Textile sheet material

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Solution Overview

Problem

Textile fabrics produced with biopolymers as binders often lack mechanical strength and resistance, such as wet tensile strength and solvent resistance, due to the incompatibility of natural renewable raw materials with petrochemical polymers, leading to unstable mixtures and unacceptable performance properties.

Innovation Solution

The use of binder compositions comprising polysaccharides and vinyl ester polymers, which include crosslinking monomers like N-methylol-functional units, to enhance the mechanical strength and biodegradability of textile fabrics, allowing for stable mixtures and compatibility with conventional formulation constituents.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-generated harmful factors

If biopolymers are used as binders to replace petrochemical polymers, then biodegradability is improved, but mechanical strength and solvent resistance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovebiodegradabilityVSAvoidmechanical strength and solvent resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses composite binder compositions combining biopolymers (starch, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin) with synthetic polymers (polyvinyl acetate, polyacrylic acid, polyacrylamide) and crosslinking agents. This composite approach allows the binder to maintain biodegradability from the biopolymer component while gaining mechanical strength and solvent resistance from the synthetic polymer and crosslinking network, thus resolving the contradiction between eco-friendliness and performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-generated harmful factors

If biopolymers are used as binders, then ecological compatibility is improved, but mixture stability deteriorates due to incompatibility with petrochemical polymers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveecological compatibilityVSAvoidmixture stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs compatibility agents including surfactants (nonionic, anionic, cationic), coupling agents (silanes, titanates, zirconates), and block copolymers as intermediaries between biopolymer and petrochemical polymer components. These intermediaries reduce interfacial tension and improve interfacial adhesion, enabling stable mixtures of otherwise incompatible materials while maintaining ecological compatibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent modifies physical and chemical parameters of biopolymer components through controlled degradation (enzymatic or chemical), oxidation, and acylation to adjust molecular weight, functional group content, and surface properties. These parameter changes improve compatibility with synthetic polymers and enhance mixture stability while preserving the biodegradable nature of the binder

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If crosslinking monomers are added to binder compositions, then mechanical strength is improved, but formulation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical strengthVSAvoidformulation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies crosslinking locally at the binder-fiber interface and within the binder matrix rather than throughout the entire textile fabric structure. Crosslinking agents are concentrated in the binder composition where they are needed to enhance mechanical strength, while the rest of the fabric maintains its original properties. This localized approach improves strength without proportionally increasing overall formulation complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 resulting textile fabrics exhibit improved mechanical strengths, including wet tensile strength and solvent resistance, while maintaining biodegradability and stability, addressing the limitations of biopolymer-based binders.

Implementation Method 1

the chemical structures of renewable raw materials are very different to those of petrochemical polymers, which means that the replacement of petrochemical polymers in established formulations or processes with natural, renewable biopolymers often gives rise to incompatibilities and the separation of different substances

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCompatibility:

Implementation Method 2

one or more polymers based on one or more vinyl esters and one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers bearing carboxyl, anhydride, silane, isocyanate, amide, hydroxyl, epoxy or NH groups (crosslinking monomers)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCrosslinking: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentUS20240026583A1Textile sheet material
Publication Date: 2024.01.25 WACKER CHEMIE AG

AI summary

A process for producing textile fabrics by applying one or more binder compositions to fibers is provided. The binder compositions include one or more polysaccharides and one or more polymers of vinyl acetate. The polymers of vinyl acetate are based on vinyl acetate to an extent of 50% to 90% by weight based on the total weight of the polymers of vinyl acetate.