GB1165571A - Novel Process for Producing Fibers. - Google Patents

Abstract

1,165,571. Fibrillated reticular fibres. MONSANTO CO. 10 Oct., 1966 [19 Oct., 1965], No. 45145/66. Heading B5B. [Also in Division D2] Fibres are made from a substantially non- oriented foamed synthetic resin by drawing the foam and then either abrading it in air or shearing it in a liquid medium. In the Examples; (I) granular polystyrene, colloidal silica, pentane and acetone are mixed under nitrogen and then extruded to make a foam sheet, this is drawn in a bath of hot glycerine and quenched in cool water, the drawn foam is cut into pieces, placed in water and broken up into fibres by a high-speed stirrer; (II) a foamed sheet of styrene/acrylonitrile copolymer is prepared as in Example I, continuously drawn in a heated chamber, chopped up, beaten in a paper beater and dewatered to give a strong paper-like material; (III) a blend of polystyrene and a polyamide is foamed, oriented and made into fibres as in Example I, these fibres can be spun into threads and woven; (IV) the foam of Example III is drawn in a direction across the direction of extrusion, shearing of the drawn foam in a stirrer gives short fibres with fine fibrils branching off them; (V) highdensity polyethylene is mixed with finely divided silica and pentane and extruded to give a foam, which is drawn in a bath of hot glycerine, the oriented foam is sheared at high speed in a stirrer to yield coarse reticulated fibres; (VI) the oriented foam of Example I is abraded in air with metal combs. Other polymers referred to are: polypropylene, polybutene-1, polypentene-1, polyvinyl chloride, poly-4- methyl - pentene - 1, polyvinylidene chloride; polymers of chlorostyrenes (alpha-, ortho-, meta- and para-), methylstyrenes (alpha, ortho, and para-), ethylstyrene isopropylstyrene, dichlorostyrene, vinylnaphthalene; copolymers of these alkenyl-aromatics with acrylic or methacrylic acid or their methyl or ethyl esters or nitriles; methyl methacrylate/acrylonitrile/styrene terpolymer; mixtures of the foregoing with natural rubber, polybutadiene, neoprene, nitrile rubber, polyisoprene or polyisobutylene; polymers of vinyl esters, such as the formate, acetate, propionate and benzoate, or ethers, such as the methyl, ethyl, n-butyl, 2-chloroethyl, phenyl, isobutyl, cyclohexyl, para - butylcyclohexyl and parachlorophenyl glycol ethers; polycarbonates, polyamides, polyesters, polyformaldehyde and polyacetals. The oriented foam may be formed into fibres by abrading by pinch rolls, combs, wheels, serrated knives, or sawtooth blades, or by placing it in a liquid medium and subjecting it to shear, e.g. by a stirrer, Hollander or Jordan.