Heat resistant, stain resistant, and anti-bacterial fabric and method of making same

Abstract

A high performance fabric comprised of a plurality of high-performance fibers coated with an anti-microbial compound and an anti-stain compound, where the high-performance fibers are polyester microfibers for comfort. The anti-microbial compound is a wash resistant non-organic antibacterial or a non-organic microbicidal. The anti-stain compound is hydrophobic or superhydrophobic, preferably polytetrafluoroethylene or silicone. Optionally, additional flame resistant fibers are interwoven with the high-performance fibers to increase flame resistance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A high performance fabric, comprising:
 a) a plurality of high-performance fibers;   b) an anti-microbial compound affixed to the high-performance fibers; and   c) an anti-stain compound affixed to the high-performance fibers.   
     
     
         2 . The fabric of  claim 1 , where the high-performance fibers are polyester; 
     
     
         3 . The fabric of  claim 2 , where the high-performance polyester fibers are polyester microfibers for comfort. 
     
     
         4 . The fabric of  claim 1 , where the anti-microbial compound is a wash resistant non-organic antibacterial. 
     
     
         5 . The fabric of  claim 1 , where the anti-microbial compound is a non-organic microbicidal. 
     
     
         6 . The fabric of  claim 1 , where the anti-stain compound is a hydrophobic compound, a superhydrophobic compound or both a hydrophobic compound and a superhydrophobic compound. 
     
     
         7 . The fabric of  claim 1 , where the anti-stain compound is polytetrafluoroethylene, silicone or both polytetrafluoroethylene and silicone. 
     
     
         8 . The fabric of  claim 7 , where the anti-stain compound is polytetrafluoroethylene. 
     
     
         9 . The fabric of  claim 1  further comprising additional flame resistant fibers interwoven with the high-performance fibers to increase flame resistance. 
     
     
         10 . The fabric of  claim 9 , wherein the flame resistant fibers are aramid fibers. 
     
     
         11 . The fabric of  claim 9 , wherein the fabric comprises between 10% and 50% of additional flame resistant fibers. 
     
     
         12 . The fabric of  claim 11 , wherein the fabric comprises 50% of additional flame resistant fibers. 
     
     
         13 . A method making a high performance fabric, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) creating a flame resistant fabric blend comprising inherently flame resistant fibers;   b) coating the flame resistant fabric blend with an anti-microbial compound; and   c) coating the flame resistant fabric blend with an anti-stain compound affixed to the high-performance fibers.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , where the flame resistant fabric blend comprises polyester microfibers. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , where the flame resistant fabric blend is comprises polyester microfibers and aramid fibers. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , where the fabric is drawn through a water-based dispersion to coat the fabric with the polytetrafluoroethylene, where the water is heated to a temperature approximately between 70° C. and 100° C. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , where the fabric is drawn through a silicone-based dispersion to coat the fabric with silicone, where the silicone-based dispersion solution is heated to a temperature of approximately 70° C. and 100° C. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , where the fabric is spray coated with a hydrophobic or superhydrophobic compound.