Upholstery fabrics

Use Apparel, industrial and household fabrics, upholstery, medicine, thread. 

Main fields of application cables, foils, films, sheets, coated fabrics, upholstery, wallcoverings, flooring, tubes, pipes, blood bags, bottles, food wrap, medical, food ... 

Polypropylene nonwovens have especially been the focus of research to enhance colorfastness properties of the material because of Its excellent chemical resistance, high melting point, low cost, and adaptability to many fabrication methods. To date, the poor dyeability of polypropylene has limited optimization of its applications in the manufacturing of yarns and knit fabrics, upholstery fabrics, and industrial fabrics. 

Typical textile fibers have linear densities in the range of 0.33—1.66 tex (3 to 15 den). Fibers in the 0.33—0.66 tex (3—6 den) range are generally used in nonwoven materials as well as in woven and knitted fabrics for use in apparel. Coarser fibers are generally used in carpets, upholstery, and certain industrial textiles. A recent development in fiber technology is the category of microfibers, with linear densities <0.11 tex (1 den) and as low as 0.01 tex. These fibers, when properly spun into yams and subsequendy woven into fabrics, can produce textile fabrics that have excellent drape and softness properties as well as improved color clarity (16). 

Texturing. The final step in olefin fiber production is texturing the method depends primarily on the appHcation. For carpet and upholstery, the fiber is usually bulked, a procedure in which fiber is deformed by hot air or steam jet turbulence in a no22le and deposited on a moving screen to cool. The fiber takes on a three-dimensional crimp that aids in developing bulk and coverage in the final fabric. Stuffer box crimping, a process in which heated tow is overfed into a restricted oudet box, imparts a two-dimensional sawtooth crimp commonly found in olefin staple used in carded nonwovens and upholstery yams. 

Filament. Eully drawn flat yams and partially oriented (POY) continuous filament yams are available in yam sizes ranging from about 3.3—33.0 tex (30—300 den) with individual filament linear densities of about 0.055 to 0.55 tex per filament (0.5—5 dpf). The fully drawn hard yams are used directly in fabric manufacturing operations, whereas POY yams are primarily used as feedstock for draw texturing. In the draw texturing process, fibers are drawn and bulked by heat-setting twisted yam or by entangling filaments with an air jet. Both textured and hard yams are used in apparel, sleepwear, outerwear, sportswear, draperies and curtains, and automotive upholstery. 

Traditional uses for ramie have been for heavy industrial-type fabrics such as canvas, packaging material, and upholstery. Increased production of the fiber in Asia, particularly China, has promoted the use in blended fabrics with silk, linen, and cotton which can now be found on the market. 

Lanka. The fruits are broken by hand or machine, and the fiber extracted from the broken husks from which the coconut has been removed for copra. The husks are retted ia rivers, and the fiber separated by hand beating with sticks or by a decortication machine. The fibers are washed, dried, and hackled, and used ia upholstery, cordage, fabrics, mats, and bmshes. 

Eyrol 51 is a water-soluble Hquid containing about 21% phosphoms. It is made by a multistep process from dimethyl methylphosphonate, phosphoms pentoxide, and ethylene oxide. The end groups are principally primary hydroxyl and the compound can thus be incorporated chemically into aminoplasts, phenoHc resins, and polyurethanes. Eyrol 51, or 58 if diluted with a small amount of isopropanol, is used along with amino resins to produce a flame-retardant resin finish on paper used for automotive air filters, or for backcoating of upholstery fabric to pass the British or California flammabiHty standards. 

In the second quarter of the twentieth century, with the development of poly(vinyl chloride), nylon, polyurethane, and other polymers, many new and improved leather-like materials, so-called coated fabrics (qv), were placed on the market. Shortages of leather after World War 11 led to the expansion of these leather-like materials ("man-made" leathers) to replace leather in shoes, clothing, bags, upholstery, and other items. DurabiUty and waterproof quahties superior to leather made coated fabrics advantageous, in spite of imperfection in breathabihty and flexibiUty. Demands for shoes, clothing, and other items are stiU increasing due to growing world population and urbanization. 

Uses. Phthabc anhydride is used mainly in plasticizers, unsaturated polyesters, and alkyd resins (qv). PhthaUc plasticizers consume 54% of the phthahc anhydride in the United States (33). The plasticizers (qv) are used mainly with poly(vinyl chloride) to produce flexible sheet such as wallpaper and upholstery fabric from normally rigid polymers. The plasticizers are of two types diesters of the same monohydric alcohol such as dibutyl phthalate, or mixed esters of two monohydric alcohols. The largest-volume plasticizer is di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate [117-81-7] which is known commercially as dioctyl phthalate (DOP) and is the base to which other plasticizers are compared. The important phthahc acid esters and thek physical properties are Hsted in Table 12. The demand for phthahc acid in plasticizers is naturally tied to the growth of the flexible poly(vinyl chloride) market which is large and has been growing steadily. 

Home furnishings, which is primarily dominated by cotton and polyester, includes drapes, curtains, bedding, table cloth, bathroom fabrics, and Upholstery. In the United States, nearly all of the nylon upholstery velours are flocked, printed fabrics. Nylon-flocked blankets are also made in the United States. 

Another fire-related problem that has seen some research effort is that of smolder resistance of upholstery and bedding fabrics. Finishing techniques have been developed to make cotton smolder-resistant (152—156), but the use of synthetic barrier fabrics appears to provide a degree of protection. Work also has provided a means of producing cotton fabrics that have both smooth-dry and flame-retardant performance (150,151). In this case, the appHcation of FR treatment should be performed first, and DP treatment should be modified to accommodate the presence of the FR polymer on the fabric. 

Flame retardants (qv) are incorporated into the formulations in amounts necessary to satisfy existing requirements. Reactive-type diols, such as A/ A/-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)aminomethylphosphonate (Fyrol 6), are preferred, but nonreactive phosphates (Fyrol CEF, Fyrol PCF) are also used. Often, the necessary results are achieved using mineral fillers, such as alumina trihydrate or melamine. Melamine melts away from the flame and forms both a nonflammable gaseous environment and a molten barrier that helps to isolate the combustible polyurethane foam from the flame. Alumina trihydrate releases water of hydration to cool the flame, forming a noncombustible inorganic protective char at the flame front. Flame-resistant upholstery fabric or liners are also used (27). 

Poly(vinyl acetate) emulsions are used to prime-coat fabrics to improve the adhesion of subsequent coatings or to make them adhere better to plastic film. Plasticized emulsions are appHed, generally by roUer-coating, to the backs of finished mgs and carpets to bind the tufts in place and to impart stiffness and hand. For upholstery fabrics woven from colored yams, PVAc emulsions may be used to bind the tufts of pile fabrics or to prevent sHppage of synthetic yams. 

Post Treatment. Coated fabrics can be decorated and protected by applying inks and coatings to the surface. Often the finished product is an attempt to simulate the look of leather. This is most common ia upholstery, luggage, and athletic bag constmctions where natural leather is the main competitor, although any number of decorative effects can be created and are used ia produciag products such as waHcoveriag. 

Gellulosic—Acrylic Fibers. Commonly this blend is used ia koitgoods, wovea fabrics for slacks, drapery, and upholstery fabrics. Siace anionic direct dyes are used for the ceUulosic fiber and cationic dyes for the acryHcs, a one-bath dyeiag process is only suitable for light to medium shades. Auxiliaries are needed to prevent precipitation of any dye complexes. 

Cottoa—acryHc fiber bleads are also used for high quaHty upholstery pile fabrics. Besides the oae-bath exhaust dyeiag procedure involving a very high ratio of Hquor to fabric, a coatiauous pad-steam process is used to dye these fabrics. After padding, the goods are steamed for 7—15 min at 98—100°C. The material thea must be riased warm and cold before dryiag. 

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