Dyeable rubber coated fabrics

June 23, 1964

J. W. SWIGGETT

DYEABLE RUBBER COATED FABRICS Filed April 21, I960

3,138,431

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United States Patent Office Patented June 23, 1964

3,138,431

DYEABLE RUBBER COATED FABRICS

Jack W. Swiggett, Gastonia, N.C., assignor to United States Rubber Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey

Filed Apr. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 23,645

Claims. (Cl. 8—115.5)

This invention relates to latex coating materials which are applied to the back of fabrics. More particularly, the invention relates to fabrics, the back surfaces of which have been treated with a latex coating which is so modified as to be capable of being colored by dyestuffs used to color the fabric yarns.

The application of a latex coating to the back of a fabric, particularly carpeting and upholstery fabrics, is a practical means of stiffening up the fabric, locking pile tufts in position, waterproofing, and providing an antislip surface to essentially textile materials. After treatment with latex and vulcanization thereof, the coated fabric may then be colored with various dyestuffs to provide it with a decorative and attractive appearance. However, conventional latex coatings will not accept dyestuffs, and consequently retain an unattractive drab yellow or white appearance in contrast with the various colors accepted by the fabric yams. In addition, should the fabric be one which is loosely woven, the uncolored latex coating will be discernible from the upper surface of the fabric in the interstices formed by the loosely woven individual fibers. There is the further disadvantage that the latex may seep through the loosely woven fibers and/or interstices and overrun portions of the face of the fabric, thereby resulting in areas of uncolored latex not in harmony with the dyed surface of the fabric. These discrepancies in color detract from the appearance of the fabric.

To overcome these disadvantages to the appearance of the finished article, it was heretofore necessary to incorporate into the latex coating material a dyestuff or pigment which most nearly matched the color of the dyestuff to be used on the yarns of the fabric. However, such an operation requires that one know beforehand the color that is to be applied to the fabric, and this is not usually feasible. In addition, a latex formulation must be compounded for every different color that is desired in the fabric which presents distinct problems due to the solubility, color-fastness and similar characteristics peculiar to each particular dyestuff or pigment.

I have now found that conventional latex coating materials may be modified to accept dyestuffs and thereafter be colored substantially the same shade as the fabric to which they are applied as a coating, when said fabric and coating are subjected to a subsequent dyeing treatment.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a decoratively dyed fabric having a latex coating on its back surface colored substantially ths same shade as the fabric yarns.

Another object is to provide a latex composition suitable for coating fabrics which will accept the same dyestuff as the fabric yarns.

Other and related objects will become apparent as the description of the invention proceeds.

In accordance with the invention, a conventional latex may be modified to accept dyestuffs by incorporating dye 5 acceptors into the latex which result in the modification of the latex so that it will accept direct, acetate, acid and nylon dyes. I have found that a dyeable latex may be produced by incorporating a member selected from the class consisting of polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl acetate, ¹⁰ acrylic polymers, and combinations thereof into a conventional latex. The polyvinyl pyrrolidone is an acceptor of direct dyes. The polyvinyl acetate and acrylic polymers accept acetate, acid and nylon dyes. The term “con_lg ventional latex,” as used herein, refers to natural and synthetic rubber latices which have been compounded with the usual ingredients necessary for vulcanization, protection against aging, and with auxiliary chemicals to control wetting and penetration of fabric. The term 20 “acrylic polymers,” as used herein, refers to polymeric acrylate and methacrylate esters.

The figure is a schematic flow-sheet illustrating the process by which dyeable rubber-coated fabric can be prepared in accordance with this invention.

For the purposes of this invention, I have found that a suitable range for incorporating polyvinyl pyrrolidone into a latex is from about 1 to about 6 parts by weight, and preferably from about 1 to about 3 parts by weight, based on 100 parts of dry weight compounded ^υ latex solids. When incorporating polyvinyl acetate or acrylic polymer into latex, the parts by weight may range from about 10 to about 50 parts of polyvinyl acetate or acrylic polymer, the dry weight compounded latex solids 35 correspondingly ranging from about 90 to about 50 parts by weight. The preferred range for incorporating polyvinyl acetate or acrylic polymer into a latex is from about 20 to about 40 parts by weight with a corresponding 80 to 60 parts by weight of compounded latex solids. Com40 mercially available aqueous solutions and dispersions of polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl acetate and acrylic polymers may be used in accordance with this invention. Specific examples of particular compositions falling within the scope of my invention are listed below.

⁴⁵ Typical fabrics which may be treated with a latex coating in accordance with the invention are woven and tufted pile fabrics and similar fabrics in which such coating is used to bind certain yarns, that is, those yarns generally 50 having long reaches at one side of the fabric between tiedown points where they are interlocked with the other yarns in the fabric. Loop or cut pile fabrics and fabrics with long surface floats are examples of fabrics with yarns having long reaches between tie-down points.

As an example, the modified latex coating material of this invention can be applied to upholstery fabrics which may be loosely woven, or where there is a possibility of the latex seeping through the fibers and/or interstices to the face of the fabric. Most upholstery fabrics are comθθ posed of cotton ground and either acetate or nylon pile.

These fabrics are dyed with direct dyes on the cotton ground and acetate or nylon dyes on the pile. In such a

3,138,431

EXAMPLE 1

<td> Chemical Classification</td><td> Commercial Product</td><td> Vendor</td><td> Parts by Weight (dry)</td>

<td> Compounded natural rubber latex____________</td><td> Lotol GX-3180________</td><td> Naugatuck Chemical ³____</td><td> 100</td>

<td> Polyvinyl pyrrolidone________________________</td><td> Peregal ST i__________</td><td> Antara Chemicals_________</td><td> 5</td>

<td colspan="4"> EXAMPLE 2</td>

<td> Compounded natural rubber latex____________</td><td> Lotol GX-3180________</td><td> Naugatuck Chemical______</td><td> 90</td>

<td> Polyvinyl acetate_____________________________</td><td> Celanese CL-202 3_____</td><td> Celanese Corp____________</td><td> 10</td>

EXAMPLE 3

<td> Compounded SBR latex ⁴_____________________</td><td> Lotol GX-1314________</td><td> Naugatuck Chemical</td><td> 80</td>

<td> Polyvinyl acetate __________________________</td><td> Flexbond 400 ³________</td><td> Colton Chemical Co</td><td> 20</td>

<td> Polyvinyl pyrrolidone._______________________</td><td> Peregal ST____________</td><td> Antara Chemicals</td><td> 1</td>

<td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td>

EXAMPLE 4

<td> Compounded SBR latex______________________</td><td> Lotol GX-1314________</td><td> Naugatuck Chemical______</td><td> 50</td>

<td> Polyvinyl acetate_____________________________</td><td> Celanese CL-202______</td><td> Celanese Corp____________</td><td> 50</td>

<td> Polyvinyl pyrrolidone________________________</td><td> Peregal ST____________</td><td> Antara Chemicals_________</td><td> 3</td>

EXAMPLE 5

<td> Compounded neoprene latex__________________</td><td> Lotol GX-1076________</td><td> Naugatuck Chemical_____</td><td> 100</td>

<td> Polyvinyl pyrrolidone________________________</td><td> Peregal ST____________</td><td> Antara Chemicals_________</td><td> 5</td>

EXAMPLE 6

<td> Compounded SBR latex..____________________</td><td> Lotol GX-1314________</td><td> Nauvatuck Chemical</td><td> 80</td>

<td> Acrylic polymer______________________________</td><td> Rhoplex B-15⁵________</td><td> Rohm &amp; Haas Co_________</td><td> 20</td>

<td> Polyvinyl pyrrolidone________________________</td><td> Peregal ST____________</td><td> Antara Chemicals_________</td><td> 1</td>

EXAMPLE 7

<td> Compounded natural rubber latex ...........</td><td> Lotol GX-3180________</td><td> Naugatuck Chemical</td><td> 70</td>

<td> Acrylic polymer______________________________</td><td> Rhoplex B-15_________</td><td> Rohm &amp; Haas Co_________</td><td> 30</td>

¹ Approximately 30% solids.

² Naugatuck Chemical Division, U.S. Rubber Co.

’ Approximately 50-55% solids.

&lt; Compounded latex of styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber.

⁵ Approximately 46% solids.

case, a latex coating, modified with both polyvinyl pyrrolidone and polyvinyl acetate or both polyvinyl pyrrolidone and acrylic polymer as in Example 3, 4 and 6 above, would be dyed by the same dyestuffs as used on the fabric, thereby improving the appearance of the upholstery material.

Another use of the coating material of this invention is on cotton, nylon or acetate scatter rugs where it is desirable to have the latex coating on the back of the rug substantially the same color as the rug face. For example, a scatter rug composed of cotton ground and cotton pile would best be coated with a latex modified according to this invention with polyvinyl pyrrolidone as in Example 1. The cotton rug, coated with latex, could then be piecedyed with a direct dye in a wet processing operation, for example, by immersion in a direct dye bath. The latex coating is colored approximately the same shade as the cotton yarn, thereby presenting a uniformly colored article.

Similar results are obtained with materials composed of acetate or nylon fibers or both. Since these materials are dyed by acetate, nylon or acid dyes, they would best be coated with a latex modified according to this invention with polyvinyl acetate as in Example 2 or acrylic polymer as in Example 7.

It is therefore seen that, for dyeing purposes, cotton fabrics are best coated with a latex modified with polyvinyl pyrrolidone. Acetate and/or nylon fabrics are best coated with a latex modified with polyvinyl acetate or acrylic polymer. Fabrics composed of cotton and acetate or nylon fibers are best coated with a latex modified with both polyvinyl pyrrolidone and polyvinyl acetate or polyvinyl pyrrolidone and acrylic polymer.

Typical of the dyestuffs generally used to color textile 45 materials and which can be used in accordance with this invention, though not limiting the invention thereto, are the following:

Dye 50 Classification

Direct_______

Do______

Acetate_____

Do______

Do______

Nylon_______

Do______

Do______

Acid-.______

Commercial Product

Fastusol Red L4BL CF.........

Solophenyl Brown RL__________

Eastman Blue GLF_____________

Eastman Yellow GLF...........

Eastman Red 2B GLF___________

Latyl Red B____________________

Capracyl Grey GN______________

Irgalan Bordeaux GRL_________

Erio Chrome Brown R Supra...

Vendor

General Dyestuff Co. Geigy Dyestuffs. Tennessee Eastman.

Do.

Do.

Du Pont.

Do.

Geigy Dyestuffs.

Do.

The latex coating material of this invention may be applied to fabrics by means of wet rollers, spraying, or any known manner for applying coatings to fabrics. For example, the latex coating may be applied to one side of a fabric as it passes over a roller the surface of which dips into a latex bath upon rotation. After this application of latex to the back of a fabric, the coated fabric may be passed into a drying and curing oven for the purposes of evaporating the water from the latex, coagulating the rubber and curing the rubber by hot vulcanization.

It is to be understood that the above described embodiments are merely illustrative of my invention. Numerous variations and modifications may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is to be determined by the appended claims.

3,138,431 polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl acetate, acrylic polymers and combinations thereof, wherein the polyvinyl pyrrolidone is utilized in an amount of from about 1 to about 6 parts by weight per 100 parts of dry weight compounded latex solids, and the polyvinyl acetate and acrylic polymers are utilized, respectively, in an amount of from about 10 to about 50 parts by weight based on a corresponding 90 to 50 parts by weight of dry weight compounded latex solids, whereby said latex is rendered capable of accepting dyestuffs.

6. In a method of preparing a substantially uniformly dye fabric and coating by applying a compounded latex of a rubber selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, neoprene rubber and styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber as a coating to the back surface of a fabric, drying and vulcanizing said latex thereon, said subjecting said fabric and coating to a subsequent dyeing treatment, the improvement comprising incorporating in said latex from about 1 to about 3 parts by weight of polyvinyl pyyrolidone per 100 parts of dry weight compounded latex solids, whereby the dried and vulcanized latex coating is rendered capable of accepting direct dyestuffs.

7. In a method of preparing a substantially uniformly dye fabric and coating by applying a compounded latex of a rubber selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, neoprene rubber and styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber as a coating to the back surface of a fabric, drying and vulcanizing said latex thereon, and subjecting said fabric and coating to a subsequent dyeing treatment, the improvement comprising incorporating in said latex from about 20 to about 40 parts by weight of polyvinyl acetate based on a corresponding 80 to 60 parts of dry weight compounded latex solids, whereby the dried and vulcanized latex coating is rendered capable of accepting acetate, acid and nylon dyestuffs.

8. In a method of preparing a substantially uniformly dyed fabric and coating by applying a compounded latex of a rubber selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, neoprene rubber and styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber as a coating to the back surface of a fabric, drying and vulcanizing said latex thereon, and subjecting said fabric and coating to a subsequent dyeing treatment, the improvement comprising incorporating in said latex from about 20 to about 40 parts by weight of acrylic 45 polymer based on a corresponding 80 to 60 parts of dry weight compounded latex solids, whereby the dried and vulcanized latex coating is rendered capable of accepting acetate, acid and nylon dyestuffs.

References Cited in the file of this patent

UNITED STATES PATENTS

Reed__________________Jan.29,

Munzinger_____________Apr.27,

Wedger_______________Mar.26,

Biefeld_______________Aug. 25,

Konigsberg et al.________Nov. 20,

Coover________________Apr.30,

Lefferdink et al.________Apr. 14,

Revoir_________________Mar. 8,

Walmsley______________Apr. 12, 1960