Permanently anti-microbial and flame-retardant yarn and fabric made therefrom

A permanently flame-retardant and anti-microbial air-textured yarn, comprising:

• (A) a plurality of substantially longitudinally extending permanently flame-retardant filaments defining a core;
• (B) a plurality of substantially randomly extending permanently flame-retardant filaments disposed at least through and about said core;
• and
• (C) a plurality of substantially randomly extending permanently anti-microbial filaments disposed at least about said core, said anti-microbial filaments at least partially defining a sheath having a boucle appearance about said core.

A knit or woven fabric formed with a permanently flame-retardant and anti-microbial air-textured yarn, comprising:

• (A) a plurality of substantially longitudinally extending permanently flame-retardant filaments defining a core;
• (B) a plurality of substantially randomly extending permanently flame-retardant filaments disposed at least through and about said core;
• and
• (C) a plurality of substantially randomly extending permanently anti-microbial filaments disposed at least through and about said core, said anti-microbial filaments at least partially defining a sheath having a boucle appearance about said core;
• said fabric comprising at least 5% by weight of said anti-microbial filaments and being characterized by an ability to pass, both after one commercial laundering and after 100 commercial launderings, both vertical flame retardancy test NFPA 701-1989 and at least the 85% reduction level of gram positive and gram negative bacteria of anti-microbial test NYS 63.

A process for forming a permanently flame-retardant and anti-microbial yarn, comprising the step of co-air-texturing:

• (A) a plurality of substantially longitudinally extending permanently flame-retardant filaments defining a core;
• (B) a plurality of substantially randomly extending permanently flame-retardant filaments disposed at least through and about said core;
• and
• (C) a plurality of substantially randomly extending permanently anti-microbial filaments disposed at least through and about the core, the anti-microbial filaments at least partially defining a sheath having a boucle appearance about the core.