Fiber blends for dual hazard and comfort properties

Abstract

Fiber blends useful for garments with a balance of high thermal and comfort properties are disclosed. The fiber blends comprise a FR fiber component, a comfort fiber component, a structural fiber component, and an optional antistatic fiber. Yarns, fabrics, and garments comprising the fiber blends are also disclosed. Such garments are particularly useful for occupations requiring high thermal properties, such as oil and gas workers, fire fighters, utility workers, and military personnel, without compromising comfort of the wearers by maintaining breathability and moisture management properties of the fabric.

1 . A fiber blend, comprising:
 about 30-80%, by weight, of an acrylic derivative FR fiber component comprising:
 a first hydrophobic FR modacrylic fiber, and 
 a second hydrophilic thermally shrink resistant acrylic FR fiber that is at a level of at least about 10% by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend. 
   
     
     
         2 . The fiber blend of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 about 10-35%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of a   
       comfort fiber component comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of cotton, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, wool, and combinations thereof and
 about 5-25%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of at least one structural fiber component comprising at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of aramid fiber, melamine fiber, nylon fiber, structural carbon fiber, polyacrylonitrile fibers and combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
         3 . The fiber blend of  claim 1 , further comprising about 0.1 to 3% by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of at least one antistatic fiber. 
     
     
         4 . The fiber blend of  claim 1 , wherein the acrylic derivative FR fiber component consists essentially of:
 the first hydrophobic FR modacrylic fiber; and   the second hydrophilic thermally shrink resistant acrylic FR fiber that is present at a level of at least about 10% by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend.   
     
     
         5 . The fiber blend of  claim 1 , wherein the acrylic derivative FR fiber component consists essentially of inherently flame-resistant fibers. 
     
     
         6 . The fiber blend of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrophilic thermally shrink resistant acrylic FR fiber consists essentially of inherently flame-resistant fibers. 
     
     
         7 . The fiber blend of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrophilic thermally shrink resistant FR fiber is a dye accepting fiber. 
     
     
         8 . The fiber blend of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrophilic thermally shrink resistant FR fiber is a high LOI fiber, having an LOI of at least 38. 
     
     
         9 . The fiber blend of  claim 1 , wherein the acrylic derivative FR fiber component comprises up to about 50% by weight, based on the weight of the acrylic FR fiber component, of a thermally shrink resistant acrylic FR fiber component. 
     
     
         10 . The fiber blend of  claim 1 , wherein the acrylic derivative FR fiber component comprises about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of a thermally shrink resistant acrylic FR fiber component. 
     
     
         11 . The fiber blend of  claim 1 , wherein the acrylic FR fiber component comprises no more than about 30% by weight of the total fiber blend, of the hydrophilic thermally shrink resistant acrylic FR fiber component. 
     
     
         12 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The fiber blend of  claim 1 , wherein said first hydrophobic FR modacrylic fiber consists essentially of antimony containing hydrophobic modacrylic fiber and the second hydrophilic thermally shrink resistant acrylic FR fiber consists essentially of antimony and halogen free acrylic FR fiber. 
     
     
         15 . The fiber blend of  claim 1 , wherein said acrylic derivative FR fiber component is present at a level of about 40-80%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The fiber blend of  claim 2 , wherein the comfort fiber component is hydrophilic. 
     
     
         18 . The fiber blend of  claim 2 , wherein the comfort fiber component consists essentially of cellulose derivatives. 
     
     
         19 . The fiber blend of  claim 2 , wherein said comfort fiber component is cotton. 
     
     
         20 . The fiber blend of  claim 2 , wherein said comfort fiber component is present at a level of about 10-25%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The fiber blend of  claim 2 , wherein said structural fiber component is aramid fiber. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The fiber blend of  claim 2 , wherein said structural fiber component is present at a level of about 10-20%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend. 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The fiber blend of  claim 2 , wherein said FR fiber component is acrylic derivative fiber or a combinations thereof; wherein said comfort fiber component is cellulose or a cellulose derivative, or a combinations thereof; and wherein said structural fiber component is aramid fiber, carbon or PAN, nylon fiber, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         27 . A fabric comprising a fiber blend, comprising about 30-80% by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of an acrylic derivative FR fiber component comprising:
 a first hydrophobic FR modacrylic fiber; and   a second hydrophilic thermally shrink resistant acrylic FR fiber that is present at a level of at least about 10% by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend.   
     
     
         28 . The fabric of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 about 10-35%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of a comfort fiber component comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of cotton, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, wool, and combinations thereof; and   about 5-25%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of at least one structural fiber component comprising at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of aramid fiber, melamine fiber, nylon fiber, structural carbon fiber, polyacrylonitrile fibers and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         29 - 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A fiber blend, comprising:
 about 30-80%, by weight, of a FR fiber component comprising:
 a first FR fiber component, comprising at least one fiber selected from the group consisting of modacrylic, fluoropolymer, polybenzimidazole (PBI), and copolymers thereof, and combinations thereof that is hydrophobic, and 
   a second thermally shrink resistant FR fiber that is present at a level of at least 10% by weight of the total fiber blend;   about 10-35%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of a comfort fiber component comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of cellulose, cellulose derivatives, wool, and combinations thereof; and   about 5-25%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of at least one structural fiber component comprising at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of aramid fiber, melamine fiber, nylon fiber, structural carbon fiber, polyacrylonitrile fibers and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         39 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein the first FR fiber component consists essentially of modacrylic fiber. 
     
     
         40 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein the second thermally shrink resistant FR fiber consists essentially of acrylic FR fiber. 
     
     
         41 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , further comprising about 0.1 to 3% by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of at least one antistatic fiber. 
     
     
         42 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein the FR fiber component consists essentially of:
 a first hydrophobic FR modacrylic fiber; and   a second hydrophilic thermally shrink resistant acrylic FR fiber that is present at a level at least about 10% by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend.   
     
     
         43 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein the FR fiber component consists essentially of inherently flame-resistant fibers. 
     
     
         44 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein the thermally shrink resistant FR fiber consists essentially of inherently flame-resistant fibers. 
     
     
         45 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein the thermally shrink resistant FR fiber is a dye accepting fiber. 
     
     
         46 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein the thermally shrink resistant FR fiber is a high LOI fiber, having an LOI of at least 38. 
     
     
         47 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein the FR fiber component comprises up to about 50% by weight, based on the weight of the FR fiber component, of a thermally shrink resistant FR fiber component. 
     
     
         48 - 51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein said first FR fiber component consists essentially of antimony containing hydrophobic modacrylic fiber and the second FR fiber component consists essentially of antimony and halogen free acrylic FR fiber, that is hydrophilic. 
     
     
         53 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein said FR fiber component is present at about 40-80%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend. 
     
     
         54 . (canceled) 
     
     
         55 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein the comfort fiber component is hydrophilic. 
     
     
         56 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein comfort fiber component consists essentially of cellulose derivatives. 
     
     
         57 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein said comfort fiber component is cotton. 
     
     
         58 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein said comfort fiber component is present at about 10-25%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend. 
     
     
         59 . (canceled) 
     
     
         60 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein said structural fiber component is aramid fiber. 
     
     
         61 . (canceled) 
     
     
         62 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein said structural fiber component is present at about 10-20%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend. 
     
     
         63 . The fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein said structural fiber component is present at about 10-15%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend. 
     
     
         64 . (canceled) 
     
     
         65 . A fabric comprising:
 about 30-80%, by weight, of a FR fiber component comprising:
 a first FR fiber component, comprising at least one fiber selected from the group consisting of modacrylic, fluoropolymer, polybenzimidazole (PBI), and copolymers thereof, and combinations thereof that is hydrophobic, and 
 a second thermally shrink resistant FR fiber that is present at a level of at least 10% by weight of the total fiber blend; 
   about 10-35%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of a comfort fiber component comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of cellulose, cellulose derivatives, wool, and combinations thereof; and   about 5-25%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of at least one structural fiber component comprising at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of aramid fiber, melamine fiber, nylon fiber, structural carbon fiber, polyacrylonitrile fibers and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         66 - 74 . (canceled) 
     
     
         75 . A fiber blend, comprising:
 about 55%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of a FR fiber component that is not thermally shrink resistant;   about 20%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of a thermally shrink resistant FR fiber component;   about 15%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of a comfort fiber; and   about 10%, by weight, of para-aramid fiber structural fiber component.   
     
     
         76 . A fiber blend, comprising:
 about 55%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of modacrylic and 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of acrylic FR fiber;   about 15%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of cotton; and   about 10%, by weight, based on the total weight of the fiber blend, of para-aramid fiber.   
     
     
         77 . A yarn comprising the fiber blend of  claim 2 , wherein said FR fiber component, said comfort fiber component, and said structural fiber component are intimately blended. 
     
     
         78 . A fabric comprising the yarn of  claim 77 . 
     
     
         79 . A fabric of  claim 78 , wherein the fabric is a twill weave. 
     
     
         80 . A fabric of  claim 78 , wherein the fabric is a knit. 
     
     
         81 - 85 . (canceled) 
     
     
         86 . The fabric of  claim 78 , wherein said fabric has a basis weight of less than about 8.0 ounces/square yard (OPSY). 
     
     
         87 . (canceled) 
     
     
         88 . The fabric of  claim 78 , wherein said fabric is woven. 
     
     
         89 . (canceled) 
     
     
         90 . A garment comprising the fabric of  claim 78 . 
     
     
         91 . A garment of  claim 90 , wherein said fabric forms at least one outer portion of said garment. 
     
     
         92 . A garment of  claim 90 , wherein said garment is outerwear. 
     
     
         93 . A garment of  claim 90 , wherein said outerwear is a coat, coverall, overall, shirt, or pants. 
     
     
         94 . (canceled) 
     
     
         95 . A yarn comprising the fiber blend of  claim 38 , wherein said FR fiber component, said comfort fiber component and said structural fiber component are intimately blended. 
     
     
         96 . A fabric comprising the yarn of  claim 95 . 
     
     
         97 . The fabric of  claim 96 , wherein the fabric is a twill weave. 
     
     
         98 . The fabric of  claim 96 , wherein the fabric is a knit. 
     
     
         99 . The fabric of  claim 96 , wherein said fabric is woven. 
     
     
         100 . A garment comprising the fabric of  claim 96 .