Plant fiber pile fabric textile

Abstract

A plant fiber deep pile fabric is disclosed that closely resembles animal fur or wool manufactured via a method that includes extracting the plant fibers from the plant material and forming a yarn or sliver made from plant fibers and simultaneously attaching it to a scrim also made from plant fibers, where the fiber is attached and extends from the scrim to form a length of plant-fiber pile fabric having natural plant fibers on one side and the scrim on the opposite side. The method includes finishing the scrim side of the fabric with an adhesive agent to attach the fibers to the scrim and form a stable base. The method also includes finishing the plant fiber pile side of the fabric by applying fur-industry specific processing steps to alter the properties of the fibers resulting in an even closer resemblance of animal fur.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pile-fabric textile comprising:
 a) a plant-based base;   b) a plurality of pile fibers comprising plant fibers affixed to the base at a first end of each fiber; and,   c) wherein the plurality of pile fibers comprises a fiber density per square centimeter of base ranging from about 1000 fibers to about 30000 fibers per square centimeter of the base.   
     
     
         2 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 1 , wherein the pile fibers are at least 5% plant fibers. 
     
     
         3 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 1 , wherein the pile fibers are at least 90% plant fibers. 
     
     
         4 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 1 , wherein the pile fibers are biodegradable. 
     
     
         5 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 1 , wherein the pile 
     
     
         6 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pile fibers are devoid of fossil fuel based fiber material. 
     
     
         7 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pile fibers are processed plant fibers, the steps of processing further comprising:
 a) a retting process upon the plant fibers;   b) a mercerizing process upon the plant fibers with sodium hydroxide; and,   c) a treatment with pressure and heat to introduce a material into at least one microscopic crevasse in the plant fibers.   
     
     
         8 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plant fibers comprises at least one of a cotton, hemp, stinging nettle, linen, flax, jute, banana, ramie, coir, lotus, silk, pineapple, or sisal fiber. 
     
     
         9 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pile fibers comprises a guard hair group of pile fibers having a first average length and an underlayer group of pile fibers having a second average length. 
     
     
         10 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 9 , wherein the guard hair group of pile fibers and the underlayer group of pile fibers have different average lengths. 
     
     
         11 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 9 , wherein the average length of fibers within the first underlayer group of pile fibers is about 5 millimeters to about 25 millimeters. 
     
     
         12 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 9 , wherein the average length of each fiber within the second guard hair group of pile fibers is about 20 millimeters to about 100 millimeters. 
     
     
         13 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 9 , wherein each fiber within the first guard hair group of pile fibers and the second underlayer group of pile fibers have about the same diameter. 
     
     
         14 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 9 , wherein the fibers within the first guard hair group of pile fibers have a diameter different from fibers in the underlayer group of pile fibers. 
     
     
         15 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 9 , wherein the diameter of the fibers in the guard hair group is about 10 micrometers to about 50 micrometers. 
     
     
         16 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a scrim constructed of plant fibers. 
     
     
         17 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the guard hair group of pile fibers or the underlayer group of pile fibers is affixed to the plant-based or biodegradable base with mechanical entanglement and an adhesive agent. 
     
     
         18 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the guard hair group of pile fibers or the group of pile fibers are affixed to the plant-based and/or biodegradable base by at least one of stitching or knitting. 
     
     
         19 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the guard hair group of pile fibers or the underlayer group of pile fibers further comprise an agent selected from the group consisting of a coloring agent, a flame-retardant, a softening agent, a surface lubrication agent, a stiffening agent, a humectant agent, a moisturizing agent, a degreasing agent, and a cleaning agent. 
     
     
         20 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 19 , wherein the agent is impregnated into at least one of the guard hair group of pile fibers or the underlayer group of pile fibers. 
     
     
         21 . The pile-fabric textile as in  claim 19 , wherein the guard hair group of pile fibers or the underlayer group of pile fibers is surface treated with the agent. 
     
     
         22 . A pile-fabric textile comprising:
 a) abase;   b) a plurality of plant-derived processed pile fibers, wherein the plurality of plant-derived pile fibers have been processed via a retting process and then treated with heat and pressure in the presence of an impregnation material to introduce the impregnation material into at least one microscopic crevasse in each of the pile fibers; and,   c) wherein a first end of each of the pile fibers is secured to the base.   
     
     
         23 . The pile-fabric textile according  claim 22  wherein the impregnation material is selected from the group consisting of flame retardants, biopolymers, strengthening agents, stabilizing agents, pigments, and or softeners, alone or in any combination herein. 
     
     
         24 . The pile-fabric textile according to  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of pile fibers are biodegradable. 
     
     
         25 . The pile-fabric textile according to  claim 22 , wherein the plant-derived pile fibers are selected the group of plant fibers comprising cotton, hemp, stinging nettle, linen, jute, banana, ramie, coir, and or sisal, alone or in any combination herein. 
     
     
         26 . A method of making a plant-fiber based pile-fabric textile comprising:
 a) performing a raw material fiber preparation process on a plant material fiber to form a raw material fiber, wherein performing a raw material fiber preparation process further comprises:
 i. performing a dew retting process on the plant material fiber; 
 ii. performing a mercerization process comprising treating the plant material fiber with sodium hydroxide; and 
 iii. performing an impregnation process comprising treating the plant material fiber with pressure and heat in the presence of an impregnation liquid to introduce an impregnation material into at least one microscopic crevasse in the plant material fiber; 
   b) performing a pre-finishing process on the raw material fiber to form a pre-finished material;   c) performing a knitting process on the pre-finished material to form a knitted material;   d) performing a finishing process on the knitted material to form a finished material; and,   e) performing a post-finishing process on the finished material to form the plant-fiber based pile-fabric textile.   
     
     
         27 . The method of making a plant-fiber based pile-fabric textile according to  claim 26  wherein the pressure during the impregnation process is between 101.325 kPa and 1013.250 kPa and the temperature is between 70 degrees C. and 120 degrees C. 
     
     
         28 . The method of making a plant-fiber based pile-fabric textile according to  claim 26  wherein the impregnation material in the impregnation liquid is selected from the group consisting of flame retardants, biopolymers, strengthening agents, stabilizing agents, pigments, protective agents and or softeners, alone or in any combination herein.