Biodegradable and compostable braided label

Abstract

Jacquard woven label made of warp yarns only of viscose and weft yarns consisting mainly of artificial material, the viscose being biodegradable and compostable, and the warp yarns having a fineness of 60 to 200 dtex and a twist of 300 to 1,200 twists per meter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of woven labels manufactured using a jacquard loom. Background Technology

[0002] Textile labels are used to identify flexible products, especially clothing. These labels are typically woven in and assembled to the garment by sewing or even welding. Such labels can represent, for example, the brand of the clothing, its trademark, its size, etc.

[0003] For years, manufacturers have been trying to minimize the environmental impact of the clothing they produce and sell. Upstream, more environmentally friendly manufacturing methods have been implemented. Downstream, recycling sectors have emerged.

[0004] With a growing population and a shortening lifespan for clothing, the number of garments sold is increasing, making it difficult for these recycling sectors to sell items that are no longer worn.

[0005] One alternative is to develop partially or fully biodegradable or even compostable clothing, allowing these items to be disposed of naturally after they are no longer worn, with little or no impact on the environment. For this to be feasible, all clothing must be biodegradable and compostable, including the yarns and accessories used in its manufacture (labels being part of this).

[0006] For reasons of price and durability, woven labels are typically made of synthetic materials. Depending on the specific circumstances, they may be made from unbleached (i.e., undyed) yarn, or conversely, from dyed yarn.

[0007] The use of unbleached yarn offers significant flexibility, as labels are dyed and / or printed as late as possible on the production line. Printing techniques allow for the creation of a wide variety of patterns and colors. The sharpness of the pattern depends primarily on the printing technique (e.g., roller printing, offset printing, inkjet printing), the fabric structure, and the formulation of the ink or printing paste.

[0008] Another alternative involves using yarns that are dyed before weaving. While this method may offer less flexibility compared to printing, it does allow for labels with a different visual appearance and structure than printed labels. The label's design is achieved through a clever combination of yarn colors and the weave of the fabric (i.e., how the warp and weft yarns interweave). The clarity of the visible design on the label depends primarily on the thickness of the yarn used and the density of the warp and weft yarns (i.e., the number of yarns per centimeter of fabric). Such labels require the use of a jacquard loom.

[0009] Besides their typically small size, which may make them difficult to remove from clothing, these labels may also have drawbacks in terms of their environmental impact.

[0010] Patent application WO2019 / 173472 A1 describes a woven label that can be manufactured using a shaft loom or a jacquard loom. These labels are described as biodegradable or recyclable. The manufacturing method necessarily requires a printing or dyeing step after weaving. This operation can be carried out with chemicals that have minimal environmental impact, but the disadvantage is that it can alter the surface condition of the label, particularly its gloss, and, if applicable, cause changes to the printed pattern over the label's lifespan, depending on the technology used.

[0011] Therefore, there is a need to develop woven labels that allow for clarity levels to meet market demands, while ensuring excellent resistance over time and being fully biodegradable and compostable to reduce the environmental impact of these labels. Summary of the Invention

[0012] This invention relates to a label manufactured on a jacquard loom, wherein the warp yarns are made of viscose, which is biodegradable and compostable, and the weft yarns are primarily made of synthetic materials. Therefore, this invention provides a woven label with a significantly reduced environmental impact.

[0013] More specifically, the present invention relates to a jacquard woven label made solely of viscose warp yarns and primarily of weft yarns derived from man-made materials, characterized in that the viscose warp yarns are biodegradable and compostable, and have a count of 60 to 200 dtex and a twist of 300 to 1,200 twists per meter.

[0014] Fabric is a basically two-dimensional structure, obtained by the perpendicular interlacing of warp and weft yarns. The warp yarns extend along the length of the fabric, while the weft yarns extend along its width.

[0015] For weaving, warp yarns are inserted into heddles, which are rigid rods, usually made of metal, each with a central orifice. The warp yarns pass through these orifices. The heddles move vertically from top to bottom or bottom to top, forming two layers of yarn: an upper layer and a lower layer. The space between these two layers is called the shed. The weft yarn is then inserted through the shed between the upper and lower warp yarns. After insertion, a portion of the heddles at the higher position moves to the lower position, and vice versa. This bottom-to-top and top-to-bottom movement traps the weft yarn between the warp yarns. Then another weft yarn is inserted into the shed. It is this continuous movement of the heddles combined with the insertion of the weft yarns that gives the fabric its structure.

[0016] In jacquard weaving, each heddle is controlled individually. In other words, the rising and falling sequence of each heddle is independent of the rising and falling sequence of other heddles.

[0017] The warp yarns are made of viscose (a material derived from lignocellulose). Viscose yarns have a regular surface texture, which gives the woven labels their luster and surface regularity.

[0018] Viscose warp yarns are also biodegradable, meaning they can break down into simpler compounds under the influence of natural biophysical factors such as bacteria, sunlight, humidity, or others. Under the influence of atmospheric and biological factors, they degrade into even simpler compounds.

[0019] Viscose warp yarns are also compostable, meaning they can be converted into compost. Compost is a natural fertilizer produced from organic waste through an aerobic process. Compost can be used to enrich soil with organic matter. It provides nutrients to plants to promote their development and growth. Therefore, compostable materials must not have a negative impact on the composting process. In particular, such materials must have certain properties, such as the concentration of certain mineral salts or metals must be controlled within predetermined limits.

[0020] Preferably, the viscose warp yarn according to the invention is biodegradable and compostable, and meets the requirements of standard NF EN 13432 (November 2000). Therefore, when placed under aerobic conditions, the viscose warp yarn used in the labels according to the invention decomposes into residue. After 12 weeks, 90% of the viscose warp yarn must be less than 2 mm. Furthermore, the zinc, copper, nickel, cadmium, lead, and mercury content of these yarns must be below the thresholds set by standard NF EN 13432 (November 2000).

[0021] Weft yarns are made from man-made materials, meaning they are derived from naturally sourced materials that are transformed to manufacture yarn. Man-made materials include, but are not limited to, a subset of the following groups: viscose, alginate, cellulose acetate, cellulose diacetate, cellulose triacetate, bamboo viscose, etc.

[0022] Viscose, cellulose acetate, cellulose diacetate, and cellulose triacetate are obtained from lignocellulose.

[0023] Algates are obtained from brown algae.

[0024] The weft yarn is primarily made of man-made materials. Preferably, "primarily" means that 90% of the weft yarn is of man-made origin, advantageously 95%, and very advantageously 100%. The weft yarn made of man-made materials may optionally be combined with the weft yarn made of hot-melt material located at the transverse or longitudinal edges of the label, especially to prevent them from fraying after cutting.

[0025] The use of primarily man-made weft yarns allows for limiting environmental impact by avoiding the use of materials from the petrochemical industry.

[0026] The fineness of viscose warp yarns ranges from 60 to 200 dtex. Yarn fineness corresponds to its linear density. Yarn fineness, expressed in dtex, corresponds to the weight per 10,000 m of yarn. The higher the yarn fineness, the thicker the yarn and the greater its strength.

[0027] Therefore, assuming all other parameters remain constant, a high-count yarn is preferred when the yarn strength must be very high. Conversely, for labels that require high-resolution patterns, a fine-count yarn is preferred.

[0028] Warp and weft yarns are composed of fibers or filaments.

[0029] The difference between fibers and filaments is that fibers have a finite length, while filaments have an almost infinite length. Specifically, in yarns composed of filaments, the same filaments can be found almost from one end to the other.

[0030] Viscose warp yarns also have a twist of 300 to 1,200 twists per meter. In other words, warp yarns are twisted fibers or filaments with a twist of 300 to 1,200 twists per meter.

[0031] The twist of the yarn is crucial in order to give it certain mechanical strength, abrasion resistance, and regularity.

[0032] Therefore, the higher the twist of the yarn, the greater its mechanical strength, the better its abrasion resistance, and the more regular the yarn.

[0033] On the other hand, lower twist gives the yarn greater volume, softness, and elasticity. Yarn elasticity is a property where, when subjected to a certain tension, the yarn stretches and returns to its initial length once that tension is removed.

[0034] According to one specific embodiment, the viscose warp yarn is composed of filaments. Each yarn contains 24 to 72 filaments. According to another aspect of this embodiment, the warp yarn has a fineness of 60 to 110 dtex. According to yet another aspect of this embodiment, the yarn twist is 300 to 600 twists per meter.

[0035] Preferably, the woven label according to the invention is characterized in that the adhesive warp yarns are composed of filaments, and in that: - Each yarn contains 24 to 72 filaments. - Yarn fineness is 60 to 110 dtex. - The yarn twist is 300 to 600 twists / meter.

[0036] All other parameters being equal, a higher filament count is preferred to improve the yarn's breaking strength, abrasion resistance, and the retention of these properties over time. Similarly, a higher filament count allows for increased fabric softness and moisture absorption. A lower filament count allows for more breathable fabrics.

[0037] According to another embodiment, the viscose warp is composed of fibers. Furthermore, it consists of plied yarns, that is, an assembly formed by twisting together at least two single yarns. These single yarns are independent threads. According to a specific aspect of this embodiment, the fineness of each single yarn is 200 to 100 Nm.

[0038] Yarn fineness, expressed in meters, corresponds to the length of that yarn contained in 1 kg (expressed in km). According to another specific aspect, the twist of each individual yarn constituting the warp is 900 to 1200 twists / meter.

[0039] Preferably, the woven label according to the invention is characterized in that the viscose warp yarn is made of fiber, and in that: - Yarn is a ply yarn consisting of at least two single yarns. - The fineness of each viscose ply yarn is 200 to 100 Nm. - The twist of each single yarn is 900 to 1,200 twists / meter.

[0040] The combination of at least two single yarns through twisting allows for an increase in the mechanical strength and durability of the warp yarns, and imparts them with a certain degree of elasticity.

[0041] According to another aspect of the invention, the woven label has biodegradable and compostable weft yarns.

[0042] Preferably, according to the invention, the weft yarn of the label is biodegradable and compostable, and meets the requirements of standard NF EN 13432 (November 2000). Therefore, when placed under aerobic conditions, the weft yarn used in the label according to the invention decomposes into residue. After 12 weeks, 90% of the viscose warp yarn must be less than 2 mm. Furthermore, the zinc, copper, nickel, cadmium, lead, and mercury content of these yarns must be below the thresholds set by standard NF EN 13432 (November 2000).

[0043] Therefore, the labels obtained in this way are biodegradable and compostable.

[0044] According to another aspect of the invention, a portion of the yarn used to weave the label is dyed.

[0045] In other words, a portion of the warp and / or weft yarns used to manufacture the label are dyed before weaving.

[0046] This means that the visible pattern on the label and its clarity largely depend on the yarn used, its color, and the fabric's structure.

[0047] This means that no printing and / or dyeing operations are required to create a pattern on the surface of the fabric. Preferably, the label is therefore neither dyed nor printed.

[0048] According to this specific implementation plan, the chemical products and dyes used for dyeing the yarn are selected so that the yarn is biodegradable and compostable. More precisely, these yarns are dyed to meet the requirements of standard NF EN 13432 (November 2000).

[0049] The label according to the invention can be manufactured using up to four or even eight different weft yarns. These weft yarns are used independently of each other, depending on the pattern shown on the label.

[0050] According to another aspect of the invention, the label according to the invention is made using at least one heat-melting weft yarn.

[0051] Preferably, the woven label according to the invention has at least one heat-fused weft yarn along its two opposite edges.

[0052] For this purpose, two heat-melting weft yarns are inserted consecutively. After the fabric is made, a heat treatment step is performed at a selected temperature higher than the melting temperature of the heat-melting yarns.

[0053] During this heat treatment step, the heat-melting yarn will soften or even melt. This allows the warp yarns to be held together.

[0054] When cutting fabric laterally (i.e., along the weft direction), the cutting operation is performed by passing the fabric between two heat-fused weft yarns. This operation allows the labels to be separated individually and prevents them from fraying along the two cut edges.

[0055] As an example and in a non-exhaustive manner, the materials constituting the heat-fused weft yarn can be selected from, for example, the group consisting of cellulose acetate, cellulose diacetate, polyamide, polyester, and polypropylene.

[0056] Advantageously, hot-melt weft yarns are selected, making it biodegradable and compostable.

[0057] Advantageously, the heat-fused weft yarn is made of cellulose diacetate (which is a man-made material), and preferably is biodegradable and compostable.

[0058] More specifically, the melting temperature of the hot-melt yarn is below 170°C, preferably below 220°C, and even more preferably below 260°C.

[0059] According to another aspect of the invention, the label has two woven edges, namely two opposing woven edges.

[0060] In other words, these two edges are not obtained by cutting the label from a wider piece of fabric. According to this particular aspect of the invention, the presence of two woven edges allows for a reduction in the risk of label deterioration during its lifespan. It also avoids the need for additional label cutting operations.

[0061] When the label is made with a woven edge, the warp yarns used in the area where the edge is located are also made of biodegradable and compostable viscose. These warp yarns can be made of filaments, even if the remaining warp yarns used in the label are made of fibers, or vice versa.

[0062] Even without a woven edge, the label according to the invention can have at least one viscose warp yarn composed of filaments along its two opposite edges, even if the remaining warp yarns used in the label are composed of fibers, and vice versa. Such yarns facilitate cutting operations along these two opposite edges and limit the problem of label fraying.

[0063] According to another aspect of the invention, the label according to the invention is biodegradable and compostable.

[0064] Specifically, the label is made using viscose warp yarns and weft yarns made of synthetic materials, with both the first and second yarns being biodegradable and compostable.

[0065] The labels are typically smaller than a 200 mm x 200 mm square. However, in some cases, they can be larger, reaching tens of centimeters in size.

[0066] The present invention also relates to a manufacturing method.

[0067] According to the first manufacturing method, the label according to the present invention can be manufactured according to the following steps: (a) Dyeing at least a portion of the warp and / or weft yarns (b) Warping the warp yarns. (c) Weaving (d) Cut each strip along the latitudinal direction to obtain an individual label. (e) Fold the label.

[0068] The first step is to dye the yarn, which may be used as warp or weft, or both. After dyeing, the yarn is laid out onto spools or cones.

[0069] The second method step allows the warp yarns to be arranged parallel to each other by warping, so that the warp yarns can then be easily inserted into the heddles of the weaving loom without the risk of these warp yarns crossing.

[0070] The third step of the manufacturing method involves weaving the label. According to this embodiment, the width of the fabric can be from 1 to 300 mm.

[0071] Therefore, according to this first manufacturing method, the width of the fabric corresponds to the width (or length) of a single label. Multiple identical labels can be woven along the length of the fabric.

[0072] If necessary, this third step may also include a heat treatment step necessary to stabilize the fabric, i.e., to limit its shrinkage during garment washing. This step is also necessary when using heat-melting weft yarns to melt them.

[0073] The fourth step is to cut strips horizontally to obtain individual labels in rectangular form.

[0074] Finally, the last step will be folding to prepare for subsequent manufacturing operations.

[0075] In this embodiment, the fabric is manufactured using a knitting machine and has woven edges.

[0076] According to the second manufacturing method, the label is manufactured according to the following method: (a) Dyeing at least a portion of the warp and / or weft yarns (b) Warping the warp yarns (c) Weaving (d) Cut along the warp direction to allow for strips of the same width. (e) Cut each strip along the latitudinal direction to obtain an individual label. (f) Collapse label.

[0077] The first step is to dye the warp and / or weft yarns. After the yarns are dyed, they are arranged onto spools or cones.

[0078] The second method step allows the warp yarns to be arranged parallel to each other by warping, so that the warp yarns can then be easily inserted into the heddles of the weaving loom without the risk of these warp yarns crossing.

[0079] The third step of the manufacturing method involves weaving the label. According to this embodiment, the width of the fabric can be from 10 to 1,200 mm.

[0080] Therefore, according to this second manufacturing method, multiple identical labels can be woven along the width direction (i.e., the weft direction) of the fabric. Similarly, multiple identical labels can be woven along the length direction (i.e., the warp direction) of the fabric.

[0081] Fabrics manufactured in this way have identical side-by-side stripes along their width. Similarly, they have identical side-by-side stripes along their length.

[0082] If necessary, this third step may also include a heat treatment step necessary to stabilize the fabric, i.e., to limit its shrinkage during garment washing. This step is also necessary when using heat-melting weft yarns to melt them.

[0083] The fourth step is to cut the fabric along its length to separate each longitudinal strip. This operation can be performed directly on the loom or separately.

[0084] The fifth step is to cut the strip horizontally to obtain individual labels in rectangular form.

[0085] Finally, the last step will be folding to prepare for subsequent manufacturing operations.

[0086] In this manufacturing method, the fabric is made using a rapier loom. Detailed Implementation

[0087] Based on the first example, the jacquard woven label is rectangular, 64 mm long and 17 mm wide, with a mass of 164 g / m² per unit area. 2 .

[0088] The warp yarns are made of viscose. They are biodegradable and compostable, and they meet the requirements of standard NF EN 13432 (November 2000). These yarns are, for example, unbleached.

[0089] These warp yarns are obtained by assembling two single yarns in a ply configuration. Each single yarn has a fineness of 135 Nm and a twist of 1,200 twists / meter.

[0090] Two viscose weft yarns are used to manufacture the label. They are also biodegradable and compostable, and they meet the requirements of standard NF EN 13432 (November 2000). The first weft yarn is, for example, unbleached, while the second weft yarn is, for example, black.

[0091] Each weft yarn has a fineness of 100 Nm and a twist of 1,000 twists / meter.

[0092] The label according to this first example can have two woven edges, made of warp yarns also made of viscose. In this case, the warp yarns used in the edges are also biodegradable and compostable, meeting the requirements of standard NF EN 13432 (November 2000). Each warp yarn used in the edges has a fineness of 80 dtex, consists of 48 filaments, and has a twist of 600 twists / meter.

[0093] In this first example, the woven label consists only of warp yarns made of viscose and weft yarns also made of viscose, thus being a synthetic material. The viscose warp yarns are compostable. They have a fineness of 60 to 200 dtex and a twist of 300 to 1,200 twists per meter.

[0094] More specifically, the warp yarn is a ply yarn of at least two single yarns, each viscose ply yarn having a fineness of 200 to 100 Nm and a twist of 900 to 1,200 twists / meter for each single yarn.

[0095] The weft yarn is also biodegradable and compostable.

[0096] Some of the warp and weft yarns were dyed.

[0097] The label can have a woven edge.

[0098] According to the label of this first example, it is biodegradable and compostable.

[0099] According to the second example, the jacquard woven label is rectangular, 64 mm long and 17 mm wide, and has a mass of 115 g / m² per unit area. 2 .

[0100] The warp yarns are made of viscose. They are biodegradable and compostable, and they meet the requirements of standard NF EN 13432 (November 2000). These yarns are, for example, unbleached.

[0101] These warp yarns consist of 48 filaments. They have a fineness of 80 dtex and a twist of 600 twists per meter.

[0102] Two viscose weft yarns are used to manufacture the label. They are also biodegradable and compostable, and they meet the requirements of standard NF EN 13432 (November 2000). The first weft yarn is, for example, unbleached, while the second weft yarn is, for example, black.

[0103] Each weft yarn has a fineness of 100 Nm and a twist of 1,000 twists / meter.

[0104] The label according to this first example can have two woven edges, made of warp yarns also made of viscose. In this case, the warp yarns used in the edges are also biodegradable and compostable, meeting the requirements of standard NF EN 13432 (November 2000). Each warp yarn used in the edges has a fineness of 80 dtex, consists of 48 filaments, and has a twist of 600 twists / meter.

[0105] In this second example, the woven label consists only of warp yarns made of viscose and weft yarns also made of viscose, thus being a synthetic material. The viscose warp yarns are compostable. They have a fineness of 60 to 200 dtex and a twist of 300 to 1,200 twists per meter.

[0106] More specifically, the warp yarn consists of filaments, with a number of 24 to 72 filaments per yarn. The warp yarn has a fineness of 60 to 110 dtex and a twist of 300 to 600 twists per meter.

[0107] The weft yarn is also biodegradable and compostable.

[0108] Some of the warp and weft yarns are dyed before the labels are made.

[0109] The label can have a woven edge.

[0110] According to the label of this second example, it is biodegradable and compostable.

Claims

1. A jacquard woven label made solely of viscose warp yarns and weft yarns composed primarily of synthetic materials, wherein the viscose warp yarns are biodegradable and compostable, and have a fineness of 60 to 200 dtex and a twist of 300 to 1,200 twists / meter.

2. The label according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive warp yarns are composed of filaments, and wherein: - Each yarn contains 24 to 72 filaments. - Yarn fineness is 60 to 110 dtex. - The yarn twist is 300 to 600 twists / meter.

3. The label according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive warp yarns are composed of fibers, and wherein: - Yarn is a ply yarn consisting of at least two single yarns. - The fineness of each viscose ply yarn is 200 to 100 Nm. - The twist of each single yarn is 900 to 1200 twists / meter.

4. The label according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the weft yarn is composed of a biodegradable and compostable material.

5. The label according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a portion of the yarn is dyed.

6. The label according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the label comprises at least one heat-fused weft yarn along its two opposite edges.

7. The label according to claim 6, wherein the heat-melting weft yarn is made of cellulose diacetate and is preferably biodegradable and compostable.

8. The label according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the label has a woven edge.

9. The label according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the label is made of warp and weft yarns made of a biodegradable and compostable material.