Cotton-Glass Fiber Outdoor Fabrics

Cotton yarns reinforced with a glass fiber core were used to produce outdoor fabrics suitable for tentage, tarpaulins, and similar uses. The yarns were made on a conventional ring spinning frame modified to continuously insert a multifilament core, and contained from 17% to 57% glass fiber. The experimental yarns were evaluated as filling in common warps. Canvas type fabrics in a weight range of from 6 to 8 oz./sq.yd. were woven. The fabrics were given a typical commerical finish for 100% cotton which included mineral dyeing and the application of a wax emulsion to impart water repellency. Fabrics were produced from the cotton/glass filament core yarns that were considerably stronger than those containing 100% cotton yarns. The experimental fabrics also lost less strength in accelerated weathering tests. Glass fiber reinforced fabrics treated with a flame retardant had better flammability resistance than 100% cotton fabrics. Appearance, hand, and finishing characteristics of the core yarn fabrics were similar to those of the all-cotton fabrics. Use of the glass fiber reinforced yarns could result in the production of stronger, lighter weight outdoor fabrics with the many desirable inherent properties of cotton.