Method for reducing pilling

Abstract

A method of preventing or at least reducing the pilling of nonwovens of unsplit and/or at least partially split microfibers and/or microfilaments of synthetic polymers containing at least one polyester component and at least one polyamide component and, if necessary, at least one polyurethane component. The method includes treating the nonwoven physically at least once.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of reducing pilling of a nonwoven material made of unsplit and/or at least partially split microfibers of synthetic polymers, the nonwoven material containing at least one polyester component and at least one polyamide component, the method comprising: 
 providing the nonwoven material; and    physically treating the nonwoven material at least once, thereby reducing pilling of the nonwoven material.    
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven fabric includes at least one polyurethane component.  
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven material is used as a flat fabric.  
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the physically treating is performed continuously.  
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the physically treating includes thermally treating the nonwoven material.  
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the thermally treating is performed by singeing.  
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the thermally treating is performed using hot, dry air.  
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the hot, dry air has a temperature of 160° C. to 220° C.  
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the temperature is 180° C. to 210° C.  
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the thermally treating is performed for a duration of ≧15 seconds.  
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the duration is 0.5 to 2 minutes.  
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the thermally treating is performed using steam.  
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the steam is superheated steam.  
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the thermally treating is performed so that the nonwoven fabric has a dwell time in the steam of 20 seconds to 5 minutes.  
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the dwell time is 25 seconds to 4 minutes.  
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the dwell time is 30 seconds to 3 minutes.  
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein the steam has a temperature of no more than 160° C.  
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the temperature is no more than 130° C.  
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the physically treating is performed on a device, wherein one of a length and a width of the device is adjustable length.  
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the device is a tenter frame.  
     
     
         21 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the physically treating includes mechanically treating the nonwoven material.  
     
     
         22 . The method as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the mechanically treating is performed by calendering using at least one pair of rollers.  
     
     
         23 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the calendering includes rotating the rollers in the same direction.  
     
     
         24 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the calendering is performed on a smoothing calender.  
     
     
         25 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the smoothing calender is a two-roller calender.  
     
     
         26 . The method as recited in  claim 25 , wherein at least one roller of the two-roller calender is heated.  
     
     
         27 . The method as recited in  claim 25 , wherein a top roller of the two-roller calender is heated and made of metal and a bottom roller of the two-roller calender is unheated and is made of at least one of cotton, paper and plastic.  
     
     
         28 . The method as recited in  claim 27 , wherein the metal is steel.  
     
     
         29 . The method as recited in  claim 25 , wherein a temperature of the rollers of the two-roller calender is 50° C. to 210° C.  
     
     
         30 . The method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein the temperature is 120° C. to 210° C.  
     
     
         31 . The method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein the temperature is 150° C. to 190° C.  
     
     
         32 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein at least one of the at least one pair of rollers is an embossing roller.  
     
     
         33 . The method as recited in  claim 32 , wherein at least one of the at least one pair of rollers is heated.  
     
     
         34 . The method as recited in  claim 32 , wherein a temperature of the rollers is 140° C. to 240° C.  
     
     
         35 . The method as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the temperature is 150° C. to 230° C.  
     
     
         36 . The method as recited in  claim 35 , wherein the temperature is 160° C. to 220° C.  
     
     
         37 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the calendering is performed with a line pressure of no more than 100 N/mm.  
     
     
         38 . The method as recited in  claim 25 , wherein a line pressure of the smoothing calender is 10 to 25 N/mm.  
     
     
         39 . The method as recited in  claim 32 , wherein the calendering is performed with a line pressure of 30 to 50 N/mm.  
     
     
         40 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein mechanically treating includes moving the nonwoven material at a rate of 2 to 40 meters per minute.  
     
     
         41 . The method as recited in  claim 40 , wherein the rate is 4 to 35 meters per minute.  
     
     
         42 . The method as recited in  claim 41 , wherein the rate is 6 to 30 meters per minute.  
     
     
         43 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the physicaly treating includes coating at least a portion of a first surface of the nonwoven material using at least one coating agent.  
     
     
         44 . The method as recited in  claim 43 , wherein the coating is performed by at least one of a spray, foam, and slop-pad coating.  
     
     
         45 . The method as recited in  claim 43 , wherein the coating is performed by imprinting.  
     
     
         46 . The method as recited in  claim 45 , wherein the imprinting includes screen printing.  
     
     
         47 . The method as recited in  claim 46 , wherein the screen printing includes at least one of rotary screen printing and flat screen printing.  
     
     
         48 . The method as recited in  claim 43 , wherein the coating includes applying the coating agent in an amount of 6 to 16 g/m 2  based on solids of the coating agent.  
     
     
         49 . The method as recited in  claim 48 , wherein the amount is 8 to 15 g/m 2 .  
     
     
         50 . The method as recited in  claim 43 , wherein the coating is performed using patterns.  
     
     
         51 . The method as recited in  claim 50 , wherein the pattern includes geometric figures.  
     
     
         52 . The method as recited in  claim 51 , wherein the geometric figures include at least one of stripes and spots.  
     
     
         53 . The method as recited in  claim 50 , wherein the pattern is uniformly distributed over at least the first surface.  
     
     
         54 . The method as recited in  claim 50 , wherein the coating is performed is performed using at least one of spraying and screen printing.  
     
     
         55 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven material is for use in clothing.  
     
     
         56 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven material is for use in a home textile.  
     
     
         57 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven material is for use in an upholstery material.  
     
     
         58 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven material is for use in bunting.  
     
     
         59 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven material is for use in a lining material.  
     
     
         60 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the lining material includes a lining material for a luggage item.  
     
     
         61 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven material is for use in furnishings for transportation means.  
     
     
         62 . The method as recited in  claim 61 , wherein the furnishings are interior furnishings.