BREATHABLE AND COMFORTABLE COTTON AND MANUFACTURING PROCESS THEREFOR

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of cotton textiles, and in particular, to a breathable and comfortable cotton and a manufacturing process therefor.

2. Background Information

In the manufacture of modern household products, consumers place increasingly high demands on the comfort, breathability and environmental friendliness of the material. Traditional fibrous materials mostly are chemical synthetic fibers, and although they perform well in terms of heat retention performance and comfort, they are often accompanied by electrostatic problems and environmental pollution. In addition, the existing natural fiber materials still have deficiencies in comfort and skin affinity, and have relatively high production costs. Therefore, it is a pressing need in the industry to develop a novel fiber material that has comfort, breathability, and environmental friendliness;

The Tencel Lyocell fiber itself has a natural bacteriostatic efficacy, and gradually gains attention due to its excellent performance, such as good skin affinity, moisture absorption property and biodegradability. However, the existing Tencel Lyocell fiber products have problems such as high costs and unstable performance in production processes. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an innovative production process to improve the performance and use value of the Tencel Lyocell fiber and meet the demands of the market for high quality household products.

BRIEF SUMMARY

(I) Technical Problems Solved

In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present disclosure provides a breathable and comfortable cotton and a manufacturing process therefor, having good skin affinity, moisture absorption property and biodegradability.

(II) Technical Solutions

To achieve the above objectives, the present disclosure provides the following technical solutions: a breathable and comfortable cotton, wherein a breathable and comfortable layer is formed by sequentially bonding a Tencel Lyocell layer, a porous fiber temperature-controlled moisture-absorbing layer, and an elastic support layer from top to bottom via low-melting-point fibers;

• • the Tencel Lyocell layer is formed by carding and mixing the following fine textures: 3-5 parts by mass of a Tencel Lyocell fiber, 3-5 parts by mass of a porous fiber, 1-3 parts by mass of a superfine fiber, and 1-2 parts by mass of a low-melting-point fiber;
  • the porous fiber temperature-controlled moisture-absorbing layer is formed by carding and mixing the following fibers: 5-6 parts by mass of the porous fiber, 3-4 parts by mass of a hollow fiber, and 1-2 parts by mass of the low-melting-point fiber; and
  • the elastic support layer is formed by carding and mixing the following fibers: 3-4 parts by mass of an elastic fiber, 5-6 parts by mass of a non-elastic fiber, and 1-2 parts by mass of the low-melting-point fiber.

Preferably, the Tencel Lyocell fiber is selected from a renewable wood source Tencel Lyocell fiber; the superfine fiber is selected from a superfine fiber having a diameter of 0.1-0.5 micron; and the low-melting-point fiber is selected from a low-melting-point fiber having a melting point of 130° C.-160° C.

A breathable and comfortable cotton manufacturing process, for manufacturing the breathable and comfortable cotton described above, including the following steps:

• • S1, pretreatment:
  • washing the Tencel Lyocell fiber with water to remove impurities and grease therefrom; cleaning the porous fiber using an ultrasonic cleaning technology;
  • and obtaining the superfine fiber by electrostatic spinning treatment;
  • S2, temperature-controlled mixing:
  • placing pretreated fibers in a mixing box in a ratio, and using an airflow mixing technology to fully disperse the fibers by means of an effect of airflow; and
  • during mixing, heating to 40° C.-50° C., and setting a mixing time to be 20 minutes, to ensure that components are uniformly fused;
  • S3, carding into a web:
  • carrying out multiple carding using a high-efficiency carding machine at a rotating speed set to be 280 r/min, to form a uniform fiber web; using a laser carding technology during carding; and stacking a carded fiber web in multiple layers to form a three-layer structure in a manner of staggered laying, to strengthen an adhesive force between web layers;
  • S4, web lapping and pressing:
  • lapping stacked fiber webs to be orderly using a web lapper at a speed of 30-40 m/min; during web lapping, using an ultrasonic pressing technology; and after web lapping, carrying out preliminary hot pressing treatment at a temperature set to be 100° C., to ensure preliminary setting of fibers in each layer;
  • S5, high-temperature setting:
  • feeding a lapped three-layer fiber web into a high-temperature setting machine for stepwise heating at a temperature rising gradually from 130° C. to 160° C., to ensure that the low-melting-point fiber is sufficiently molten to form firm adhesion; and during setting, using vacuum treatment to reduce air convection, to ensure uniform distribution of heat and improve a setting effect;
  • S6, cooling solidification:
  • after completion of setting, quickly transferring to a cooling area, and using a circulating air cooling system to maintain a shape and performance of the fibers during cooling, to avoid fiber deformation due to an abrupt temperature drop;
  • S7, slitting and finished product treatment:
  • slitting a set breathable and comfortable cotton according to market demands, a slitting specification comprising sheet-slitting and roll-wrapping, a roll-wrapped product having a width of 2-2.6 meters and a length of 50-70 meters/roll, and sheet-slitting sizes being 1.822.38 meters, 2.782.38 meters, and 2.382.38 meters; and carrying out automatic quality detection after slitting, to ensure that each batch of products complies with standards; and
  • S8, posttreatment and packaging:
  • subjecting a finished product to antibacterial treatment using an environmentally friendly antibacterial agent, to ensure hygiene and safety of products during use; and finally packaging using a recyclable material to improve environmental friendliness of the products, and marking information such as degradability and antibacterial property on packagings.

(III) Beneficial Effects

Compared with the prior art, the present disclosure provides a breathable and comfortable cotton, having the following beneficial effects:

• • The breathable and comfortable cotton uses a high-quality Tencel Lyocell fiber and a porous fiber, thereby ensuring the flexibility and comfort of the material, enabling effective fitting to the skin, and providing an excellent touch feeling;
  • By selecting a porous fiber having temperature regulation and moisture absorption performance, the breathable and comfortable cotton can effectively regulate humidity and temperature in a micro environment, maintain dryness and comfort, and is suitable for use in various climatic conditions;
  • A renewable wood source Tencel Lyocell fiber and an environmentally friendly antibacterial agent are used, thereby ensuring environmental friendliness of products during production and use, and complying with the pursuits of modern consumers on sustainable development;
  • An environmentally friendly antibacterial agent is used during the treatment of finished products, thereby ensuring the hygiene and safety of the products during use, reducing the risk of bacteria breeding, and improving the additional value of the products;
  • By means of innovative processes such as airflow mixing and laser carding technologies, and ultrasonic pressing and vacuum treatment, the production efficiency is improved, the uniformity and stability of the material are ensured, and the production costs are reduced;
  • Packaging with recyclable materials and marking information such as degradability and antibacterial property on packagings enhance the market competitiveness of the products, and comply with consumers' concerns about environmental friendliness and health;
  • In conclusion, the innovative production process for the breathable and comfortable cotton not only solves the deficiencies of traditional materials in terms of comfort, breathability and environmental friendliness, but also improves the overall performance and market competitiveness of the products, and satisfies the demands of modern consumers for high quality household products.

Provided is a breathable and comfortable cotton manufacturing process, having the following beneficial effects:

• • A renewable wood source Tencel Lyocell fiber and an environmentally friendly antibacterial agent are selected, thereby ensuring the skin affinity and biodegradability of products, and improving the environmental friendliness of the products; water washing treatment removes impurities and grease, thereby improving the softness of the fiber, and ensuring the comfort of a final product; ultrasonic cleaning enhances the hydrophilicity of the porous fiber and improves the moisture conditioning and moisture absorption performance thereof, thereby improving the breathability of the products;
  • Airflow mixing technology: fully disperses the fibers by means of an effect of airflow, thereby avoiding bonding of the fibers, ensuring uniformity, and improving the overall performance of finished products; temperature-controlled mixing: suitable heating improves the flexibility and operability of the fibers, thereby enhancing the mixing effect, and ensuring uniform fusion of components; a high-efficiency carding machine: a uniform fiber web is formed by means of setting a rotating speed and multiple carding, thereby improving the smoothness of the products, and reducing the generation of static electricity;
  • Laser carding technology: enhances the smoothness of the fibers, and further reduces static electricity, thereby improving the comfort of the products; ultrasonic pressing technology: improves the bonding strength between layers without damaging the fibers, thereby ensuring the stability and durability of the products; preliminary hot pressing treatment: ensures the preliminary setting of each layer of fibers, and lays a foundation for subsequent high-temperature setting; stepwise heating: ensures that the low-melting-point fiber is sufficiently molten to form firm adhesion, thereby improving the structural stability of the products; vacuum treatment: reduces air convection and ensures uniform distribution of heat, thereby improving the setting effect, and enhancing the overall performance of the products;
  • Circulating air cooling system: maintains the shape and performance of the fibers during cooling, to avoid fiber deformation due to an abrupt temperature drop, thereby ensuring the quality of the products; automatic quality detection: ensures that each batch of products meets standards, thereby improving the consistency and reliability of the products; flexible slitting specification: meets market demands, thereby improving the adaptability and market competitiveness of the products; antibacterial treatment: ensures the hygiene and safety of the products during use, thereby increasing the additional value of the products; packaging with recyclable materials: improves the environmental friendliness of the products, and complies with the concern of modern consumers about sustainable development;
  • By means of the described process steps, the breathable and comfortable cotton exhibits significant advantages in terms of comfort, breathability, environmental friendliness, antibacterial property, market competitiveness, etc., thereby meeting the demands of modern consumers for high quality household products. The design and implementation of each process step directly affect the performance and quality of the final product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A clear and intact description on the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be made below in combination with the embodiments of the present disclosure. Apparently, the embodiments described are only a part of embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not all of embodiments thereof. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art on the premise of not paying creative labor shall fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Embodiment 1

A breathable and comfortable cotton, wherein a breathable and comfortable layer is formed by sequentially bonding a Tencel Lyocell layer, a porous fiber temperature-controlled moisture-absorbing layer, and an elastic support layer from top to bottom via low-melting-point fibers; the Tencel Lyocell layer is formed by carding and mixing the following fine textures: 3 parts by mass of a Tencel Lyocell fiber, 5 parts by mass of a porous fiber, 1 part by mass of a superfine fiber, and 1 part by mass of a low-melting-point fiber; the porous fiber temperature-controlled moisture-absorbing layer is formed by carding and mixing the following fibers: 5 parts by mass of the porous fiber, 4 parts by mass of a hollow fiber, and 1 part by mass of the low-melting-point fiber; the elastic support layer is formed by carding and mixing the following fibers: 4 parts by mass of an elastic fiber, 5 parts by mass of a non-elastic fiber, and 1 part by mass of the low-melting-point fiber; the Tencel Lyocell fiber is selected from a renewable wood source Tencel Lyocell fiber; the superfine fiber is selected from a superfine fiber having a diameter of 0.1 micron; and the low-melting-point fiber is selected from a low-melting-point fiber having a melting point of 160° C.

A breathable and comfortable cotton manufacturing process, for manufacturing the breathable and comfortable cotton described above, including the following steps:

• • S1, pretreatment: washing the Tencel Lyocell fiber with water to remove impurities and grease therefrom; cleaning the porous fiber using an ultrasonic cleaning technology; and obtaining the superfine fiber by electrostatic spinning treatment;
  • S2, temperature-controlled mixing: placing pretreated fibers in a mixing box in a ratio, and using an airflow mixing technology to fully disperse the fibers by means of an effect of airflow; and during mixing, heating to 40° C., and setting a mixing time to be 20 minutes, to ensure that components are uniformly fused;
  • S3, carding into a web: carrying out multiple carding using a high-efficiency carding machine at a rotating speed set to be 280 r/min, to form a uniform fiber web; using a laser carding technology during carding; and stacking a carded fiber web in multiple layers to form a three-layer structure in a manner of staggered laying, to strengthen an adhesive force between web layers;
  • S4, web lapping and pressing: lapping stacked fiber webs to be orderly using a web lapper at a speed of 30 m/min; during web lapping, using an ultrasonic pressing technology; and after web lapping, carrying out preliminary hot pressing treatment at a temperature set to be 100° C., to ensure preliminary setting of fibers in each layer;
  • S5, high-temperature setting: feeding a lapped three-layer fiber web into a high-temperature setting machine for stepwise heating at a temperature rising gradually from 130° C. to 160° C., to ensure that the low-melting-point fiber is sufficiently molten to form firm adhesion; and during setting, using vacuum treatment to reduce air convection, to ensure uniform distribution of heat and improve a setting effect; and
  • S6, cooling solidification: after completion of setting, quickly transferring to a cooling area, and using a circulating air cooling system to maintain a shape and performance of the fibers during cooling, to avoid fiber deformation due to an abrupt temperature drop.

Embodiment 2

A breathable and comfortable cotton, wherein a breathable and comfortable layer is formed by sequentially bonding a Tencel Lyocell layer, a porous fiber temperature-controlled moisture-absorbing layer, and an elastic support layer from top to bottom via low-melting-point fibers; the Tencel Lyocell layer is formed by carding and mixing the following fine textures: 4 parts by mass of a Tencel Lyocell fiber, 4 parts by mass of a porous fiber, 1 part by mass of a superfine fiber, and 1 part by mass of a low-melting-point fiber; the porous fiber temperature-controlled moisture-absorbing layer is formed by carding and mixing the following fibers: 5 parts by mass of the porous fiber, 3 parts by mass of a hollow fiber, and 2 parts by mass of the low-melting-point fiber; the elastic support layer is formed by carding and mixing the following fibers: 3 parts by mass of an elastic fiber, 5 parts by mass of a non-elastic fiber, and 2 parts by mass of the low-melting-point fiber; the Tencel Lyocell fiber is selected from a renewable wood source Tencel Lyocell fiber; the superfine fiber is selected from a superfine fiber having a diameter of 0.3 micron; and the low-melting-point fiber is selected from a low-melting-point fiber having a melting point of 145° C.

A breathable and comfortable cotton manufacturing process, for manufacturing the breathable and comfortable cotton described above, including the following steps:

• • S1, pretreatment: washing the Tencel Lyocell fiber with water to remove impurities and grease therefrom; cleaning the porous fiber using an ultrasonic cleaning technology; and obtaining the superfine fiber by electrostatic spinning treatment;
  • S2, temperature-controlled mixing: placing pretreated fibers in a mixing box in a ratio, and using an airflow mixing technology to fully disperse the fibers by means of an effect of airflow; and during mixing, heating to 45° C., and setting a mixing time to be 20 minutes, to ensure that components are uniformly fused;
  • S3, carding into a web: carrying out multiple carding using a high-efficiency carding machine at a rotating speed set to be 280 r/min, to form a uniform fiber web; using a laser carding technology during carding; and stacking a carded fiber web in multiple layers to form a three-layer structure in a manner of staggered laying, to strengthen an adhesive force between web layers;
  • S4, web lapping and pressing: lapping stacked fiber webs to be orderly using a web lapper at a speed of 35 m/min; during web lapping, using an ultrasonic pressing technology; and after web lapping, carrying out preliminary hot pressing treatment at a temperature set to be 100° C., to ensure preliminary setting of fibers in each layer;
  • S5, high-temperature setting: feeding a lapped three-layer fiber web into a high-temperature setting machine for stepwise heating at a temperature rising gradually from 130° C. to 160° C., to ensure that the low-melting-point fiber is sufficiently molten to form firm adhesion; and during setting, using vacuum treatment to reduce air convection, to ensure uniform distribution of heat and improve a setting effect;
  • S6, cooling solidification: after completion of setting, quickly transferring to a cooling area, and using a circulating air cooling system to maintain a shape and performance of the fibers during cooling, to avoid fiber deformation due to an abrupt temperature drop; and
  • S7, slitting and finished product treatment: slitting a set breathable and comfortable cotton according to market demands, a slitting specification comprising sheet-slitting and roll-wrapping, a roll-wrapped product having a width of 2-2.6 meters and a length of 50-70 meters/roll, and sheet-slitting sizes being 1.822.38 meters, 2.782.38 meters, and 2.382.38 meters; and carrying out automatic quality detection after slitting, to ensure that each batch of products complies with standards.

Embodiment 3

A breathable and comfortable cotton, wherein a breathable and comfortable layer is formed by sequentially bonding a Tencel Lyocell layer, a porous fiber temperature-controlled moisture-absorbing layer, and an elastic support layer from top to bottom via low-melting-point fibers; the Tencel Lyocell layer is formed by carding and mixing the following fine textures: 3 parts by mass of a Tencel Lyocell fiber, 3 parts by mass of a porous fiber, 3 parts by mass of a superfine fiber, and 3 parts by mass of a low-melting-point fiber; the porous fiber temperature-controlled moisture-absorbing layer is formed by carding and mixing the following fibers: 6 parts by mass of the porous fiber, 3 parts by mass of a hollow fiber, and 1 part by mass of the low-melting-point fiber; the elastic support layer is formed by carding and mixing the following fibers: 4 parts by mass of an elastic fiber, 5 parts by mass of a non-elastic fiber, and 1 part by mass of the low-melting-point fiber; the Tencel Lyocell fiber is selected from a renewable wood source Tencel Lyocell fiber; the superfine fiber is selected from a superfine fiber having a diameter of 0.5 micron; and the low-melting-point fiber is selected from a low-melting-point fiber having a melting point of 160° C.

A breathable and comfortable cotton manufacturing process, for manufacturing the breathable and comfortable cotton described above, including the following steps:

• • S1, pretreatment: washing the Tencel Lyocell fiber with water to remove impurities and grease therefrom; cleaning the porous fiber using an ultrasonic cleaning technology; and obtaining the superfine fiber by electrostatic spinning treatment;
  • S2, temperature-controlled mixing: placing pretreated fibers in a mixing box in a ratio, and using an airflow mixing technology to fully disperse the fibers by means of an effect of airflow; and during mixing, heating to 50° C., and setting a mixing time to be 20 minutes, to ensure that components are uniformly fused;
  • S3, carding into a web: carrying out multiple carding using a high-efficiency carding machine at a rotating speed set to be 280 r/min, to form a uniform fiber web; using a laser carding technology during carding; and stacking a carded fiber web in multiple layers to form a three-layer structure in a manner of staggered laying, to strengthen an adhesive force between web layers;
  • S4, web lapping and pressing: lapping stacked fiber webs to be orderly using a web lapper at a speed of 40 m/min; during web lapping, using an ultrasonic pressing technology; and after web lapping, carrying out preliminary hot pressing treatment at a temperature set to be 100° C., to ensure preliminary setting of fibers in each layer;
  • S5, high-temperature setting: feeding a lapped three-layer fiber web into a high-temperature setting machine for stepwise heating at a temperature rising gradually from 130° C. to 160° C., to ensure that the low-melting-point fiber is sufficiently molten to form firm adhesion; and during setting, using vacuum treatment to reduce air convection, to ensure uniform distribution of heat and improve a setting effect;
  • S6, cooling solidification: after completion of setting, quickly transferring to a cooling area, and using a circulating air cooling system to maintain a shape and performance of the fibers during cooling, to avoid fiber deformation due to an abrupt temperature drop;
  • S7, slitting and finished product treatment: slitting a set breathable and comfortable cotton according to market demands, a slitting specification comprising sheet-slitting and roll-wrapping, a roll-wrapped product having a width of 2-2.6 meters and a length of 50-70 meters/roll, and sheet-slitting sizes being 1.822.38 meters, 2.782.38 meters, and 2.382.38 meters; and carrying out automatic quality detection after slitting, to ensure that each batch of products complies with standards; and
  • S8, posttreatment and packaging: subjecting a finished product to antibacterial treatment using an environmentally friendly antibacterial agent, to ensure hygiene and safety of a product during use; and finally packaging using a recyclable material to improve environmental friendliness of the product, and marking information such as degradability and antibacterial property on packagings.

Test Experiment:

• • Comparative experiments were carried out on an innovative production process and a traditional process for a breathable and comfortable cotton; the following experimental steps and parameters were set; experiments would mainly focus on performance comparisons in terms of comfort, breathability, moisture absorption property, environmental friendliness, etc.;

Experimental Steps

Sample Preparation:

• • Breathable and comfortable cotton (employing the innovative production process)
  • Traditional Tencel Lyocell cotton (employing the conventional production process)

Performance Test:

• • Comfort test: the softness of the samples was measured using a hand feel tester.
  • Breathability test: the breathability (unit: L/m2/s) of the samples was measured using a breathability tester.
  • Moisture absorption property test: the moisture absorption rate (unit: %) of the samples was measured using a moisture absorption property tester.
  • Environmental friendliness test: the biodegradability of the samples was tested, and the degradation time (unit: day) in a specific environment was observed.
  • Data recording: the results of each sample in each performance test were recorded.

Data Analysis:

• • Softness: the softness of the breathable and comfortable cotton is significantly better than that of the traditional cotton, indicating that the breathable and comfortable cotton performs better in terms of comfort.
  • Breathability: the breathability of the breathable and comfortable cotton is twice that of the traditional cotton, indicating that the breathable and comfortable cotton has a clear advantage in terms of breathability.
  • Moisture absorption property: the moisture absorption rate of the breathable and comfortable cotton is higher than that of the traditional cotton, so that the humidity can be better adjusted, thereby improving the wearing comfort.
  • Environmental friendliness: the biodegradation time of the breathable and comfortable cotton is shorter than that of the traditional cotton, showing better environmental friendliness thereof.

By means of the above experiment method and data table, we can clearly compare the differences between the breathable and comfortable cotton and the traditional Tencel Lyocell cotton in terms of various performances, so as to verify the advantages of the innovative production process.