Apparatus and process for making continuous filament

Claim 2

The process of claim 1 wherein said fibers are rod-shaped.

Claim 3

A process for producing a continuous strand of filament, said process comprising introducing discrete fibers having an aspect ratio of at least 5.0 into (a) an electrically nonconductive liquid matrix and where the fibers have a dielectric constant at least 1.5 times greater than the dielectric constant of the liquid matrix, applying an electric field through said matrix under conditions giving rise to electrokinetic effects which are primarily dominated by electrophoretic effects enabling movement of the fibers with respect to the liquid matrix and electroosmotic effects enabling movement of the liquid matrix with respect to the fiber, said field being of such magnitude so that the electrokinetic effects dominate other forces acting on individual fibers and at a strength at least sufficient to cause untangling of the Fibers, dispersion of the fibers, orientation of the fibers, and close packing of the fibers in the desired orientation where substantially all of said fibers have their major axis substantially aligned, to form a continuous strand of filament, partially solidifying the liquid matrix surrounding the fibers to maintain a cohesive force between the fibers and partially solidified liquid matrix and thereby maintain the fibers in close packed alignment in the matrix surrounding said fibers and continually removing the continuous strand of filament from the unsolidified liquid matrix.

Claim 4

The process of claim 4 further characterized in that the liquid matrix contains a nonconductive prepolymer system which prepolymer system is capable of being actuated by an electric field, and that at least sufficient polymerization occurs in the liquid matrix to independently hold the fiber in an oriented position before releasing the electric field.

Claim 5

The process of claim 4 further characterized in that said electric field comprises an electrical potential difference where an electrical potential provides a significant contribution to the total force of the electric field.

Claim 7

A process for producing a continuous strand of filament, said process comprising introducing discrete fibers having an aspect ratio of at least 5.0 into a (a) an electrically nonconductive liquid matrix and where the fibers have a dielectric constant at least 1.5 times greater than the dielectric constant of the liquid matrix, said filaments being selected from the class consisting of fibers of silica, silica sol, fume silica, silica gel, glass fibers cristobalite, wollastonite, spodumene, mica mullite, sillimanite, chrysolite crocidolite, forsterite, hercynite, kaolinite, dickite, nacrite, beidellite, bentonite, hectorite, montmorillonite, montronite, saponite, attapulgite, iron, cobalt, nickel, aluminum, tin, lead, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, titanium, zirconium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, copper, zinc, the corresponding oxides of the above said metals, and heavy metal phosphates, sulfides, and sulfates, said matrix being selected from the class consisting of polyesters, polyimides, phenol-formaldehydes, epoxies, vinyl polymers and copolymers polycarbonates, polyolefins, polyvinyl chloride, and polyurethanes, applying an electric field through said matrix under conditions giving rise to electrokinetic effects which are primarily dominated by electrophoretic effects enabling movement of the fibers with respect to the liquid matrix and electroosmotic effects enabling movement of the liquid matrix with respect to the fiber, said field being of Such magnitude so that the electrokinetic effects dominate other forces acting on individual fibers and at a strength at least sufficient to cause proper orientation and close packing of the fibers in the liquid matrix to form a continuous filament, partially solidifying the liquid matrix surrounding the fibers to maintain a cohesive force between the fibers and partially solidified liquid matrix and thereby maintain the fibers in close packed alignment in the matrix surrounding said fibers and removing said filament from the liquid matrix as it is thus formed.

Claim 8

The process of claim 8 wherein substantially all of said fibers have their major axis substantially aligned.

Claim 9

A process for producing a continuous strand of filament, said process comprising introducing discrete fibers having an aspect ratio of at least 5.0 into (a) an electrically nonconductive liquid matrix and where the fibers have a dielectric constant at least 1.5 times greater than the dielectric constant of the liquid matrix, said filaments being selected from the class consisting of fibers of silica, silica sol, fume silica, silica gel, glass fibers, cristobalite, wollastonite, spodumene, mica, mullite, sillimanite, chrysolite crocidolite, forsterite, hercynite, kaolinite, dickite, nacrite, beidellite, bentonite, hectorite, montmorillonite, nontronite, saponite, attapulgite, iron, cobalt, nickel, aluminum, tin, lead magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, titanium, zirconium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, copper, zinc, the corresponding oxides of the above said metals, and heavy metal phosphates, sulfides, and sulfates, said matrix being selected from the class consisting of polyesters, polyimides, phenol-formaldehydes, epoxies, vinyl polymers and copolymers, polycarbonates, polyolefins, polyvinyl chloride, and polyurethanes, applying an electric field through said matrix under conditions giving rise to electrokinetic effects which are primarily dominated by electrophoretic effects enabling movement of the fibers with respect to the liquid matrix and electroosmotic effects enabling movement of the liquid matrix with respect to the fiber, said field being of such magnitude so that the electrokinetic effects dominate other forces acting on individual fibers and at a strength at least sufficient to cause untangling of the fibers, dispersion of the fibers, orientation of the fibers, and close packing of the fibers in the desired orientation where substantially all of said fibers have their major axis substantially aligned, to form a continuous strand of filament, partially solidifying the liquid matrix surrounding the fibers to maintain a cohesive force between the fibers and partially solidified liquid matrix and thereby maintain the fibers in close packed alignment in the matrix surrounding said fibers and continually removing the continuous strand of filament from the unsolidified liquid matrix.