Invista North America S.a.r.l.

E.i. Dupont De Nemours and Company

Graham H Laycock

Raymond S P Leung

Cheng-Yuan Chuang

Elizabeth Todd Singewald

Fred C Wynegar

Peter George Szanto

Tianyi Liao

Raymond Sp Leung

Circular knit, elastic fabrics of at least one of single jersey, French terry, and fleece are disclosed that include a bare elastomeric material plated with spun and/or continuous filament hard yarns. The circular knit, elastic fabrics of at least one of single jersey, French terry, and fleece are manufactured by a method that does not require a dry heat setting step. The method requires drafting the bare elastomeric material no more than about 7&#xd7; its original length when knitting to form the circular knit, elastic, single jersey, French terry, or fleece fabric. The method includes contacting the knit fabric with an aqueous solution under very low tension and under conditions of temperature and pressure for a period of time sufficient to substantially set the elastomeric material.

Method to make circular knit elastic fabric comprising spandex and hard yarns

The invention provides a method for knitting fabric with bare spandex comprising: providing bare spandex yarn; providing hard yarn; drafting the bare spandex; knitting fabric from the hard yarn and the drafted bare spandex with the hard yarn and the drafted bare spandex plated in every course; and contacting the knit fabric with a continuous phase aqueous solution under conditions of temperature and pressure for a time sufficient to set the bare spandex without heating the knit fabric on a tenter frame above 160&#xb0; C. in air having a relative humidity of less than 50%. The invention further provides a bare spandex-containing knit fabric containing spandex in every knit course that has been exposed to manufacturing process temperature no higher than 160&#xb0; C. as shown by molecular weight analysis of the spandex and that exhibits wash shrinkage of less than about 14%.

Knit-by-design method and fabric

Circular knit, elastic fabrics of at least one of single jersey, French terry, and fleece are disclosed that include a bare elastomeric material plated with spun and/or continuous filament hard yarns. The circular knit, elastic fabrics of at least one of single jersey, French terry, and fleece are manufactured by a method that does not require a dry heat setting step. The method requires drafting the bare elastomeric material no more than about 2.5&#xd7; its original length when knitting to form the circular knit, elastic fabrics of at least one of single jersey, French terry, and fleece.

Knit by design method and fabric

Circular-knit, elastic, single-knit jersey fabric, of spun and/or continuous filament hard yarns with bare spandex plated in every course, has a cover factor in the range of 1.3 to 1.9, a basis weight from 140 to 240 g/m, an elongation of 60% or more and low shrinkage. The circular knit, single-knit jersey fabric is produced by maintaining the draft of the spandex at or below 2&#xd7; (100% elongation) and maintaining the finishing and drying temperature(s) below the spandex heat set temperature. The knit fabric meets the end-use specifications without heat setting.

Method to make circular-knit elastic fabric comprising spandex and hard yarns

Circular-knit, elastic, single-knit jersey fabric, of spun and/or continuous filament hard yarns with bare spandex plated in every course, has a cover factor in the range of 1.3 to 1.9, a basis weight from 140 to 240 g/m , an elongation of 60% or more and low shrinkage. The circular knit, single-knit jersey fabric is produced by maintaining the draft of the spandex at or below 2&times; (100% elongation) and maintaining the finishing and drying temperature(s) below the spandex heat set temperature. The knit fabric meets the end-use specifications without heat setting.

A warp-stretch twill fabric having a face side and a back side and comprising non-elastomeric ends and bare elastomeric ends wherein the ratio of non-elastomeric ends to bare elastomeric ends is from abut 2:1 to about 6:1; an elastomeric end face exposure count of 2 occurs less frequently than once per 10 picks; and the elastomeric ends float over no more than 3 picks on the face side.

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Singapore, Singapore

Graham H Laycock