BE1018358A3 - PROCEDURE FOR PREPARING SYNTHETIC FIBERS FOR YARN WITH INCREASED DILABILITY. - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to a process for the preparation of synthetic fibers on a polyolefin basis for yarns in which a polymer mass is melted under pressure and subsequently driven through a spinning block to form fibers, and wherein the fiber bundle obtained thereby is cooled, wherein for the extrusion a a mixture of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or copolyester and SEBS, preferably unmodified SEBS (stryrene ethylene butylene copolymer) is added to the molten polymer stream, so that the dyeability of the synthetic fibers is improved. The invention also relates to the synthetic fibers for yarn made in this way. This invention further relates to carpets or rugs made of such synthetic fibers.

Description

PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF SYNTFfF.TISFTFF. FIBERS FOR YARN WITH INCREASED VF-RFRA ARHF.ID

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of synthetic fibers for yarn, wherein a polymeric mass is melted under pressure, after which it is driven through a spinning block to form fibers, and wherein the resulting fiber bundle is cooled. The invention also relates to the synthetic fibers for yarn made in this way. This invention further relates to carpets or rugs made up of such synthetic fibers.

Synthetic fibers are among the starting materials used in the carpet and carpet industry (textile floor covering), along with natural fibers such as cotton, wool and silk. For the production of such fibers, synthetic starting materials are supplied in the form of granulates or particles, such as polyamides (PAs), polyesters (PET or PESs), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). These starting materials are converted into synthetic fibers by fusion, and the resulting semi-finished product is used as starting material for further processing in the textile industry.

Synthetic textile fibers are either staple fibers or filaments, depending on their length: - staple fibers or simply “fibers” have a fairly short length of ten or a hundred millimeters, while - filaments have a continuous length of thousands of meters.

Fibers are spun into yarn in spinning mills. Filaments, on the other hand, are brought together to form a fiber bundle, or in particular a filament bundle, at the bottom of the spinning shaft. The number of filaments varies according to the quality of the intended application. Yarn is used for the production of woven fabrics, carpets, knitwear and clothing.

Synthetic fibers are offered on the market in various forms such as continuous fibers (CF), textured continuous fibers (BCF), staple fibers, tapes and monofilaments with the following characteristics: - continuous fibers are endless, non-textured yarn; - textured continuous fibers are endless, but textured yarn, which is made more voluminous by texturing, 1 - staple fibers are filaments that can be cut into fibers for further processing and that can be used in spinning mills or for the production of nonwoven fabrics. ); - tapes are made from a film that is cut and are often used as starting material for the production of packaging material or for the back cover and / or binding of carpets, and; - monofilaments are threads that consist of a single fiber.

Polypropylene homopolymer is often used for the production of synthetic fibers for rugs and carpets, which offers economic and physical advantages such as stain-resistant and a low cost compared to other polymers. Polypropylenes are translucent white in their natural state and can be colored in different ways. During the production of synthetic fibers, the fibers are colored in the mass by, for example, adding a masterbatch (basic mix) of organic and / or mineral pigments to the melt to obtain the desired color of the final carpet fiber. Another method of dyeing synthetic fibers is to dye them after spinning, although polyolefins, unlike most other plastic fibers, are not easy to dye with the ordinary dyes known to professionals.

Dyes have been developed which allow direct coloring of the polyolefin fiber with hydrocarbon-soluble dyes with long alkyl chains.

Since 1960, a significant number of patents and publications describe the changes of the pure polymer that allows to dye the polyolefin after spinning: the use of a nickel composition in the fiber and ligand-forming dyes, blends with polyamides and copolyamides, polyesters and copolyesters, polyethylene borrowed alkyl acrylates, blends with ethylene vinyl acetates, blends with polystyrene and modified polystyrene, blends with hyperbranched ("hyperbranched") polyester, hyperbranched polyester amides, in situ grafted unsaturated amphiphiles, blends with nanoparticles.

Usually mixtures are stabilized by the use of a compatibilizer,. . . . I

Known among professionals, with or without reactive groups or grafts, they are prepared in situ by maleic anhydride or malted polypropylene, or a radical initiator during the polymer blending phase.

US 4,764,551 discloses a mixture of a polyalphaolefin and an ethylene dialkylammonium alkyl acrylamide copolymer, and alkali metal salt of an organic carboxylic acid, paintable with acid dyes.

US 5,576,366 and WO 95/33882 describe a mixture of polyolefin with ethylene alkyl acrylate, a small amount of polyester and a hydrophilic modifier consisting of a monoglyceride and a salt of a linear akyl. The mixture is paintable with disperse dyes. Sulphonic acid groups may be added to the polyester with cationic coloring.

US 5,468,259 describes the mixture or grafting of ethylene alkyl acrylates on polyolefin, in particular polypropylene.

US 6,127,480 describes a mixture of polyolefin with the reaction of a functionalized polyolefin and polyetheramine. Disperse dyable polyolefin fibers are disclosed.

US 6,555,038 describes a method for producing modified polypropylene threads that can be dyed with aqueous solution. A CR polypropylene (CR = Controlled Rheology) is mixed with a reaction partner that reacts with CR polypropylene. Suitable reaction partners are bifunctional carboxylic acids or analogous carboxylic acid derivatives. Acid dyes, disperse and reactive dyes are used, as well as cationic dyes.

US 6,312,631 describes a polyolefin composition with enhanced dyeing capacity that contains a polyolefin, a migratable amphiphile and 0.01 to 1000 ppm of a transition metal. Acid dyes, reactive dyes and basic dyes are used.

WO 97/47684 describes a mixture of polypropylene, a copolyamide and EVA. The mixture is paintable with disperse dyes.

US 4,520,155 describes a polyolefin composition that is paintable with acid dyes, basic dyes, disperse dyes, soluble tub dyes, azoic and metal complex dyes.

US 6,646,026 describes a new method for dyeing polymers by dispersing nanomaterials in the polymers, thereby forming polymer nanocomposite, which can be dyed by conventional methods.

US 6,444,758 describes the integration of amphiphilic block copolymers to increase the surface energy of the polymer substrates. A paintable poly! propylene fiber. Disperse dyes and acid dyes are suggested as a colorant.

WO 2006/038061 describes the coloring process of polypropylene / polystyrene support wherein the support is colored by means of polypropylene / polystyrene support, mainly fibers, by means of an aqueous composition consisting of 0.1 to 4% by weight of disperse dyes, an organic acid with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and a surfactant in which the aforementioned coloring occurs at least partially at a temperature higher than 90 ° C, with a polystyrene / polypropylene weight ratio ranging between 1:20 and 1: 4.

WO 03/029536 describes a mixture of a polyolefin and a fibril-forming polymer, the outer surface of the fibers being substantially free of fibrils. Between 5 and 45% polyamides and polyesters are used as fibril-forming polymers. For polycondensation products, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate and polytrimethylene terephthalate are preferably used. This mixture may contain between 0 and 20% of a compatibilizer selected from various polyolefin polymers after reaction with acids or anhydrides.

US 6,537,660 describes a fiber with 2-95% block copolymer consisting of at least one polymer block of 50 to 100% by weight of olefinic monomer units and one polymer block consisting of 0.1 to 100% by weight of (meth) acrylate monomer units.

US 6,312,783 describes a fiber consisting of 60-95% polypropylene, 0.1-10% w / w maleated polypropylene and 5-40% by weight nylon or polyester.

US 6,869,679 describes the use of PET G in a mixture with polypropylene and the use of maleic anhydride as a grafting agent. The application is illustrated on the basis of examples from the clothing and home furniture industry.

US 6,054,215 describes dispersible polypropylene fibers made by producing chips from a polypropylene resin composition by dispersing 100 parts by weight of polypropylene, 1-10 parts by weight of part-crystalline functional polymer, 0.05-5 parts by weight of amorphous functional polymer and 0.1-3 parts by weight of additives. The new fiber has the aromatic ester, ether and hydroxyl radical together.

US 6,165,584 describes a resin consisting of the reaction product of a polypropylene and the ethylene alkyl acrylate copolymer. The fiber consists of a polyester, a hydrophilic modifier or a polyamide.

Most of the above-mentioned techniques may suffer from various problems, such as, for example, dye-improving compounds that reduce speed during production and increase production costs, insufficient dye uptake in deep-painted applications, insufficient wear resistance, reduced resilience or reduction of the point effect. (continuous filaments after twisting and thermofixing) of the carpet fiber, odor problems during spinning.

The object of this invention is to offer an alternative method for the preparation of synthetic fibers for yarn, in particular for use in carpet production, with increased dyeability. A further object of the invention is the development of an easily dyable synthetic fiber with good properties.

The object of the invention is achieved by a process for the preparation of synthetic fibers on a polyolefin basis for yarn, wherein a polymer mass is melted under pressure and then driven through a spinning block to form fibers, the resulting fiber bundle being cooled, and wherein before extrusion a mixture of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or copolyester and SEBS (styrene-ethylene-butene-styrene copolymer) is added to the molten polymer stream to improve the dyeability of the synthetic fiber. The added SEBS is preferably not modified. The polymer mass preferably contains between 80 and 99% w / w propylene homopolymer or polypropylene copolymer. The presence of PET or copolyester and the SEBS copolymer ensure the production of a fiber with greatly increased disperse dye uptake, high frictional fastness, good color and light fastness and good resilience for applications in carpet and carpet production. Furthermore, the method according to the present invention guarantees a simple production of the fiber and avoids odor problems during spinning.

In the preferred embodiment of the process of this invention, the blend consists of about 1 to 15% w / w PET or copolyester and about 0 to 2% w / w SEBS. PET may be used in the blend, but it is best to use an amorphous copolyester polymer to lower the processing temperature during the gas extrusion phase. Said amorphous copolyester has in an ideal environment of the process according to the invention a glass transition temperature lower than 100 ° C, and preferably around 80 ° C for a fast dye uptake during procedures at normal atmospheric pressure.

The SEBS may contain functional groups such as sulfonic acid groups or an epoxy group, but preferably unchanged SEBS is used to improve the dispersion of the PET or copolyester in the polyolefin matrix.

In a more preferred embodiment of the process of this invention, the mixture consists of about 0 to 3% w / w amphiphilic. The amphiphile is added to control the melt viscosity of the copolyester in the masterbatch and to improve dispersion in the polyolefin matrix. Said amphiphile is preferably a metal alkyl benzene sulfonate or a metal fatty acid salt and preferably has a low molecular weight, most preferably sodium stearate with its fatty acid homologues and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate with its alkyl benzene sulfonate homologues. The presence of the amphiphile improves the dispersion of the copolyester during the extrusion and the dye uptake during the dyeing process.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the aforementioned process furthermore relates to the thermofixation of the resulting fiber bundle at a temperature between 130 and 150 ° C. After thermofixation, the fiber shows an improved elasticity.

In a most preferred embodiment of the process according to the present invention, the aforementioned process further comprises coloring the fiber bundle with disperse dyes to obtain colored fibers.

Another aspect of this invention relates to polyolefin-based synthetic fibers for yarn, wherein a process preferably as described above produces the synthetic fibers in question. The fiber obtained is preferably completely colorless before dyeing and insensitive to yellowing, characteristic of some polyamides with polyolefin blends. The mechanical properties of the fiber obtained allow twisting, cabling, thermofixing, weaving or tufting, knitting and all other textile operations without additional problems.

The fiber according to the invention in particular can be used for the manufacture of interior textiles, area rugs, carpets and upholstery.

Another aspect of this invention relates to carpet or carpet containing the polyolefin-based synthetic fibers described above.

The following more precise description of the process according to the invention serves to illustrate in more detail the aspects, advantages and special features of the invention. However, it is self-evident that the scope of the protection sought in the claims concerning the process and the synthetic fibers according to the invention is not limited by something which is indicated in the following description.

For the production of synthetic fibers for yarn, in particular yarns for rugs and carpets, according to the process according to the invention, a polymer mass is first melted under pressure and then driven through a spinning block to form fibers, after which the resulting fiber bundle is cooled is becoming. The synthetic fibers are produced by a continuous process. The individual filaments can have any cross-sectional shape, including trilobal, round, multilobal, delta-shaped, hollow, core-sheet etc. The carpet yarns are between 600 and 6000 dtex and consist of 50 to 420 filaments. These values are only an example and not limitations.

A synthetic starting material, preferably for example polypropylene homopolymer or polypropylene copolymer, polypropylene with a variable amount of ethylene, or other alphaolefin, in the form of granulates or particles, is melted under pressure in a melting device, for example an extrader. To improve the dyeability of the fibers produced, a mixture of a PET or copolyester and SEBS is added to the molten polymer stream. The aforementioned mixture may be added directly on the carpet yarn BCF extraction line, or preferably a masterbatch may be prepared to add the mixture and ultimately other additives to the polypropylene prior to extraction. A composition may also be prepared that contains all fiber constituents.

The SEBS copolymer may contain reactive groups, for example sulfonic acid or carboxylic acid or salt groups of carboxylic acid, and epoxy groups, but also unaltered SEBS works very well.

The presence of PET or copolyester and the SEBS copolymer provides a fiber with a greatly improved disperse dye uptake, high frictional fastness, good color and light fastness and good resilience for applications in carpet and carpet production. After thermofixation between 130 and 150 ° C, the fiber obtained shows an elastic quality that can increase the comfort of the user.

The resulting fiber is further processed to produce space-dyed yarn and printed and dyed carpets with disperse dyes. The following processes are for illustrative purposes only, but do not limit the scope of this invention; other uses for clothing and upholstery are also possible.

PET may be used in the mixture, but it is best to use an amorphous copolyester polymer to reduce the processing temperature during the gas extrusion phase. Sufficient (co-) polyester fibrils must be present on the fiber surface to facilitate dye uptake. The presence of amphiphiles promotes the wetting of the fiber (antistatic and improvement of dyeability) and controls the rheology of the copolyester because it acts as a plasticizer, or degrades the polyester polymer during the melting phase.

The amorphous copolyester is composed of terephthalic acid and may contain isophthalic acid and other aromatic dicarboxylic acids (e.g. 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid) or aliphatic dicarboxylic acid (1,4-cyclohexane-dicarboxylic acid) and may be used as diol, ethylene glycol, 1,4-cyclohexane dimethanol, 2,2-dimethylpropane 1,3-diol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, 1,2-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,2-pentanediol, 1,4-pentanediol, 1 5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 2,2,4-trimethyl 1,3-pentanediol and mixtures thereof. The copolyester may also contain low amounts of a tri-functional monomer as described in U.S. Patent 4,983,711.

The amorphous copolyester used has a sufficiently low shear viscosity coefficient at 250 ° C, which ensures good mixing in single screw industrial extruders in BCF carpet yarn production lines. The melt viscosity is determined by the standard MFI test, but at an extrusion temperature (250 ° C) and a pressure of 2.16 kg.

The values for the basic polymers, without plasticizers or melt modifiers are: polypropylene 33.4 copolyester EB022 19.1 copolyester EB062 14.2

The glass transition temperature (Tg) is preferably lower than 100 ° C, and best around 80 ° C for rapid dye uptake in procedures under normal atmospheric pressure. The hardness of the polyester copolymer must be as high as possible, since a number of the copolyester micelles of the PP / copolyester / SEBS mixture are on the fiber surface, which allows very fast dye uptake during dyeing, but which can make the fiber fragile with friction in dry or wet conditions.

Deeply dyed fibers are excellent for friction tests. In our example, we use two highly suitable Eastman-made commercial types with recommended extrusion temperatures around 220 - 245 ° C, which are achievable with the classic propylene yarn extrusion and are the appropriate extrusion temperatures for BCF carpet yarn known to professionals. The amorphous copolyester from our example is Eastar copolyester EB062 and Eastar copolyester EB022.

As compatibilizer and fiber modifier, a SEBS copolymer is used in the blend. The designated amount of styrene of this SEBS copolymer is 10 to 35%. The following products are used in the test examples: ASAHI KASEI CORPORATION, tuftec Hl062 (medium Styrene), tuftec Hl221 (low Styrene), and POLIMERI EUROPE Europrene SOL TH 2311 (high Styrene).

SEBS, copolyester and polyolefin must be selected in view of an extremely fine dispersion of the micelles in the polyolefin matrix. Professionals know that the shear viscosity coefficient of all constituents of the mixture must be as close as possible to the processing temperature.

The use of a static mixer, installed between the extruder and the spinnerets, to further improve the dispersion of the mixture, can further promote the process.

Other usual constituents may be added to the mixture, such as lubricants, pigments, T1O2 as a matting agent, fire retardants, antioxidants, UV protection agents, other polymers such as EVA, EMA, EEA, mineral particles such as calcium carbonate or talc, chemical blowing agents. (non-exhaustive list).

In a preferred embodiment, the polyester or copolyester may be partially replaced by a polystyrene with an average molecular weight. Because SEBS is used as a compatibilizer, the polystyrene is very well dispersed in the fiber and the dyeability will increase. The polystyrene will not degrade the frictional resistance of the fiber. The amount of polystyrene is preferably between 0 and 5% and most preferably between 0 and 2%. All polypropylene in the test was standard quality fiber-forming polypropylene from Basell (Basell Moplen HP5520R with an MFI of 25 under normal conditions).

The presence of 0-3% of a low molecular weight amphiphile, preferably sodium stearate and homologues, and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate and homologues improve the dispersion of the copolyester during the extraction and the dye uptake during the dyeing process. The melt blending of an aromatic polyester and a metal alkyl benzene sulfonate can degrade the polyester.

The decomposition of polyesters by metal dodecylbenzene sulfonate is, independently of any theory, described as an undesirable phenomenon in US 5,045,580. However, this degradation of the polyester reduces the molecular weight and therefore also the melt viscosity, and improves the dispersion of the polyester in the polyolefin matrix. Another amphiphil that acts as a plasticizer for the (co-) polyester and improves the dispersion of the (co-) polyester in the polyolefin matrix is Ν ', Ν'-ethylene-bis-stearamide, known as a plasticizer for polyester by reducing the Tg of the mixture (U.S. Patent 4,894,404). Fatty acid esters of alkyl alcohol or polyol (e.g., polyglycol stearates) may be added and may react under certain conditions by esterification in the extruder during the production of the masterbatch that contains the (co-) polyester and the other additives. This master batch will be used in the final processing with the polyolefin during the gas extrusion phase.

A mixture of Eastman copolyester Eastar EB022 with 5% N, N'-ethylene-bis-stearamide has an MFI of 24.4 at 250 ° C and 2.16 kg. No degradation of the polyester was found. A masterbatch preferably containing the copolyester, the SEBS copolymer, optionally some polyolefin and the metal alkyl benzene sulfonate, is used to obtain a homogeneous polymer blend with fine micelles of the copolyester in the polyolefin matrix. Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate is known as a dyeability enhancing compound in polyolefins (WO1985 / 004889).

The following polypropylene blends contained 7% copolyester, 3% SEBS and 0.1% wt, 0.3% wt, 0.6% wt and 1% sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate were extruded and 138 filament 2000 dtex yarns were produced. After tufting, the yarns are dyed with disperse dyes under normal conditions and the color intensity is evaluated. Increasing amounts of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate greatly increase the dye uptake of the fiber, even at these low concentrations.

The mixtures of sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate and copolyester (Eastar EB022) allow to check the rheology of the copolyester with the masterbatch. Measurements at 230 and 250 ° C show a decreasing viscosity.

The two components are mixed in a twin screw mixing extruder at 250 ° C, and the MFI is determined at two temperatures:

Example 1 of fiber production

In an industrial BCF yarn extrusion unit from Rieter, at a temperature of 250 ° C, 90% polypropylene with an MFI of 25 is mixed with 10% w / w of a masterbatch consisting of 70% copolyester (Eastman Eastar EB062) and 30 % SEBS (Europrene SOL TH 2311). An equivalent of 0.1% T102 is added by using. a second masterbatch with T1O2. The extrusion parameters are the same as with professional applications. The extruder temperature was 250 ° C. The wind-up speed after the cooling drum was 2200 meters per minute. The yarn was a 1250 dtex, 69 filament, trilobal type. A spinning oil with sufficient hydrophilic properties is used, since the surface properties of the filaments are clearly changed in comparison with a mass dyed propylene fiber.

This yarn was cabled at 210 r.p.m. and was thermofixed for one minute on a Superba machine with saturated steam at 134 ° C. A frisé effect is achieved by means of a frisé box with steam injection.

The dyeability of the yarn was evaluated in various ways. The dye uptake efficiency was determined by light reflection measurements of the fibers and spectrophotometric measurements of the dye bath before and after dyeing. In all cases, the returns are higher than 85%.

Example 2

In an industrial BCF yarn extrusion unit from Rieter, at a temperature of 250 ° C, 90% polypropylene with an MFI of 25 is mixed with 10% of a masterbatch consisting of 50% copolyester (Eastman Eastar EB22), 20% polystyrene (Polimeri Europe, average molecular weight PS (Mn: ± 62,000; Mw: ± 118,000; Mz: ± 190,000) and an MFR of 25 at 200 ° C - 5 kg. (ISOH33)) and 30% SEBS (Marubeni, Tuftec H1062). The extrusion parameters are the same as in Example 1.

The yarn is 2150 dtex 96 trilobal filament yarn and is used as such in further tests.

Example 3

A masterbatch with 7 parts of amorphous copolyester (Eastman Eastar EB022), 3 parts of SEBS and 1 part of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate is prepared in a Leistrits twin screw screw extractor (27 mm, 32 L / D) at a temperature of 220 ° C.

The components of the masterbatch are mixed with polypropylene with a ratio of 11% masterbatch and 89% propylene and extracted on an industrial BCF carpet yarn production line from Rieter at an extraction temperature of 250 ° C and a yarn winding speed of 2200 m / minute.

The resulting yarn can be used without thermofixation, but certain properties only emerge after thermofixation. We found that a thermofixed fiber is more elastic than a non-thermofused fiber. The dye uptake was excellent after thermofixation, preferably after saturated steam thermofixation. Also, the behavior of the yarn according to this invention allowed further processing at speeds normally used with unaltered polypropylene yarn. 1

The above mentioned yarn is further processed as described in the following professional dyeing processes for polyamide.

The synthetic fibers for yarn according to this invention have an increased dyeability. The following is an example (in different phases) of a dyeing method for synthetic fibers produced during the process of this invention. ^

Phase 1 '

Fibers made according to the aforementioned process - in a dtex ranging between 1200 and 4500 - were knitted in stockings on circular knitting machines with a 1/5 ”gauge with 186 needles each making between 180 and 270 rpm. The stockings were rolled on a sleeve so that rolls between 30 and 50 kg were formed.

Phase 2

The following dye bath was prepared for the foulard:

A tank of water at room temperature was stirred. To this was added 1 to 10 g / l of anionic or non-ionic surfactant, together with an amount of acid with which a pH between 4 and 6 was obtained. 10 to 15 g / l of thickener was also added, prior to the addition of the necessary amount of disperse dyes diluted in separately hot water, in this case between 0.1 and 1 g / l. The disperse dyes used are of the Huntsman's Terasil C type.

For the pressure rollers engraved with a motif, the dye bath was like the foulard, except that the amount of thickener was much higher, namely between 30 and 50 g / l. Also many more -2 to 15 g / 1 different dilute disperse dyes of the same type were added.

All tanks were then stirred for at least 30 minutes before use. Phase 3

The rolls with stockings as described in phase 1 were placed next to each other on the rack of a space dyeing machine -3 or 4, depending on their width and melted or sewn on a precursor and later on the next roll, thus a continuous process of dyeing , steaming, rinsing, activating and turning back on rollers.

When the machine was started, the stockings were gradually unwound and first led into the dye bath of the foulard (in this case a horizontal Küsters type), after which they were pressed between the rollers for a dye bath intake between 70 and 120% of the weight of the get stockings. The stockings were given a basic shade. Pre-washing (cold or hot) is an option, but was not done here. The speed of the machine may vary between 15 and 40 meters per minute.

The stockings were then guided between 4 pairs of pressure rollers, which in this case were placed vertically one above the other and were engraved with a motif. Each pair of rollers is provided with a part of the motif and applies a specific color.

The stockings then went for 4 to 7 minutes in a steamer under atmospheric pressure and a temperature between 95 and 105 ° C.

In a subsequent step of the continuous coloring process, the stockings were washed and pressed in 4 rinsing baths with cold or warm water, after which they went through an aviating bath and were pressed again before being dried for 30 to 90 seconds at 105 to 130 ° C, at preferably 110 ° C. The colored stockings were finally wound onto sleeves to form rolls.

Phase 4

The threads of the colored stockings on rolls were then again wound onto sleeves at a speed between 500 and 1100 m / min. This process is facilitated by the avivage agent that was added in the previous phase.

/

Phase 5

The colored threads or yarns thus obtained were then - partly by means of an intermediate operation such as entanglement with compressed air or cabling and thermofixing - used as pile material for tufted or woven carpets. They may be mixed during the intermediate processing with other yarn types such as nylon or with a standard mass-colored polypropylene.

Phase 6

Carpets manufactured in this way guarantee good colourfastness. The score for lightfastness was at least 5/6, usually better. Dry and wet frictional fastness was between 4 and 4 / 5-5.

These carpets were also found to be bleach-resistant in the same way as a polypropylene dyed in the mass.

Brief description of other examples of color applications Ex. 1:

When the yarn of this invention - dyed and printed in the above-mentioned manner - is combined with ecru PA yarn by means of. entangled with compressed air or cabling and thermofixation and is incorporated into carpets by tufting or weaving to be dyed a second time with conventional acid or metal complex dyes such as Tectilon or Lanacrone (from Huntsman), it does not absorb the dyes from the second dye bath, and is as it were over-paintable with such dyes and retains the original color. The ecru PA yarn is of course colored during this second dyeing operation.

Ex. 2:

If the yarn according to the present invention is combined in ecru state with ecru PA and is processed in a carpet, it may be used be dyed with a bath that contains both acid (or metal complex) dyes and disperse dyes, producing a two-tone effect. This phenomenon can be called "differential dyeing" and can be explained by the fact that the yarn according to this invention only absorbs disperse dyes, while PA absorbs disperse such as acid and metal complex dyes, which results in two different colors.

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Ex. 3:

Ecru carpets made from yarn according to the present invention can be printed with light and clear color dots and then dyed with a dark shade.

Both printing and dye bath contain disperse dyes. This mechanical preservation pressure is strong enough to prevent serious fouling of the printed colors by the dark shade without the help of a chemical additive normally required for this printing method on PA carpets or yarns.

Claims (12)

A process for the preparation of synthetic fibers on a polyolefin basis for yarn, wherein a polymer mass is melted under pressure and then driven through a spin block to form fibers, and wherein the fiber bundle obtained is cooled, characterized in that before extrusion a mixture of PET or copolyester and SEBS is added to the molten polymer stream, so that the dyeability of the synthetic fibers is improved. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that said SEBS is not modified. Process according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the mixture consists of about 1 to about 15% w / w PET or copolyester and about 0 to about 5% w / w SEBS. Process according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the polymer mass consists of about 80 to about 99% w / w polypropylene homopolymer or polypropylene copolymer. Process according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said copolyester is amorphous. Process according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mixture consists of about 0 to about 3% w / w amphiphile. Process according to claim 6, characterized in that said amphiphile is a metal alkyl benzene sulfonate. Process according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that said amphiphilic sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate is. The process according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said process further comprises thermofixing the resulting fiber bundle at a temperature around 130 and 150 ° C. A process according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said process further comprises dyeing the fiber bundle with disperse dyes to obtain dyed fibers. 11. Synthetic fibers on a polyolefin basis, characterized in that said synthetic fibers are manufactured by means of a process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10. Carpet or carpet, characterized in that said carpet or carpet consists of synthetic fibers on a polyolefin basis according to claim 11.