Power transmission belt

1. A belt comprising: a body comprising an elastomeric material and having tensile members running in a longitudinal direction, the body having a pulley engaging region having a profile; the pulley-engaging region having a pulley-engaging surface covered with a fibrous nonwoven fabric; characterized in that the fibers of the nonwoven fabric comprise acrylic micro-fibers having a size of about 1.5 dpf or less, or having an average diameter of about 13.5 microns or less.

2. The belt of claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven fabric is commingled with the elastomeric material.

3. The belt of claim 1 , wherein the acrylic micro-fibers have a size of about 1 dpf or less, or have an average diameter of about 11 microns or less.

4. The belt as in claim 1 , wherein the acrylic micro-fibers have an average length of from about 1 mm to about 10 mm, and wherein the acrylic micro-fibers have a diameter of less than about 5 microns.

5. The belt as in claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven fabric comprises at least about 25% acrylic fibers and nonacrylic fibers in an amount of greater than zero up to about 75% nonacrylic fibers, based on total fiber weight.

6. The belt as in claim 5 , wherein the nonacrylic fibers are selected from the group consisting of synthetic fibers, natural fibers, cellulosic fibers, aramid, carbon, polyester, polyolefin, polyimide, PVAL, rayon, fiberglass, basalt, nylon, softwood pulp, hardwood pulp, cotton, hemp, wood flour, wool, silk, sisal, flax, jute, kanaf, and kapok.

7. The belt as in claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven fabric comprises a chemical binder and a rubber adhesion promoter.

8. The belt as in claim 7 wherein the rubber adhesion promoter is a melamine-formaldehyde resin composition and the chemical binder is based on polyvinylalcohol (PVAL).

9. The belt as in claim 1 , wherein about 100% of the fibers of the nonwoven fabric are acrylic fibers.

10. The belt as in claim 2 , wherein the elastomeric material comprises a fiber loading, and wherein the fiber loading is in the range of about 0.01 to about 20 parts per hundred rubber.

11. The belt as in claim 10 , wherein fiber loading fibers are selected from the group consisting of aramid, carbon, polyester, polyolefin, acrylic, polyimide, PVAL, rayon, fiberglass, and nylon or two or more of the foregoing.

12. The belt as in claim 2 , wherein the pulley engaging region has a thickness of 0.025 mm to 3.0 mm.

13. The belt as in claim 2 , wherein the pulley engaging region comprises at least two layers of said nonwoven fabric.

14. The belt as in claim 2 , selected from a multi-v-ribbed belt, a v-belt, a toothed belt, and a flat belt.

15. A multi-v-ribbed belt comprising a body comprising an elastomeric material and having tensile members running in a longitudinal direction, the body having a pulley engaging region having a multi-v-ribbed profile; the pulley-engaging region having a pulley-engaging surface covered with a fibrous nonwoven fabric commingled with the elastomeric material; characterized in that at least about 40% by weight of the fibers of the nonwoven fabric comprise acrylic micro-fibers of less than about 1 dpf, having an average diameter less than about 11 microns, having average length of about 1 to about 6 mm, and having acrylonitrile content of at least 85% by weight; and up to about 60% of the fibers of the nonwoven fabric comprise nonacrylic fibers.

16. A method of manufacturing a belt comprising the steps of:

laying up a first elastomeric and/or textile layer of a belt build on a mandrel;

laying up tensile cords on the first layer;

laying up a second elastomeric layer on the tensile cord layer;

laying up a fibrous nonwoven fabric on the second elastomeric layer;

curing the belt build in a profile-forming mold which deforms said nonwoven fabric without substantial tearing and forms a pulley-engaging profile region having a pulley-engaging surface layer comprising said nonwoven fabric commingled with the elastomer of said second elastomeric layer; and

selecting for the nonwoven fabric region an acrylic nonwoven fabric, which comprises acrylic micro-fibers having a size of about 1.5 dpf or less, or having an average diameter of about 13.5 microns or less.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the acrylic nonwoven fabric comprises at least about 25% by weight based on fiber content of acrylic micro-fibers of no more than about 1 dpf.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the acrylic nonwoven fabric comprises nonacrylic fibers in an amount of greater than zero up to about 75% by weight nonacrylic fibers based on the total fiber content.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the nonwoven fabric region comprises two or more layers of acrylic nonwoven fabric.

20. The belt of claim 1 wherein said nonwoven fabric covers a pulley engaging surface of said pulley engaging region.

21. The belt of claim 1 wherein said fibrous nonwoven fabric is a bonded acrylic nonwoven fabric.

22. The belt of claim 15 wherein said pulley-engaging region consists of said nonwoven fabric commingled with said elastomeric material.

23. The method of claim 16 whereby said acrylic nonwoven fabric is present at a pulley engaging surface of said belt.

24. A system comprising a multi-v-ribbed belt trained around at least one multi-v-ribbed pulley, said belt comprising: a body comprising an elastomeric material and having tensile members running in a longitudinal direction, the body having a pulley engaging region having a multi-v-ribbed profile, the surface of which is covered with a fibrous nonwoven fabric; characterized in that the fibers of the nonwoven fabric comprise acrylic fibers.

25. The system of claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven fabric is commingled with the elastomeric.

26. The system of claim 1 , wherein the acrylic fibers are acrylic micro-fibers having a size of about 1 dpf or less, or having an average diameter of about 11 microns or less.