# US 11,898,274 B2 · Hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,898,274 B2 - Document ID: US11898274B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/625,003 - Filed: 2018-06-21 - Published: 2020-05-07 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-27 - Assignees: Carl Freudenberg KG - Applicants: Carl Freudenberg KG - Inventors: Birgit Kosan; Michael Mooz; Frank Meister - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11898274B2 ## CPC - D01F 8/02: from cellulose, cellulose derivatives, or proteins - A61L 15/225: {Mixtures of macromolecular compounds} - A61L 15/28: Polysaccharides or their derivatives {(A61L15/225 takes precedence)} - A61L 15/60: Liquid-swellable gel-forming materials, e.g. super-absorbents - A61L 17/10: containing macromolecular materials - A61L 26/0023: {Polysaccharides} - A61L 26/008: {Hydrogels or hydrocolloids} - D01D 1/02: Preparation of spinning solutions - D01D 5/06: Wet spinning methods {(D01D5/0046 takes precedence)} - D01F: CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS - A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K) - D01D: MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS ## Abstract A hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber includes: at least one first fiber component; and at least one second fiber component. The first and the second fiber components are selected independently of one another from a group consisting of polysaccharides and/or polysaccharide derivatives. The first fiber component is produced from a polysaccharide and/or a polysaccharide derivative having a water solubility of more than 50% by weight. The multicomponent fiber has a water solubility of less than 15% by weight. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber, comprising: at least one first fiber component; and at least one second fiber component, wherein the first fiber component is produced from a first polymer component comprising at least one ionic cellulose ether, nonionic cellulose ether, or a combination thereof having a water solubility of more than 50% by weight, wherein the second fiber component is produced from a second polymer component comprising cellulose, wherein the first and the second fiber components are present as a mixed phase wherein the first and the second fiber components form entanglement networks, looping networks, or a combination thereof with one another, and wherein the multicomponent fiber has a water solubility of less than 15% by weight. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber does not have a chemical crosslinking of the first and/or second fiber component via covalent and/or ionic bonds. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber swells in at least one of a 0.9% aqueous sodium chloride solution and a test solution A comprising 142 mmol sodium ions and 2.5 mmol calcium ions, according to DIN EN 13726-01, section 3.2.2.3, by more than 100% with expansion of a fiber diameter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber according to claim 1, wherein the mixed phase is present as a component of a core-sheath arrangement, a segmented arrangement comprising a segmented pie, a side-by-side arrangement, an island-in-the-sea arrangement, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber is obtained by common dissolution of the at least one first polymer component and the at least one second polymer component. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber has a fineness-related tensile strength in a conditioned state, according to DIN EN ISO 5079, of between 10 cN/tex and 40 cN/tex, and/or a fineness-related elongation at break in the conditioned state, according to DIN EN ISO 5079, of between 5% and 15%, and/or an absorption capacity for test solution A comprising 142 mmol sodium ions and 2.5 mmol calcium ions, according to DIN EN 13726-01, section 3.2.2.3, of between 5 g/g and 30 g/g. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of first and second fiber components is between 80:20 and 10:90. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber according to claim 1, wherein the second polymer component comprises cellulose having a water solubility of 0 wt % to 5 wt %. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber according to claim 1, wherein the first fiber component is produced from a first polymer component comprising carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, sulfoalkyl cellulose, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A textile fabric, comprising: the hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber according to claim 1, wherein the textile fabric comprises at least one of woven fabric, knitted fabric, crocheted fabric, and non-woven fabric. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A medical material comprising: at least one hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber according to claim 1 and a textile fabric comprising said hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber, wherein the medical material is at least one of wound pads, wound dressings, suture materials, implants, tissue engineering scaffolds, medicaments, carrier materials, sanitary hygiene products, and cosmetic products. ### Claim 12 A method for preparation of a hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber having a water solubility of less than 15% by weight, comprising the following steps: preparing at least one spinning solution by a common dissolution in a solvent of at least one first polymer component and at least one second polymer component, wherein the first polymer component comprises at least one ionic cellulose ether, nonionic cellulose ether, or a combination thereof and has a water solubility of more than 50% by weight, and wherein the second polymer component comprises cellulose, feeding the at least one spinning solution to a spinneret and extruding the at least one spinning solution through the spinneret into an air gap to produce a multicomponent structure; introducing the multicomponent structure into a precipitation bath to form the multicomponent fiber; removing the solvent in at least one washing bath; and drying the multicomponent fiber. ### Claim 13 The method according to 12, wherein no chemical crosslinking of the first and/or second fiber component via covalent and/or ionic bonds is carried out. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the solvent comprises N-methyl morpholine N-oxide monohydrate, ionic liquids, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber according to claim 1, wherein the first fiber component is produced from a first polymer component comprising at least one ionic cellulose ether, nonionic cellulose ether, or a combination comprising at least one ionic cellulose ether, nonionic cellulose ether, or a combination thereof having a water solubility of more than 90% by weight. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber according to claim 15, wherein the first fiber component is produced from a first polymer component comprising at least one ionic cellulose ether, nonionic cellulose ether, or a combination thereof having a water solubility of more than 95% by weight. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The hydrogel-forming multicomponent fiber according to claim 1, wherein the entanglement network, looping network, or a combination thereof are present as a component of a core-sheath arrangement, a segmented arrangement comprising a segmented pie, a side-by-side arrangement, an islant-in-the-sea arrangement, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first polymer component has a water solubility of more than 80 wt %.