(12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT)

(19) World Intellectual PropertyOrganization

International Bureau(10) International Publication Number

(43) International Publication Date WO 2015/152998 Al8 October 2015 (08.10.2015) P O P C T

(51) International Patent Classification: Gurgaon 122018 (IN). VERMA, Neelmani; Flat No. 303D03D 15/00 (2006.01) D02G 3/28 (2006.01) 3rd Floor, Block-c, Ram Kutir Complex, Adajan, SuratD02G 3/04 (2006.01) D02G 3/30 (2006.01) 395009 (IN).

(21) International Application Number: (74) Agent: SCOTT, Robert S.; E. I . du Pont de Nemours andPCT/US2015/015621 Company, Legal Patent Records Center, Chestnut Run

Plaza 721/2640, 974 Centre Road, PO Box 291 5 Wilming(22) International Filing Date: ton, Delaware 19805 (US).

12 February 2015 (12.02.2015)(81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every

(25) Filing Language: English kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM,

(26) Publication Language: English AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY,BZ, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM,

(30) Priority Data: DO, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT,398/DEL/2014 12 February 2014 (12.02.2014) IN HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IR, IS, JP, KE, KG, KN, KP, KR,

(71) Applicant: E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COM¬ KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG,

PANY [US/US]; 1007 Market Street, Wilmington, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM,

Delaware 19898 (US). PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, RU, RW, SA, SC,SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN,

(72) Inventors: GUPTA, Nitin; J-201, Rail Vihar, Sector-4, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW.Khargar, Navi Mumbai 410210 (IN). KUMAR, Akshay;Flat 304, Brindavan Apartment, Plot No: 28/29, Geeta (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every

Nagar, Old Saifulguda, Hyderabad 500056 (IN). NAGA- kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH,

RAJAN, Gowri; 77 Espace, Nirvana Country, Sector - 50, GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, ST, SZ,TZ, UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU,

[Continued on nextpage]

(54) Title: A BICOMPONENT GEORGETTE FABRIC AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF

(57) Abstract: The present disclosure provides a woven fabric prepared from high twisted bicomponent yarn of poly(tri-methylene terephthalate) and poly(ethylene terephthalate)and second twisted yarn selected from a polyamide yarn,polyolefin yarn, polyester yarn, a bicomponent yarn, or combinations thereof. The resulting high twist yarns are twistedwith a turns per meter (TPM) in the range of about 500 to2500 in the warp or weft direction.

w o 2015/152998 A i III II II 11 I Illlll 111 III III lllll lllll lllll lllll lllll 111 llll 11llll

TJ, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, Published:DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, ΓΓ , LT,

— with international search report (Art. 21(3))LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE,

SI, SK, SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA,

GN, GQ, GW, KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG).

TITLE

A BICOMPONENT GEORGETTE FABRIC AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURETHEREOF

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of India Provisional Patent Application No.

398/DEL/2014, filed February 2, 2014.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a woven fabric made of at least one twisted

bicomponent yarn comprising poly(trimethylene terephthalate) and poly(ethylene

terephthalate) and a second twisted yarn consisting essentially of a polyamide

yarn, a polyolefin yarn, a polyester yarn, a poly(ethylene terephthalate) yarn, a

second bicomponent yarn, and blends thereof. The fabric has improved

characteristics like springiness, bulk, luster, smooth, and soft feel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Georgette fabric is a sheer, lightweight, dull-finished crepe fabric named after the

early 20th century French dressmaker Georgette de la Plante. Originally made

from silk, georgette is made with highly twisted yarns. Its characteristic crinkly

surface is created by alternating S- and Z-twist yarns in both warp and weft.

Georgette is made in solid colors and prints and is used for blouses, dresses,

evening gowns, and trimmings.

The crepe-like texture of georgette fabric makes it very springy. Georgette fabric

also drapes very well, making it a popular choice for women's fashions in which

clingy, flowing fabrics are favored. Georgette fabric is thin; therefore it is also

lightweight and can be used as a layer in a larger garment without making the

garment heavy or bulky. This makes georgette fabric a preferred choice when it

comes to designing cloths such as gowns with layers of fabric.

There is demand for georgette based fabrics for characteristics like, springiness,

bright color, soft feel and bounce better than regular rayon or synthetic georgette

fabric.

Generally in a georgette fabric structure, yarns are highly twisted; the individual

filament is deformed and packed densely and this makes the yarn crisp.

Furthermore, the fabric made from these yarns undergoes a chemical processing

treatment such as drumming, weight reduction followed by dyeing/printing

making the fabric further crispier and springier. Finally, in the individual filament,

in yarns of the georgette fabric, contours are completely fragmented due to

strong alkali treatment and a highly twist structure. The appearance is also dull

because the yarn and the filament cross section are irregular.

Woven fabrics made from poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) or

poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) filaments are known in the art and have

been studied for elasticity (Luo et ai, Textile Research Journal (201 1) , 8 1(8),

865-870) and stretchability (Yoon et al., Fibers and Polymers (2003), 4(2), 84-88)

(see also WO201 3/074539 A 1) . Preparation of woven fabrics of PTT twisted

yarns for women's wear is also reported in JP20061 32022. Manufacture of

polyester (PET) georgette fabric is reported in JP1 1093038, JP621 70552, and

JP57039248. JP500001 96 reports a drumming process for polyester georgette

fabrics.

The apparel/garment segment is one where customers or end users keep

craving for novelty and uniqueness. There is always a need for fabrics with

newer texture, aesthetic appeal and durability. Conventional georgettes have a

dull finish and pose the problem of fading of colors when exposed to sun light

apart from not being color-fast. Therefore the fabric should be dyeable, able to

retain dye for longer time and must be amenable to be used in contemporary

designs as a much desired feature.

While experimenting with yarns and fabrics, the inventors observed that a woven

fabric manufactured by using a first twisted yarn consisting essentially of a

bicomponent yarn having 25 wt% to 75 wt% PTT and 75% to 25 wt% PET and

a second twisted yarn consisting essentially of a polyamide yarn, a polyolefin

yarn, a polyester yarn, a poly(ethylene terephthalate) yarn, a second

bicomponent yarn, and blends thereof is characterized by more springiness ,

luster, softness, comfort and bulkiness as compared to conventionally available

fabrics.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

An object of this disclosure is to provide a woven fabric comprising twisted

multifilament yarns, said woven fabric comprising

a . a first twisted yarn consisting essentially of a first bicomponent

yarn having 25 wt% to 75 wt% poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) and

75 wt% to 25wt% poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET) in a connected side-

by-side configuration; and

b. a second twisted yarn consisting essentially of a polyamide yarn, a

polyolefin yarn, a polyester yarn, a poly(ethylene terephthalate) yarn, a

second bicomponent yarn, and blends thereof;

wherein either first twisted yarn or the second twisted yarn is a warp yarn

while the other is the weft yarn. Preferably, the woven fabric is a

georgette fabric.

Another object is to provide a woven fabric having property of high shrinkage

even at very low twist level.

Still another object is to provide a process for making a woven fabric which has a

finished fabric width of not less than 42 inches (~1 06.7 cm).

The woven fabric preferably is characterized by a smooth surface which results

in better optical brightness.

Another object is to provide woven fabric characterized by better dyeability and

color fastness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A woven fabric is provided comprising twisted multifilament yarns, said woven

fabric comprising

a . a first twisted yarn consisting essentially of a first bicomponent

yarn having 25 wt% to 75 wt% poly(trimethylene terephthalate)

(PTT) and 75 wt% to 25wt% polyethylene terephthalate)(PET) in a

connected side-by-side configuration; and

b. a second twisted yarn consisting essentially of a polyamide yarn, a

polyolefin yarn, a polyester yarn, a poly(ethylene terephthalate)

yarn, a second bicomponent yarn, and blends thereof;

wherein either first twisted yarn or the second twisted yarn is a

warp yarn while the other is the weft yarn.

In one embodiment, the first twisted yarn is the warp yarn and the second twisted

yarn is the weft yarn.

In addition to any of the above embodiments, the second twisted yarn consists

essentially of the bicomponent yarn.

In addition to any of the above embodiments, the cross sections of the individual

filaments in the twisted multifilament yarns are retained.

In addition to any of the above embodiments, the cross sections of the individual

filaments in the twisted multifilament yarns are round.

In addition to any of the above embodiments, the second bicomponent yarn is,

based on the weight of the second bicomponent yarn, 25 wt% to 75 wt%

poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) and 75 wt% to 25wt% poly(ethylene

terephthalate)(PET).

In addition to any of the above embodiments, the fabric has stretch properties in

the range of 8 to 60.

In addition to any of the above embodiments, the woven fabric has growth of less

than 5 .

In addition to any of the above embodiments, the warp and weft yarns are twisted

in the range of 500-2500 turns/m in S direction and in the range of 500-2500

turns/m in Z direction.

In addition to any of the above embodiments, the woven fabric is georgette.

In addition to any of the above embodiments, the width of the finished fabric is

not less than 106.7 cm.

In addition to any of the above embodiments, the PTT is bio-based.

In addition to any of the above embodiments, the woven fabric is used for

manufacturing apparels, furnishings, decorative textiles, and the like.

In another embodiment, an apparel, a furnishing, or a decorative textile is also

provided comprising the above woven fabric.

In another embodiment, a process to make the above woven fabric is provided

comprising the steps of:

a . providing:

i . a first twisted yarn consisting essentially of a first

bicomponent yarn having 25 wt% to 75 wt%

poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) and 75 wt% to 25wt%

poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET) in a connected side-by-

side configuration; and

ii. a second twisted yarn consisting essentially of a

polyamide yarn, a polyolefin yarn, a polyester yarn, a

poly(ethylene terephthalate) yarn, a second bicomponent

yarn, and blends thereof;

wherein either first twisted yarn or the second twisted yarn is

a warp yarn while the other is the weft yarn;

b. heat treating (setting) the warp yarn and weft yarn at a

temperate range of 90 °C to 120°C for a period of time ranging from 30 to

90 minutes in a vacuum setter;

c . warping and weaving the first twisted yarn and the second

twisted yarn to form a fabric;

d . subjecting the fabric of (c) to relaxation;

e . heat setting the relaxed fabric from step (d);

f . subjecting the fabric product of step (e) to weight reduction

g optionally dyeing the fabric product of step (f);

h . heat setting the fabric product of step (g);

i . printing setting the fabric product of step (h) ;

j - finishing the fabric product of step (i); and

k . sanforizing the fabric product of step (j).

In another embodiment, a product produced by the above process is also

provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This disclosure is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which,

like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

Figure. 1 is a representation of a woven fabric showing warp and weft.

1- Warp

2- Weft

Figure 2 is a representation of S- and Z-twist.

Figure 3 is a stereo microscope picture of PET georgette fabric taken at 10 X .

Figure 4 is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) picture of yarn cross section of

PET georgette fabric at 1000X.

Figure 5 is a stereo microscope picture of PET-PTT bicomponent georgette

fabric taken at 10 X .

Figure 6 is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) of yarn cross section of PET-

PTT bicomponent georgette fabric at 1000X.

Figure 7 is a NMR spectrum of grey fabric where " 1" is PET+PTT, "2" is PET, and

"3" is PTT.

Figure 8 is a NMR spectrum of finished fabric where " 1" is PET+PTT, "2" is PET,

and "3" is PTT.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As used herein, "woven fabric" consists of two or more thread systems that cross

each other at right angles, known as the warp and the weft.

"Warps" are the yarns along the length of the fabrics and are also called ends.

"Weft" is another set of threads or yarn that move perpendicular to warps.

Wefts are interlaced with warps in a crosswise direction to make a fabric. The

warp threads run in the direction of production, and are wound onto a warp beam

in the desired width and spacing (ends per inch or ends per centimeter).

The fabrics of this disclosure are woven by the techniques well known in the art

such as plain weaving, satin weaving, twill weaving, and the like.

The term "twist", as used herein, refers to the number of turns about its axis per

unit of length of a yarn or other textile strand. It is expressed as turns per inch

(tpi), turns per meter (tpm), or turns per centimeter (tpcm).

Yarn has S-twist if when it is held vertically, the spirals around its central axis

slope in the same direction as the middle portion of the letter S, and Z-twist if

they slope in the same direction as the middle portion of the letter Z as shown in

Figure 2 . When two or more yarns, either single or plied, are twisted together, the

letters S and Z are used in a similar manner to indicate the direction of the last

twist inserted.

As used herein, the term "high twist' refers to 500-2500 number of turns per

meter of yarn.

The phrase "highly twisted", as used herein, refers to greater than 2600 number

of turns per meter of yarn.

As used herein, the term "georgette effect" refers to crinkly or grainy surface

created by alternating S- and Z-twist yarns in both warp and weft.

The term "renewably sourced ingredient", as used herein, refers to an ingredient

used to make a product which is sourced from a renewable source. In the

present disclosure, such an ingredient is 1,3-propanediol, commonly known as

PDO, which has been made from renewable source like corn sugar by a

fermentation route and has been reacted with terephthalic acid to make the

polyester poly(trimethylene terephthalate) or PTT.

Further, a "renewable resource", as used herein, refers to a natural resource with

the ability of being replaced through biological or other natural processes. The

term "twisting" refers to the process of combining filaments into yarn by twisting

them together or combining two or more parallel singles yarns (spun or filament)

into plied yarns or cords. For example, cables are made by twisting plied yarns or

cords. Twisting is also employed to increase strength, smoothness, and

uniformity, to bring in newer effects in yarn.

The term "warping", as used herein, refers to the operation of winding warp yarns

onto a beam usually in preparation for slashing, weaving, or warp knitting.

Warping the first yarn into a warp beam helps in preparing even sheets of yarn

and making the yarn strong enough to handle the stress of weaving without too

much end breaking. The second yarn which forms the weft component is inserted

across the warp to produce a grey woven fabric.

The term "weaving", as used herein, refers to a process where the fabric is

manufactured on a loom in weaving process with warp threads coming from

weavers beam interlace, with weft yarns put in width wise direction.

The term "relaxation", as used herein, refers to a treatment done to reduce

tension and produce more uniform shrinkage or torque. Relaxation produces

more uniform dyeing characteristics in regular filament yarns.

The term "weight reduction", as used herein, refers to the process of treating the

fabric with sodium hydroxide, which results in saponification of the ester bonds in

which some of the ester bonds in the polymer chains are split, forming disodium

terephthalate and ethylene glycol. During the process, the surface of the

polyester fibers is removed layer by layer. The character of the fiber surface is

changed and craters and deep holes are formed. The fiber becomes delustred,

and this in turn improves the handling, appearance and flow properties of fabrics,

giving them a soft, silk-like texture.

As used herein, the term "heat setting" refers to the process of conferring stability

upon fibers, yarns, or fabrics by means of steam or dry heat.

As used herein, the term "dyeing" used herein refers to a process where the

fabric after bleaching is dyed with a color.

As used herein, the term "finishing" used herein refers to a process performed on

yarn or fabric after weaving or knitting to improve the look, performance, or

"hand" (feel) of the finished textile or clothing. The different finishing techniques

are bio-polishing, raising, fulling, calendaring, anti-microbial finishing, anti-static

finishing, non-slip finishing and others known in the art. Suitable finishing agents

are required for these finishes.

As used herein, the term "drumming" refers to a process involving a mechanical

action from rotation of a material inside the drums, use of swelling agents, water,

heat and pressure to swell the polyester yarns and assisting in untwisting of the

yarns to generate a grainy texture in the fabric .

As used herein, the term "jet-dyeing" refers to a process of wet mechanical action

under high temperature and pressure used to untwist the yarns in the fabric.

As used herein, the term "filament" means a fiber of indefinite or extreme length,

some of them may be miles long. Silk is a natural filament, while nylon and

polyester are synthetic filaments. Filament fibers are generally made into yarn

without the spinning operation required of shorter fibers, such as wool and

cotton. The abbreviation for this is " .

"Denier" is the term used to define the diameter or fineness of a continuous or

filament fiber such as silk or man-made fibers. Denier is the weight in grams of a

9000-meter length of fiber or yarn. The higher the number correlates with the

thicker the fiber. The abbreviation for Denier is "d" or "D".

The term "Ibf or "pound" or "pound force" refers to a unit of force used in some

systems of measurement including English engineering units and the British

Gravitational System.

As used herein, the term "fiber" or "fibre" means a fundamental component used

in making textile yarns and fabrics. Fibers are fine substances with a high ratio of

length to thickness. They can be natural or synthetic (man-made). Therefore 75

D/ 36 f means a fiber having 75 g in 9000 m length and 36 filaments in the fiber.

The term "yarn" means a continuous strand of textile fibers that may be

composed of endless filaments or shorter fibers twisted or otherwise held

together. The present woven fabrics are comprised of a warp yarn and a weft

yarn.

The term "bicomponent yarn" means a continuous strand of textile fibers that

may be composed of two different endless filaments or two different shorter

fibers twisted or otherwise held (connected) together. In one aspect, the

bicomponent yarn is in a core / sheath configuration (for example, formed by a

process where one component is completely surrounded by the other) or a

connected side-by-side configuration (for example, formed by a process where

the polymers fed exit from a spinneret opening side-by-side). In a preferred

aspect, the bicomponent yarn is in a side-by-side configuration. The

bicomponent yarn may be further twisted to form a twisted bicomponent yarn.

"Round cross section" refers to a shape of the yarn when the yarn diameter at a

point on the yarn at different angles is exactly same. There is a correlation

between yarn diameter and the yarn cross-section at that point on the yarn. It can

be said that yarn diameter can decide the cross-section shape of the yarn.

Different cross-sectional shapes have different stiffness as well as different

packing index with ideal geometry of filament yarns. The low-stress mechanical

properties and hand behavior of fabric are also altered by change in cross-

sectional shape of filaments. A number of factors affect the cross-sectional shape

of yarn such as twist, chemical resistance, yarn diameter, etc.

The term "fabric" means any cloth woven or knitted from fibers.

As used herein, the term "scouring" refers to the process of washing or cleansing

a fabric of grease, soil, and stain in a water/soap/alkali solution.

The term "dyeability" refers to color fastness to washing as measured by the

America Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) 6 1 :201 0-2A

method.

As used herein, the term "stretch" or "stretchability" refers to the ability of an

article to be stretched at least eight percent in the warp or weft direction (that is,

at least 1.08 times its original length), preferably at least ten percent, and then

the fabric returns to a value closer to its original dimensions after release of the

stretching force as per the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

method D661 4:2007. A stretch garment stretches and springs back under

movement. Bicycle shorts, bathing suits, tights, body hugging dresses and

stirrup pants are non-limiting examples of garments that are predominately or

totally stretch garments.

As used herein, the term "springiness" refers to the tendency of an article to

return to its original shape after it has been stretched or compressed.

Springiness is measured by a stretch recovery test.

The term "bounce" refers to the elastic property of a fabric wherein the textile

fibre can recover when released from tension or stretch. Bounce can be

measured by Kawabata compression test (Harwood et al., Journal of the Society

of Dyers and Colourists,{1990) Volume 106, Issue 2, pages 64-68).

As used herein, the term "bulk" refers to the bulk modulus of the material in terms

of response to uniform pressure and is measured by Kawabata method.

As used herein, the term "lustre" or "luster" refers to the property of a fabric to

concentrate the reflected light in certain directions from a unidirectional incident

beam. In the present disclosure, a round cross section of the individual filaments

is preserved due to robustness in shape provided by the high chemical

resistance of the PTT polymer. The preservation of round cross section as shown

by microscopic picture imparts lustre to the fabric.

As used herein, the term "crisp" refers to an apparel characteristic that is

identified by versioning. It defines a garment, which has its own shape and body.

A crisp garment tends to resist draping and movement while being worn. Dress

business shirts are a good example of a predominately, or totally crisp garment.

Crispness is measured by Kawabata method (Harwood et al., Journal of the

Society of Dyers and Colourists,^ 990) Volume 106, Issue 2, pages 64-68).

"Versioning", as used herein, means a method for identifying the apparel

characteristics of any particular garment, using those apparel characteristics to

determine the desired finishing benefits most appropriate for that garment, and

then selecting one or more compositions for use with the present disclosure to

impart the most appropriate or desired finishing benefits on that garment.

As used herein, "soft Feel" refers to visual aesthetics of the garment, giving the

overall impression of comfort to the garment. The soft feel is measured by

Kawabata evaluation system (KES).

As used herein, "surface smoothness" refers to the friction force associated with

the surface texture of a fibrous material and is measured by a Kawabata

evaluation system (KES-FB4) method.

The term "FDY" or "fully drawn yarn" ,as used herein, is defined as a melt-spun

continuous filament yarn which has been highly oriented, either by drawing at a

high draw ratio or by spinning at a high wind-up speed having little residual

drawability.

As used herein, "drapability" is defined as the way in which a fabric hangs (falls)

over a three-dimensional form; the flow of fabric into folds. Different fabrics drape

differently, for example, limply like jersey fabric, stiffly like taffeta, and falling in

soft folds like chiffon (Taylor, M.A. 1990. Technology of Textile Properties , 3* Ed.,

Forbes Publications, London).

As used herein, "texture" is a term describing the surface effect of a fabric, such

as dull, lustrous, wooly, stiff, soft, fine, coarse, open, or closely woven; the

structural quality of a fabric.

"Conditioning" of the twisted yarns by heat setting is done to relax yarns, to

prevent them from snarling, to enable them to be worked efficiently in the

following processes and to fix yarn-twisting.

As used herein, "colour fastness" is a term used in the dyeing of textile materials,

meaning resistance of the material's colour to fading or running. The term is

usually used in the context of clothes.

The georgette structure of the present disclosure consists essentially of at least

one twisted bicomponent yarn made of 25 wt% to 75 wt% PTT and 75 wt% to 25

wt% PET and a second twisted yarn selected from group consisting of a

polyamide yarn, a polyolefin yarn, a polyester yarn, a poly(ethylene

terephthalate) yarn, a second bicomponent yarn, and combinations (blends)

thereof.

The shrinkage tendency of bicomponent yarn is utilized to get springiness at very

low twist level compared to a PET only georgette fabric. Further, the feel of fabric

becomes more soft, porous and lustrous because the round cross section of

individual filaments in the bicomponent yarn is preserved due to robustness in

shape provided by high chemical resistance of the PTT component. Also due to

good alkali resistance property of PTT, there is a preferential reduction of the

PET component during the fabric "finishing" process and a majority proportion of

the soft PTT component remains in the finished fabric which further enhances

softness of the fabric.

Further to the round cross-section, if the yarn diameter at a point on the yarn at

different angles is about the same, then the yarn is said to have a round cross-

section shape at that point. Examples of round cross-section shapes are shown

in Figure 6 .

The present georgette fabric has improved characteristics like springiness, luster,

smooth and soft feel that are far better than the georgette fabric found in the

present industry. This is because parameters like twist are optimized to reduce

harshness. In a conventional georgette fabric made from only PET, individual

filaments making up the yarn are deformed and densely packed. In comparison,

the round cross section of a filament comprising a portion of which is PTT is

preserved and does not deform to get better luster and silk-like feel. The

inherited shrinkage tendency of the yarn is utilized to impart springiness to the

fabric. Further, filaments are not packed as densely as in conventional PET only

georgette. The georgette fabric of the present disclosure imparts a more porous,

comfortable and bulkier look to the final fabric.

The georgette fabrics reported so far suggest different twisting characteristics of

PET/PTT bicomponent yarns in warp and weft. However, the twisting and wet-

processing route isn't optimized in the manner to get the structure achieved

according to present disclosure. The new structural factors like porosity, luster,

softness and bulkier look is imparted in the structure by carefully selecting the

twist level and preferentially reducing PET polymer component in the fabric.

Also, the fabric produced by suggested conventional process routes was found to

be poor in dimensional stability, and would shrink the fabric during storage and

settle at a fabric width which was lower than the desired fabric width of 44" for

commercial applications like saree. The challenge persisted irrespective of the

pre-setting fabric width on the pin-stenter.

An aspect of the present disclosure is a woven fabric made of twisted

multifilament yarns wherein a warp yarn consists essentially of bicomponent yarn

and a weft yarn consisting of PET, bicomponent yarn and blends thereof.

aspect, a process is provided to make a woven fabric comprising the

of:

a . providing:

i . a first twisted yarn consisting essentially of a first bicomponent

yarn having 25 wt% to 75 wt% poly(trimethylene terephthalate)

(PTT) and 75 wt% to 25wt% poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET) in a

connected side-by-side configuration; and

ii. a second twisted yarn consisting essentially of a polyamide yarn,

a polyolefin yarn, a polyester yarn, a poly(ethylene terephthalate)

yarn, a second bicomponent yarn, and blends thereof;

wherein either first twisted yarn or the second twisted yarn is a

warp yarn while the other is the weft yarn;

b. heat treating (setting) the warp yarn and weft yarn at a temperate

range of 90 °C to 120°C for a period of time ranging from 30 to 90 minutes

in a vacuum setter;

c . warping and weaving the first twisted yarn and the second twisted

yarn to form a fabric;

d . subjecting the fabric of (c) to relaxation;

e . heat setting the relaxed fabric from step (d);

f . subjecting the fabric product of step (e) to weight reduction;

g . optionally dyeing the fabric product of step (f);

h . heat setting the fabric product of step (g);

i . printing setting the fabric product of step (h) ;

j . finishing the fabric product of step (i); and

k . sanforizing the fabric product of step (j).

The grey fabric is relaxed in a long jet machine during which time the high twisted

yarns in the warp and weft tend to relax. Due to its lower torsion rigidity, PTT

FDY (fully drawn yarn) is comparatively easier to twist and untwist. The grainy

texture generation in case of georgette fabrics is by virtue of relaxation or

untwisting of twisted yarns in the fabric.

In PET fabrics, a combination of wet mechanical action under high temperature

and pressure is used to untwist the yarns in the fabric. Although the high

temperature and pressure is possible in the case of a conventional jet dyeing

machine, the mechanical action on the fabric in the jet dyeing machine is not

enough to untwist the yarns in the fabric for grainy texture generation. So,

mechanical agitation needs to be given in the drumming process. The drumming

process involves mechanical action from rotation of the material inside the

drums, use of swelling agents, water, heat and pressure to swell the polyester

yarns and assist in untwisting of the yarns to generate grainy texture in the fabric.

Trials on PTT/PET bicomponent FDY based georgette fabrics have shown that

the mechanical agitation of the conventional jet dyeing machine is suitable for

untwisting of the yarns in the fabric which leads to a generation of grainy texture

in the fabric. This would lead to advantages of eliminating manual labor (to cut,

pile and stitch fabric in 100 meter lots). Downgrades could be spread over larger

fabric length (corresponding to increased batch length from jet dyeing machine),

uniform fabric quality (gsm and texture).

The following examples are only illustrated to further describe the disclosure and

should in no way be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure.

TEST METHODS

Unless otherwise noted, the following apply: "gf/cm" is gram force per centimeter;

"ASTM" means the American Society for Testing and Materials, "AATCC" means

America Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, "ml_" means milliliter(s),

"°C" means Celsius, "min" means minutes, "s" means second(s), "hr" means

hour(s), "CRE" means constant-rate-of-extension; "KES" means Kawabata

evaluation system, "m" means meters, "mm" means millimeters, "cm" means

centimeters, "kPa" means kilopascals, "glm" means grams per linear meter,

"GPa" means gigapascals; "Ibf means pounds force.

Stretch recovery was measured by an ASTM D66 14:2007 method using a CRE

machine. The load used was 4 Ibf, bench mark was 250 mm.

Fabric width was measured by a ASTM D3774: 1996(2004) method.

Color fastness to washing was measured by a AATCC 6 1 :201 0-2A method using

following conditions:

Temp- 60°C

Liquid Volume- 150 ml_

Time- 45 min

Steel balls- 50

Detergent- 0.15% WOB (without optical brightener)

Dimensional change after 3rd washing was measured by the AATCC 135:201 0

method using following conditions:

Machine wash at 60°C

Normal cycle; and

Tumble Dry medium.

Tensile strength was measured by the ASTM D5034:2009 method using a

constant-rate-extension (CRE) machine.

Tear strength was measured by a ASTM D 1424:2009 method.

Seam slippage was by the ASTM D434:1 995 method using a CRE machine @

6.0 mm seam opening.

Compression is measured by testing a 2 cm2 area and is measured with the

Kawabata evaluation system (KES-FB3) compression tester at an appropriate

force for material type being tested.

Kawabata evaluation system (KES) is a series of instruments used to measure

those textile properties that enable predictions of the aesthetic qualities

perceived by human touch. Kawabata evaluation system provides a unique

capability, not only to predict human response, but also to provide an

understanding of how the variables of fibre, yarn, fabric construction and finish

contribute to perceptions of comfort.

For the present disclosure properties like bulk, crisp, surface smoothness and

soft feel were measured by Kawabata evaluation system.

Following testing parameters were used for Kawabata evaluation system (KES)

Shear (degree/s)

Strain(per

second)

Shear 2*5 0.00834 0.2 ±8°

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE A

A PET (RECRON ; Recron Malaysia Sdn Bhd; Reliance Industries Ltd, India)

yarn of 50 D/ 24 f was subjected to a twisting procedure (S and Z twist) on a

Alidhra FHT-100 Two-for-one (TFO) twister (Alidhra Weavetech Pvt Ltd, India) to

provide a twisted yarn of 2700 turns/m forming the warp component of the fabric.

Another PET (RECRON®) yarn of 50D/24 f was subjected to a twisting

procedure (S and Z twist) on a Alidhra FHT-100 Two-for-one (TFO) twister to

provide a twisted yarn of 2700 turns/m forming the weft component of the fabric .

The warp yarns and weft yarns were heat treated at a temperature of 100° C for

90 minutes in a vacuum setter at 70mm Hg (-9.33 kPa) vacuum pressure. This

was followed by warping and weaving using the following specifications:

Warp density- 100 threads per inch (2S twist yarns alternating with 2 Z yarns)

Reed space- 58 inches

Denting pattern- 2

Pick density- 78 threads per inch (2S twist yarns alternating with 2 Z yarns)

Linear density- 66 glm

The grey fabric thus obtained was relaxed by drumming for 130° C for 120 min

on a traditional drumming machine. The fabric was heat-set on a Dhall stenter

machine (Dhall Enterprises, India) at a temperature of 200°C for 30 seconds to

maximum width of 42 inches (-1 06.7 cm). The fabric was then subjected to

weight reduction on a TEXFAB Terelena machine (Texfab Engineers Pvt. Ltd,

India) using caustic soda at 100°C for 45 min so as to achieve linear density of

60 glm. This was followed by washing and neutralization. The fabric was heat set

on Dhall stenter frame at 165°C for 30 sec at 45 inches (-1 14.3 cm) width for

making it ready for printing. The fabric was printed using Disperse Dye print

paste, dried at 130°C and cured at 175°C for 7 minutes for print-fixation. This

was followed by washing the fabric of un-fixed color. The fabric was dried and

final-set at 45 inches (-1 14.3 cm) on stenter frame at 165°C for 30 sec. This

fabric was then passed on a Dhall Zero-Zero machine where the fabric moves in

between a steam heated cylinder at 105°C and 10 mpm speed, the set-up

maintained at 8 kg/cm2 pressure. The fabric returned with a crispy hand-feel and

good bounce with a width of 44 inches (~1 11.8 cm) as a result of the relaxation in

the Zero-Zero machine.

Figure 3 shows the fabric photograph and fiber state as analyzed by

stereomicroscope at 10X and Figure 4 shows a photograph taken using a

scanning electron microscope at 1000 X of yarn cross section used in the fabric.

As can be seen from Figure 4, the PET filament in cross section is deformed,

packed and abraded.

Table 1: Fabric test results for 50 D/ 24 f PET yarn

a = 4.44822 X Ibf (pounds force)= Newtons (N)

EXAMPLE 1

PET/PTT (75 D/ 36 f) bicomponent yarns (R531 from Reliance Industries Ltd)

was subjected to a high twisting procedure ( 1700 turns/m in S direction and 1800

turns/m in Z direction) on a Alidhra FHT-100 Two-for-one (TFO) twister forming

the warp and weft component of the fabric

The warp yarns and weft yarns were heat treated at a temperature of 85° C for 60

minutes at 70mm Hg (-9.33 kPa) vacuum pressure in a vacuum setter.

This was followed by warping and weaving using following specifications:

Warp density- 64 threads per inch (2S twist yarns alternating with 2 Z yarns)

Reed space- 66 inches

Denting pattern- 2

Pick density- 64 threads per inch (2S twist yarns alternating with 2 Z yarns)

Linear density- 75 glm

The grey fabric thus obtained was relaxed by drumming at 125° C for 90 min in a

traditional drumming machine.

The fabric was heat-set on a Dhall stenter machine at a temperature of 195°C for

60 seconds to maximum width of 45 inches (-1 14.3 cm). The fabric was then

subjected to weight reduction on a TEXFAB Terelena machine using caustic

soda at 100°C for 90 min so as to achieve linear density of 65 glm. This was

followed by washing and neutralization. The fabric was heat set on Dhall Stenter

Frame at 165°C for 60 sec at 47 inches (-1 19.4 cm) width for making it ready for

printing. The Fabric was printed using disperse dye print paste, dried at 130°C

and cured at 175°C for 7 minutes for print-fixation. This was followed by washing

the fabric of un-fixed color. The fabric was dried and final-set at 46 inches

(-1 16.8 cm) on stenter frame at 165°C for 30 sec. This fabric was then passed

on a Dhall Zero-Zero machine where the fabric moves in between a steam

heated cylinder at 105°C at 10 mpm speed, the set-up maintained at 8 kg/cm2

pressure. The fabric returned with a super soft and smooth hand-feel and good

bounce with a width of 38 inches (~ 96.5 cm) as a result of the relaxation in the

Zero-Zero machine.

Table 2 : Fabric test results for 75 D/ 36 f PET/PTT Bicomponent yarns

Stretch ASTM D661 4:2007 % Warp 20.4Weft 25.6

Growth ASTM D661 4:2007 % Warp .2Weft 2.4

Tensile strength ASTM D5034:2009 Ibf Warp 38.0Weft 30.4

Tear strength ASTM D 1424:2009 Ibf Warp 5.2Weft 3.9

Dimensional AATCC 135:2010 % Warp - .2stability Weft -0.4

Seam slippage ASTM D434:1995 Ibf Warp 29.6Weft 33.5

4.44822 X Ibf (pounds force)= Newtons (N)

EXAMPLE 2

PET/PTT (75 D/ 36 f) bicomponent yarn was subjected to a high twisting

procedure (1700 turns/m in S direction and 1800 turns/m in Z direction) on a

Alidhra FHT-100 Two-for-one (TFO) twister forming the warp and weft

component of the fabric.

The warp yarns and weft yarns were heat treated at a temperature of 85° C for 60

minutes at 70mm Hg (-9.33 kPa) vacuum pressure in a vacuum setter.

This was followed by warping and weaving using following specifications:

Warp density- 64 threads per inch (2S twist yarns alternating with 2 Z yarns)

Reed space- 66 inches

Denting pattern- 2

Pick density- 64 threads per inch (2S twist yarns alternating with 2 Z yarns)

Linear density- 75 glm

The grey fabric thus obtained was relaxed in a TEXFAB Long-jet machine using

the following conditions:

Conditions:

Loading at room-temperature (~ 2 1 °C)

Rate of Rise of Temperature: 0.5°C / min

Treatment time: 30 minutes at 95°C

The fabric was heat-set on a Dhall stenter machine at a temperature of 200°C for

60 seconds to maximum width of 50 inches (-1 27.0 cm). The fabric was then

subjected to weight reduction on a TEXFAB Terelena machine using caustic

soda at 100°C for 90 min so as to achieve linear density of 65 glm. This was

followed by washing and neutralization. The fabric was heat set on Dhall Stenter

Frame at 200°C for 60 sec at 50 inches width for making it ready for printing. The

Fabric was printed using disperse dye print paste, dried at 130°C and cured at

175°C for 7 minutes for print-fixation. This was followed by washing the fabric of

un-fixed color. The fabric was dried and final-set at 50 inches (-1 27.0 cm) on

stenter frame at 200°C for 60 sec. This fabric was then passed on a Dhall Zero-

Zero machine where the fabric moves in between a steam heated cylinder at

105°C at 10 mpm speed, the set-up maintained at 8 kg/cm2 pressure. The fabric

returned with a super soft and smooth hand-feel and good bounce with a width of

42 inches (~ 106.7 cm) as a result of the relaxation in the Zero-Zero machine.

Table 3 : Fabric test results for 75 D/ 36 f PET/PTT Bicomponent yarns

a = 4.44822 X Ibf (pounds force)= Newtons (N)

EXAMPLE 3

PET/PTT (75 D/ 36 f) bicomponent yarns was subjected to a high twisting

procedure (1700 turns/m in S direction and 1800 turns/m in Z direction) on a

Alidhra FHT-100 Two-for-one (TFO) twister forming the warp and weft

component of the fabric

The warp yarns and weft yarns were heat treated at a temperature of 85 °C for

60 minutes at 70 mm Hg (-9.33 kPa) vacuum pressure in a vacuum setter.

This was followed by warping and weaving using following specifications:

Warp density- 64 threads per inch (2S twist yarns alternating with 2 Z yarns)

Reed space- 66 inches

Denting pattern- 2

Pick density- 64 threads per inch (2S twist yarns alternating with 2 Z yarns)

Linear density- 75 glm

The grey fabric was heat-set on a Dhall stenter machine at a temperature of

205°C for 60 seconds to maximum width of 6 1 inches (~1 54.9 cm).

The fabric was then subjected to weight reduction on a TEXFAB Terelena

machine using caustic soda at 100°C for 120 min so as to achieve linear density

of 65 glm. This was followed by washing and neutralization. The Fabric was

printed using disperse dye print paste, dried at 130°C and cured at 175°C for 7

minutes for print-fixation. This was followed by washing the fabric of un-fixed

color. The fabric was heat set on Dhall Stenter Frame at 200°C for 60 sec at 47

inches (-1 19.4 cm) width for making it ready for printing. The fabric was dried

and final-set at 48 inches (~ 12 1 .9 cm) on stenter frame at 185°C for 60 sec. This

fabric was then passed on a Dhall Zero-Zero machine where the fabric moves in

between a steam heated cylinder at 105°C at 10 mpm speed, the set-up

maintained at 8 kg/cm2 pressure. The fabric returned with a super soft and

smooth hand-feel and good bounce with a width of 44 inches (~1 11.8 cm) as a

result of the relaxation in the Zero-Zero machine.

Table 4 : Fabric test results for 75 D/ 36 f PET/PTT Bicomponent yarns

Test Method type Units ResultsWarp (Bico) Threads/Inch 64Weft (Bico) Threads/Inch 64

Width of finished ASTM Inches 44fabric D3774:1 996(2004)

Stretch ASTM D661 4:2007 % Warp 10.4Weft 24.8

Growth ASTM D661 4:2007 % Warp 0.8Weft 2.8

Tensile strength ASTM D5034:2009 Ibf Warp 4 1 .7Weft 33.9

Tear strength ASTM D 1424:2009 Ibf Warp 3.2Weft 2.7

Dimensional AATCC 135:2010 % Warp -4.0stability Weft -2.0

Seam slippage ASTM D434:1995 Ibf Warp 15.2Weft 34.4

a = 4.44822 X Ibf (pounds force)= Newtons (N)

EXAMPLE 4

PET/PTT (75 D/ 36 f) bicomponent yarn was subjected to a high twisting

procedure (800 turns/m in S and Z twist direction) on a Alidhra FHT-100 Two-for-

one (TFO) twister forming the warp component of the fabric. Another PET

(RECRON®) yarn of 50D/48 f was subjected to a twisting procedure (S, Z twist)

on an Alidhra FHT-100 Two-for-one (TFO) twister to provide a twisted yarn of

1800 turns/m forming the weft component of the fabric.

The warp yarns were heat treated at a temperature of 110° C for 60 minutes at

55 mm Hg (~ 7.3 kPa) vacuum pressure in a vacuum setter and weft yarns were

heat treated at 85° C for 90 minutes at 55 mm Hg (~ 7.3 kPa) vacuum pressure in

a vacuum setter.

This was followed by warping and weaving using following specifications:

Warp density- 72 threads per inch (2S twist yarns alternating with 2 Z yarns)

Reed space- 68 inches

Denting pattern- 2

Pick density- 72 threads per inch (2S twist yarns alternating with 2 Z yarns)

Linear density- 82 glm

Grey fabric width - 63 inches

The grey fabric thus obtained was relaxed by drumming at 130° C for 120 min in

a traditional drumming machine.

The fabric was heat-set on a Dhall stenter machine at a temperature of 195°C for

60 seconds to maximum width 58 inches (~ 147.3 cm) with overfeed 17%. The

fabric was then subjected to weight reduction on a TEXFAB Terelena machine

using Caustic Soda at 100°C for 90 minutes so as to achieve linear density of 66

glm. This was followed by washing and neutralization. The fabric was heat set on

Dhall Stenter Frame at 165°C for 30 sec at 6 1 inches (-154.9 cm) width with 17

% over feed for making it ready for printing. The Fabric was printed using

disperse dye print paste, dried at 130°C and cured at 175°C for 7 minutes for

print-fixation. This was followed by washing the fabric of un-fixed color. The fabric

was dried and final-set at 6 1 inches (~1 54.9 cm) on stenter frame at 165°C for 30

sec. This fabric was then passed on a Dhall Zero-Zero machine where the fabric

moves in between a steam heated cylinder at 105°C at 10 mpm speed, the set

up maintained at 8 kg/cm 2 pressure. The fabric returned with a soft and smooth

hand-feel and good bounce with good stretch in warp direction with a width of 6 1

inches (~1 54.9 cm) as a result of the relaxation in the Zero-Zero machine.

Table 5 : Fabric test results for 75 D/ 36 f PET/PTT Bicomponent yarnsand 50D/48 f PET in weft

Weft 23.8Tear strength ASTM D 1424:2009 Ibf Warp 5.8

Weft 5.1Dimensional AATCC 135:2010 % Warp -5.9

stability Weft - .3Seam slippage ASTM D434:1995 Ibf Warp 7.5

Weft 28.24.44822 X Ibf (pounds force)= Newtons (N)

As can be seen from Figure 6, filaments in cross-section have defined boundary,

openly packed and solid with round yarn cross section.

Table 5 : Tensile properties of the fabric as evaluated by Kawabata Evaluationsystem (KES)

Tensile strain measures the extensibility of the fabric, therefore the georgette of

the present disclosure is more extensible.

Linearity in extension provides a measure for softness, higher the value, stiffer

the fabric. Therefore as can be seen from Table 5, the bicomponent georgette of

present disclosure has soft feeling compared to the comparative polyester

georgette.

Table 6 : Bending properties of the fabric as evaluated by Kawabata Evaluationsystem (KES)

A higher value of bending rigidity means that fabric is stiff or resistant to bend. A

larger value of bending moment indicates inelastic behavior. Therefore as can be

seen from Table 6, polyester georgette is stiff and inelastic whereas bicomponent

georgette is soft and easily bendable and recoverable from bend.

Table 7 : Shear properties of the fabric as evaluated by Kawabata Evaluationsystem (KES)

5 deg angle

A larger value of shear rigidity makes fabric stiff and paper like. A larger value of

shear hysteresis causes inelastic behavior in shearing. A larger value of shear

hysteresis at 5 deg angle causes inelastic property in shearing and wrinkle

problems. As can be seen from Table 7, bicomponent georgette of present

disclosure is soft, elastic and has fewer wrinkles as compared to polyester

georgette.

Table 8 : Surface properties of the fabric as evaluated by Kawabata Evaluation

system (KES)

Too high values of mean frictional coefficient yield unusual surface feeling

whereas higher value of surface frictional roughness causes roughness to fabric.

Too high values of surface geometrical roughness yield unusual surface feeling.

As can be seen from Table 8, bicomponent georgette fabric of present disclosure

tested by KES method shows better softness and smoothness over the

conventional polyester georgette.

Table 9 : Polymer % in grey and finished fabric

As can be seen from NMR spectrum shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8 and test

results in Table 9, PTT% increased by 15% from grey to finished fabric in

bicomponent georgette, making structure softer.

Table 10: Process parameters for the examples

set width

Example 3 205°C for No No 44

60 s at 6 1

inch width

Example 4 No Drumming at 195°C for 60 6 1

130°C for 20 seconds to

min maximum width

58 inches

CLAIMS

What is claimed is:

1. A woven fabric comprising twisted multifilament yarns, said woven fabric

comprising

a . a first twisted yarn consisting essentially of a first bicomponent

yarn having 25 wt% to 75 wt% poly(trimethylene terephthalate)

(PTT) and 75 wt% to 25wt% poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET) in a

connected side-by-side configuration; and

b. a second twisted yarn consisting essentially of a polyamide yarn, a

polyolefin yarn, a polyester yarn, a poly(ethylene terephthalate)

yarn, a second bicomponent yarn, and blends thereof;

wherein either first twisted yarn or the second twisted yarn is a

warp yarn while the other is the weft yarn.

2 . The woven fabric of claim 1, wherein the first twisted yarn is the warp yarn

and the second twisted yarn is the weft yarn.

3 . The woven fabric of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the second twisted yarn

consists essentially of the second bicomponent yarn.

4 . The woven fabric of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the cross sections of the

individual filaments in the twisted multifilament yarns are retained.

5 . The woven fabric of claim 4 wherein the cross sections of the individual

filaments in the twisted multifilament yarns are round.

6 . The woven fabric of claim 1, 2, 3 , 4 or 5 wherein the second bicomponent

yarn is, based on the weight of the second bicomponent yarn, 25 wt% to 75 wt%

poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) and 75 wt% to 25wt% poly(ethylene

terephthalate)(PET).

7 . The woven fabric of any of the preceeding claims wherein the fabric has

stretch properties in the range of 8 to 60.

8 . The woven fabric of any of the preceeding claims wherein the woven

fabric has growth of less than 5 .

9 . The woven fabric of any of the preceeding claims wherein the warp and

weft yarns are twisted in the range of 500-2500 turns/m in S direction and in the

range of 500-2500 turns/m in Z direction.

10 . The woven fabric of any of the preceeding claims wherein the woven

fabric is georgette.

11. The woven fabric of any of the preceeding claims wherein the width of the

finished fabric is not less than 106.7 cm.

12 . The woven fabric of any of the preceeding claims wherein the PTT is bio-

based.

13 . The woven fabric of any of the preceeding claims wherein the woven

fabric is used for manufacturing apparels, furnishings, decorative textiles, and the

like.

14. An apparel, a furnishing, or a decorative textile comprising the woven

fabric of claim 1.

15 . A process to make the woven fabric of claim 1 comprising the steps of:

a . providing:

i . a first twisted yarn consisting essentially of a first

bicomponent yarn having 25 wt% to 75 wt%

poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) and 75 wt% to 25wt%

poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET) in a connected side-by-

side configuration; and

ii. a second twisted yarn consisting essentially of a

polyamide yarn, a polyolefin yarn, a polyester yarn, a

poly(ethylene terephthalate) yarn, a second bicomponent

yarn, and blends thereof;

wherein either first twisted yarn or the second twisted yarn is a

warp yarn while the other is the weft yarn;

b. heat treating (setting) the warp yarn and weft yarn at a temperate

range of 90 °C to 120°C for a period of time ranging from 30 to 90

minutes in a vacuum setter;

c . warping and weaving the first twisted yarn and the second twisted

yarn to form a fabric;

d . subject the fabric of (c) to relaxation;

e . heat setting the relaxed fabric from step (d);

f . subjecting the fabric product of step (e) to weight reduction;

g . optionally dyeing the fabric product of step (f);

h . heat setting the fabric product of step (g);

i . printing setting the fabric product of step (h) ;

j . finishing the fabric product of step (i); and

k . sanforizing the fabric product of step (j).

16 . The product produced by the process of claim 15 .

A . CLASSIFICATION O F SUBJECT MATTER

INV. D03D15/00 D02G3/04 D02G3/28 D02G3/30ADD.

According to International Patent Classification (IPC) or to both national classification and IPC

B . FIELDS SEARCHED

Minimum documentation searched (classification system followed by classification symbols)

D03D D02G

Documentation searched other than minimum documentation to the extent that such documents are included in the fields searched

Electronic data base consulted during the international search (name of data base and, where practicable, search terms used)

EPO-Internal , WPI Data

C . DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO B E RELEVANT

Category* Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to claim No.

J P Hll 93038 A (ASAHI CHEMICAL IND) 1-11 , 13 ,6 Apri l 1999 (1999-04-06) 14c i ted i n the appl i cati onexampl e 1 12 , 15 , 16

WO 2013/074539 Al (DU PONT [US] ) 12 , 15 , 1623 May 2013 (2013-05-23)c i ted i n the appl i cati onexampl e 1 1-11 , 13 ,

14

US 2007/135009 Al ( LIA0 TIANYI [US] ) 1-1614 June 2007 (2007-06-14)exampl es 9-11

EP 1 772 543 Al (TEIJIN FIBERS LTD [ P] ) 1-1611 Apri l 2007 (2007-04-11)exampl e 1

-/-

X| Further documents are listed in the continuation of Box C . X I See patent family annex.

* Special categories of cited documents :"T" later document published after the international filing date or priority

date and not in conflict with the application but cited to understand"A" document defining the general state of the art which is not considered the principle or theory underlying the invention

to be of particular relevance

"E" earlier application or patent but published o n or after the international "X" document of particular relevance; the claimed invention cannot befiling date considered novel or cannot be considered to involve an inventive

"L" documentwhich may throw doubts on priority claim(s) orwhich is step when the document is taken alonecited to establish the publication date of another citation or other "Y" document of particular relevance; the claimed invention cannot bespecial reason (as specified) considered to involve an inventive step when the document is

"O" document referring to an oral disclosure, use, exhibition or other combined with one o r more other such documents, such combinationmeans being obvious to a person skilled in the art

"P" document published prior to the international filing date but later thanthe priority date claimed "&" document member of the same patent family

Date of the actual completion of the international search Date of mailing of the international search report

21 Apri l 2015 04/05/2015

Name and mailing address of the ISA/ Authorized officer

European Patent Office, P.B. 5818 Patentlaan 2NL - 2280 HV Rijswijk

Tel. (+31-70) 340-2040,Fax: (+31-70) 340-3016 Hausdi ng, Jan

C(Continuation). DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT

Category* Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to claim No.

EP 0 095 537 Al (TEIJIN LTD [ P] ) 1-167 December 1983 (1983-12-07)exampl e 3

Patent document Publication Patent family Publicationcited in search report date member(s) date

J P H1193038 A 06-04-1999 P H1193038 A 06-04-1999P H1193038 Kl 06-04-1999

WO 2013074539 Al 23-05-2013 NONE

US 2007135009 Al 14-06-2007 NONE

EP 1772543 Al 11-04-2007 AT 507334 T 15-05-2011CN 1993508 A 04-07-2007EP 1772543 Al 11-04-2007J P 4339760 B2 07-10-2009J P 2006037315 A 09-02-2006KR 20070039536 A 12-04-2007T 1339225 B 21-03-2011US 2009013662 Al 15-01-2009

O 2006011652 Al 02-02-2006

EP 0095537 Al 07-12-1983 DE 3270843 Dl 05-06-1986EP 0095537 Al 07-12-1983