Easily Recyclable and Abrasion-Resistant Multi-Layer Elastic Composite Fabric

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority of Taiwanese patent application No. 113136473, filed on Sep. 25, 2024, and Taiwanese patent application No. 114127345, filed on Jul. 18, 2025, which are incorporated herewith by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an easily recyclable and abrasion-resistant multi-layer elastic composite fabric, and in particular to an easily recyclable and abrasion-resistant multi-layer elastic composite fabric made of entirely polyester materials.

2. Background

With the rise of global awareness of sustainability, the textile industry is gradually moving toward eco-friendliness and recyclability. In consideration of textile material selection, traditional blended fabrics offers certain functional performances like elasticity, moisture absorption and wicking, or abrasion resistance. However, it poses a challenge during the recycling process because the mix of different materials makes them difficult to deconstruct, which diminishes the value in terms of recycling the overall materials. To reduce energy consumption and waste generated during the end-of-life recycling process of textiles, developing clothing made from a single type of material has become a crucial direction for the industry.

Taking polyester as an example, it possesses excellent physical strength, dimensional stability, dyeability, and cost advantages in production. In addition, since the physical, mechanical, and chemical recycling technologies for polyester fabrics are well-established, allowing them to be regenerated into rPET and applied to fields of clothing, packaging, automotive interiors, and the like. In recent years, many major brands have adopted rPET as a recycled material, leading to increased market demand and high economic viability for recycling. Moreover, using recycled PET can reduce carbon emissions by 75% and help decrease microplastic pollution.

Therefore, polyester has become one of the key materials driving the manufacturing of eco-friendly and recyclable clothing. By establishing a well-developed recycling system, it can be melted down and reprocessed for reuse cycle. However, most clothing currently on the market still uses blended materials, especially in close-fitting apparel like socks, to ensure a balance of elasticity and fit, the blended fabrics commonly includes the combinations of materials such as nylon, spandex, or cotton fibers. Although such combinations of different materials can enhance wearing comfort and increase clothing functionality, they significantly hinder recycling efficiency and do not comply with the principles of design for recycling (DfR).

Moreover, as a type of close-fitting apparel, socks are subject to high contact, high friction, and frequent washing, which place relatively strict requirements on abrasion resistance and elastic recovery. For traditional sock products made primarily of polyester fibers, they exhibit lower surface abrasion resistance compared to nylon, and are prone to pilling and holes after long-term wear, which shortens their service life. Therefore, for sports that demand high abrasion resistance in socks, especially in marathons, nylon or polyurethane (OP) fibers are often added to enhance durability.

Furthermore, professional socks designed for marathon runners, long-distance hikers, or individuals who stand for long periods must meet more advanced functional requirements. For example, toe socks, with their separated-toe structure, can improve breathability and prevent heat and moisture buildup as well as friction between toes during prolonged exercise. This helps reduce the formation of blisters and keeps dry between toes, while also enhancing toe grip to firmly hold the shoe sole. However, most toe socks currently available on the market are made from blended materials. For example, polyester or cotton is used as the base, nylon is used in high-abrasion areas for reinforcing, and elastic fibers are used for a better fit. Although such multi-material designs can meet functionality, they also create difficulties in recycling.

Furthermore, in terms of socks, yarns made of long-fiber (filament fiber, continuous fiber) or short-fiber (staple fiber) are generally used as the raw material of the face yarn. When the yarn is made of polyester, if a long-fiber structure is adopted, because the long-fiber yarns of polyester generally lacks a fuzz structure. The surface of the yarn will be too smooth, leading to insufficient friction on the surface of the sock, thereby resulting in insufficient anti-slip ability, which is unsuitable as a raw material for the face yarn.

On the other hand, when a staple polyester yarn is adopted, although it has a fuzz structure on the surface, the characteristics of the staple yarn cause the fuzz to be easily shed during the friction between the sock and the environment, which will not only reduce the anti-slip performance, but also lead to pollution as the shed fuzz enters the environment, which goes against the original goal of environmental protection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A main objective of the present invention is to provide a composite fabric (e.g., socks) made of entirely form polyester fiber materials, which allows existing polyester fabric recycling technologies to applied thereto, thereby achieving the goal of sustainability and environmental protection. Another objective of the present invention is to provide a composite fabric (e.g., socks) designed with a face yarn-back yarn structure, in which the face yarn layer is knitted from a face composite yarn and a high-tenacity yarn, so as to overcome the drawback of conventional polyester yarn, which are prone to wear and holes.

Yet another objective of this invention is to locally incorporate high-tenacity yarns in areas of the all-polyester composite fabric (e.g., sock body) that are prone to wear and holes, such as the forefoot or toe sections, thereby enhancing abrasion resistance.

In order to achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an easily recyclable and abrasion-resistant multi-layer elastic composite fabric, comprising: a body, which is a tubular structure, the body includes an opening section, an upper section, a turning section, a lower section, and a sealed section, wherein the opening section is disposed at one end of the body, with one end of the opening section being open to outside and another end of the opening section connected to the upper section; the sealed section is disposed at another end of the body where the opening section in not disposed, and is connected to the lower section; the turning section is connected to the upper section at one end thereof, and connected to the lower section at another end thereof wherein the body includes a face yarn layer and a backing yarn layer, with the face yarn layer disposed at an outer side of the body and the backing yarn layer disposed at an inner side of the body; the body is composed of polyester material to facilitate recycling; the face yarn layer is knitted from a face composite yarn and a high-tenacity yarn to reduce frictional damage.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the easily recyclable and abrasion-resistant multi-layer elastic composite fabric is a polyester sock, and the polyester sock comprises a sock body corresponding to the body, wherein both ends of the sock body are an open end and a sealed end, which respectively correspond to the opening section and the sealed section of the body; and the sock body includes a heel portion, an arch portion, and a forefoot portion, based on their contact with a user's foot, wherein the heel portion of the sock body corresponds to the upper section and the turning section of the body, and the arch portion and the forefoot portion of the sock body correspond to the lower section of the body.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the face composite yarn is a composite yarn formed by winding an outer filament around a core filament; wherein the outer filament is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET); and the core filament is a composite material made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), or a composite material made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polybutylene terephthalate fiber (PBT).

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the face yarn layer is knitted from the face composite yarn and the high-tenacity yarn, wherein the face composite yarn provides an anti-slip effect, while the high-tenacity yarn enhance the abrasion resistance of the face yarn layer to prevent wear and holes.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, The face composite yarn has a core-sheath composite structure, in which the outer filaments of long-fiber are wound around the core filament, thereby forming numerous loops (outer filaments) of various shapes and sizes on the surface of the core filament, whose characteristics are similar to the fuzz of short-fiber yarns. Since the yarn is a complex hybrid structure composed of multiple monofilaments that are intertwined, twisted and knotted with each other, giving the face composite yarn cotton-like and wool-like characteristics. Therefore, even using long-fibers, a fuzz-like characteristic similar to the fuzz of short-fiber, while also providing an anti-slip effect.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the high-tenacity yarn is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and has a fiber strength of greater than 5 g/d (gram/denier), preferably from 5 to 8 g/d.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, each individual yarn in the backing yarn layer is a composite yarn formed of a polyester yarn and a thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE) yarn.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the composite yarn in the backing yarn layer can be DTY, which can be formed by wrapping or winding the TPEE yarn around the polyester yarn through yarn-covering or air entangling, followed by draw texturing.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the sealed end of the sock body has a first toe portion and at least one second toe portion, which respectively correspond to the user's toes; The high-tenacity yarn is disposed in the portion from the forefoot portion to the sealed end, particularly at the first toe portion that is prone to wear, wherein the first toe portion corresponds to the user's big toe.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer filament has an X₁/Y₁ specification, where X₁ is 45 to 150 and Y₁ is 72 to 288, and the core filament has an X₂/Y₂ specification, where X₂ is 30 to 100 and Y₂ is 24 to 72.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the backing yarn layer is knitted from a yarn having an X₃/Y₃ specification, where X₃ is 20 to 200 and Y₃ is 1 to 200; wherein the X₃/Y₃ specification is preferably 40/1, 40/3, 80/2, 80/6, 120/3, or 120/9.

Here, X indicates fineness in Denier, and Y indicates a number of individual fibers.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the face composite yarn is an air-textured yarn (ATY); or the face composite yarn comprises a draw textured yarn (DTY) as the core filament, with the outer filament wound around the core filament.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the body contains one or more of silver ions, copper ions, zinc ions, activated carbon, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, chitosan, tea polyphenols, and plant essential oils (e.g., essential oil microcapsules).

The effect of the present invention is that, in the face yarn layer, the use of the face composite yarn with a core-sheath structure enables synthetic long-fiber to form fuzz structures similar to the fuzz of short-fiber yarns, thereby providing an anti-slip effect; and the use of high-tenacity yarns with high fiber strength prevents the body of the composite fabric (e.g., the sock body) from wear and holes. Furthermore, in areas of the sock body particularly prone to friction and wear from contact with shoes, such as the big toe and forefoot regions, the amount of high-tenacity yarn can be increased to enhance durability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the multi-layer elastic composite fabric of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the multi-layer elastic composite fabric of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional schematic view of an embodiment of the present invention in which the fabric is a sock.

FIG. 4 is a fiber structure diagram of the face composite yarn of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial view of region A in FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views of two embodiments of the core filament of the face composite yarn of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the present invention in which the fabric is a sock.

FIG. 9 shows a composition inspection report of an actual product of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

For ease of understanding the present invention, the following provides a detailed description in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments. The drawings illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention, but not all embodiments. The present invention may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to enable a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the present invention. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments that a person of ordinary skill in the art could obtain without exercising inventive effort also fall within the scope of the present application.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. The terms used in the description of the present disclosure are intended solely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

The features of the various embodiments of the present invention may be partially or entirely combined or integrated with one another, and may be coupled and operated in various technical ways, with the embodiments being implemented either independently or in a related manner.

As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention provides an easily recyclable and abrasion-resistant multi-layer elastic composite fabric composite fabric, comprises a body 1, which is a tubular structure. The body 1 includes an opening section 110, an upper section 120, a turning section 130, a lower section 140, and a sealed section 150.

The opening section 110 is provided at one end of the body 1. One end of the opening section 110 being open to outside, and another end of the opening section 110 is connected to the upper section 120. The sealed section 150 is provided at another end of the body 1 where the opening section 110 is not disposed, and the sealed section 150 is connected to the lower section 140. The turning section 130 is connected to the upper section 120 at one end thereof, and connected to the lower section 140 at another end thereof.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the body 1 comprises: a face yarn layer 11, which disposed at the outer side of the body 1 and is configured to contact the external environment; and a backing yarn layer 12, which is disposed at the inner side of the body 1 and is configured to contact the user's foot.

It is noted that the body 1 is composed of polyester material, so as to facilitate subsequent recycling and reuse. In addition, the face yarn layer 11 is knitted from a face composite yarn and a high-tenacity yarn to reduce frictional damage.

Furthermore, a seam 180 can be further disposed between the sealed section 150 and the lower section 140.

In another embodiment, the easily recyclable and abrasion-resistant multi-layer elastic composite fabric of the present invention may be a polyester sock. As shown in FIG. 3, the polyester sock may comprises a sock body 2, which is a tubular structure and corresponds to the body 1 of the multi-layer elastic composite fabric.

Both ends of the sock body 2 are an open end 210 and a sealed end 250, which respectively correspond to the opening section 110 and the sealed section 150 of the body 1. The open end 210 of the sock body 2 is configured for the users to insert their foot.

Specifically, the sock body comprises a face yarn layer 21 and a backing yarn layer 22, which respectively correspond to the face yarn layer 11 and the backing yarn layer 12 of the body 1. The face yarn layer 21 is disposed at the outer side of the sock body 2, and is configured to contact the external environment; and the backing yarn layer 22 is disposed at the inner side of the sock body 2, and is configured to contact the user's foot.

Further, the sock body 2 includes a heel portion 220, an arch portion 230, and a forefoot portion 240, based on their contact with the user's foot when the user's foot inserted therein. The heel portion 220 of the sock body 2 corresponds to the upper section 120 and the turning section 130 of the body 1; and the arch portion 230 and the forefoot portion 240 of the sock body 2 correspond to the lower section 140 of the body 1.

In general, to impart a cotton-like or wool-like hand feel and a fluffy structure to a fabric, staple fibers are used to form fuzz structures on the fabric surface. However, due to the characteristics of staple fibers, their fuzz structures are fixed to the main filaments only at one end. As such, during friction between the fabric and the environment, the fuzz tends to detach, thereby entering the environment and causing pollution, which runs counter to the original environmental objectives.

Therefore, to address this issue, the present invention employs polyester material as the raw material for the face composite yarn, thereby producing long-fiber yarns with fuzz structures. Compared to conventional short-fiber yarns, the long-fibers of polyester have fuzz loops whose both ends are fixed to the surface of the main filament (core filament), greatly increasing the firmness of the fuzz. As a result, even when subjected to considerable friction during use, the fuzz is less likely to detach, thereby enhancing the service life of the product.

Specifically, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the face composite yarn of the face yarn layer 11 or 21 is a composite yarn formed by winding an outer filament 211 of long-fiber around a core filament 212. That is, the face composite yarn has a core-sheath composite structure, wherein the fuzzes 211a similar to that of staple fibers are formed on the surface of the face composite yarn, thereby achieving an anti-slip effect.

Specifically, through a special processing method (described later), loops of outer filaments 211 of long-fiber with various shapes and sizes are distributed on the surface of the core filament 212, forming the fuzzes 211a with properties similar to the fuzz of short-fiber yarns. Therefore, a cotton-like or wool-like hand feel and a fluffy structure can be achieved even using long-fiber yarns. Meanwhile, since both ends of the long-fiber loops of the fuzz 211a are firmly fixed to the surface of the core filament 212, they are not prone to detachment due to friction with the environment.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, there are a plurality of mutually intertwined loops (that is, the fuzzes 211a) of different sizes on the surface of the face composite yarn. The fuzz 211a gives the face composite yarn an unique touch, making the touch of the fabric different from common polyester long-fibers, and providing a touch similar to cotton or animal wool.

Specifically, the fuzz 211a provides a considerable level of friction when it contacts the environment (e.g., the ground, or insoles). This friction imparts an anti-slip effect to the face composite yarn, and the fuzz 211a enables the face yarn layer 11 or 21 of the fabric (e.g., a sock) to have sufficient slip resistance, thereby improving the user's foot grip and preventing slipping.

Because the fuzz structure on the surface of the face composite is quite fine, even if the face yarn layer 11 or 21 of the present invention contacts a slightly rough or sharp surface during use, it is not prone to snagging, thereby reducing the likehood of damage to the face yarn layer 11 or 21.

Specifically, the face composite yarn may be, but is not limited to, an air-textured yarn (ATY) produced by air entangling. Since the yarn a complex hybrid structure composed of multiple monofilaments that are entangled, twisted, and interlocked with each other, the air-textured yarn exhibits cotton-like and wool-like characteristics, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Alternatively, the face composite yarn may be a composite yarn formed by using a draw textured yarn (DTY), produced by heating and false-twist texturing, as the core filament 212, and winding the outer filaments 211 around the core filament 212 via air-entangling process such as using air covering machine (ACY). In this manner, the face composite yarn can have a core-sheath structure similar to that of the air-textured yarn.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer filament 211 is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET); and the core filament 212 is a composite material made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), or a composite material made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polybutylene terephthalate fiber (PBT).

FIGS. 6 and 7 shows two embodiments of the core filament 212 of the present invention, wherein a first material 212a may be PET, and a second material 212b may be PTT or PBT, vice versa. Specifically, during the drawing process of the core filament 212, the two materials are simultaneously drawn and bonded together to form a single filament, and an initial crimp is formed due to the difference in shrinkage rates between the two materials, thereby imparting elasticity to the core filament 212.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer filament 211 has an X₁/Y₁ specification, where X₁ is 45 to 150, for example, an integer between 45 and 150; and Y₁ is 72 to 288, for example, an integer between 72 and 288. For example, the outer filament 211 may have an X₁/Y₁ specification of 50/72, 75/72, 50/144, 100/144, 150/144, 75/144, 50/288, 75/288, 100/288, or 150/288, but it is not limited thereto.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the core filament 212 has an X₂/Y₂ specification, where X₂ is 30 to 100, for example, an integer between 30 and 100; and Y₂ is 24 to 72, for example, an integer between 24 and 72. For example, the core filament 212 may have an X₂/Y₂ specification of 30/24, 50/34, 50/36, 75/34, 75/36, 100/68, or 100/72, but it is not limited thereto.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the backing yarn layer 12 or 22 is knitted from a yarn having an X₃/Y₃ specification, where X₃ is 20 to 200, for example, an integer between 20 and 200; and Y₃ is 1 to 200, for example, an integer between 1 and 200. For example, the backing yarn layer 12 or 22 may have an X₃/Y₃ specification of 40/1, 40/3, 80/2, or 120/3, but it is not limited thereto.

Here, X₁ to X₃ indicate fineness in denier, and Y₁ to Y₃ indicate the number of individual fibers.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the backing yarn layer 12 or 22 is knitted from a composite yarn comprising a polyester yarn and a thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE) yarn.

Preferably, the polyester yarn is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET); or the polyester yarn is a composite material made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), or a composite material made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polybutylene terephthalate fiber (PBT).

Specifically, in the case where the polyester yarn in the backing yarn layer 12 or 22 is a composite material of PET/PTT or PET/PBT, it can be formed by a process similar or identical to that of the core filament 212. That is, during the drawing process of the polyester yarn, the two materials (PET and PTT; or PET and PBT) may be simultaneously drawn and bonded together to form a single filament, and an initial crimp is formed due to the difference in shrinkage rates between the two materials, thereby imparting elasticity to the polyester yarn.

Further, the backing yarn layer 12 or 22 may be a draw textured yarn (DTY), which can be formed by wrapping or winding the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE) yarn around the polyester yarn through yarn-covering or air entangling, followed by draw texturing.

Specifically, the polyester yarn in the backing yarn layer 12 or 22 may be a monofilament or multifilament yarn having an X₄/Y₄ specification, where X₄ is 20 to 200, for example, an integer between 20 and 200; and Y₄ is 1 to 200, for example, an integer between 1 and 200. For example, the polyester yarn (e.g., the PET yarn) in the backing yarn layer 12 or 22 may have an X₄/Y₄ specification of 75/72, but it is not limited thereto.

In addition, the TPEE yarn in the backing yarn layer 12 or 22 may be a monofilament or multifilament yarn, which may have an X₅/Y₅ specification of 40/1, 40/3, 80/2, 80/6, 120/3, or 120/9.

Here, X₄ to X₅ indicate fineness in denier, and Y₄ to Y₅ indicate the number of individual fibers.

On the other hand, a high-tenacity yarn may be knitted into at least a portion of the face yarn layer 11 or 21. The high-tenacity yarn is made of a polyester material having a high molecular weight, thereby providing sufficient fiber strength to enhance abrasion resistance.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the high-tenacity yarn is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and has a fiber strength of greater than 5 g/d (gram/denier), preferably from 5 to 8 g/d.

Specifically, the high-tenacity yarn is made of a polyester material whose intrinsic viscosity (IV) is increased through a solid-state polycondensation. Since the IV value of a polymer material is proportional to its molecular weight, increasing the molecular weight can effectively enhance fiber strength.

In general, the fiber strength of conventional polyester socks is 4 g/d, and thus it is necessary to additionally incorporate nylon fibers with a fiber strength of 6-7 g/d to prevent wear and holes. However, this is adverse to sock recycling.

Accordingly, in the present invention, PET fibers with a fiber strength of 5 g/d or greater are used as the high-tenacity yarn to enhance the abrasion resistance of the face yarn layer 11 or 21, while maintaining the sock entirely made of polyester material to facilitate recycling.

Further, in the present invention, through a solid-state polycondensation, the intrinsic viscosity (IV) of the PET material is increased from 0.645 to 1.030, thereby producing PET fibers with a fiber strength of 5 g/d or greater, which are used as the high-tenacity yarn.

In one embodiment, the high-tenacity yarn may be disposed at the sealed section 150 or the lower section 140 of the body 1 of the multi-layer elastic composite fabric.

In another embodiment, the high-tenacity yarn may be disposed at the sealed end 250 or the forefoot portion 240 of the sock body 2 of the polyester sock. The sealed end 250 corresponds to the user's toes, and the forefoot portion 240 corresponds to the user's forefoot.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the sealed end 250 of the sock body 2 has a first toe portion 251 and at least one second toe portion 252, for example, one first toe portion 251 and four second toe portions 252, which respectively correspond to the user's toes. Especially, the high-tenacity yarn may be disposed at the first toe portion 251 that is prone to wear. The first toe portion 251 corresponds to the user's big toe, and the second toe portion 252 corresponds to the toes other than the big toe.

Specifically, the forefoot portion 240 and the toe portions (particularly the first toe portion 251) of the sock body 2 are the areas that primarily contact and rub against the shoe when the user wears the sock, the force is transmitted to the ground through the sock and the shoe sole by the grip of the forefoot and toes. As such, the forefoot portion 240 and the toe portions generally are areas most susceptible to wear and holes due to friction with the shoe. Therefore, locally reinforcing these areas with the high-tenacity yarn can effectively prevent holes in the sock body 2.

In addition, compared to other areas, the toe portions of the sock body 2 is more prone to wear due to friction between the user's toenails and the inner surface of the shoe. In particular, compared to the second toe portions 252 corresponding to the other toes, the first toe portion 251, corresponding to the user's big toe, is more susceptible to wear. Since the big toe serves as a primary role of grip for the foot and is subject to more frequent movement, the first toe portion 251 is especially prone to wear. Therefore, in the present invention, a high-tenacity yarn can be additionally incorporated in the first toe portion 251 to prevent wear.

In one embodiment, a reinforcing structure may be further provided at the opening section 110 of the body 1 to provide enhanced stretchability and elasticity.

Preferably, in order to provide antibacterial and/or deodorizing properties or other functionalities, various functional ingredients may be incorporated into the body 1 (e.g., the face yarn layer 11 or 21; or the backing yarn layer 12 or 22) of the composite fabric. For example, the body 1 may contain one or more of silver ions, copper ions, zinc ions, activated carbon, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, chitosan, tea polyphenols, plant essential oils (e.g., essential oil microcapsules), and nanoceramic particles.

Among them, metal ions such as silver, copper, and zinc, as well as chitosan and tea polyphenols, provide antibacterial and deodorizing functions; activated carbon provides moisture absorption and deodorizing functions, making it particularly suitable for abrasion-resistant socks intended for prolonged use; inorganic substances such as silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide can maintain a cooling effect and enhance heat dissipation; collagen can aid in moisturizing and skin care, thereby improving wearing comfort; plant essential oils can emit fragrance and provide a soothing effect; and nanoceramic particles can enhance thermal insulation and durability.

FIG. 9 is a test report from SGS Inspection agency for the actual components of the product when the composite fabric of the present invention is implemented as a sock. As can be seen from FIG. 9, the fiber composition of the product includes 92.8% of polyester fiber and 7.2% of other fibers (analyzed in accordance with American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists AATCC 20:2021). As for the aforementioned “other fibers”, their main component was identified as polyester through analysis using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer.

In other words, the fabric structure proposed by the present invention enables the production of a fabric made of 100% polyester; furthermore, the physically and chemically recyclable nature of the polyester materials allows the entire fabric structure to be recycled and reused at the end of its life cycle, and then used in subsequent production processes of fabrics.

For example, the fabric structure of the present invention, at the end of its life cycle, can be recycled and reused through a “fabric-to-fabric” recycling process. Specifically, after the recycled fabric is deconstructed into fibers, the fibers can be classified to suitable recycling methods according to their characteristics, including physical recycling and chemical recycling. Polymer melt of fibers obtained via physical recycling, and monomers or oligomers of fibers obtained via chemical recycling, can each be reprocessed into suitable fibers. Subsequently, these fibers can be used to manufacture different parts of a fabric according to requirements, thereby achieving a “fabric-to-fabric” cycle.

The above-described embodiments merely illustrate preferred implementations of the present invention, which provide relatively specific and detailed descriptions, but should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and all such modifications and improvements fall within the scope to be protected by the present application.