Abstract:
The present invention relates to a process of fabric treatment with natural oil essence microcapsule, which is an integrative process including low temperature plasma fabric treatment technique, natural oil microcapsulation technique and fabric coating technique with natural oil microcapsules for facilitating oil essence microcapsulation and fabricating the fabrics thereof with high efficacy.

Description:
REFERENCE CITED  
       [0000]    
       
          1. U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,517  
          2. U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,821  
          3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,330  
          4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,244  
       
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     This invention relates to a process of fabric treatment with natural oil essence microcapsules, which is an integrative process Including low temperature plasma fabric treatment technique, natural oil microcapsulation technique and fabric coating technique with natural oil microcapsules to provide highly valued synthetic fabrics with enhanced process efficiency and practical efficacy.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     Accordingly, most conventional fabrics products, such as socks, belts, hats, underwear, stickers and so on, have not been coated with the materials possessing properties of therapy, health and protection. It is a pity that fabrics can not be generally expanded the efficacy or promoted with such additional value in this high technology era. Though some relevant manufactures had attempted to coat or dispose microcapsules on said fabrics, the conventional application of microcapsules on the fabrics can&#39;t withstand high temperature, pressure and the acid/alkaline additives in the process which usually leads to broken microcapsules. Meanwhile, the current fabric coating process with binders causes coarse feeling with poor wash-fastness and less adhesion amount of microcapsules onto the fabrics as the result of non existence of functional groups on the synthetic fiber surface. For solving aforementioned problems, the inventor of present invention had been devoted to develop the present invention which has much more utilitarian in the industrial application of natural oil essence microcapsule.  
         [0007]     The present invention is an integrative processing procedure of fabric treatment technique with low temperature plasma, natural oil essence microcapsulation technique and fabric coating technique to improve the adhesion property of microcapsules with fabrics. Firstly, the smooth surface of fabrics is roughened or modified with low temperature plasma, wherein it is not only to increase the adhesion area but also to strengthen the binding ability between the adhesive agent and said fabrics. Further, the technique of natural oil essence microcapsules is applied to identify the diameters of said oil essence microcapsules between 5 and 15 μm, which is less than the radius of single fiber to be rationally distributed more on said plasma-treated fabrics, more resistant to the pressure/compression in coating process and more durable in washing. Finally, the prepared oil essence microcapsules are coated on the fabric that had been treated with said plasma. When people wear the clothes with said natural-oil-essence-microcapsules-coated fabrics, the component of natural oil essence will be discharged from the microcapsule by the friction of body skin with the fabric thereof. Therefore, the utilitarian and efficacy of said natural oil essence are promoted with higher value added on the fabric applied.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     It is therefore a board object of the present invention focusing on the fragrant and healthful oil essence in the process of microcapsulation by means of gradual releasing and discharging of said natural oil essence from the microcapsule which has good adhesion with said treated fabric. With its contribution, the fabric is valued with the of therapy, health and protection.  
         [0009]     It is further object of the present invention that the natural oil essence microcapsules possess good resistance to high temperature, pressure alkaline and acid in the fabric coating process, also the finished fabric has satisfying softness and waterfastness.  
         [0010]     It is foregoing objects in the present invention that the microcapsulation technique provides external protection layer around said oil essence droplets with the contribution to releasing and controlling effect. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     For a better understanding of the present invention as well as other objects and features herein disclosed, reference is made to following detailed disclosure of this invention taken in conjunction with drawings herein:  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of the fabric treatment procedure of low temperature plasma technique.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of natural oil essence microcapsulation technique procedure.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of the fabric coating technique procedure with natural oil essence capsules.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of the other model of fabric treatment procedure of low temperature plasma technique.  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a diagram of the other model of natural oil essence microcapsulation technique procedure.  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a diagram of the other model of fabric coating technique procedure with natural oil essence microcapsules. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]     The present invention serves the process of fabric treatment with natural oil essence microcapsule, which provides an integrative processing procedure of low temperature plasma fabric treatment technique, natural oil essence microcapsulation technique and therewith fabric coating technique.  
         [0019]     Please refer with  FIG. 1 , where said low temperature plasma fabric treatment technique (a method of modifying the surfaces of said fabric) which is applicable for the fabrics, such as Nylon, PET, and PP. Firstly, inventing argon gas into an low pressure reactor under a power between 1.0 and 1.4 kw, a pressure between 200 and 400 mtorr, a processing temperature between 5° C. end 15° C., and a processing time between and 5 and 16 minutes. The said fabric is delivered to pass through the reactor for roughening the surface, wherein said treatment has no effect on the fabric tension and elongation.  
         [0020]     Please refer with  FIG. 2 , shown as a processing procedure of oil essence microcapsulation. Firstly, adding an emulsion agent of (C n  H m  O 4 ) x  in a ratio between 3% w.t. and 15% w.t. and natural oil essence in a ratio between a 20% w.t. and 80% w.t. into a container, wherein said chemical formula (C n  H m  O 4 ) x  n=3 to 9, m=4 to 10, for complete oil essence saponification, under temperature between 60° C. and 75° C. and agitating speed at a range between 5,000 and 8.000 rpm. Secondary, gradually dropping the shell polymer [C 3 N 3  (N H C n  H m  O a ) 2 ] x  in a ratio between 10% w.t. and 100% w.t., wherein n is 1 to 9, m is 3 to 1 and a is 1 to 9, and then adjusting a speed between 6,000 and 9,000 rpm and an agitating time between 3 and 5 minutes. Thirdly, slowing down said speed between 300 and 1,000 rpm and following agitating time between 2 and 4 hours. Fourthly, modulate the value of pH between 2 and 5 by 6% w.t. citric acid. Fifthly, adding a volume between 100 to 300 ml of distilled water and modulating said temperature between 75° C. and 95° C. Finally, percolating said oil essence microcapsule two times from said water and shade drying said oil essence, hence the oil essence microcapsules are produced.  
         [0021]     Please refer with  FIG. 3 , shown as a fabric coating procedure with natural oil essence microcapsules. Firstly, setting a ratio of co-polymer typed binding agent to oil essence microcapsules between 3:1 and 1:3 to form a treatment solution in a container, wherein said binding agent is identified as acrylic ester copolymer with solid component between 40 and 46%, pH value between 4 and 6, and viscosity been 20 and 200 cps, which is nonionic emulsification system, then modulating said solution&#39;s pH value between 3 and 5 with buffer solution of pH value 10. If the pH value were lower than 3 that said natural oil essence microcapsules would tend to aggregate, while the natural oil essence microcapsules couldn&#39;t react easily with the binding agent it pH value were higher than 5. Secondly, delivering and immersing said plasma treated fabrics to and under said solution at the bath ratio between 10 and 20 o.w.f (on weigh of fabric), and then heating said solution up to between 45° C. and 70° C. and agitating said solution for 10 to 30 minutes for complete binding reaction. Thirdly, riling and pressing said immersed fabrics under a pressure between 2 and 4 kg/cm 2 . Finally, baking said fabrics in an oven at temperature set between 100° C. and 200° C. for 3 minutes. Hence a product of fabrics coated with natural oil essence microcapsules is obtained. According to aforementioned oil essence microcapsules have diameters been 5 and 10 μm, the adhesion rate of natural oil essence microcapsules onto the said fabric surface reaches between 90% and 100%, and the washing durability of the coated fabric reaches over 40 times.  
         [0022]     Please refer with Figs. form  4  to  6 , shown as one of other models of fabric treatment technique with natural oil essence microcapsule, i.e., an integrative process of low temperature plasma fabric treatment technique, natural oil essence microcapsulation technique and therewith fabric coating technique. The said low temperature plasma fabric treatment technique is also recognized as the methods of surface modification and surface inducing-grafting, which sultes to the synthetic fabrics, such as Nylon, PET, PP and so on. Generally, the material of the fabric surface is required to possess an reacting group to render its grafting with function group of the monomer applied to grant an evenly modified surface. As the process shown in  FIG. 4 , the lower pressured reactor is filled with non-polymerizable argon gas under a power between 1.0 and 1.4 kw, pressure between 200 and 400 mtorr, temperature between 15° C. and 25° C. and the process time between 5 and 15 minutes. Then the said fabrics are delivered to pass through said reactor for discharging the atoms of the said fabric surface to form oxygen-containing polar groups or oxides, which constitutes to a bridging stage. The following inducing-grating co-polymerization is processed with hydrophilic monomers (AAC) and HEMA to form a mass amount of radicals under a power between 1.0 and 1.8 kw, pressure between 100 and 400 mtorr, temperature between 20° C. and 30° C., processing timing between 5 and 30 minutes, and said monomer concentration between 10% and 30%. After the synthetic fabric is delivered to pass through the said reactor, the low temperature plasma fabric treatment is completed.  
         [0023]     Please refer with  FIG. 5 , shown as another model of the process procedure of natural oil essence microcapsulation. First, adding emulsion agent of (C n  H m  O 4 ) x , wherein n=3 to 9 and m=4 to 10 in a ratio between 3% and 15% w.t. and natural oil essence in a ratio between 20% (w.t.) and 80% (w.t.) into a container for processing the natural oil essence saponification. The said natural oil essence saponification is processed under a temperature between 60° C. and 75° C. and agitating speed at a range between 5,000 and 9,000 rpm. After the said oil essence is completely emulsified, the shell polymer of [C 3 N 3 (N H C n  H m  O a ) 2 ] x , wherein n=1 to 9, m=3 to 19, a=1 to 9, is then gradually dropped into said container at a ratio between 10% and 100%. The agitating speed is adjusted between 6,000 and 15,000 rpm for 3 to 5 minutes, then slowed between 300 and 600 rpm for 2 and 4 hours. The following pH value is modulated between 2 and 5 with 6% w.t. citric acid, and then a volume between 100 and 300 ml of distilled water is added with temperature set between 75° C. and 95° C. Finally, the formed oil essence microcapsule is percolated two times with fresh water and then shade drying. Hence, the natural oil essence microcapsules are produced.  
         [0024]     Please refer with  FIG. 6 , shown as the other model of the process of fabric coating technique with natural oil essence microcapsules. At beginning, adding co-polymer typed binding agent and oil essence microcapsules with the ratio between 0.5:1 and 1:7 into a container to form a treatment solution, wherein said co-polymer typed binding agent is identified as acrylic ester copolymer with pH value in the range between 4 and 6, solid component between 40% and 46%, viscosity between 20 and 200 cps, and forming nonionic emulsification system. Then, the pH value is adjusted between 3 and 5 with a buffer solution of pH value 10. If the pH value was lower than 3 the natural oil essence microcapsules would tend to aggregate, while the natural oil essence microcapsules couldn&#39;t react properly with the binding agent if pH value were higher than 5. Secondly, delivering and immersing said plasma treated fabrics to and under said solution at the bath ratio between 10 and 20 o.w.f (on weigh of fabric), then heating said solution at the temperature between 45° C. and 70° C. and agitating said solution for 10 to 30 minutes for complete binding reaction. Thirdly, rolling and pressing said immersed fabrics under a pressure between 2 and 4 kg/cm 2 . Finally, baking said fabrics in an oven at temperature set between 100° C. and 200° C. for 3 minutes. Hence a product of fabrics coated with natural oil essence microcapsules is obtained. According to aforementioned oil essence microcapsules have diameters between 3 and 10 μm, the adhesion rate of natural oil essence microcapsules onto the said fabric surface reaches between 90% and 100%, and the washing durability of the coated fabric reaches over 40 times.  
         [0025]     To sum up, the present invention of the process of fabric treatment with natural oil essence microcapsule has features as follows: 
    1. The oil essence microcapsules have micro and uniform diameter to increase their adhesion area, adhesion rate and distribution uniformity on the said fabric, also enhance their resistance to rolling pressure in the fabric coating process and durability to washing.     2. The fabrics are fabricated by the present invention which has good durability to the temperature between 150° C. and 250° C. and the pressure of 4 kg/cm 2 , also contains unbroken microcapsules with the characterstics of hand softness and washing durability.     3. The natural oil essence microcapsulation technique in the present invention can form a protection layer around the said oil droplets that consistently maintain the effect of oil essence to render the characteristics of controlling and releasing.     4. The low temperature plasma fabric treatment technique in the present invention increases not merely the adhesion area of microcapsules on the fabric but also strengthens the adhesion between the binding agent and the fabrics for saving the quantity of binding agent in the application, and promoting fabric washing durability.     5. The coated fabric with natural oil essence microcapsules in present invention increases the oil essences&#39; utilitarian and promotes the fabrics&#39; additional value.    
 
         [0031]     While this invention has been described in conjunction with particular embodiments, it is evident that alternatives, modifications and variations will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations and fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.