DESC:FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULE, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[See Section 10, Rule 13]

PROTECTIVE FABRIC AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING GARMENT THEREOF;

ARVIND LIMITED, A COMPANY INCORPORATED UNDER THE COMPANIES ACT, 1956, WHOSE ADDRESS IS NARODA ROAD, AHMEDABAD - 380025, GUJARAT, INDIA

THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES THE INVENTION AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFORMED
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[1] The present invention relates to fabrics, garments for conferring thermal protection against molten metal splashing, electrical arcs and method of manufacturing such garments thereof.

BACKGROUD OF THE INVENTION
[2] Ferrous metals (mainly iron) and their alloys derived as steel, stainless steel etc. have a melting temperature above 1200º Celsius. During operating conditions, when such metals in molten state with high temperatures splash on garments, they impact with garments causing immediate destruction of the fabric. It has been observed that molten ferrous metal (mainly iron) when splashed does not adhere to the protective fabrics. However, non-ferrous molten metal of copper, zinc, lead, tin, aluminium, cryolite, nickel, or magnesium and their alloys with lower working temperatures, when splashed on garments sticks in the fabric allowing immediate heat transfer from the molten metal onto garment as well as a worker. This causes destruction of the fabric and injuries the worker. Aluminium, the most common non-ferrous alloy, is known for its “staying stuck” easy behaviour in the clothes of the smelters. Molten aluminium (secondary production process) has an operating temperature of 7000º Celsius to 8000º Celsius, enough to cause severe burns to the smelters.
[3] In order to address the above-mentioned problem, conventional protective garments made from a fabric having a blend of flame-retardant fibers and woven fibers are disclosed which offer protection against ferrous (iron) and non-ferrous metals (specifically aluminium). Such conventional protective garments must withstand high thermal shock splashes and molten metal splashes to avoid being destroyed and maintain its structure so as to prevent metal from entering into the wearer’s clothing.
[4] However, it has been observed that such conventional fabric having blend of flame-retardant fibers and wool fibers when tested do not conform to international quality standards for protective garments. Specifically, it has been noted that such conventional fabric when tested as per ISO 11612 “D” Code (for aluminium), fail to conform the quality standard due to the sticky behaviour of molten aluminium. However, when tested as per ISO 11612 “E” Code (for iron) pass to conform the standard.
[5] Further, the yarn of such protective fabric produced from a worsted spinning system is a limitation. The blend flame-retardant/ wool fabrics for the protective garment tends to be ineffective to withstand splashes of molten metal and shows lower repellence characteristics allowing the molten metal to stick on the clothes of the worker.
[6] Therefore, there is a need to overcome one or more of the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[7] Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention discloses a protective fabric consisting of an intimate blend of flame-retardant cellulosic fibers and polyamide fibers in a blend ratio of at least 80% to 90% flame-retardant cellulosic fibers and 10% to 20% polyamide fibers, wherein total fabric weight is about 350 to 430 grams per square meter.
[8] According to an embodiment of the present invention, said fabric complies with the requirements of ISO 11611, ISO 11612, ISO 9185: 2007 for Code “D2”, “D3”and Code “E3”, NFPA 2112, ISO 15025, ISO 6330 6N post five washes, ASTM D 6413, ASTM F1959/F1959M – 13, and EN 61482-1-1.
[9] In the embodiment, said flame-retardant cellulosic fibers are flame-retardant viscose fibers and polyamide fibers are thermo plastic nylon 66 fibers.
[10] In the embodiment, said fabric is woven with twill or satin textile weaves.
[11] In the embodiment, said fabric is made of double yarn woven having yarn count of 2/16s Ne to about 2/24s Ne.
[12] In the embodiment, said fabric has a moisture vapour transmission rate (MVTR) of more than 1000 gm/M2/Day when tested pursuant to ASTM E-96-05.
[13] In the embodiment, said fabric has high abrasion resistance of more than 100000 revolutions when tested pursuant to ISO 12947/2 or ASTM D4966.
[14] In the embodiment, said fabric has an arc thermal protective value (ATPV) of more than 12 Cal/cm2 when tested pursuant to EN 61482-1-1.
[15] According to another aspect, the present invention discloses a method for manufacturing garment from the fabric as claimed in any of the preceding claims 1-9 comprising the steps of:
a) spinning an intimate blend of flame-retardant viscose fibers and nylon 66 fibers through a ring spinning system to form yarns;
b) weaving with twill or satin textile weaves to form fabric;
c) wet processing said fabric, wherein said fabric is padded with a vat dye and an auxiliary pad dry - pad steam process and dried about 800C-1400C; and
d) garmenting with flame retardant trims to form a protective garment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[16] In general, the present invention discloses a protective fabric consisting of an intimate blend of flame-retardant viscose fibers and thermo plastic nylon 66 fibers in a blend ratio of at least 80% to 90% flame-retardant cellulosic fibers and 10% to 20% polyamide fibers, wherein total fabric weight is about 350 to 430 grams per square meter. The fabric complies with the requirements of ISO 11611, ISO 11612, ISO 9185: 2007 for Code “D2”, “D3”and Code “E3”, NFPA 2112, ISO 15025, ISO 6330 6N post five washes, ASTM D 6413, ASTM F1959/F1959M – 13, and EN 61482-1-1. The intimate blend is spun through a ring spinning system to form yarns and twill or satin textile woven to form fabric. The fabric is padded with a vat dye and an auxiliary pad dry - pad steam process and dried about 800 C - 1400 C and garmented with flame retardant trims to form a protective garment.
[17] According to the embodiment, the protective fabric complies with the requirements of ISO 11611 and ISO 11612 for Code “D” and Code “E” at least at 350 gsm.
[18] In the embodiment, the protective fabric is air permeable and moisture vapour permeable. The protective fabric may reduce perspiration and provide greater comfort to a user for longer periods of time.
[19] In the embodiment, the protective fabric has a MVTR (Moisture Vapour Transmission Rate) of more than 1000 gm/M2/Day when tested pursuant to ASTM E-96-05.
[20] In the embodiment, the protective fabric has high abrasion resistance of more than 100000 revolutions when tested pursuant to ISO 12947/2 or ASTM D4966.
[21] According to the present invention, post five washes, the dimensional stability of viscose rich fabric may be around 6% to 7% as per ISO 6330 6N and for protective fabric post five washes as per ISO 6330 6N the dimensional stability should be less than 3%.
[22] In the embodiment, the protective fabric complies with the requirements of ISO 6330 6N post five washes.
[23] According to the present invention, the fabric may be dimensionally stable (i.e., display reduced stretching or shrinking), and optionally further comprise other functional durable finishes such as an anti-microbial, water and oil repellent, stain release finishes and the like, without affecting protective performance.
[24] In the embodiment, the protective fabric is woven with textile weaves such as plain, twill, satin/sateen, basket, matt, and dobby and more preferably with twill or satin textile weaves.
[25] According to the present invention, the molten metal includes ferrous metals and alloys and non-ferrous metals and alloys such as copper, zinc, lead, tin, aluminum, cryolite, and nickel, or magnesium.
[26] In the embodiment, the fabric is made of double yarn woven having yarn count of 2/16s Ne to about 2/24s Ne for imparting good lustre and strength while having the same resultant count of single yarn.
[27] According to another aspect, the present invention discloses a method of manufacturing protective garment consists the steps of (A) spinning a blend of flame-retardant cellulosic fibers in an amount of at least 80% to 90% by weight of a total protective fabric weight and polyamide fibers in an amount of at least 10% to 20% by weight of said total protective fabric weight, through a ring spinning system to form yarns. The flame-retardant cellulosic fibers include flame-retardant viscose fibers and polyamide fibers includes thermo plastic nylon 66 fibers.
[28] In the embodiment, the step (B) includes weaving with textile weaves such as plain, twill, satin/sateen, basket, matt, and dobby and more preferably with twill or satin textile weaves to form fabric.
[29] In the embodiment, the step (C) includes wet processing of said fabric, said wet processing further includes the step of (a) singeing, wherein a singeing machine through a gas burner burns out any protruding fibers for improving the resistance to pilling and imparting lustre to the fabric.
[30] In the embodiment, step (b) of said wet processing includes desizing, wherein oxidative desizing of said fabric when treated for a predetermined period of at least 8 hours removes any added impurities like size, spinning oil etc.
[31] In the embodiment, step (c) of said wet processing includes washing, wherein the fabric is washed with hot water to remove impurities.
[32] In the embodiment, step (d) of said wet processing includes dyeing, wherein said fabric is padded with a vat dye and an auxiliary (PDPS - Pad dry - pad steam process) and dried about 800 C - 1400 C.
[33] According to the embodiment, further, in step (d) said fabric may be developed on a continuous dyeing range (CDR) machine by treating with a reducing agent and steaming for a prescribed time of 1 minute. Then said fabric may be oxidized with H2O2, washed and dried on a vertical drying range (VDR) at 800C-900C.
[34] In the embodiment, step (e) of said wet processing includes relax drying, wherein the fabric may be given a maximum over feed of 60%, thereby making said fabric dimensionally stable.
[35] In the embodiment, step (f) of said wet processing includes finishing, wherein a hydrophilic softener on a stenter machine provides a soft hand feel to said fabric. Further, in step (f) any other durable features like anti-microbial finish, water and oil repellents, and stain release agents may be incorporated.
[36] In the embodiment, step (g) of said wet processing includes sanforizing, wherein said fabric may be shrunken length and width wise to provide a permanent dimension to said fabric.
[37] In the embodiment, the method includes garmenting, wherein the fabric, is garmented with flame retardant trims.

Example 1:
[38] Pursuant to a performance standard: ISO 11612: 2015, Clause 7.5 molten iron splash ISO 9185: 2007, Iron metal having more than 97% purity, a pouring temperature of 1400 ± 20°C, a pouring height of 225mm, and a specimen angle of 75° to the horizontal shows the following:
Property ISO 11612 Requirements
7.5 Molten iron splash
(Code letter E) Level Fe
E1 = 60g
E2 = 120g
E3 = 200g

[39] According to the embodiment, the protective fabric complies with the requirements of ISO 11612: 2015, clause 7.5 molten iron splash ISO 9185: 2007 for Code “E”. The protective fabric complies for Code “E3” at 350 gsm and 430 gsm.
[40] Pursuant to a performance standard: ISO 11612: 2015, Clause 7.4 molten aluminium Splash, Aluminium having a pouring temperature of 780 ± 20°C, a pouring height of 225mm, and a specimen angle of 60° to the horizontal shows the following:
Property ISO 11612 Requirements
7.4 Molten aluminium splash
(Code letter D) Level Al
D1 = 100g
D2 = 200g
D3 = 350g

[41] Pursuant to a performance standard: ISO 11612: 2015, Clause 7.4 molten aluminium Splash, Aluminium having a pouring temperature of 780 ± 20°C, a pouring height of 225mm, and a specimen angle of 60° to the horizontal shows the following:
[42] According to the embodiment, the protective fabric complies with the requirements of ISO 11612: 2015, clause 7.4 molten aluminum splash, ISO 9185: 2007 for Code “D” The protective fabric complies for Code “D2” at 350 gsm and for Code “D3” at 430 gsm.
[43] According to the present invention, an “Arc Thermal Protective Value” (ATPV) refers to the maximum incident energy (in calories per centimeter squared) that protective fabric can be exposed to and prevent onset of a second-degree burn. Ratings are based upon the total weight of the fabric. A Hazard Risk Category (HRC) level is determined by the minimum number of calories per square centimeter (ATPV or Cal/cm2). Any treated garment must pass through with a 50% probability of a 2nd or 3rd degree burn occurring, which is how the protective level of the treated clothing is determined. The higher the ATPV, the higher the HRC level attained, the greater the protection that is needed. Typical HRCs are given below.
HRC 1: 4 Cal/cm2 = ATPV < 8 Cal/cm2
HRC 2: 8 Cal/cm2 = ATPV < 25 Cal/cm2
HRC 3: 25 Cal/cm2 = ATPV < 40 Cal/cm2
HRC 4: 40 Cal/cm2 = ATPV
[44] According to the embodiment, the protective fabric has an arc thermal protective value (ATPV) of more than 12 Cal/cm2 when tested pursuant to EN 61482-1-1.
[45] According to the present invention, NFPA 2112 standard provides minimum requirements for the design, construction, evaluation, and certification of flame-resistant garments for use by industrial personnel, with the intent of not contributing to the burn injury of the wearer, providing a degree of protection to the wearer, and reducing the severity of burn injuries resulting from short-duration thermal exposures or accidental exposure to flash fires.
[46] According to the present invention, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a United States trade association, albeit with some international members, that creates and maintains private, copyrighted standards and codes for usage and adoption by local governments. This includes publications from model building codes to the many on equipment utilized by firefighters while engaging in hazardous material (hazmat) response, rescue response, and some firefighting. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. ISO 15025: Protective clothing relates to protection against heat and flame and method of test for limited flame spread. ASTM F1959/F1959M – 13 relates to Standard Test Method for Determining the Arc Rating of Materials for Clothing. EN 61482-1-1 relates to Determination of the arc rating (ATPV) of flame-resistant materials for clothing. ASTM D6413 relates to standard test method for flame resistance of textiles (Vertical Test).
[47] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
[48] The present invention has been described in the context of a protective fabric which confers thermal protection against molten metal, flash fires, and electrical arcs and also has aesthetic properties like colour, breathability and/or durability. The yarns, fabrics and garments disclosed by the embodiments of the present invention resist the transfer of energy when exposed to the intense thermal stress of an electrical arc by absorbing a portion of the incident energy and through charring which allows for a reduction in transmitted energy. However, the fabric can be used in any type of protective garments for any fire-retardant applications such as home interiors, Electric Arc suits and fire blankets.
[49] In the foregoing detailed description of aspects embodiments of the invention, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments of the invention require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description of aspects, embodiments of the invention, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.
[50] It is understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. It is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” is used as the plain-English equivalent of the respective term “comprising” respectively.

,CLAIMS:We Claim:
1. A protective fabric consisting of an intimate blend of flame-retardant cellulosic fibers and polyamide fibers in a blend ratio of at least 80% to 90% flame-retardant cellulosic fibers and 10% to 20% polyamide fibers,
wherein total fabric weight is about 350 to 430 grams per square meter.

2. The fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fabric complies with the requirements of ISO 11611, ISO 11612, ISO 9185: 2007 for Code “D2”, “D3”and Code “E3”, NFPA 2112, ISO 15025, ISO 6330 6N post five washes, ASTM D 6413, ASTM F1959/F1959M – 13, and EN 61482-1-1.

3. The fabric as claimed in claims 1-2, wherein said flame-retardant cellulosic fibers are flame-retardant viscose fibers.

4. The fabric as claimed in claims 1-3, wherein said polyamide fibers are thermo plastic nylon 66 fibers.

5. The fabric as claimed in claims 1-4, wherein said fabric is woven with twill or satin textile weaves.

6. The fabric as claimed in claims 1-5, wherein said fabric is made of double yarn woven having yarn count of 2/16s Ne to about 2/24s Ne.

7. The fabric as claimed in claims 1-6, wherein said fabric has a moisture vapour transmission rate (MVTR) of more than 1000 gm/M2/Day when tested pursuant to ASTM E-96-05.

8. The fabric as claimed in claims 1-7, wherein said fabric has high abrasion resistance of more than 100000 revolutions when tested pursuant to ISO 12947/2 or ASTM D4966.

9. The fabric as claimed in claims 1-8, wherein said fabric has an arc thermal protective value (ATPV) of more than 12 Cal/cm2 when tested pursuant to EN 61482-1-1.

10. A method for manufacturing garment from the fabric as claimed in any of the preceding claims 1-9 comprising the steps of:
a) spinning an intimate blend of flame-retardant viscose fibers and nylon 66 fibers through a ring spinning system to form yarns;
b) weaving with twill or satin textile weaves to form fabric;
c) wet processing said fabric, wherein said fabric is padded with a vat dye and an auxiliary pad dry - pad steam process and dried about 800C-1400C; and

d) garmenting with flame retardant trims to form a protective garment.
Dated this 25th day of October, 2018

FOR ARVIND LIMITED
By their AGENT

GIRISH VIJAYANAND SHETH) (IN/PA 1022)
KRISHNA & SAURASTRI ASSOCIATES LLP