HYDRAULICALLY NEEDLING FABRIC OF CONTINUOUS FILAMENT TEXTILE AND STAPLE FIBERS

摘要

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA lightweight composite fabric characterized byhigh retention of fiber content during initial launderingand exceptionally high strength as measured close to theedge of the fabric with cover and fabric aesthetics equiva-lent to conventional fabrics having 50% higher basis weightare produced by hydraulically needling short staple fibersand a substrate of continuous filaments formed into anordered cross-directional array. The individual continuousfilaments of the array are well spread and separated so thatthey have a spaced-apart relationship allowing interentangl-ing of the short staple fibers with the continuous filamentsto form more than about two reversals in the staple fibersper cm of staple fiber length between the faces of thefabric. The staple fibers have a linear density of lessthan about .3 tex per filament, are from about .5 cm toabout 1 cm in length and comprise about 20% to about 50% ofthe weight of the composite fabric.