Development of Lightweight, Recyclable Low Cost, Nonwoven Cloth Duck Material

Nylon Duck Cloth (Mil-C-43734 Types 4 & 5) are high strength fabrics that are used commonly by the military for a number of equipage applications. These primarily utilize 500 denier textured nylon yarns with a polyurethane back coating to achieve desired strength. As a result the fabric is very heavy and bulky with a basis weight of over 6 oz/sq.yd. Additionally, the fabric is highly flammable and readily melt drips in the presence of flame. The objective of this project is to develop a high strength nonwoven fabric with physical properties equivalent to 500D and 1000D Duck cloth. Target is to create a lighter weight material characterized by flame retardant properties with zero melt drip; provide superior water proof and petroleum oil and lubricant resistance; incorporate recycled fibers as a principle component of construction; and reduce cost by as much as 25% over the current fabric by taking advantage of the high speed processing capabilities only possible with nonwovens.