Resin-Bonded Textile Flooring for Loop Stability in Low-Denier Yarns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Textile floor coverings with looped yarn surfaces suffer from deformation and deterioration due to filament separation and bending, especially in finer, low-denier yarns, which is exacerbated by printing, leading to visible changes and reduced resistance to wear.
Innovation Solution
Applying a resin to the greige fabric before bulking, allowing it to set and shrink, increases the denier of yarns at the loop apexes, enhancing resistance to filament separation and bending, while maintaining the fabric's aesthetic and resilience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If resin is applied to the surface after bulking, then some improvement in surface stability is achieved, but the bulky relaxed loops have larger voids that contain fewer bond points, reducing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The resin is applied to the greige fabric before the bulking process, allowing the resin to penetrate and bond filaments in the open, unbulked state. This preliminary application ensures maximum resin distribution and bonding potential before the loops relax and bulk up, resolving the contradiction by timing the resin application when the fabric structure is most receptive.
2Strength
If higher levels of resin are applied to improve performance of low-denier fabrics, then wear resistance improves, but the fabric aesthetic is reduced with more plastic feel and harsher hand
Solution Approach 1:
The resin application is targeted specifically to where it is most needed - in the unbulked greige fabric state where resin can penetrate deeply and bond filaments effectively. This localized approach at the optimal time achieves maximum strength improvement with minimal resin quantity, preserving fabric aesthetic and hand feel while avoiding the need for excessive resin application.
3Ease of manufacture
If printing is applied to the fabric, then aesthetic appeal is improved, but visual changes are magnified and resistance to fiber separation at loop tops is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The resin is applied to the greige fabric before printing, establishing a strong bonding network that protects the fabric structure. This preliminary resin application creates a foundation that maintains fiber integrity even after printing is applied, allowing the fabric to retain both aesthetic appeal from printing and resistance to fiber separation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method results in a more durable and dimensionally stable textile with improved resistance to wear and tear, suitable for demanding flooring applications, particularly with finer polyester yarns, by increasing the denier of yarns at the loop apexes and reducing filament breakage.
Implementation Method 1
heat sufficient to melt the polymeric resin to allow melted polymeric resin to propagate into the yarn loops and among fibers in the bulkable yarns
Implementation Method 2
The melted resin then begins propagated into the yarns and among the yarn fibers... activation provides cross-linking in the polymeric resin
Implementation Method 3
heat sufficient to bulk the bulkable yarns... Heat sufficient to shrink the greige fabric in at least one direction across the greige fabric
Implementation Method 4
Heat sufficient to shrink the greige fabric in at least one direction across the greige fabric
Implementation Method 5
a radio frequency wave treatment is used to heat the greige fabric... RF heating heats in a process similar to heating in a microwave by exciting only the water molecules within the fabric
Data Source
AI summary
Resin dissolved or suspended in liquid is applied to a greige fabric formed with finer denier yarns forming surface loops before the fabric is bulked and after the liquid has been removed by low-temperature drying. The dried fabric is then bulked at a higher temperature setting the resin, resulting in superior loop tip resilience, and superior surface durability. Bulking and simultaneous resin setting optionally includes shrinking in area by 10-20%. Print appearance retention is also superior when printing follows bulking and setting of the resin.