Geosynthetic fabric with differential wicking capability

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a geotextile fabric including a plurality of wicking yarns each having a plurality of fibers with inter-fiber voids therebetween; wherein the inter-fiber voids of the plurality of wicking yarns has a water flow of about 0.05 milliliters per day per denier (ml/day/denier) to about 1.0 milliliters per day per denier. Further, the present invention is directed to a method of making such geotextile fabric.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A geotextile fabric comprising:
 a plurality of wicking yarns each having a plurality of fibers with inter-fiber voids therebetween;   wherein the plurality of wicking yarns have a void ratio of about 0.8 to about 5.   
     
     
         2 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the geotextile fabric is a woven fabric. 
     
     
         3 . The geotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the geotextile is a nonwoven fabric. 
     
     
         4 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the inter-fiber voids are formed by texturizing or yarn bulking process resulting in the inter fiber voids. 
     
     
         5 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wicking yarns is disposed in a first axis of the geotextile fabric, and a polymeric yarns is disposed in a second axis of the fabric. 
     
     
         6 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wicking yarns is arranged in the machine direction, the cross-machine direction, or both directions. 
     
     
         7 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of each of the plurality of wicking yarns is round, oval, trilobal, multi lobed, dumbbell, multi channeled, triangular with round edges, pillowed, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of each of the plurality of wicking yarns is substantially round. 
     
     
         9 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wicking yarns comprises a plurality of textured wicking yarns. 
     
     
         10 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of textured wicking yarns comprises an air texturized wicking yarn, a mechanically texturized wicking yarn with friction or air, a staple spun texturized wicking yarn, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of textured wicking yarns comprises the air texturized wicking yarn. 
     
     
         12 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 1 , wherein a fiber of the plurality of wicking yarns has a cross sectional surface area of about 1000 square centimeter per gram (cm 2 /g) to about 5000 square centimeter per gram. 
     
     
         13 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 1 , wherein a weight of each of the plurality of wicking yarns is between about 0.5 Denier and about 100 Denier per filament. 
     
     
         14 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of wicking yarns has a water flow rate of at least 2 liters/linear foot per day. 
     
     
         15 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of wicking yarns is a polyamide, a polyimide, a polyethylene, a polyester, a nylon, a polyolefin, a polystyrene, a cellulose ester, a cotton, a wool, a polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and natural fiber, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of fibers is a poly(ethylene terephthalate), a polypropylene, or a nylon. 
     
     
         17 . The geotextile fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wicking yarns comprise staple fibers.