A method for producing a non-woven textile, and a non-woven textile

Abstract

The invention provides a method for producing a non-woven textile, comprising: i) applying a layer of a dispersion comprising dispersion medium and biobased first fibers ( 110 ) on a support, wherein the biobased first fibers ( 110 ) are fibers derived from a micro-organism cultured in a liquid culture medium, and wherein, prior to said applying, a plasticizer has been added to the dispersion; ii) depositing reinforcing second fibers ( 120 ) on the layer of the dispersion, wherein the reinforcing second fibers ( 120 ) are separate fibers which are not part of a fabric, and wherein the second fibers have an average length that is at least 10×the average length of the first fibers; and iii) eliminating the dispersion medium to form the non-woven textile ( 100 ) comprising a web of biobased first fibers ( 110 ). A non-woven textile, and seamless as well.

1 . A method for producing a non-woven textile ( 100 ), wherein said method comprises the following steps:
 i) applying a layer of a dispersion comprising dispersion medium and biobased first fibers ( 110 ) on a support, wherein the biobased first fibers ( 110 ) are fibers derived from a micro-organism cultured in a liquid culture medium, and wherein, prior to said applying, a plasticizer has been added to the dispersion;   ii) depositing reinforcing second fibers ( 120 ) on the layer of the dispersion, wherein the reinforcing second fibers ( 120 ) are separate fibers which are not part of a fabric, and wherein the second fibers have an average length that is at least 10×larger than the average length of the first fibers; and   iii) eliminating the dispersion medium to form the non-woven textile ( 100 ) comprising a web of biobased first fibers ( 110 ).   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer of the dispersion in step i) is applied by spraying. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising removing the non-woven textile from the support. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the plasticizer is a sugar alcohol, a polyol, polyolester and/or an alpha hydroxy acid, or a combination thereof, or
 wherein said plasticizer comprises one or more of glycols, glyceryl triacetate, polymeric polyols, quillaia, honey, molasses, aloe vera, castor oil, glycerides, triglycerides and other mineral or organic oil.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the plasticizer comprises a combination of sorbitol and citric acid. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein step i) is preceded by a step comprising
 supplying a dispersion of biobased first fibers ( 110 ), said first fibers ( 110 ) being dispersed in a dispersion medium, and   eliminating at least part of said dispersion medium so as to form a web on the support;   which step is performed at least once, and step i) comprises applying the layer of dispersion onto the web.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises between steps ii) and iii) a step of applying a further layer of a further dispersion on top of the layer of the dispersion, said further dispersion comprising further dispersion medium and biobased third fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the biobased first fibers ( 110 ) are in the form of a biological material chosen from: fungal mycelium, yeast, algae, bacteria, cultured animal or plant cells, fibers derived from animal and/or plant cells cultured in a liquid culture medium. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the second fibers ( 120 ) are selected from natural fibers, regenerated fibers, recycled fibers, synthetic fibers, or any combination thereof, or wherein the second fibers ( 120 ) are hydrophilic. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of first fibers in the dispersion is at least 0.1% w/v, at least 5% w/v, at least 10% w/v, or at least 15% w/v. 
     
     
         13 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the dispersion further comprises oil droplets. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises a step of applying and adhering at least one component to the web;
 wherein said at least one component is selected from the group of led-lighting, sensors, RFID tags or NFC chips, or embellishments, for example sequins, beads, cord, appliqué and lace; and   wherein said at least one component is embedded in the non-woven textile without gluing or sewing the component to the non-woven textile.   
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises a dyeing step, wherein dye or pigment is co-applied with at least one chosen from the first and second fibers, and wherein no liquid other than the dispersion is used to apply the dye and/or pigment. 
     
     
         21 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the support has a three-dimensional non-flat surface. 
     
     
         26 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . Non-woven textile ( 100 ), wherein said non-woven textile ( 100 ) is obtained by a method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         31 . Non-woven textile,
 comprising biobased first fibres and reinforcing second fibres, wherein said first and second fibers are irreversibly embedded in an amorphous matrix comprising plasticizer;   wherein the biobased first fibers ( 110 ) are fibers derived from a micro-organism that has been cultured in a liquid culture medium, and   wherein the second fibers have an average length that is at least 10×longer than the average length of the first fibers.   
     
     
         32 . The non-woven woven textile according to  claim 31 , wherein said plasticizer is formed from an alpha hydroxy acid and a polyol. 
     
     
         33 . The non-woven textile according to  claim 31 , wherein
 the first fibers comprise 20-80% weight of the non-woven textile;   the second fibers comprise 1-40% weight of the non-woven textile; and   the plasticizer comprises 5-50% weight of the non-woven textile,   wherein the combined % weight of the first fibers, the second fibers and the plasticizer is at least 65% of the weight of the non-woven textile, or at least 80%; and   wherein the % weight of the second fibers is less than the % weight of the first fibers.   
     
     
         34 . The non-woven textile according to  claim 31 , wherein oil droplets and/or fatty droplets are embedded in the matrix, said droplets having a maximum diameter in the range of 1 μm to 20 μm. 
     
     
         35 . Shaped seamless garment, accessory or footwear to be worn, or any other three dimensional seamless non-woven textile product, comprising the non-woven textile according to  claim 30 . 
     
     
         36 . Shaped seamless garment, accessory or footwear to be worn, or any other three dimensional seamless non-woven textile product, comprising the non-woven textile according to  claim 31 .