Cooling fabric containing hydrophobic peba

Abstract

A hydrophobic polyether-block-polyamide copolymer (PEBA) for the manufacture of a fabric material capable of cooling after the material has been brought into contact with an aqueous medium at a temperature lying in the range from 15° C. to T m -20° C., T m being the melting point of the fabric material, the aqueous medium comprising at least 85 wt % water relative to the weight of the aqueous medium, the PEBA comprising 20 to 80 wt % polyamide blocks and 80 to 20 wt % polyether blocks and having a saturated water absorption of less than 6 wt % according to the ISO 62 standard relative to the weight of PEBA, a cooling fabric comprising such a PEBA and the use of this fabric in the medical, hygiene, baggage, confection, clothing, domestic or household equipment, furnishing, carpet, automotive or industrial fields, especially for industrial filtration, agricultural and/or building matter.

1 . A fabric material made from a hydrophobic polyether-block-polyamide copolymer (PEBA), said fabric material capable of cooling after said material has been brought into contact with an aqueous medium at a temperature lying in the range from 15° C. to T m -20° C., T m  being the melting point of the fabric material, said aqueous medium comprising at least 85 wt % water relative to the weight of the aqueous medium, said PEBA comprising 20 to 80 wt % polyamide blocks and 80 to 20 wt % polyether blocks and having a saturated water absorption of less than 6 wt % according to the ISO 62 standard relative to the weight of PEBA. 
     
     
         2 . The fabric material as claimed in  claim 1 , in which said fabric material is such that it cools to a temperature below the ambient temperature for at least 15 minutes, preferably for at least 30 minutes, more preferably for at least one hour and even more preferably for at least two hours, after said contacting operation, the ambient temperature being in the range from 10 to 80° C. 
     
     
         3 . The fabric material as claimed in  claim 1 , in which said material is such that it has accelerated and prolonged properties of desorbing and evaporating said aqueous medium in the form of cold gas at a temperature below the ambient temperature, preferably below 20° C. 
     
     
         4 . The fabric material as claimed in  claim 1 , in which said material takes the form of a porous membrane, a woven fabric or a nonwoven fabric. 
     
     
         5 . The fabric material as claimed in  claim 1 , in which said material comprises fibers and/or filaments and/or particles based on said PEBA. 
     
     
         6 . A method for cooling the skin of a human being, comprising the application to said skin of a cooling fabric material impregnated with an aqueous medium, said material comprising at least 10 wt % of a hydrophobic polyether-block-polyamide copolymer (PEBA), said material having a melting point T m  such that T m -20° C. is above the ambient temperature, said PEBA comprising 20 to 80 wt % of polyamide blocks and 80 to 20 wt % of polyether blocks, and having a saturated water absorption of less than 6 wt % according to the ISO 62 standard relative to the weight of PEBA, and said aqueous medium comprising at least 85 wt % water, relative to the weight of said aqueous medium, the temperature of the aqueous medium being in the range from 15° C. to T m -20° C. 
     
     
         7 . A fabric material characterized in that it comprises a hydrophobic polyether-block-polyamide copolymer (PEBA) comprising 20 to 80 wt % polyamide blocks and 80 to 20 wt % polyether blocks, and having a saturated water absorption of less than 6% according to the ISO 62 standard relative to the weight of PEBA. 
     
     
         8 . A cooling fabric material comprising a fabric material as claimed in  claim 7 , impregnated with an aqueous medium comprising at least 85 wt % water relative to the weight of said medium, the temperature of the aqueous medium being in the range from 15° C. to T m -20° C., T m  being the melting point of the fabric material, the weight content of hydrophobic PEBA representing at least 10% of the total weight of the cooling fabric material. 
     
     
         9 . The fabric as claimed in  claim 7 , in which said PEBA is made as a compound with at least one filler and/or at least one pigment and/or at least one additive. 
     
     
         10 . The fabric as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that it comprises synthetic fibers obtained from bioresource raw materials. 
     
     
         11 . The fabric as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that it further comprises natural fibers, artificial fibers manufactured from natural raw materials, mineral fibers, metal fibers and/or synthetic fibers other than hydrophobic PEBA fibers. 
     
     
         12 . The fabric as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that it is manufactured solely from bioresource raw materials. 
     
     
         13 . The fabric as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that it comprises at least one structure chosen from:
 mixtures of monofilaments and/or multifilaments comprising hydrophobic PEBA with other fabric materials; and/or   at least one ply of predominantly hydrophobic fabric material, comprising at least 10% hydrophobic PEBA, superposed on at least one ply of predominantly hydrophilic fabric material; and/or   sandwich structures based on said plies; and   combinations of these structures.   
     
     
         14 . The fabric as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that it constitutes a felt, web, a net, a filter, a film, a gauze, a cloth, a bandage, a wipe, a ply, a woven, a knit, an article of clothing, a garment, a pair of tights, support stockings, an article of bed linen, an article of furniture, a napkin, a package, a curtain, an interior lining, a functional engineering textile, a geotextile and/or an agricultural textile. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled)