Stretch fabrics with improved heat-setting properties
View Patent ↗The present disclosure is directed to dimensionally stable stretch or elastic textile articles characterized in that the article has not been subjected to temperatures greater than 160° C. The disclosure is also directed to a method to make dimensionally stable stretch articles characterized by the absence of a traditional heat-setting step.
1. A dimensionally stable knit article comprising elastic cross-linked polyolefin fibers, characterized in that such article has been subjected to a finishing treatment having at least one step conducted at a temperature higher than 80° C. but has not been subjected to a processing step having a temperature greater than 160° C.
2. The article of claim 1 wherein the absolute value of the dimensional stability is less than 3 percent.
3. The article of claim 1 wherein the elastic fibers comprise one or more cross linked polyolefin polymers.
4. The article of claim 1 wherein the elastic fibers comprise a cross linked homogeneously branched ethylene polymer.
5. The article of claim 1 wherein the article has not been subjected to temperatures greater than 140° C.
6. The article of claim 1 wherein the article is made from a single knit fabric.
7. A method of producing a dimensionally stable stretch knit article comprising fiber made from a cross linked polyolefin elastic material, said method comprising a finishing treatment having at least one step conducted at a temperature higher than 80° C. further characterized in that the temperature during article finishing does not exceed 160° C.
8. The method of claim 7 further characterized in that the process does not include the use of a tenter frame.
9. The method of claim 7 further characterized in that the article finishing includes a heat setting step.
10. The method of claim 7 comprising the step of selecting one or more cross linked polyolefin polymers as the elastic material.
11. The article of claim 1 wherein the article additionally comprises cellulosic fibers.
12. The article of claim 11 wherein the cellulosic fibers include cotton fibers.
13. The article of claim 4 wherein the fiber made from crosslinked homogeneously branched ethylene polymer comprises 2 percent to 10 percent by weight of the article.
14. The article of claim 1 wherein the article comprises fiber made from polypropylene.
15. The article of claim 1 wherein the article is in the form of a garment.
16. The article of claim 1 wherein the article is in the form of a linen.
17. The article of claim 1 wherein the article is in the form of finished fabric.
18. The article of claim 14 wherein the elastic fiber comprises a cross linked homogeneously branched ethylene polymer.