Method For Making A Breathable Cool-Feeling Fabric And The Breathable Cool-Feeling Fabric Made Thereby

Abstract

A method for making a breathable cool-feeling fabric includes blending a liquid gel matrix containing a precursor hydrogel and a solvent with a cross-linking agent to prepare an emulsion which includes hydrogel microbeads formed by gelation of the precursor hydrogel with the cross-linking agent, and press-printing a base fabric with the emulsion such that the hydrogel microbeads are trapped between interwoven yarns of the base fabric.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for making a breathable cool-feeling fabric, comprising steps of:
 a) blending a liquid gel matrix containing a precursor hydrogel and a solvent with a cross-linking agent to prepare an emulsion which includes hydrogel microbeads formed by gelation of the precursor hydrogel with the cross-linking agent; and   b) press-printing a base fabric with the emulsion such that the hydrogel microbeads are trapped between interwoven yarns of the base fabric.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising a step of removing the solvent after step b). 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein step b) is performed by gravure printing. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the precursor hydrogel comprises a polyether-based polymer. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the emulsion has a viscosity ranging from 500 cps to 10,000 cps at 35° C. 
     
     
         6 . A breathable cool-feeling fabric comprising:
 a base fabric including interwoven yarns; and   a plurality of hydrogel microbeads trapped between said interwoven yarns of said base fabric.   
     
     
         7 . The breathable cool-feeling fabric according to  claim 6 , wherein said hydrogel microbeads are formed by gelation of a precursor hydrogel with a cross-linking agent. 
     
     
         8 . The breathable cool-feeling fabric according to  claim 7 , wherein said precursor hydrogel comprises a polyether-based polymer. 
     
     
         9 . The breathable cool-feeling fabric according to  claim 8 , wherein said polyether-based polymer is selected from the group consisting of a polyether-based polymer containing an ester group, a polyether-based polymer containing an amide group, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The breathable cool-feeling fabric according to  claim 6 , wherein an area ratio of said hydrogel microbeads in a surface of said base fabric ranges from 40% to 80%. 
     
     
         11 . The breathable cool-feeling fabric according to  claim 6 , wherein said base fabric is an elastic fabric. 
     
     
         12 . The breathable cool-feeling fabric according to  claim 11 , wherein said elastic fabric is a knitted fabric.