Incorporation of active particles into substrates

Abstract

An active particle bonding system comprising an active particle, a material chemically bonded to the active particle, and a substrate embedded to at least one of the active particle and the material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An active particle bonding system comprising,
 an active particle;   a material chemically bonded to the active particle; and   a substrate embedded to at least one of the active particle and the material.   
     
     
         2 . The active particle bonding system of  claim 1  wherein,
 the substrate comprises a previously-swelled substrate comprising a plurality of polymer chains; and 
 at least a portion of the plurality of polymer chains is attached to at least one of the active particle and the material through microscopic entanglement. 
 
     
     
         3 . The active particle bonding system of  claim 2  further comprising free volume within the plurality of polymer chains found in the substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The active particle bonding system of  claim 3  wherein, the volume between the plurality of polymer chains is reduced upon the substrate transferring from a swelled-state to an non-swelled-state. 
     
     
         5 . The active particle bonding system of  claim 1 , wherein the material is miscible with the previously-swelled substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The active particle bonding system of  claim 1  wherein, the previously-swelled substrate is attached to at least one of the active particle and the material during a dying process. 
     
     
         7 . A method of coupling one or more active particles to a fiber comprising,
 chemically bonding a material to the one or more active particles;   swelling the fiber;   allowing for diffusion of at least one of the one or more active particles and the material into the fiber;   reducing a fiber volume; and   operatively coupling the one or more active particles to the fiber.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein, chemically bonding a material to the one or more active particles comprises one of,
 chemically bonding the material to the one or more active particles before swelling the fiber; and 
 chemically bonding the material to the one or more active particles during swelling the fiber. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein, swelling the fiber occurs during a supercritical CO 2  process to dye the fiber. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein, swelling the fiber occurs during a dispersion process to dye the fiber. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein,
 the material comprises one or more long chain groups;   allowing for diffusion of at least one of the one or more active particles and the material into the fiber comprises automatically selecting the one or more active particles and the one or more long chain groups for diffusion into the fiber by size of the one or more active particles and the one or more long chain groups.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein, automatically selecting the one or more active particles and the one or more long chain groups for diffusion into the fiber by size of the one or more active particles and the one or more long chain groups comprises receiving a size of the one or more active particles and the one or more long chain groups that is adapted to fit in one or more areas in the swelled fiber. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein, the one or more areas in the swelled fiber are adapted to receive the one or more active particles and the one or more long chain groups. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7  wherein,
 reducing a fiber volume comprises diminishing the space between a plurality of fiber particles; 
 the fiber comprises a polyester; 
 the material comprises at least one of an end-functional long chain group related to one or more of a cellulose, polyether, modified polyacrylic, an end-functional amine group, polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polystyrene, polyacrylic, polypropylene, polyurethane (aliphatic and aromatic), aramids, and polyamide; and 
 the material is used to attach the polyether to the fiber. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 7  wherein, a first surface area exposed to an ambient environment of a first active particle coupled to the fiber through diffusion of the material into the fiber is greater than a second surface area exposed to an ambient environment of a second active particle coupled to the fiber through diffusion of the second active particle into the fiber. 
     
     
         16 . A textile incorporating one or more fibers, wherein the one or more fibers comprise,
 a substrate;   an active particle;   a material chemically bonded to the active particle; wherein,   the material is miscible with the substrate; and   at least one of the active particle and the material is coupled to the substrate through diffusion.   
     
     
         17 . The textile of  claim 16  wherein,
 at least one of the active particle and the material is coupled to the substrate through diffusion upon swelling of the substrate during a textile dying process; and 
 the material comprises a reactive group. 
 
     
     
         18 . The textile of  claim 17  wherein,
 the dying process comprises a supercritical CO 2  dying process; and 
 the fiber comprises a polymeric material. 
 
     
     
         19 . The textile of  claim 17  wherein, the reactive group comprises at least one of an end-functional long chain group related to one or more of a cellulose, polyether, modified polyacrylic, an end-functional amine group, polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polystyrene, polyacrylic, polypropylene, polyurethane (aliphatic and aromatic), aramids, and polyamide. 
     
     
         20 . The textile of  claim 19  wherein,
 the end-functional amine group comprises a plurality of long-chain groups; 
 at least one of the long-chain groups chemically bonds to the active particle; and 
 diffusion of the at least one of the long-chain groups into the substrate occurs. 
 
     
     
         21 . The textile of  claim 16  wherein the material is coupled to the substrate.