Swellable fiber- and microfiber-forming polyether-esters and applications thereof

A swellable, absorbable, fiber- or microfiber-forming, high molecular weight, crystalline polyether-ester comprising:

• a polyether chain component with a molecular weight of more than about 11 kDa;
• an inherent viscosity of at least 0.8 dL/g in chloroform or hexafluoroisopropyl alcohol;
• a heat of fusion of greater than 5 J/g;
• wherein fibers or microfibers formed therefrom undergo at least 0.5% increase in their cross-sectional area when placed in an aqueous environment for less than three (3) hours;
• and
• wherein the polyether-ester comprises a pentablock polymer having a central polyether glycol block interlinked with cyclic monomers and having polyester end blocks.

A swellable, absorbable, fiber- or microfiber-forming, high molecular weight, crystalline polyether-ester comprising:

• a polyether chain component with a molecular weight of more than about 11 kDa;
• an inherent viscosity of at least 0.8 dL/g in chloroform or hexafluoroisopropyl alcohol;
• a heat of fusion of greater than 5 J/g;
• wherein fibers or microfibers formed therefrom undergo at least 0.5% increase in their cross-sectional area when placed in an aqueous environment for less than three (3) hours;
• and
• wherein the polyether-ester comprises a triblock copolymer having a central polyether glycol block and each end block having less than 20% by mole of a cyclic monomer selected from the group consisting of l-lactide, ε-caprolactone, p-dioxanone, trimethylene carbonate, morpholinedione or mixtures thereof.