Flame retardant fiber blends comprising flame retardant cellulosic fibers and fabrics and garments made therefrom

Abstract

An intimate blend of staple fibers has from 10 to 75 parts by weight of at least one aramid staple fiber, from 15 to 80 parts by weight of at least one flame retardant cellulosic staple fiber, and from 5 to 30 parts by weight of at least one polyamide staple fiber. The intimate blend of staple fibers provides yarns and fabrics that are flame retardant, also referred to as fire resistant, and can be used to make flame retardant articles, such as clothing. The flame retardant fabrics may have a basis weight from 4 to 15 ounces per square yard.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] There is an ongoing need for flame retardant, also referred to as fire resistant, fabrics that can be used to make clothing suitable for people who work near flames, high temperatures, or electric arc flashes. In addition to showing excellent thermal performance, an effective flame retardant fabric should be durable, comfortable, and produced at low cost. Although fabrics made of inherently flame retardant fibers have been very useful in protective garments, certain characteristics of these fibers present problems. For instance, these fibers can be difficult to dye, provide uncomfortable fabric textures, and are expensive. To address these problems, inherently flame retardant fibers have been blended with fibers made of other materials. Fiber blending can be used to obtain an end fabric that combines the beneficial characteristics of each of the constituent fibers. However, such blending often comes at the expense of durability and thermal performa...