Methods and systems for drying lipophilic fluid-containing fabrics

Abstract

Methods and/or systems for reducing the drying time of lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles are provided.

1 . A method for reducing the drying time of lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles comprising the steps of: 
 (a) treating fabric articles with a lipophilic fluid thereby producing lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles, the lipophilic fluid is a liquid at ambient temperature and pressure;    (b) exposing the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles to a co-solvent having a vapor pressure of at least about 3 mm Hg at 20° C.;    (c) subjecting the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles to heat.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the co-solvent is a hydrofluoroether.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the co-solvent is selected from the group consisting of methylol, ethylol, butylol, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the co-solvent is miscible in the lipophilic fluid  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the lipophilic fluid is selected from the group consisting of linear or cyclic siloxanes, perfluorinated amines, C6 or higher diols, polyol polyesters, glycol ethers, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein the lipophilic fluid comprises a cyclic siloxane.  
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein the lipophilic fluid comprises decamethylcyclopentasiloxane in an amount of more than about 50% by weight of the lipophilic fluid.  
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the co-solvent is added to the lipophilic fluid prior to contacting the fabric articles with the lipophilic fluid.  
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the method further comprises heating the lipophilic fluid to above ambient temperature.  
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein step (c) comprises blowing heated gas onto the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles.  
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen, steam, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the gas blows onto the fabric articles at a rate of 40 ft 3 /min to 250 ft 3 /min.  
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein step (c) comprises exposing the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles to electromagnetic energy.  
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein step (c) comprises contacting the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles with a heated rinse liquor.  
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the rinse liquor comprises a lipophilic fluid.  
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the rinse liquor comprises an adjunct selected from the group consisting of bleaches, emulsifiers, fabric softeners, perfumes, antibacterial agents, antistatic agents, brighteners, dye fixatives, dye abrasion inhibitors, anti-crocking agents, wrinkle reduction agents, wrinkle resistance agents, soil release polymers, sunscreen agents, anti-fade agents, waterproofing agents, stainproofing agents, soil repellency agents, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the method further comprises a step of subjecting the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles to a vacuum pressure of less than about 1 atm.  
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the method further comprises a step of subjecting the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles to a fabric article spin velocity of at least about 200 G.  
   
   
       19 . A method for drying lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles comprising subjecting the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles with a co-solvent and at least one of the following conditions: 
 (a) heating the lipophilic fluid to above ambient temperature;    (b) blowing heated gas onto the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles;    (c) exposing the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles to electromagnetic energy;    (d) contacting the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles with a heated rinse liquor;    such that the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles are dried.    
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 19  wherein the co-solvent having a vapor pressure of at least about 3 mm Hg at 20° C.  
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 19  wherein the lipophilic fluid is a liquid at ambient temperature and pressure.  
   
   
       22 . A method for reducing the drying time of a lipophilic fluid-containing fabric article comprising the steps of: 
 a. adding a co-solvent to the lipophilic fluid to form a solvent mixture;    b. contacting the fabric article with the solvent mixture at a temperature above ambient temperature; and    c. removing at least a portion of the solvent mixture from the fabric article such that amount of lipophilic fluid contained in the fabric article is less than 75% of absorptive capacity of the fabric article.    
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 22  wherein the co-solvent has a vapor pressure of from at least about 3 mm Hg at 20° C.  
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 22  wherein the high vapor pressure co-solvent is selected from the group consisting essentially of: methyol, ethylol, butylol, hydrofluoroethers and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 22  wherein the lipophilic fluid is selected from the group consisting of linear or cyclic siloxanes, perfluorinated amines, C6 or higher diols, polyol polyesters, glycol ethers, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 22  wherein the lipophilic fluid comprises a cyclic siloxane.  
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 22  wherein the lipophilic fluid comprises an adjunct selected from bleaches, emulsifiers, fabric softeners, perfumes, antibacterial agents, antistatic agents, brighteners, dye fixatives, dye abrasion inhibitors, anti-crocking agents, wrinkle reduction agents, wrinkle resistance agents, soil release polymers, sunscreen agents, anti-fade agents, waterproofing agents, stainproofing agents, soil repellency agents, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 22  further comprising one or more of the following steps: 
 a. subjecting the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles to heat;    b. subjecting the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles to a vacuum;    c. subjecting the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles to a fabric article spin velocity of at least about 200 G;    d. subjecting the lipophilic fluid-containing fabric articles to electromagnetic energy.