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US 2015/0090658 A1Published application
Fiber having a Nanohair Surface Topography
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsKelly Branham, Sara Honarbakhsh
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AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsKelly Branham, Sara Honarbakhsh
Estimating the term…
A fiber that has a unique surface topography in that it contains a plurality of nanohairs extending outwardly from an external surface of an elongate structure of the fiber is provided. To form the nanohairs, a polymer composition is spun that includes organofunctional nanoparticles (e.g., polyhedral organofunctional silsesquioxanes) embedded within a matrix of a base polymer. Despite being initially embedded within the polymer, the present inventors have discovered that, through selective control over the nature and relative concentration of the components of the composition, as well as the method in which the fiber is formed, a substantial portion of the nanoparticles can migrate to the surface of the fiber as it is formed and thus become arranged in the form of nanohairs.
A fiber comprising an elongate structure that defines an external surface, wherein a plurality of nanohairs extend outwardly from the external surface of the elongate structure, and further wherein organofunctional nanoparticles form about 70 wt. % or more of the nanohairs and one or more thermoplastic polymers form about 70 wt. % or more of the elongate structure.
A method for forming a fiber, the method comprising spinning a polymer composition to form an elongate structure having an external surface, wherein the polymer composition comprises organofunctional nanoparticles embedded within a matrix of one or more thermoplastic polymers, and further wherein a plurality of nanohairs extend outwardly from the external surface of the elongate structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.