# US 11,306,432 B2 · HMPE fiber with improved bending fatigue performance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,306,432 B2 - Document ID: US11306432B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/667,290 - Filed: 2019-10-29 - Published: 2020-05-07 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-05 - Assignees: Honeywell International Inc. - Applicants: Honeywell International Inc. - Inventors: John Hermes - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306432B2 ## CPC - D07B 1/025: {comprising high modulus, or high tenacity, polymer filaments or fibres, e.g. liquid-crystal polymers} - D01D 5/04: Dry spinning methods {(D01D5/0038 takes precedence)} - D01F 6/04: from polyolefins - D02G 3/02: Yarns or threads characterised by the material or by the materials from which they are made - D02J 1/22: Stretching or tensioning, shrinking or relaxing, e.g. by use of overfeed and underfeed apparatus, or preventing stretch (stretch spinning D01D5/12) - D06C 7/00: Heating or cooling textile fabrics - D07B 2205/2014: High performance polyolefins, e.g. Dyneema or Spectra - D07B 2207/4045: to change the crystal structure of the load bearing material - D07B 2401/206: Improving radial flexibility - D10B 2321/0211: high-strength or high-molecular-weight polyethylene, e.g. ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene [UHMWPE] - D07B: ROPES OR CABLES IN GENERAL (joining ropes or cables to one another or to other objects B65H69/00, F16G11/00; {mountaineering ropes A63B29/02}; mechanical finishing or dressing of ropes D02J; {braiding D04C}; decorative ropes or cords D04D; suspension cables for bridges E01D19/16; specially adapted for driving, or for being driven by, pulleys or other gearing elements F16G9/00; electric cables or joints insofar as electrical aspects are essential H01B, H01R) - D01D: MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS - D01F: CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS - D02G: CRIMPING OR CURLING FIBRES, FILAMENTS, THREADS, OR YARNS; YARNS OR THREADS - D02J: FINISHING OR DRESSING OF FILAMENTS, YARNS, THREADS, CORDS, ROPES OR THE LIKE (curling or crimping D02G; by treatment with liquids, gases or vapours D06B; finishing other than by liquid treatment, of yarns in warp or sheet form D06C; for chemical matters, see D06L, D06M, D06P, D06Q; treatment during rope-making, apparatus for treating ropes auxiliary to rope-making D07B) - D06C: FINISHING, DRESSING, TENTERING OR STRETCHING TEXTILE FABRICS - D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES ## Abstract Provided are continuous filament-based elongate bodies having improved durability and bending fatigue performance. The elongate bodies are formed from a plurality of fibers where at least one component fiber is a multifilament ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin fiber having a filament intrinsic viscosity (IVf) of from 15 dl/g to about 45 dl/g when measured in decalin at 135° C., wherein said at least one multifilament ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin fiber has a tenacity of at least 32 g/denier, a denier of greater than 800, and a denier per filament of greater than 2.0. The high tenacity combined with high fiber denier and high filament denier (dpf) enhances the cyclic bend over sheave (CBOS) durability when the elongate body is incorporated in a multi-fiber construction such as a rope. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An elongate body comprising a plurality of fibers, wherein at least one of said fibers comprises a multifilament ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin fiber having a filament intrinsic viscosity (IVf) of from 15 dl/g to about 45 dl/g when measured in decalin at 135° C., wherein said at least one multifilament ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin fiber has a tenacity of at least 32 g/denier, a denier of greater than 800, and a denier per filament of greater than 2.0. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The elongate body of claim 1 wherein all of the fibers forming said elongate body comprise multifilament ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin fibers having an IVf of from 15 dl/g to about 45 dl/g when measured in decalin at 135° C., a tenacity of at least 32 g/denier, a denier of 900 or greater, and a denier per filament of greater than 2.0, wherein the elongate body is a rope. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The elongate body of claim 1 wherein the elongate body is a rope and wherein all of the fibers forming said elongate body have a denier of 1600 or greater. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The elongate body of claim 1 wherein the elongate body is a rope and wherein said elongate body has a denier of greater than 2300. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The elongate body of claim 1 wherein the elongate body is a rope and wherein said elongate body has a denier of greater than 3000. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The elongate body of claim 1 wherein all of the fibers forming the elongate body are polyolefin fibers and wherein the elongate body comprises from 3 to 40 discrete, unfused fibers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The elongate body of claim 1 wherein all of the fibers forming the elongate body are polyethylene fibers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The elongate body of claim 1 wherein the elongate body is a rope and wherein said plurality of fibers are braided together or braided together and twisted. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The elongate body of claim 1 wherein the ratio of IVf to denier per filament is from 4.0:1 up to 8.0:1. ### Claim 10 An elongate body comprising at least one multifilament fiber that comprises an ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin fiber formed from a plurality of ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin filaments, said ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin filaments having a filament intrinsic viscosity (IVf) of from 15 dl/g to about 45 dl/g when measured in decalin at 135° C., wherein said multifilament ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin fiber has a denier of greater than 800 and wherein each of the filaments of said multifilament ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin fiber has a denier of at least 2.0, wherein the product of the denier per filament of said filaments multiplied by the IVf of said filaments is from 75.0 to 110.0. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The elongate body of claim 10 wherein the product of the denier per filament multiplied by the IVf is from 85.0 to 110.0. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The elongate body of claim 10 wherein the ratio of IVf to denier per filament is from 4.0:1 up to 8.0:1. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The elongate body of claim 10 wherein the elongate body is a rope and wherein each multifilament fiber has a denier of about 1600 and comprises at most 480 filaments, and wherein the filaments have an IVf of about 20 dl/g or more. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The elongate body of claim 10 wherein the elongate body is a rope and wherein each multifilament fiber has a denier of about 1600 and comprises at most 760 filaments, and wherein the filaments have an IVf of at least about 25 dl/g or more. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The elongate body of claim 10 wherein the ratio of IVf to denier per filament is from 4.0:1 up to 8.0:1, wherein the product of the denier per filament multiplied by the IVf is at least 75.0, wherein all of the fibers forming said elongate body have a denier of at least 900, wherein said elongate body has a denier of at least 2300, and wherein the elongate body is a rope and wherein the plurality of multifilament fibers are combined in a twisted construction, in a braided construction, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 16 A method of making an elongate body comprising the steps of: a) providing a plurality of fibers, wherein at least one of said fibers comprises a multifilament ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin fiber having a filament intrinsic viscosity (IVf) of from 15 dl/g to about 45 dl/g when measured in decalin at 135° C., wherein said at least one multifilament ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin fiber has a tenacity of less than 32 g/denier, a denier of greater than 800, and a denier per filament of greater than 2.0; b) stretching each multifilament fiber to thereby increase the tenacity of the fibers to at least 32 g/denier, wherein the denier per filament remains greater than 2.0; c) optionally coating at least a portion of each fiber with either a thermoplastic resin or an oil; d) twisting, entangling and/or braiding the fibers to form an elongate body structure; and e) optionally heating and stretching the elongate body structure to heat set the fibers of said elongate body. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein all of said fibers forming the elongate body are polyethylene fibers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the elongate body is a rope and wherein said fibers are combined in a twisted construction, in a braided construction, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein the elongate body comprises from 8,000 to about 26,000 multifilament fibers. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein the ratio of IVf to denier per filament is from 4.0:1 up to 8.0:1 and wherein said elongate body has a denier of greater than 2700.