/cm.sup.2 ;
- ultrasonic generator means;
- a plurality of matched, driven piezo-electric ceramic material transducers, electrically connected in parallel, said transducers being electrically connected to the generator means;
- and
- resonating means for providing even motion amplitude high frequency sonic energy at said stationary fabric-contacting surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.