A heat-retaining and waterproof down feather, its preparation method and application

Abstract

This invention discloses a heat-retaining and waterproof down, its preparation method, and its application, relating to the field of functional down processing technology. This invention introduces zirconium carbide into the down. On one hand, it utilizes the heat-retaining properties of zirconium carbide to absorb energy from the external environment, endowing the down with excellent warmth retention in extremely cold environments, achieving active warmth retention. On the other hand, it utilizes the nanostructure of zirconium carbide to construct a rough surface, enhancing the hydrophobicity of the down. This invention also utilizes the low surface energy properties of PDMS, combined with the surface roughness provided by zirconium carbide, to endow the down with excellent hydrophobicity; and utilizes the elasticity of PDMS to increase the down's resistance to compression, maintaining its fluffiness and further enhancing its warmth retention.

Description

Technical fields:

[0001] This invention relates to the field of functional down processing technology, specifically to a heat-retaining and waterproof down, its preparation method, and its application. Background technology:

[0002] Cold weather is a significant factor affecting human health. When humans are exposed to cold environments for extended periods, body heat is gradually lost, body temperature and immune function decline, making them more susceptible to frostbite and causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Warm clothing acts as a barrier between the human body and the environment, preventing the loss of body heat and reducing or preventing the harm caused by cold environments. Therefore, the need for warmth has accompanied human development throughout its long history.

[0003] Down is lightweight and has excellent warmth retention, making it widely used in cold-weather insulation. However, down has a high moisture regain rate, easily absorbing moisture from the surrounding environment. When down absorbs a large amount of water and becomes damp, its loft structure is severely damaged, the thermal resistance of the down and the aggregate decreases significantly, the heat transfer coefficient increases rapidly, and heat loss is significant, affecting the normal warmth retention performance of the down. Waterproofing down provides moisture-proof and quick-drying properties, allowing it to maintain high loft and warmth even in humid environments.

[0004] Besides relying on its own inherent properties and increased thickness, excellent thermal insulation materials also benefit from the absorption of energy from the external environment. This invention performs a heat-retaining and waterproof finishing process on down feathers, producing heat-retaining and waterproof down feathers while maintaining their fluffiness. Summary of the Invention:

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for preparing heat-retaining and waterproof down, which uses a finishing method to give the down excellent heat-retaining and waterproof effect, and the resulting heat-retaining and waterproof down is suitable for processing cold-proof and warm textiles.

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is achieved by the following technical solution:

[0007] The first objective of this invention is to provide a method for preparing heat-retaining and waterproof down, specifically including the following steps:

[0008] (1) Add down, water and detergent into the washing machine to wash the down;

[0009] (2) Add polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to an organic solvent, and after it is completely dissolved, add nano-zirconium carbide and disperse it evenly to obtain a heat-retaining and waterproof finishing agent;

[0010] (3) Spray the heat-retaining and waterproof finishing agent evenly onto the down, and dry it to obtain heat-retaining and waterproof down.

[0011] Preferably, the down is one of goose down, duck down, or a mixture of goose and duck down.

[0012] Preferably, the mass ratio of down to water is 1:(10-40). The amount of water used needs to be controlled; too little water will result in poor cleaning of the down, while too much water will increase the amount of waste liquid generated.

[0013] Preferably, the cleaning temperature is between room temperature and 60°C, and the cleaning time is between 30 and 60 minutes. Cleaning can be performed at room temperature or under heating conditions.

[0014] Preferably, the detergent is a nonionic surfactant, used at a concentration of 2–4 g / L. The detergent removes dust, oil, and other impurities adhering to the surface of the down feathers, improving their cleanliness and facilitating subsequent heat-retaining and waterproofing finishing.

[0015] Preferably, the organic solvent is one of hexane, dichloromethane, and chloroform. Other low-boiling-point organic solvents that can dissolve PDMS may also be used.

[0016] Preferably, the nano-zirconium carbide has a particle size of 20–50 nm. Nano-zirconium carbide has the ability to absorb sunlight and convert it into heat energy stored in down, enabling the down to provide active warmth.

[0017] Preferably, the mass ratio of PDMS to nano-zirconium carbide is (1-3):(1-3).

[0018] Preferably, the spraying is performed using a spray gun with an air pressure of 40–80 psi, a spraying distance of 15–20 cm, and the spray gun head held perpendicular to the down feathers. The number of sprays is 1–3. Using the spray gun, the heat-retaining and waterproofing finishing agent is evenly sprayed onto the down feathers, improving the uniformity of its distribution.

[0019] Preferably, the drying temperature is 70–90°C. Drying causes the heat-retaining and waterproofing finishing agent adhering to the down to solidify into a film. The drying temperature should not be too high, otherwise it will damage the down structure, thus affecting the down's loft and warmth.

[0020] The heat-retaining and waterproof finishing agent of the present invention is composed of nano-zirconium carbide with heat-retaining and warming function and low surface energy elastomeric polymer PDMS, which improves the adhesion of nano-zirconium carbide and PDMS to down, so that down has a long-lasting heat-retaining and waterproof effect.

[0021] The second objective of this invention is to provide a heat-retaining and waterproof down feather prepared by the above-described preparation method.

[0022] A third objective of this invention is to provide the application of the aforementioned heat-retaining and waterproof down in cold-weather textiles. Cold-weather textiles include down jackets, down comforters, down hats, down gloves, down shoes, down pillows, down mattresses, down sleeping bags, down sofas, down cushions, etc.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0024] (1) This invention takes into account warmth retention, heat storage and hydrophobicity, and organically combines passive cold protection and active warmth retention to prepare a down product that can maintain excellent warmth retention in extremely cold and humid environments.

[0025] (2) The present invention introduces zirconium carbide into down. On the one hand, it utilizes the heat storage effect of zirconium carbide to absorb the energy brought by the external environment, giving down excellent warmth retention in extremely cold environments and realizing the function of active warmth retention. On the other hand, it utilizes the nanostructure of zirconium carbide to construct a rough surface and enhance the hydrophobicity of down.

[0026] (3) PDMS is an elastomer polymer with low surface energy. This invention utilizes the low surface energy of PDMS, combined with the surface roughness brought by zirconium carbide, to give down excellent hydrophobicity; and utilizes the elasticity of PDMS to increase the down's resistance to compression, keep it fluffy, and make it more conducive to warmth. Detailed implementation method:

[0027] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0028] The waterproof performance of down is characterized by testing its moisture absorption. The specific steps are as follows: Add 50mL of distilled water to a conical flask, fix a 1g down sample with a string and suspend it in the flask, tighten the cap and place it in an oven at 65±1℃ for 4h to dry. Remove the conical flask and cool it for 30min. Take out the down and weigh it. The waterproof performance is characterized by the change in the mass of the down (i.e., moisture absorption).

[0029] The heat storage performance of down is characterized by testing the surface temperature of down under simulated sunlight.

[0030] The down loft was tested according to GB / T 10288-2016 "Test Methods for Down and Feathers" on an LBX-112 loft tester.

[0031] Example 1

[0032] Add 1 part down and 20 parts water to the washing machine, add detergent Ultravon CN at a dosage of 4g / L, set the washing temperature to 40℃ and the time to 60min.

[0033] PDMS was weighed and ultrasonically dispersed in n-hexane. The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 0.5 h to dissolve the PDMS, thus preparing a 2% PDMS solution. Three times the mass of PDMS nano-zirconium carbide was weighed and added to the PDMS solution, then ultrasonically dispersed to obtain a heat-retaining and waterproof finishing agent.

[0034] Apply the heat-retaining and waterproof finishing agent evenly to the down using a spray gun. The air pressure of the spray gun is 40 psi, the spraying distance is 15 cm, and the spray gun head is kept perpendicular to the down. After spraying 3 times, place it in a 70℃ oven to dry for 2 hours to obtain heat-retaining and waterproof down.

[0035] Example 2

[0036] Add 1 part down and 30 parts water to the washing machine, add detergent Ultravon CN at a dosage of 3g / L, set the washing temperature to 60℃, and the time to 40min.

[0037] PDMS was weighed and ultrasonically dispersed in n-hexane. The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 0.5 h to dissolve the PDMS, thus preparing a 3% PDMS solution. The same mass of nano-zirconium carbide as PDMS was weighed and added to the PDMS solution, then ultrasonically dispersed to obtain a heat-retaining and waterproof finishing agent.

[0038] Apply the heat-retaining and waterproof finishing agent evenly to the down using a spray gun. The air pressure of the spray gun is 60 psi, the spraying distance is 20 cm, and the spray gun head is kept perpendicular to the down. After spraying twice, place it in an 80℃ oven to dry for 1 hour to obtain heat-retaining and waterproof down.

[0039] Example 3

[0040] Add 1 part down and 40 parts water to the washing machine, add detergent Ultravon CN at a dosage of 2g / L, set the washing temperature to 40℃, and the time to 30min.

[0041] PDMS was weighed and ultrasonically dispersed in n-hexane. The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour to dissolve the PDMS, thus preparing a 4% PDMS solution. 0.5 times the mass of PDMS nano-zirconium carbide was weighed and added to the PDMS solution, then ultrasonically dispersed to obtain a heat-retaining and waterproof finishing agent.

[0042] Apply the heat-retaining and waterproof finishing agent evenly to the down using a spray gun. The air pressure of the spray gun is 80 psi, the spraying distance is 15 cm, and the spray gun head is kept perpendicular to the down. After spraying once, place it in a 90℃ oven to dry for 1 hour to obtain heat-retaining and waterproof down.

[0043] Example 4

[0044] Add 1 part down and 20 parts water to the washing machine, add detergent Ultravon CN at a dosage of 3g / L, set the washing temperature to 60℃ and the time to 60min.

[0045] PDMS was weighed and ultrasonically dispersed in n-hexane. The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour to dissolve the PDMS, thus preparing a 5% PDMS solution. 1 / 3 the mass of nano-zirconium carbide was weighed and added to the PDMS solution, then ultrasonically dispersed to obtain a heat-retaining and waterproof finishing agent.

[0046] Apply the heat-retaining and waterproof finishing agent evenly to the down using a spray gun. The air pressure of the spray gun is 40 psi, the spraying distance is 20 cm, and the spray gun head is kept perpendicular to the down. After spraying twice, place it in a 70℃ oven to dry for 1 hour to obtain heat-retaining and waterproof down.

[0047] Example 5

[0048] Add 1 part down and 30 parts water to the washing machine, add detergent Ultravon CN at a dosage of 4g / L, set the washing temperature to 40℃ and the time to 60min.

[0049] PDMS was weighed and ultrasonically dispersed in n-hexane. The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour to dissolve the PDMS, preparing a 4% PDMS solution. The same mass of nano-zirconium carbide as PDMS was weighed and added to the PDMS solution, then ultrasonically dispersed to obtain a heat-retaining and waterproof finishing agent.

[0050] Apply the heat-retaining and waterproof finishing agent evenly to the down using a spray gun. The air pressure of the spray gun is 60 psi, the spraying distance is 15 cm, and the spray gun head is kept perpendicular to the down. After spraying twice, place it in an 80℃ oven to dry for 1 hour to obtain heat-retaining and waterproof down.

[0051] Comparative Example 1

[0052] The difference between Comparative Example 1 and Example 5 is that no nano-zirconium carbide is added.

[0053] Add 1 part down and 30 parts water to the washing machine, add detergent Ultravon CN at a dosage of 4g / L, set the washing temperature to 40℃ and the time to 60min.

[0054] Weigh out PDMS, ultrasonically disperse it in n-hexane, and stir it at room temperature for 1 hour to dissolve it, thus preparing a 4% PDMS solution.

[0055] Use a spray gun to evenly spray the PDMS solution onto the down feathers. The air pressure of the spray gun is 60 psi, the spraying distance is 15 cm, and the spray gun head is kept perpendicular to the down feathers. After spraying twice, place it in an 80℃ oven to dry for 1 hour.

[0056] Comparative Example 2

[0057] The difference between Comparative Example 2 and Example 5 is that PDMS is not added.

[0058] Add 1 part down and 30 parts water to the washing machine, add detergent Ultravon CN at a dosage of 4g / L, set the washing temperature to 40℃ and the time to 60min.

[0059] Weigh out nano-zirconium carbide and ultrasonically disperse it in n-hexane to prepare a 4% nano-zirconium carbide solution.

[0060] The nano-zirconium carbide solution was evenly sprayed onto the down using a spray gun at an air pressure of 60 psi and a spraying distance of 15 cm. The spray gun head was kept perpendicular to the down. After spraying twice, the down was placed in an 80°C oven to dry for 1 hour.

[0061] Comparative Example 3

[0062] The difference between Comparative Example 3 and Example 5 is that only the down feathers are washed.

[0063] Add 1 part down and 30 parts water to a washing machine, add detergent Ultravon CN at a dosage of 4g / L, set the washing temperature to 40℃ and the time to 60min, and then put it in an 80℃ oven to dry for 1h.

[0064] Table 1 shows the test results of the waterproof effect, loft, and heat storage performance of the down samples obtained in Examples 1-5 and Comparative Examples 1-3 above.

[0065] Table 1

[0066] Down samples Humidity absorption(%) <![CDATA[Fluffiness (cm 3 )]]> Down surface temperature (°C) Example 1 5.2 417 65 Example 2 4.5 426 57 Example 3 4.7 420 54 Example 4 3.2 472 54 Example 5 3.5 456 62 Compare with Example 1 7.8 446 31 Compare with Example 2 17.5 345 58 Compare with Example 3 18.0 320 32

[0067] Table 1 shows that untreated down has high moisture absorption, low loft, and poor heat storage performance. When the down is treated with a heat-retaining and waterproofing agent composed of PDMS and nano-zirconium carbide, the moisture absorption significantly decreases, and the loft is high while the heat storage performance is good. In Comparative Example 1, where down was sprayed with PDMS solution, the waterproofing effect, loft, and heat storage performance all decreased, with the decrease in heat storage performance being particularly significant. This indicates that while PDMS can impart a certain degree of waterproofing to down, the addition of nano-zirconium carbide can further improve the waterproofing effect and loft, and also significantly improve the heat storage performance. In Comparative Example 2, where down was sprayed with nano-zirconium carbide solution, the waterproofing effect and loft decreased significantly, while the decrease in heat storage performance was less pronounced. This indicates that the addition of PDMS can significantly improve the waterproofing effect and loft of down, while also slightly improving the heat storage performance. In conclusion, only when PDMS and nano-zirconium carbide are used in combination can the finished down possess excellent waterproofing, loft, and heat retention properties.

[0068] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a water-repellent and heat-accumulating down feather, characterized by, Specifically comprising the following steps: (1) adding down, water and detergent into a washing machine to clean the down; (2) adding PDMS into an organic solvent, dissolving completely, then adding nano zirconium carbide to disperse uniformly to obtain a heat-accumulating waterproof finishing agent; (3) uniformly spraying the heat-accumulating waterproof finishing agent onto the down, drying to obtain heat-accumulating waterproof down. The mass ratio of the PDMS to the nano zirconium carbide is (1-3) : (1-3).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein: The down is one of goose down, duck down and mixed goose and duck down.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein: The mass ratio of the down to water is 1 : (10-40).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein: The cleaning temperature is normal temperature to 60°C, and the time is 30-60 min.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein: The detergent is a non-ionic surfactant, and the dosage is 2-4 g / L.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein: The organic solvent is one of n-hexane, dichloromethane and chloroform.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein: The drying temperature is 70-90°C.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein: The particle size of the nano zirconium carbide is 20-50 nm.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein: The spraying uses a spray gun, the spray gun air pressure is 40-80 psi, the spraying distance is 15-20 cm, the spray gun head is kept in a vertical state with the down, and the spraying times are 1-3 times.

10. The heat-accumulating waterproof down prepared by the preparation method in any one of claims 1-9.

11. The use of the heat-accumulating waterproof down in claim 10 in cold-proof and warm-keeping textiles.