High performance fire resistant fabrics and the garments made therewith

Abstract

A fire retardant fabric for safety garments useful for dangerous activities, e.g. firemen, policemen, armed forces, etc., is knit from a first yarn system of fire retardant modacrylic fibers, a second yarn system of flexible fibers and, optionally a third yarn system of aramid fire retardant fibers. One of the yarn systems also includes fibers formed of a conductive material, such as silver.

1 . A high performance fabric comprising:
 a first yarn system consisting of a plurality of fire resistant modacrylic fibers blended with a plurality of conductive fibers; and   a second yarn system including a plurality of flexible fibers;   wherein said yarn systems are knit together to form said high performance fabric.   
   
   
       2 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein said yarn system is selected and knit to yield a fabric having a weight in the range of 4-6 oz/sq. yd. 
   
   
       3 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein said conductive fibers consist of an elongated filament with a metal coating. 
   
   
       4 . The fabric of  claim 3  wherein said metal coating is a silver or silver ion. 
   
   
       5 . The fabric of  claim 1  further comprising a third yarn system including aramid fibers. 
   
   
       6 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein said flexible fibers are Spandex fibers. 
   
   
       7 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein said first yarn system forms about 85-97% of said fabric. 
   
   
       8 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein said second yarn system forms about 3-15% of said fabric. 
   
   
       9 . A fire resistant fabric for a garment comprising:
 a fabric knit from:
 a first yarn system including a plurality of aramid fibers; 
 a second yarn system including a plurality of modacrylic fibers; and 
 a plurality of flexible fibers. 
   
   
   
       10 . The fabric of  claim 9  wherein said flexible fibers consist essentially of Spandex fibers. 
   
   
       11 . The fabric of  claim 9  wherein said flexible fibers are included in said second yarn system. 
   
   
       12 . The fabric of  claim 9  wherein said fabric is knit having an inside surface disposed adjacent to the skin of the wearer in the garment and an outside surface, and wherein a majority of said inside surface is formed of modacrylic fibers and a majority of said outside surface is formed of said aramid fibers. 
   
   
       13 . The fabric of  claim 9  further comprising conductive fibers. 
   
   
       14 . The fabric of  claim 13  wherein said conductive fibers are coated with a metallic material. 
   
   
       15 . The fabric of  claim 14  wherein said conductive fibers are coated with silver or a silver compound. 
   
   
       16 . The fabric of  claim 15  wherein said conductive fibers are included in said second yarn system. 
   
   
       17 . A method of making a fire retardant fabric comprising:
 providing a first yarn system made of fire retardant modacrylic fibers;   providing a second yarn system made of flexible, stretchable fibers;   wherein the fibers of at least one of said first and second yarn systems are blended with electrically conductive fibers; and   knitting said fabric from said first and second yarn systems.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising providing a third yarn system formed of fire retardant aramid fibers, said fabric being knit from said first, second and third yarn systems. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said fabric is knit with a face and a technical back, wherein said face has a large number of fibers of said third system and said technical back has a large number of fibers from said first system. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said electrically conductive fibers include nylon fibers coated with one of a metal and a metallic compound.