EP0445536A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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High strength heat bondable fibre
Assignee: FiberVisions LP
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Filing: 1991-02-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-02-05
Abstract
Abstract High strength melt spun fiber; preparation thereof utilizing selective, threadline oxidative, chain scission degradation of hot fiber spun from polymer component(s) with a delayed quench step, plus corresponding process and materials.
Inventors
- 👤 Randall Earl Kozulla
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 23:40
CPC Classifications
D; D01; D01F; D01F8/00; D01F8/04; D01F8/06; D01F6/00; D01F6/02; D01F6/04; D01F1/00; D01F1/02; D01F1/10; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/29; Y10T428/2913; Y10T428/2929; Y10T428/2931; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/60; Y10T442/681
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
151 words
A fiber or filament generated from at least one spun melt mixture comprising a broad molecular weight polyolefin polymer or copolymer and containing an effective amount of at least one antioxidant/stabilizer composition, said fiber comprising, in combination, (a) an inner zone identified by minimal oxidative polymeric degradation, high birefringence, and a weight average molecular weight within a range of about 100,000-450,000; (b) an intermediate zone generally externally concentric to said inner zone and further identified by progressive oxidative chain scission degradation with a molecular weight gradation within a range of slightly less than said inner zone - to- about 10,000-20,000; and (c) a surface zone generally externally concentric to said intermediate zone and defining the external surface of the spun fiber or filament, said surface zone being identified by low birefringence, a high concentration of oxidative chain scission-degraded polymeric material, and a weight average molecular weight of less than about 10,000.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
23 words
A sheath/core bicomponent fiber of claim 1 wherein said inner zone is internally contiguous with and generally externally concentric to a core element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A fiber or filament of claim 1 wherein said inner zone is an integral part of a monocomponent fiber, formed essentially from a common spun melt mixture.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
A fiber of claim 1 wherein polymer component of said inner zone of the sheath element has a molecular weight of about 100,000-250,000, degraded polymer component of said intermediate zone has a molecular weight of about 100,000-250,000-down-to-less than 20,000 and degraded polymer component of said surface zone has a weight average molecular weight of about 5,000-10,000.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
136 words
In a process for preparing monocomponent or bicomponent fiber from polyolefin-containing spun melt composition, the improvement comprising A. admixing an effective amount of at least one antioxidant/stabilizer into a spun melt comprising polyolefin polymer or copolymer, in the presence of a degrading agent; B. spinning the resulting spun melt at a temperature and atmospheric environment favoring minimal oxidative chain scission degradation of the polymeric component(s) within the spun melt during the spinning step; C. taking up the resulting hot extrudate under an oxygen-rich atmosphere to obtain sufficient oxygen gas diffusion to effect a threadline oxidative chain scission degradation of the hot filament; and D. fully quenching and finishing the resulting filament to obtain a highly degraded surface zone of low molecular weight and low birefringence; and a minimally degraded, high molecular weight, crystalline birefringent inner zone.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process of claim 5 wherein the antioxidant/stabilizer composition is a phenyl phosphite- and/or a N,N'bis-piperidinyl diamine derivative.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
A process of claim 5 wherein the highly degraded surface zone of the spun fiber or filament has a weight average molecular weight of less than about 10,000, and the inner zone configuration of said spun fiber has a high birefringence and a weight average molecular weight within about 100,000-450,000.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process of claim 5 wherein the take up step is carried out in the presence of oxygen at ambient temperature.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process of claim 5 wherein the quenching step is carried out in the presence of an oxygen/nitrogen mixture varying in ratio by volume from about 100-10:0-90.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
A nonwoven material obtained by bonding one or more web containing fiber or filament produced in accordance with the method of claim 5.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
A nonwoven material obtained by bonding one or more web containing fiber produced in accordance with the method of claim 7.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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