ANTIMICROBIAL FIRE-RETARDANT YARN AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME
A composite yarn includes an aramid fiber and a second fiber incorporating therein at least one of an antimicrobial and a fire retardant. The second fiber is at least one of wrapped around the aramid fiber and entangled with the aramid fiber.
1 . A composite yarn, comprising:
an aramid fiber; and
a second fiber incorporating therein at least one of an antimicrobial and a fire retardant;
wherein the second fiber is at least one of wrapped around the aramid fiber and entangled with the aramid fiber.
2 . The composite yarn of claim 1 , wherein the aramid fiber and the second fiber are staple fibers entangled with one another.
3 . The composite yarn of claim 2 , further comprising a third staple fiber including the other of the antimicrobial and the fire retardant, wherein the third staple fiber is entangled with the aramid staple fiber and the second staple fiber.
4 . The composite yarn of claim 2 , wherein the aramid fiber is a meta-aramid fiber.
5 . The composite yarn of claim 2 , wherein the aramid fiber is a para-aramid fiber.
6 . The composite yarn of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the second fiber and the third fiber is made from a synthetic material.
7 . The composite yarn of claim 6 , wherein the second fiber and the third fiber are made from a synthetic material.
8 . The composite yarn of claim 7 , wherein the second and third fibers are made from synthetic materials using an extrusion process, and wherein the antimicrobial and the lire retardant are added to the synthetic materials comprising the second and third fibers, respectively, before the extrusion process.
9 . The composite yarn of claim 2 , wherein the second fiber includes the antimicrobial and the fire retardant.
10 . The composite yarn of claim 9 , wherein the second fiber is made from a synthetic material.
11 . The composite yarn of claim 10 , wherein the second fiber is made from a synthetic material using an extrusion process, and wherein the antimicrobial and the fire retardant are added to the synthetic material comprising the second fiber before the extrusion process.
12 . The composite yarn of claim 2 , wherein the antimicrobial is zinc omadine.
13 . The composite yarn of claim 12 , wherein a concentration of zinc omadine in the composite yarn is between about 100 and about 5000 ppm.
14 . The composite yarn of claim 2 , wherein the aramid fiber comprises about 20% by weight or less of the composite yarn.
15 . The composite yarn of claim 1 , wherein the aramid fiber comprises a continuous filament core.
16 . The composite yarn of claim 15 , wherein the second fiber comprises an outer sheath wrapped around the aramid filament core.
17 . A body support comprising:
a foam layer; and
a sleeve enclosing the foam layer, the sleeve including
an aramid fiber, and
a second fiber incorporating therein at least one of an antimicrobial and a fire retardant,
wherein the second fiber is at least one of wrapped around the aramid fiber and entangled with the aramid fiber.
18 . The body support of claim 17 , wherein the aramid fiber and the second fiber are staple fibers entangled with one another.
19 . A method of making a composite yarn, the method comprising:
providing a first plurality of aramid staple fibers comprising about 20% by weight or less of the composite yarn;
providing a second plurality of staple fibers incorporating therein at least one of an antimicrobial and a fire retardant; and
mixing the first and second pluralities of fibers.
20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
using an extrusion process to make the second plurality of staple fibers from a synthetic material; and
adding at least one of the antimicrobial and the fire retardant to the synthetic material comprising the second plurality of staple fibers before the extrusion process.