Anti-static woven flexible bulk container
This invention relates to underground type flexible fabric container with a reduced energy of electrostatic discharge suitable in a combustible environment. A woven fabric is configured to form a flexible fabric container having sidewalls, a top feature and a bottom feature. The woven fabric flexible bulk container is made from a static dissipating fabric comprising fabric woven of non-conductive tapes, to which a plurality of bicomponent conductive staple fibers are added. The bicomponent conductive staple fibers have one or more longitudinal stripes of a carbon loaded conductive constituent on an outer surface of a non-conductive constituent. Preferably the staple fibers are woven into or coated onto the fabric at a spacing of from 3 mm to 100 mm.
1 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container with a reduced energy of electrostatic discharge for use in a combustible environment without the need for antistatic coatings comprising: a woven static dissipating fabric configured to form the flexible fabric container having side walls, a top feature and a bottom feature; and said woven static dissipating fabric comprises fabric woven of non-conductive tapes, to which a plurality of antistatic yarn segments are woven into or coated onto the fabric at a spacing of from 3 mm to 100 mm and wherein the antistatic yarn segments comprise 80% by weight non-conductive staple fibers and 20% by weight conductive staple fibers, and wherein the conductive staple fibers are fibers having a conductive constituent on an outer surface of a non-conductive constituent and wherein the conductive constituent is formed into one or more longitudinal stripes.
2 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container of claim 1 wherein the woven static dissipating fabric further comprises 11 of 900 denier tapes/inch in the warp direction and 9 of 1300 denier tapes/inch in the weft direction; wherein tapes further comprise polypropylene homopolymer with ultraviolet inhibitors.
3 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container of claim 2 wherein the conductive staple yarn is woven into the fabric at a spacing from 10 mm to 100 mm.
4 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container of claim 2 wherein the conductive staple yarn is woven into the fabric at a spacing from 10 mm to 100 mm.
5 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container of claim 2 wherein the conductive staple yarn is woven into the fabric at a spacing of 25 mm.
6 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container of claim 2 wherein the static dissipating fabric further comprises a polymeric coating.
7 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container of claim 6 wherein the polymeric coating comprises 79.5% weight polypropylene homopolymer; 19% weight low density polyethylene polymer and 1.5% weight ultraviolet inhibitors.
8 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container of claim 7 wherein the conductive staple yarn is woven into the fabric at a spacing of 25 mm.
9 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container with a reduced energy of electrostatic discharge for use in a combustible environment without the need for antistatic coatings comprising: a woven fabric configured to form the flexible fabric container having side walls, a top feature and a bottom feature; and said woven fabric made from static dissipating fabric comprising fabric woven of non-conductive tapes of polypropylene having a melt flow index of 1-6 g/10 min. and wherein the tapes have a denier from 500 to 4000 and tape width from 0.07 to 0.40 inches, to which a plurality of antistatic yarn segments are woven into or coated onto the fabric at a spacing of from 3 mm to 100 mm and wherein the antistatic yarn segments comprise 80% by weight non-conductive staple fibers and 20% by weight conductive staple fibers, and wherein the conductive staple fibers are fibers having a conductive constituent on an outer surface of a non-conductive constituent and wherein the conductive constituent is formed into one or more longitudinal stripes.
10 . The container of claim 9 wherein the fabric further comprises a coating layer of polypropylene polymers having a melt flow index greater than 10 g/10 min.
11 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container with a reduced energy of electrostatic discharge for use in a combustible environment comprising: a woven fabric configured to form the flexible fabric container having side walls, a top feature and a bottom feature; and said woven fabric made from static dissipating fabric comprising fabric woven of non-conductive tapes, to which a plurality of antistatic yarn segments are woven into or coated onto the fabric at a spacing of from 3 mm to 100 mm and wherein the antistatic yarn segments comprise 80% by weight non-conductive staple fibers and 20% by weight conductive staple fibers, and wherein the conductive staple fibers comprise a bicomponent conductive staple fiber having 1 or more longitudinal stripes of a carbon loaded conductive constituent on an outer surface of a non-conductive constituent.
12 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container of claim 11 wherein the woven fabric further comprises 11 of 900 denier tapes/inch in the warp direction and 9 of 1300 denier tapes/inch in the weft direction; wherein tapes further comprise polypropylene homopolymer with ultraviolet inhibitors.
13 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container of claim 11 wherein the conductive staple yarn is woven into the fabric at a spacing of 25 mm.
14 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container of claim 11 wherein the static dissipating fabric further comprises a polymeric coating.
15 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container of claim 14 wherein the polymeric coating comprises 79.5% weight polypropylene homopolymer; 19% weight low density polyethylene polymer and 1.5% weight ultraviolet inhibitors.
16 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container of claim 15 wherein the conductive staple yarn is woven into the fabric at a spacing of 25 mm.
17 . An ungrounded type flexible fabric container with a reduced energy of electrostatic discharge for use in a combustible environment without the need for antistatic coatings comprising: a woven fabric configured to form the flexible fabric container having side walls, a top feature and a bottom feature; and said woven fabric made from static dissipating fabric comprising fabric woven of non-conductive tapes of polypropylene having a melt flow index of 1-6 g/10 min. and wherein the tapes have a denier from 500 to 4000 and tape width from 0.07 to 0.40 inches, to which a plurality of antistatic yarn segments are woven into or coated onto the fabric at a spacing of from 3 mm to 100 mm and wherein the antistatic yarn segments comprise yarn segments of conductive and non-conductive staple fibers and wherein the conductive staple fibers comprise a bicomponent conductive staple fiber having 1 or more longitudinal stripes of a carbon loaded conductive constituent on an outer surface of a non-conductive constituent.
18 . The container of claim 17 wherein the fabric further comprises a coating layer of polypropylene polymers having a melt flow index greater than 10 g/10 min.