Innovations in

1
Innovations in coated textiles
Bert Groenendaal Bram Wydooghe Sioen Coating NV
(Belgium)
MATA 09 membránová a textilní architektura BRNO
April 28, 2009
2
Outline

• Introduction to
• Sioen
• coated textiles 15
• coating products and application areas
• Textile architectures (TA) 15
• Innovations in coated textiles 5
• advanced top coats based on design polymers
• incorporation of electronics
• thermochromic coated textiles

3
Sioen at a glance

• Founded in 1960
• Headquarters in Ardooie, Belgium
• 4 divisions Coating, Apparel, Industrial
• applications, and Chemicals
• Ca. 4.500 employees
• Turnover of 349 Mio EUR in 2008
• 38 subsidiaries in 13 countries
• Sales in more than 80 countries
• World market leader in coated textiles!

4
We spin extrude yans

• One of the most modern spinning mills in the
  world
• 16.000 tons of polyester and/or polyamide
  high-tenacity
• yarns
• From 245 Dtex to 6600 Dtex
• High tenacity 4 8 cN/Dtex
• A part of the yarns is twisted in the twisting
  plant

5
We weave

• Two plants in Belgium (Mouscron, Kerksken)
• 250 looms with airjet or rapier technology
• From 150 up to 640 cm width
• Standard and specialized (e.g. rashel) fabrics
• High tenacity fabrics up to 10.000N/5cm
• From 28 Dtex (teabags 20 g/m2) till 6600 Dtex
  yarns

6
We colour

• Production of
• pigment pastes
• inks
• varnishes
• colour dispersions

7
We coat

• Direct coating
• Transfer coating
• Online coating
• Extrusion coating
• Calendering

8
Introduction to coated textiles

• Also known as
• technical textiles
• tarpaulins or tarps

Coated textiles

• woven or knitted
• non-woven
• polyester (PES)
• aramide
• glass
• etc.

• PVC/plasticizer
• PU
• silicone rubber
• etc.

9
Introduction to coated textiles
10
Introduction to coated textiles
11
Introduction to coated textiles

• Example
• B6000 tarpaulin from Sioen (e.g. truck side
  curtains)
• PVC coated PES in numerous colors
• Weight 900 g/m2
• Breaking strength
• warp/weft 4000 N/5 cm
• Tear strength
• warp 600 N
• weft 500 N
• Adhesion 100 N/5 cm
• Temperature resistance -30C till 70C
• Flammability lt 100 mm/min
• Long life due to coating UV resistance/
  impermeability, air tightness
• Easy processing by high frequency or thermal
  welding

12
Products and application areas
13
Textile architecture (TA)
14
Criteria for Textile Architectural PVC/polyester
membranes

• Low wicking fabrics
• Good weldability/processability
• High tenacity PET yarns for good mechanical
  values
• Long life
• Fire resistant
• Uniform optical transmission
• Easy cleaning
• Optimised topcoat (lacquer)

15
LOW WICKING FABRICS

• In a normal polyester yarn, water (containing
  dirt and fungus) can be taken up by capillary
  action. When this phenomenon occurs, it will lead
  to dark marks over the tent structure, which
  cannot be removed.
• By a special treatment, the yarns are made low
  wick, meaning they are less prone to excessive
  dirt take-up and to microbial attack.
• Sioens TA-range is produced with special low
  wick treated yarns.

16
Mechanical values

• Membranes have to meet the specifications of the
  respective TA types (type I, II, III, )
• Fabric has to possess sufficient elongation
  capability (both in warp and weft) for easy
  processing.
• Reproducible biaxial behaviour is important
  within and between various batches.

17
PVC coating formula

• PVC with low emulsifier content for good
  hydrophobic properties
• UV stable recipe by correct pigmentation and
  stabilisation
• Incorporation of best possible thermal stabiliser
  to avoid saponification and to improve weathering
  resistance.
• Non bleeding, non hydrolysable plasticizers
• No water soluble components
• All components with maximum purity
• Optimum whiteness degree
• Fine tuning of FR properties (type dependant)

18
Light transmission

• Uniformity of optical transmission is of utmost
  importance.
• Coating formula, weight and pigmentation have to
  remain stable over the whole production.
• Sioen uses a dedicated apparatus for light
  transmission and colour measurement.
• This machine measures the intensity and the
  colour of transmitted light.
• Possibility for on-line measuring (selecting
  identical optical properties inside one
  production)

19
Light and colour transmissionHow it should NOT
be
20
Fire resistance

• EN 13501-1 does NOT apply for tents and
  membranes.
• No European legislation applies. Each country has
  its own FR reglementation.
• Most important standards in Europe
• French NF P 92-503 (TA membranes have to
  classify as M2)
• German DIN 4102-1 (TA membranes have to
  classify as B1)

21
Easy cleaning

• Special dirt repellent lacquer systems containing
  fluorinated polymers

High amount of fluor (after one
wipe)
No fluor (after one wipe)
22
Lacquer

• Fluor is necessary for easy cleaning
• Drawbacks of fluor
• -transmits UV
• -adhesion issues
• -elasticity issues
• -non weldable
• too much fluor problematic !!
• Acrylic is necessary for elasticity, UV blocking,
  adhesion, weldability.
• good formulation of lacquer is of extreme
  importance !!
• Layer uniformity lacquering in two stages
  different lacquering technologies
• Thickness too thick brittle too thin
  unsufficient protection

23
Lacquer systems

• Pure acrylic excellent overall properties
• Siofluo (standard TA lacquer) small amount of
  fluor for dirt repellent effect
• Fluomax highly fluorinated binder system, with
  good long-term properties AND weldable.
• Sioen does not promote 100 fluorinated lacquer
  systems. These systems show excellent performance
  (dirt repellency) at first, but may have
  disadvantageous effects upon ageing

24
Minimum strength specifications for each type
25
Type II special construction reinforced
concrete domes

• Inflation of the PVC membrane
• Spraying PU insulation foam to the internal
  structure, embedding of tabs in the foam
• Fixation of steel reinforcements along the wall.
• Spray application of concrete along the steel
  grid
• Once the concrete has dried, the inflation fans
  can be turned off and openings (doors, windows)
  can be cut into the structure

26
Innovations in coated textiles

• Easy cleaning surfaces for TA
• PET fabric coated with
• PVC
• silicone rubber
• PU
• and subsequent top coat material (1K and 2K
  systems based on PU, acrylates, fluoropolymers,
  etc.)
• Dozens of products have been tested
• Sioen easy cleaning test

Design polymers with advanced top coat properties
via interactive developments with various
chemical partners
Contex-T (EU project)
27
Easy cleaning acceleration test
40 days at 70C
Contex-T (EU project)
28
Innovations in coated textiles

• Top coat materials with easy cleaning properties
• Top coat materials with anti-graffiti
  properties
• Top coat materials with excellent UV blocking
  properties (liquid
• laminates) gt ROLACOAT

Contex-T (EU project)
29
Incorporation of light
LEDs
EL lamps
Phosphorescent coatings (glow in the dark)
30
Incorporation of light
EL lamps
31
Incorporation of light
EL lamps
32
Incorporation of light

• LEDs
• In contrast to electroluminescent lamps, LEDs
  require much less power
• Various types single color LEDs, RGB LEDs
• LEDs integrated textiles have been developed gt
  Lumalive (Philips)
• Problems humidity, not wash resistant, etc.
• Question can the LED integrated textile survive
  the PVC coating process?

RGB LEDs integrated in textile
33
Incorporation of light

• LEDs

34
Incorporation of light
LEDs
35
Incorporation of light
LEDs
36
Integration of photovoltaics (PV)
TAPV
BIPV
37
PV-integrated TA
Powerfilm
Solar Integrated
FTL Solar
38
Thermochromic coated textiles