Patent ID: 7659217

Claim:
A field durable, repeatedly launderable and permanently fire resistant nonwoven composite fabric based garment, where the composite fabric of the garment comprises: a nonwoven web outer layer, a nonwoven web inner layer and a middle rip-stop layer of loosely knitted flexible fabric sandwiched between the outer and inner layers, wherein the outer and inner nonwoven layers of the composite fabric of the garment comprise a blend of otherwise flammable and meltable staple length synthetic fibers, cellulosic fibers and high strength aramid fibers where the otherwise flammable and meltable staple length synthetic fibers comprise polyester or nylon fibers and the cellulosic fibers comprise cotton or viscose rayon fibers, wherein the flammable and meltable staple length synthetic fibers comprise no more than 50% of the blend, wherein the rip-stop middle layer comprises a loosely knitted, non-elastic fabric composed of yarns selected from the group consisting of polyester and nylon; the nonwoven web outer layer, middle layer of knitted fabric and inner layer are bonded together by entangling fibers from each layer intimately with fibers of other layers by high pressure water jets to obtain complete fiber bonding at an interface between the layers; and wherein the composite fabric is treated with a fire retardant chemical comprising phosphonium sulfate which is polymerized within and permanently bonded to the fibers of the composite fabric using an ammonia-cure process and an abrasion resistance enhancing chemical comprising a blend of an acrylic copolymer and a melamine formaldehyde, the composite fabric exhibiting properties required to pass ASTM D 6413 Standard Test Method for Flame Resistance of Textiles (Vertical Test) with no melt drips and no after flame and retaining a minimum of 50% of the initial fabric breaking strength after 100 cycles in the Taber Machine abrasion resistance test according to ASTM D 3884 using the most abrasive HS-18 type wheels, and the composite fabric exhibiting virtually no pilling or damaged appearance with a rating of no less than 4 after a minimum of 25 home laundering cycles per AATCC 124, Appearance of Fabrics After Repeated Home Laundering.