Lofted lightly needlepunched flame-retardant nonwovens

Abstract

The present invention concerns a flame retardant (FR) lofted lightly needlepunch nonwoven fabric useful in household goods and particularly for mattresses. The nonwoven fabric comprises at least one of FR rayon fiber, FR acrylic fiber, FR melamine fiber, FR polyester fiber, FR polyolefin fiber, or FR resin coated fiber and nonbonding, nonFR synthetic and/or natural fiber mechanically bound together by a needlepunch process. The present invention also contemplates a mattress constructed from the FR lofted lightly needlepunch nonwoven fabric comprising FR rayon fiber, FR acrylic fiber, FR melamine fiber, FR polyester fiber, FR polyolefin fiber, or FR resin coated fiber. The mattress from this construction passes the California Test Bulletin 603 stringent conditions for mattresses used in residential places. Preferably the nonwoven fabric has a batt weight of at least 2.25 oz./sq.yd. and preferably between 2.25 oz./sq.yd. and 20 oz./sq.yd.

1 ) A mattress having a flammable core, an FR barrier enclosing the core, and a ticking covering the FR barrier, said FR barrier comprising a FR lofted lightly needlepunch nonwoven in the border and a FR highlofted nonwoven on the top of the mattress, and an FR material on the bottom of said mattress, wherein said FR lofted lightly needlepunch nonwoven has a basis weight of at least 2.25 oz./sq.yd to about 20 oz./sq.yd. and comprises a blend of rayon fibers coated with an FR phosphorus-based coating and polyester fibers, said FR phosphorus-based coating is from about 6 to about 25 wt. % of the rayon fiber weight, said FR phosphorus coated rayon fibers comprise about 60 to 80 wt. % of said FR lofted lightly needlepunch nonwoven and from about 40 to about 20 wt. % polyester fibers.  
   
   
       2 ) The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein said FR lofted lightly needlepunch nonwoven has a thickness of about ½ to ¾ inch.  
   
   
       3 ) The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein said FR lofted lightly needlepunch nonwoven has a post-burn TB 603 tensile strength of at least about a 20% increase in both the machine and cross directions compared to a conventional needlepunch nonwoven.  
   
   
       4 ) The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein said FR lofted lightly needlpunch nonwoven has a post-burn TB 603 tensile and elongation at break of at least about a 15% increase compared to conventional needlepunch nonwoven.  
   
   
       5 ) A mattress having a flammable core, an FR barrier enclosing the core, and a ticking covering the FR barrier, said FR barrier comprising a FR lofted lightly needlepunch nonwoven in the border and a FR highlofted nonwoven on the top of the mattress and an FR material on the bottom of said mattress, wherein said FR lofted lightly needlepunch nonwoven has a basis weight of from about 2.25 oz./sq.yd. to about 20 oz./sq.yd. and has a thickness of about ½ to ¾ inch and comprises a blend of at least one of the group consisting of FR rayon fiber, FR acrylic fiber, FR melamine fiber, FR polyester fiber, FR polyolefin fiber, or FR resin coated fiber; and also synthetic non-FR, nonbinder fibers.  
   
   
       6 ) The mattress of  claim 5 , wherein said synthetic fiber is selected from the group consisting of rayon, polyester, or a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       7 ) The mattress of  claim 5 , wherein said synthetic fiber comprises from about 40 wt. % to about 20 wt. % of said FR lofted lightly needlepunch nonwoven, and wherein the sum of said FR rayon fiber, said FR acrylic fiber, said FR melamine fiber, said FR polyester fiber, said FR polyolefin fiber, and said FR resin coated fiber comprises from about 60 to about 80 weight % of said FR lofted lightly needlepunch nonwoven.  
   
   
       8 ) The mattress of  claim 5 , wherein said FR lofted lightly needlepunch nonwoven has a post-burn TB 603 tensile strength of at least about a 20% increase in both the machine and cross directions compared to a conventional needlpunch nonwoven.  
   
   
       9 ) The mattress of  claim 5 , wherein said FR lofted lightly needlpunch nonwoven has a post-burn TB 603 tensile and elongation of at least about a 15% increase compared to conventional needlpunch nonwoven.  
   
   
       10 ) A FR lofted lightly needlepunch nonwoven comprising at least one of the group consisting of FR rayon fiber, FR acrylic fiber, FR melamine fiber, FR polyester fiber, FR polyolefin fiber, or FR resin coated fiber; and nonbonding synthetic or natural fiber, wherein said nonwoven has a basis weight of from about 2.25 to about 20 oz./sq.yd. and has a thickness of about ½ to ¾ inch, said nonwoven has a tensile strength of at least about a 20% increase and less than about a 60% increase in both the machine and cross directions compared to conventional needlepunch nonwoven, and a tensile and elongation at break after-burn of at least about 15% increase to less than about 40% increase compared to conventional needlepunch nonwoven.  
   
   
       11 ) The nonwoven of  claim 10 , wherein said nonbonding synthetic fiber is selected from the group consisting of rayon, polyester, or a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       12 ) The nonwoven of  claim 10 , wherein said FR resin is selected from the group consisting of phosphorus, phosphorus compound(s), red phosphorus, esters of phosphorus, and phosphorus complexes; amine compounds, boric acid, bromide, urea-formaldehyde compound(s), phosphate-urea compound(s), ammonium sulphate, or halogen based compounds compatible with said nonbonding synthetic fiber.  
   
   
       13 ) The nonwoven of  claim 10 , wherein said synthetic fiber comprises from about 40 to about 20 weight % of said nonwoven, said synthetic fiber further comprising polyester, and wherein the sum of said FR rayon fiber, said FR acrylic fiber, said FR melamine fiber, said FR polyester fiber, said FR polyolefin fiber, and said FR resin coated fiber comprises from about 60 to about 80 weight % of said nonwoven.  
   
   
       14 ) The nonwoven of  claim 10 , wherein said natural fiber is flax, kenaf, hemp, cotton, wool, or a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       15 ) The nonwoven of  claim 10 , wherein said FR rayon is a rayon fiber coated with FR resin.  
   
   
       16 ) The nonwoven of  claim 15 , wherein said resin coating is from 6 to about 25 wt. % of said rayon fiber.