Ply-twisted yarn for cut resistant fabrics

1. A process for making a cut-resistant ply-twisted yarn comprising:

a) providing a first multifilament yarn having a tensile strength of at least 4 grams per denier and comprising continuous organic filaments, said first yarn having a twist in a first direction of from 0.5 to 10 turns per inch;

b) providing a second yarn comprising 1 to 5 continuous inorganic filament(s); and

c) ply-twisting the first yarn and the second yarn about each other 2 to 15 turns per inch in a second direction opposite to that of the twist in the first yarn to form a ply-twisted yarn having an overall effective twist of +/−5 turns per inch.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the ply-twisted yarn has an overall effective twist of +/−2 turns per inch.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the ply-twisted yarn has a positive overall effective twist.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the first yarn is a yarn having a tensile strength of greater than 20 grams per denier.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the first yarn comprises aramid filaments.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the second yarn comprises steel filament(s).

7. The process of claim 3 wherein the first yarn comprises aramid filaments and the second yarn comprises steel filament(s).

8. A cut-resistant ply-twisted yarn comprising:

a) a first multifilament yarn having a tensile strength of at least 4 grams per denier and comprising continuous organic filaments, said first yarn having twist in a first direction of from 0.5 to 10 turns per inch;

b) a second yarn comprising 1 to 5 continuous inorganic filament(s); and

c) the first yarn and the second yarn having a ply-twist about each other of 2 to 15 turns per inch in a second direction opposite to that of the twist in the first yarn,

said cut-resistant ply-twisted having an overall effective twist of +/−5 turns per inch.

9. The ply-twisted yarn of claim 8 having an overall effective twist of +/−2 turns per inch.

10. The ply-twisted yarn of claim 8 having a positive overall effective twist.

11. The ply-twisted yarn of claim 8 herein the first yarn is a yarn having a tensile strength of at least 20 grams per denier.

12. The ply-twisted yarn of claim 8 wherein the first yarn comprises aramid filaments.

13. The ply-twisted yarn of claim 8 wherein the first yarn of the cut-resistant yarn component comprises poly (p-phenylene terephthalamide) filaments.

14. The ply-twisted yarn of claim 8 wherein the inorganic filaments comprise steel filament(s).

15. The ply-twisted yarn of claim 8 wherein the first yarn comprises aramid filaments and the second yarn comprises steel filament(s).

16. A woven fabric useful in protective apparel made from yarn components comprising:

a body fabric yarn component,

a cut-resistant yarn component comprising a ply-twisted yarn comprising a first multifilament yarn having a tensile strength of at least 4 grams per denier and comprising continuous organic filaments, and a second yarn comprising 1 to 5 continuous inorganic filament(s); said ply-twisted yarn having an overall effective twist of +/−5 turns per inch,

the body fabric yarn component and the cut-resistant yarn component each being comprised of at least one yarn and each yarn component distinguished from the adjacent yarn component by interweaving orthogonal yarn components.

17. The woven fabric of claim 16 wherein the ply-twisted yarn has a positive overall effective twist.

18. The woven fabric of claim 16 wherein the first yarn of the cut-resistant yarn component comprises fire-resistant filaments.

19. The woven fabric of claim 16 wherein the first yarn of the cut-resistant yarn component comprises poly (p-phenylene terephthalamide) filaments.

20. The woven fabric of claim 18 wherein the cut-resistant yarn component comprises, in addition to fire-resistant filaments, nylon fibers in an amount of up to 20% by weight of the cut-resistant yarn component.

21. The fabric of claim 16 wherein the body fabric yarn component comprises yarns of fire-resistant fibers.