Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
18 words
An electrically conducting acrylic or modacrylic fibre, characterised in that the fibre is impregnated with a copper sulfide.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
18 words
An electrically conducting acrylic or modacrylic fibre, characterised in that the fibre is impregnated with a copper sulfide.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
An electrically conducting fibre as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the amount of copper sulfide, expressed as metallic copper, is 1% to 30% of the weight of the starting fibre.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
An electrically conducting fibre as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein said copper sulfide is digenite.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
An electrically conducting fibre as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein said copper sulfide is cupric sulfide or cuprous sulfide.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
An electrically conducting fibre as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, which has been dyed with a cationic dye.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method of making an electrically conducting fibre as claimed in Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, comprising subjecting an acrylic or modacrylic fibre to a first heat-treatment in a bath containing a copper compound and a reducing agent so as to adsorb monovalent copper ions into the fibre, and subjecting the fibre to a second heat-treatment in the presence of a sulfur-containing compound to convert said adsorbed monovalent copper ions to a copper sulfide.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said fibre is washed between the first and second heat-treatments.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in Claim 6 or 7, wherein said first heat-treatment is at a temperature of from 90°C to 110°C.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
25 words
A method as claimed in any of Claims 6, 7 or 8, wherein said second heat-treatment is at a temperature of from 50°C to 105°C.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in Claim 6, 7, 8 or 9, wherein said second heat-treatment is conducted in a gaseous sulfur-containing compound.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method of making an electrically conducting fibre as claimed in Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, comprising subjecting an acrylic or modacrylic fibre to heat-treatment in a bath which contains a copper compound, a reducing agent which is capable of reducing copper ions to monovalent ions, and a sulfur-containing compound to convert said monovalent copper ions to a copper sulfide..
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in Claim 11, wherein said treatment is at a temperature of 50°C to 120°C.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
29 words
A method as claimed in any of Claims 5 to 12, wherein said copper compound is cupric sulfate, cupric chloride, cupric nitrate, cupric acetate or a chelate of copper.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in any of Claims 5 to 13, wherein said reducing agent is metallic copper, ferrous sulfate, ammonium vanadate, sodium hypophosphite, hydroxylamine or its sulfate, furfural or glucose.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
46 words
A method as claimed in any of Claims 5 to 14, wherein said sulphur-containing compound is selected from sodium sulfide, sulfur dioxide, sodium formaldehyde sulphoxylate, zinc formaldehyde sulphoxylate, sodium pyrosulfite, sulfurous acid, dithionous acid, sodium dithionate, sodium thiosulfate, thiourea dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and sodium hydrogen sulfite.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in any of Claims 5 to 15, wherein the treated fibre is then dyed with a cationic dye.