Tag for visually indicating loss of a protective agent

A textile article of manufacture comprising in combination:

• a textile article which has been treated with a protective chemical treatment agent, and
• an indicator tag attached to said textile article for visually indicating the remaining effectiveness of said protective chemical treatment agent on said textile article, said tag comprising a piece of fabric of a size significantly smaller than the overall size of said textile article, said fabric incorporating therein at least two dyes which collectively impart to the piece of fabric a predetermined initial color which indicates that the chemical treatment agent on the textile article is effective, said at least two dyes being of different chemical properties and fastness characteristics, with at least one of said dyes being substantially unreactive and fast to reagents which would destroy the effectiveness of said chemical treatment agent, and with at least one other of said dyes having a chromophore which is susceptible to degradation by such reagents whereby exposure of the textile article to such reagents causes the indicator tag to change from said predetermined initial color to another color which is indicative of a loss in the effectiveness of said chemical treatment agent on the textile article.

An indicator tag for visually indicating the remaining effectiveness of a protective chemical treatment agent on a textile article, such as a flame retardant treated garment, said tag comprising a piece of fabric of a size adapted to be attached to the chemically treated textile article, said fabric incorporating therein at least one dye which imparts to the piece of fabric a predetermined initial color which indicates that the chemical treatment agent on the textile article is effective, said at least one dye having a chromophore which is susceptible to degradation by reagents which would destroy the effectiveness of said chemical treatment agent whereby exposure of the indicator tag to such reagents causes the indicator tag to change from said predetermined initial color to another color which is indicative of a loss in the effectiveness of said protective chemical treatment agent on the textile article, and wherein said piece of fabric is treated with said protective chemical treatment agent.

An indicator tag for visually indicating the remaining effectiveness of a protective chemical treatment agent on a textile article, such as a flame retardant treated garment, said tag comprising a piece of fabric of a size adapted to be attached to the chemically treated textile article, said fabric incorporating therein at least two dyes which collectively impart to the piece of fabric a predetermined initial color which indicates that the chemical treatment agent on the textile article is effective, said at least two dyes being of different chemical properties and fastness characteristics, with at least one of said dyes being substantially unreactive and fast to reagents which would destroy the effectiveness of said chemical treatment agent, and with at least one other of said dyes having a chromophore which is susceptible to degradation by such reagents whereby exposure of the indicator tag to such reagents causes the indicator tag to change from said predetermined initial color to another color which is indicative of a loss in the effectiveness of said protective chemical treatment agent on the textile article.

An indicator tag for visually indicating the remaining effectiveness of a flame retardant chemical treatment agent on a textile garment, the flame retardant chemical treatment agent being susceptible to a loss of effectiveness if exposed to chlorine bleach, said tag comprising a piece of fabric of a size adapted to be attached to the flame retardant treated textile garment, said fabric incorporating therein at least two dyes which collectively impart to the piece of fabric a predetermined initial color which indicates that the flame retardant chemical treatment agent on the textile garment is effective, said at least two dyes being of different chemical properties and fastness characteristics, with at least one of said dyes being substantially unreactive and fast to chlorine bleach and selected from the group consisting of vat dyes and sulfur dyes, and with at least one other of said dyes having a chromophore which is susceptible to degradation by chlorine bleach and selected from the group consisting of fiber reactive dyes and sulfur dyes, whereby exposure of the indicator tag to chlorine bleach causes the indicator tag to change from said predetermined initial color to another color which is indicative of a loss in the effectiveness of said flame retardant chemical treatment agent on the textile garment.