Textured Water-Repellant Fabric

Abstract

Textured fabrics have raised projections separated by depressed areas. The raised projections have heights of 0.3 to 8 mm above the level of the surrounding depressed areas. The raised projections have a pitch of 0.25 to 10 mm. The raised projections are locked into the fabric by the presence of a flexible, crosslinked polymer. The fabrics are water-resistant and breathable. The raised projections and the depressed areas create channels through which water can flow, maintaining the air permeability of the textured fabric during rainstorms. The textured fabric may be part of an outerwear rain jacket.

1 . A textured fabric coated with a crosslinked, flexible polymeric coating, the textured fabric being characterized in having an air permeability of at least 0.1 scfm (0.0472 l/s) as measured according to ASTM D737 wherein the textured fabric has at least one three-dimensional surface characterized by having raised projections separated by depressed areas, wherein the raised projections have a pitch 0.25 to 10 mm and height of about 0.3 to 8 mm above the height of the depressed areas, and wherein the crosslinked, flexible polymeric coating locks the three-dimensional surface into the textured fabric. 
     
     
         2 . The textured fabric of  claim 1  wherein the raised projections have an aspect ratio of 1 to 5 and the three-dimensional surface has 1.2 to 1600 raised projections per square centimeter. 
     
     
         3 . The textured fabric of  claim 1  wherein the three-dimensional surface includes 4 to 400 raised projections per square centimeter. 
     
     
         4 . The textured fabric of  claim 1  wherein the raised projections have a height of 0.5 to 5 mm above the height of the depressed areas. 
     
     
         5 . The textured fabric of  claim 1  wherein the raised projections have a conical, truncated conical, pyramidal or truncated pyramidal shape. 
     
     
         6 . The textured fabric of  claim 1  wherein the raised projections are arranged in a regular two-dimensional array. 
     
     
         7 . The textured fabric of  claim 1  wherein multiple depressed areas are contiguous and form a channel through which a fluid can flow. 
     
     
         8 . The textured fabric of  claim 1  wherein the raised projections have an aspect ratio of greater than 5. 
     
     
         9 . The textured fabric of  claim 8  wherein the raised projections span the fabric in at least one dimension. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The textured fabric of  claim 1  which has an air permeability of at least 5 scfm (standard cubic feet per minute) (2.36 l/s) as measured by ASTM D737, using a SDL Atlas M021A instrument and a 20 cm 2  test area. 
     
     
         12 . The textured fabric of  claim 1  wherein the three-dimensional surface has a water repellency rating of at least 90 on the AATCC Test Method 22. 
     
     
         13 . The textured fabric of  claim 1  which has a moisture transmission rate of 5000 to 500,000 g/m 2 /24 hour, as measured according to JISL 1099B1. 
     
     
         14 . The textured fabric of  claim 1  which has a weight of 10-200 gsm (grams per square meter). 
     
     
         15 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method for producing a textured fabric of  claim 1 , comprising
 a) contacting an impregnated starting untextured fabric against a textured template to form a three-dimensional surface on the impregnated fabric, which three-dimensional surface includes raised projections separated by depressed areas, wherein the raised projections have a pitch of 0.25 to 10 mm and have a height of about 0.3 to 8 mm above the height of the depressed areas, wherein   i) the starting fabric has an untreated air permeability of at least 0.1 scfm (0.0472 L/s) as measured by ASTM D737; and   ii) the starting fabric is impregnated with a curable coating composition that is applied to at least one surface of the starting fabric, wherein the curable coating composition 1) at 22° C. and at atmospheric pressure is a liquid or a suspension of one or more solids in a liquid phase and 2) is curable to form a crosslinked, hydrophobic flexible polymer;   b) at least partially curing the curable coating composition while the impregnated fabric is in contact with the template to form a crosslinked, flexible polymeric coating and lock the three-dimensional surface into the fabric to form the textured fabric; and then   c) removing the textured fabric from the template.   
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 20  wherein the at least partial curing is performed in an oxygen-deficient environment. 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 20  wherein the heated temperature of the template is between 100 and 180 C. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 20  further comprising, after step c), applying a second curable coating composition to the textured textile and curing the second curable coating composition on the textured textile. 
     
     
         24 . A method for producing a textured fabric of  claim 1 , comprising
 a) providing a starting untextured fabric having an untreated air permeability of at least 0.1 scfm (0.0472 L/s) as measured by ASTM D737;   b) applying a curable coating composition to at least one surface of the starting untextured fabric to form an impregnated fabric, wherein the curable coating composition 1) at 22° C. and at atmospheric pressure is a liquid or a suspension of one or more solids in a liquid phase and 2) is curable to form a crosslinked, hydrophobic flexible polymer;   c) contacting the impregnated fabric against a heated, textured template to form a three-dimensional surface on the impregnated fabric, which three-dimensional surface includes raised projections separated by depressed areas, the raised projections having a pitch of 0.25 to 10 mm and a height of about 0.3 to 8 mm above the height of the depressed areas; then   d) at least partially curing the curable coating composition in a low oxygen environment while the impregnated fabric is in contact with the template to form a crosslinked, flexible polymeric coating and lock the three-dimensional surface into the fabric to produce the textured fabric; and then   e) removing the textured fabric from the template.   
     
     
         25 . A garment including a textured fabric of  claim 1  on at least one exterior surface thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The textured fabric of  claim 1  wherein the flexible, crosslinked polymer is a polymer formed by curing a curable coating composition that includes
 a) at least one monomer that has exactly one polymerizable group per molecule and least one hydrocarbyl group that has at least six carbon atoms bonded directly or indirectly to the polymerizable group, b) at least one crosslinking monomer, c) one or more heat- or UV-activated free-radical initiators, and e) one or more carriers.