Fine denier fibers and fabrics made therefrom
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsRichard Daniel Pike, Philip Anthony Sasse, Edward Jason White, Ty Jackson Stokes
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Abstract
The present invention provides a splittable conjugate fiber containing at least two incompatible polymers that are arranged in distinct segments across the cross-section of the fiber, wherein the segments are continuous along the length of the fiber. The fiber can be characterized in that the segments of the fiber dissociate in less than about 30 seconds when contacted with a hot aqueous fibrillation-inducing medium. The invention also provides a fabric containing the split fibers produced from the precursor splittable conjugate fiber and laminates containing the split fiber fabric. Additionally provided is a process for producing the split fibers.
Claims34
A laminate comprising a fabric, which fabric comprises a first group and a second group of split fibers, said first group of fibers comprising a first thermoplastic polymer component, said second group of fibers comprising a second thermoplastic polymer component, wherein said first polymer component is incompatible with said second polymer component, said polymers having a solubility parameter difference of at least about 0.5 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2 and at least one of said first and second polymer components is naturally hydrophilic or hydrophilically modified.
A fabric comprising a blend of split fibers, said blend comprising a first group of split fibers and a second group of split fibers, said first group of fibers comprising a first thermoplastic polymer component, said second group of fibers comprising a second thermoplastic polymer component, wherein said first polymer component is incompatible with said second polymer component, said polymers having a solubility parameter difference of at least about 0.5 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2 and at least one of said first and second polymer components is naturally hydrophilic or hydrophilically modified.
A blend of split fibers comprising:
- fibers of a first polymer component, which comprises a first thermoplastic polymer;
- and
- fibers of a second polymer component, which comprises a second thermoplastic polymer,
- wherein said first polymer is incompatible with said second polymer, said first and second polymers have a solubility parameter difference of at least about 0.5 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2 and at least one of said first and second polymer components is naturally hydrophilic or hydrophilically modified.
A splittable conjugate fiber comprising:
- a first polymer component, which comprises a first thermoplastic polymer;
- and
- a second polymer component, which comprises a second thermoplastic polymer,
- wherein said first polymer is incompatible with said second polymer and said first and second polymers have a solubility parameter difference of at least about 0.5 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2, one of said first and second polymer components is naturally hydrophilic or hydrophilically modified and said polymer components form at least two distinct unocclusive cross-sectional segments along the length of said fibers such that said segments are dissociable.
The splittable conjugate fiber of claim 22 wherein said hydrophilic polymer is hydrophilically modified and said hydrophilic modifier is a surfactant.
A splittable conjugate fiber comprising at least two incompatible thermoplastic polymers having a solubility parameter difference of at least about 0.5 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2, at least one of said polymers being naturally hydrophilic or hydrophilically modified, said polymers being arranged in distinct segments which are continuous along the length of said fiber, wherein said distinct segments of said fiber dissociate in less than about 30 seconds when contacted with a hot aqueous fibrillation-inducing medium.
A process for producing split fibers, which comprises the steps of:
- a) providing conjugate fibers comprising at least two incompatible thermoplastic polymer components which form a multitude of distinct cross-sectional segments along the length of said fibers and which have a solubility parameter difference of at least about 0.5 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2, and
- b) contacting said conjugate fibers with a hot aqueous split-inducing medium to split said conjugate fibers, thereby forming split fibers,
- wherein at least one of said polymer components is naturally hydrophilic or hydrophilically modified, said segments have an unocclusive configuration such that said segments are dissociable, and said segments dissociate in less than about 30 seconds when contacted with said hot aqueous split-inducing medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.