GB588329A - Process for the manufacture of artificial filaments or yarns resembling wool - Google Patents

Abstract

Artificial fibres or yarns of a wholly synthetic character such as those of superpolyamides, polyurethanes, polyvinyl chloride or interpolymers of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate are given a crimped wool-like appearance by treating the yarns, before or after high twisting, with an organic swelling agent which temporarily converts the individual filaments into a highly plastic condition, the swelling agent being subsequently removed from the yarn in the highly-twisted condition after which the yarn is back-twisted to or beyond the zero point. Suitable organic swelling agents which may be employed with an inert diluent are phenol, meta-cresol, xylenol, formic acid, crotylphenol, secondary amylphenol, o-allylphenol, glycerine monochlorhydrin and dichlorhydrin, ethylene bromhydrin and chlorhydrin, lactic acid, thioglycollic acid, 2 : 3-dibromopropanol, phenylethyl alcohol and hydrocarbons such as xylene. The swelling agent is removed from the materials by vaporization or by washing it out. Doubled staple fibre, yarns and twists of staple fibre and continuous filament yarns may also be treated according to the process. If desired, the treated yarns may be finally cut into staple fibres. In the examples: (1) polyhexamethylene adipamide yarn is swollen with a mixture of ethylene chlorhydrin and water, given a high twist in the moist condition and wound on spools. The swelling p agent is removed by a water wash and the material dried, unwound and given a reverse twist; (2) polyamino caproic acid yarn is given a high twist and swollen in a solution of formic acid. The swelling agent is then washed out with water and the yarn dried and given a reverse twist; (4) two polyvinyl chloride-polyvinyl acetate yarns are impregnated with xylene and twisted together. The swelling agent is vaporized by warm air and the doubled yarn given a reverse twist, reeled, treated in hanks in a solution of lauric acid sulphonate, rinsed and dried. Specifications 442,073, [Group IX], and 514,821 are referred to.