Patent ID: 7819927

Claim:
A process for making a fabric, wherein said process comprises the steps of: (a) selecting a 100% polyester yarn; (b) making said polyester yarn into a sheet of tightly constructed fabric so as not to disturb the face of said fabric; and (c) chemically, physically and thermally treating said fabric by scouring said fabric formed from said polyester yarn in a jet-dyeing machine, and treating said fabric formed from said polyester yarn with a polymeric/surfactant wicking agent and, optionally, with one or more lubricants, hydrophilic softeners and/or dyes; wherein said chemical, physical and thermal treatment (c) of said fabric causes said fabric to exhibit a soil release rating of about 4.5 or greater after 100 washes; and wherein said fabric consists of said polyester yarn, said polymeric/surfactant wicking agent and optionally said one or more fabric lubricants, hydrophilic fabric softeners and/or fabric dyes wherein said scouring of step (c) comprises the steps of: i) filling said jet dyeing machine to load volume with water heated to approximately 100° F.; ii) adding defoamer to said 100° F. water to form a water/defoamer mixture; iii) loading the fabric into said water/defoamer mixture in said jet dyeing machine; iv) adding scour agent to said water/defoamer mixture; v) circulating said water/defoamer mixture for about four minutes; vi) adding a Polymeric/Surfactant blend to said water/defoamer mixture; vii) running said jet dyeing machine for about two minutes; viii) increasing the temperature of said mixture by about 3° F. per minute until the temperature of said mixture reaches approximately 180° F.; ix) circulating said mixture for about 5 minutes at approximately 180° F.; x) raising the temperature of said mixture by about 2° F. per minute until the mixture reaches a temperature of approximately 265° F.; xi) holding the temperature of said mixture at approximately 265° F. for about thirty minutes; xii) reducing the temperature of said mixture at an approximate rate of 2° F. per minute until it reaches approximately 140° F.; xiii) using an overflow wash of 100° F. water, reducing the temperature of the mixture to approximately 100° F. over about 10 minutes; xiv) draining said mixture from said jet dyeing machine; xv) filling said jet dyeing machine to volume with water heated to about 100° F.; xvi) overflow washing with said jet dyeing machine for about 10 minutes using approximately 100° F. water; xvii) checking the pH of the water bath to make sure it is within specified range for fabric type; xviii) unloading fabric; and xix) draining said jet dyeing machine.