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US 6,767,498 B1Granted
Process of making microfilaments
AssigneesHills, Inc., Fiber Innovation Technology, Inc.
InventorsArthur Talley, Jr., Frank O. Harris, Jeffrey S. Dugan, Arnold E. Wilkie, Jing-Peir Yu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Thermally divisible multicomponent fibers (4) having at least a first component including an elastomeric polymer (6) and at least a second component including a non-elastomeric polymer (8). The multicomponent fibers are useful in the manufacture of nonwoven structures, and in particular nonwoven structures used as synthetic suede and filtration media.
Claims20
A method for producing microfilaments, comprising:
- extruding a plurality of multicomponent fibers having at least one polymer component comprising an elastomeric polymer and at least one polymer component comprising a non-elastomeric polymer, wherein said elastomeric polymer has a solubility parameter (δ) sufficiently different from said non-elastomeric polymer so that said elastomeric component and said non-elastomeric component split upon thermal treatment;
- drawing said multicomponent fibers to plastically deform said non-elastomeric component and to attenuate said elastomeric component such that said elastomeric component is capable of elastically contracting upon release of adhesion to the non-elastomeric component;
- and
- thermally treating said drawn multicomponent fibers under conditions of low or substantially no tension to separate said multicomponent fibers to form a fiber bundle comprising a plurality of elastomeric microfilaments and a plurality of non-elastomeric microfilaments which are more bulked than said elastomeric microfilaments.
1 more element
A method for producing microfilaments, comprising:
- extruding a plurality of multicomponent fibers comprising at least one elastomeric polyurethane component and at least one non-elastomeric polypropylene component;
- drawing said multicomponent fibers to plastically deform said non-elastomeric polypropylene component and to attenuate said elastomeric polyurethane component such that said elastomeric polyurethane is capable of elastically contracting upon release of adhesion to the non-elastomeric component;
- and
- contacting said drawn multicomponent fibers with heated air under conditions of low or substantially no tension to separate said multicomponent fibers to form a fiber bundle comprising a plurality of elastomeric polyurethane microfilaments and non-elastomeric polypropylene microfilaments, wherein said polypropylene microfilaments are more bulked than said polyurethane microfilaments, and wherein said polypropylene microfilaments substantially surround said polyurethane microfilaments.
1 more element
A method for producing microfilaments, comprising:
- extruding a plurality of multicomponent fibers having at least one polymer component comprising an elastomeric polymer and at least one polymer component comprising a non-elastomeric polymer, wherein said elastomeric polymer has a solubility parameter (δ) sufficiently different from said non-elastomeric polymer so that said elastomeric component and said non-elastomeric component split upon thermal treatment;
- drawing said multicomponent fibers to plastically deform said non-elastomeric component and to attenuate said elastomeric component such that said elastomeric component is capable of elastically contracting upon release of adhesion to the non-elastomeric component;
- and
- contacting said multicomponent fibers with a heated substantially water free medium under conditions of low or substantially no tension to separate said multicomponent fibers to form a fiber bundle comprising a plurality of elastomeric microfilaments and a plurality of non-elastomeric microfilaments.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.