Production of modified conjugate fibre products

Claim 1

A method of modifying a conjugate fibre product containing a plurality of melt spun conjugate fibres each composed of at least two fibre-forming polymer components arranged in distinct zones across the cross-section of the fibre and substantially continuous along the length thereof, one of the components having a melting temperature significantly lower than the melting temperature of the other component and being located so as to form at least a peripheral surface of the fibre, said method comprising: (a) applying a predetermined amount of particles of average size less than one micron substantially uniformly to a conjugate fibre product composed of said fibres by treating the product in a liquid in which the particles are dispersed: (b) removing excess liquid and drying the product so as to leave the product in a dry, open, substantially tensionless condition; and (c) heating the product in said condition at a non-sticking temperature for 2 to 40 minutes so as to cause substantially the whole of said particles to penetrate and become virtually completely adsorbed into the lower melting component, the non-sticking temperature lying within the Area AXCA of FIG. 2, but above the temperature To and at least 1° C. below the curve AB, to product a clean, non stuck, modified, conjugate fibre product.

Claim 2

A method of modifying a conjugate fibre product containing a plurality of melt spun conjugate fibres each composed of at least two fibre-forming polymer components arranged in distinct zones across the cross-section of the fibre and substantially continuous along the length thereof, one of the components having a melting temperature significantly lower than the melting temperature of the other component and being located so as to form at least a peripheral surface of the fibre, said method comprising: (a) applying a predetermined amount of particles of average size less than one micron substantially uniformly to a conjugate fibre product composed of said fibres by treating the product in a liquid in which the particles are dispersed: (b) removing excess liquid and drying the product so as to leave the product in a dry, open, substantially tensionless condition; and (c) heating the product in said condition at a non-sticking temperature for 2 to 40 minutes so as to cause substantially the whole of said particles to penetrate and become virtually completely adsorbed into the lower melting component, the non-sticking temperature lying within the Area AXCA of FIG. 2, but above the temperature To and at least 1° C. below the curve AB, to product a clean, non stuck, modified, conjugate fibre product.