# US 12,215,440 B2 · Polymer filled polyolefin fiber > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,215,440 B2 - Document ID: US12215440B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/773,366 - Filed: 2020-11-03 - Published: 2022-11-17 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-04 - Assignees: Avient Protective Materials B.V. - Applicants: Avient Protective Materials B.V. - Inventors: Luigi Balzano; Franciscus Wilhelmus Maria Gelissen; Francois Antoine Marie Op Den Buijsch; David Michael Cummins - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215440B2 ## CPC - D01F 6/46: of polyolefins - D01F 8/06: with at least one polyolefin as constituent - D01F 1/02: Addition of substances to the spinning solution or to the melt (addition of substances to viscose D01F2/08) - D01F 1/10: Other agents for modifying properties - D01F 8/12: with at least one polyamide as constituent - D01F 8/14: with at least one polyester as constituent - D10B 2321/0211: high-strength or high-molecular-weight polyethylene, e.g. ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene [UHMWPE] - D10B 2321/08: polymers of unsaturated carboxylic acids or unsaturated organic esters, e.g. polyacrylic esters, polyvinyl acetate - D10B 2331/02: polyamides (D10B2331/08 takes precedence) - D10B 2331/04: polyesters, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate [PET] - D01F: CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS - D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES ## Abstract The present invention relates to a polyolefin fiber comprising polymeric structures, wherein the polymeric structures individually comprise a polycondensate and a functionalized polymer, and the polyolefin fiber is a gel-spun high-performance polyethylene fiber that has a tenacity of at least 1 N/tex. The polymeric structures are immiscible with and dispersed in the polyethylene fiber. The gel-spun high-performance polyethylene fiber is a gel-spun ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fiber. The present invention further relates to a process for making the polyolefin fiber comprising the steps of: melt-mixing the polycondensate or a polycondensate containing at least one additive, the functionalized polymer, and optionally the thermoplastic polymer and/or the at least one additive, to form polymeric structures; mixing polyolefin powder, the polymeric structures and a solvent to form a mixture; and spinning and drawing the mixture obtained in step ii) to form the polyolefin fiber comprising the polymeric structures. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A polyolefin fiber comprising: polymeric structures that are immiscible with and dispersed in the polyolefin fiber, and a thermoplastic polymer, wherein the polymeric structures individually comprise a polycondensate and a functionalized polymer, and wherein the polyolefin fiber is a gel-spun high-performance polyethylene (HPPE) fiber having a tenacity of at least 1 N/tex. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The polyolefin fiber according to claim 1, wherein the HPPE fiber is a gel-spun ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The polyolefin fiber according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric structures are dispersed particles or dispersed fibers in the HPPE fiber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The polyolefin fiber according to claim 1, wherein the polycondensate is present in an amount of at least 0.1 wt % and at most 50 wt %, based on the total composition of the polyolefin fiber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The polyolefin fiber according to claim 1, wherein the functionalized polymer is present in an amount of at least 0.01 wt % and at most 50 wt %, based on the total amount of the polycondensate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The polyolefin fiber according to claim 1, wherein the polycondensate is selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyamides and copolymers thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The polyolefin fiber according to claim 1, wherein the functionalized polymer is selected from the group consisting of grafted (co) polyethylene and poly(glycidyl methacrylate). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The polyolefin fiber according to claim 1, wherein the tenacity of the HPPE fiber comprising the polymeric structures and the thermoplastic polymer is at least 1.5 N/tex. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The polyolefin fiber according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric structures have a particle size, d50, of at least 50 nanometers and at most 1000 nanometers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The polyolefin fiber according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer has a density as measured according to ISO1183-2004 in a range from 875 to 1000 kg/m3. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The polyolefin fiber according to claim 10, wherein the thermoplastic polymer is selected from the group consisting of homopolymers of ethylene, homopolymers of propylene, ethylene copolymers, propylene copolymers and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The polyolefin fiber according to claim 3, wherein the polymeric structures further comprise at least one additive. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A process for making the polyolefin fiber according to claim 1 comprising the steps of: (i) melt-mixing the polycondensate, the functionalized polymer, the thermoplastic polymer and optionally the at least one additive, to form the polymeric structures; (ii) mixing a polyolefin powder, the polymeric structures and a solvent to form a mixture; and (iii) spinning and drawing the mixture obtained in step (ii) to form the polyolefin fiber comprising the polymeric structures and the thermoplastic polymer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The process according to claim 13, wherein step (ii) comprises: (iia) mixing the polyolefin powder and the solvent to form a first mixture; (iib) mixing the polymeric structures and the solvent to form a second mixture; and thereafter (iic) mixing the first and second mixtures together. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) An article comprising the polyolefin fiber according to claim 1. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The article according to claim 15, wherein the article is a fabric.