Formation of fibers from polymeric dispersions which contain a thickening agent

Claim 1

THE PROCESS FOR PREPARING FIBERS FROM A SYNTHETIC ORGANIC FIBER-FORMING POLYMER WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A FLOWABLE DISPERSION OF PARTICLES OF THE SAID POLYMER IN AN ORGANIC LIQUID WHICH HAS SUBSTANTIALLY NO SOLVENT ACTION THEREON AT ROOM TEMPERATURE BUT WHICH COALESCES THE SAID PARTICLES AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE SAID DISPERSION CONTAINING ABOUT FROM 0.5 TO 20% BY WEIGHT OF AN ORGANIC SYNTHETIC HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT THICKENING AGENT DESSOLVED IN THE LIQUID, THE SAID AGENT BEING COMPATIBLE WITH THE FIBER-FORMING POLYMER AND IMPARTING A VISCOSITY OF AT LEAST 100 CENTIPOISES AT 25*C. WHEN DISPERSED IN THE LIQUID WHEN NONE OF THE FIBER-FORMING POLYMER IS PRESENT, MAINTAINING THE PARTICLES IN THE RESULTANT THICKENED DISPERSION SUBSTANTIALLY IN THEIR PARTICULATE UNCOALESCED STATE PRIOR TO AND DURING EXTRUSION, EXTRUDING THE THICKENING DISPERSION TO FORM A FUNICULAR STRUCTURE, COALESCING THE POLYMER PARTICLES IN THE SAID STRUCTURE BY HEATING IT TO FORM THE SAID FIBERS, AND THEREAFTER REMOVING THE SAID ORGANIC LIQUID THEREFROM.