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US 2003/0155670 A1Published application
Polypeptide fibers and processes for making them
AssigneeE.I. duPont de Nemours and Company
InventorJohn P. O'Brien
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described herein are polypeptide fibers, such as silk fibers, produced by regeneration and methods for making the fibers.
Claims21
A process for producing polypeptide fibers, the process comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a polypeptide,
- (b) contacting the polypeptide with a solution of formic acid and a divalent metal ion salt,
- (c) metering the solution produced in step (b) through a spinneret into liquid contained in at least one coagulation bath to form one or more fibers,
- (d) drawing the fibers,
- (e) optionally contacting the fibers to a heated surface, and
- (f) optionally, winding the fibers on a receiving station.
3 more elements
A process for producing regenerated polypeptide fibers, the process comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a decrystallized polypeptide,
- (b) contacting the decrystallized polypeptide with formic acid containing no more than 3 weight percent water, initially at less than 10 percent polypeptide by weight,
- (c) concentrating the solution produced in step (b) to greater than 10 percent polypeptide by weight,
- (d) metering the concentrated solution produced step (c) through a spinneret into a liquid contained in a coagulation bath to form one or more fibers,
- (e) drawing the fibers,
- (f) optionally contacting the fibers to a heated surface, and
- (g) optionally, winding the fibers onto a receiving station.
4 more elements
A process for producing polypeptide fibers, the process comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a polypeptide,
- (b) contacting the polypeptide with water/lithium thiocyanate initially at less than 15 percent polypeptide by weight,
- (c) concentrating the solution produced in step (b) to greater than 10 percent polypeptide by weight,
- (d) metering the concentrated solution produced in step (c) through a spinneret into a liquid contained in a coagulation bath to form one or more fibers,
- (e) drawing the fibers,
- (f) optionally contacting the fiber to a heated surface, and
- (g) optionally, winding the fibers onto a receiving station.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.