Lightweight, durable apparel and laminates for making the same

摘要

Laminates are described having a durable outer film surface for use in making lightweight liquidproof articles of apparel, such as outerwear garments. A method of making the laminate and a lightweight outerwear garment having an abrasion resistant exterior film surface is described.

主权项

1. A method of making a lightweight outerwear garment having an abrasion resistant exterior film surface, said method comprising:
selecting a woven or knit textile and a porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane; coating the porous PTFE membrane with an oleophobic polymer composition to obtain a porous PTFE membrane having an oleophobic outer membrane surface and oil rating greater than 2; colorizing the porous PTFE membrane with a colorant to obtain a colorized outer membrane surface; laminating the textile and the porous PTFE membrane to form a laminate, optionally before or after the coating step or the colorizing step, to form a laminate having an outer membrane surface and an inner textile surface; and assembling an outerwear garment from the laminate so that the oleophobic, colorized outer membrane surface is the outerwear garment exterior surface and the inner textile surface is on a side opposite the exterior surface; wherein said laminate is liquidproof after more than 6000 abrasion movements on the outer membrane surface when tested according to the Liquidproof (Suter) After Hook and Abrasion Test, wherein said porous PTFE membrane has an average maximum load in the transverse and longitudinal direction greater than 10 N, wherein said porous PTFE membrane has an average modulus in the transverse and longitudinal direction greater than 40 MPa, wherein said porous PTFE membrane has an average matrix tensile strength in the longitudinal and transverse direction greater than 90 MPa, and wherein said porous PTFE membrane has a ball burst load greater than 17 lb force.