Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D02—YARNS; MECHANICAL FINISHING OF YARNS OR ROPES; WARPING OR BEAMING
  • D02G—CRIMPING OR CURLING FIBRES, FILAMENTS, THREADS, OR YARNS; YARNS OR THREADS
  • D02G3/00—Yarns or threads, e.g. fancy yarns; Processes or apparatus for the production thereof, not otherwise provided for
  • D02G3/02—Yarns or threads characterised by the material or by the materials from which they are made
  • D02G3/04—Blended or other yarns or threads containing components made from different materials
  • D02G3/045—Blended or other yarns or threads containing components made from different materials all components being made from artificial or synthetic material
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D02—YARNS; MECHANICAL FINISHING OF YARNS OR ROPES; WARPING OR BEAMING
  • D02G—CRIMPING OR CURLING FIBRES, FILAMENTS, THREADS, OR YARNS; YARNS OR THREADS
  • D02G3/00—Yarns or threads, e.g. fancy yarns; Processes or apparatus for the production thereof, not otherwise provided for
  • D02G3/02—Yarns or threads characterised by the material or by the materials from which they are made
  • D02G3/04—Blended or other yarns or threads containing components made from different materials
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D02—YARNS; MECHANICAL FINISHING OF YARNS OR ROPES; WARPING OR BEAMING
  • D02G—CRIMPING OR CURLING FIBRES, FILAMENTS, THREADS, OR YARNS; YARNS OR THREADS
  • D02G3/00—Yarns or threads, e.g. fancy yarns; Processes or apparatus for the production thereof, not otherwise provided for
  • D02G3/22—Yarns or threads characterised by constructional features, e.g. blending, filament/fibre
  • D02G3/32—Elastic yarns or threads ; Production of plied or cored yarns, one of which is elastic
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D02—YARNS; MECHANICAL FINISHING OF YARNS OR ROPES; WARPING OR BEAMING
  • D02G—CRIMPING OR CURLING FIBRES, FILAMENTS, THREADS, OR YARNS; YARNS OR THREADS
  • D02G3/00—Yarns or threads, e.g. fancy yarns; Processes or apparatus for the production thereof, not otherwise provided for
  • D02G3/22—Yarns or threads characterised by constructional features, e.g. blending, filament/fibre
  • D02G3/32—Elastic yarns or threads ; Production of plied or cored yarns, one of which is elastic
  • D02G3/326—Elastic yarns or threads ; Production of plied or cored yarns, one of which is elastic the elastic properties due to the construction rather than to the use of elastic material
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T442/00—Fabric [woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.]
  • Y10T442/30—Woven fabric [i.e., woven strand or strip material]
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T442/00—Fabric [woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.]
  • Y10T442/30—Woven fabric [i.e., woven strand or strip material]
  • Y10T442/3146—Strand material is composed of two or more polymeric materials in physically distinct relationship [e.g., sheath-core, side-by-side, islands-in-sea, fibrils-in-matrix, etc.] or composed of physical blend of chemically different polymeric materials or a physical blend of a polymeric material and a filler material
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T442/00—Fabric [woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.]
  • Y10T442/40—Knit fabric [i.e., knit strand or strip material]
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T442/00—Fabric [woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.]
  • Y10T442/40—Knit fabric [i.e., knit strand or strip material]
  • Y10T442/444—Strand is a monofilament composed of two or more polymeric materials in physically distinct relationship [e.g., sheath-core, side-by-side, islands-in-sea, fibrils-in-matrix, etc.] or composed of physical blend of chemically different polymeric materials or a physical blend of a polymeric material and a filler material

Definitions

• This invention relates to spun yarn comprising polyester staple fiber and acrylic staple fiber, more particularly such a yarn in which the polyester staple is a bicomponent that imparts high stretch properties to the yarn.
• yarns made from such fibers can lack the stretch and recovery needed for useful elastic yarns or may require higher proportions of such fibers than are normally required with other elastic fibers to attain a desired level of yarn elasticity.
• the present invention provides a spun yarn comprising at least about 30 weight percent acrylic staple fiber and a polyester bicomponent staple fiber comprising poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(trimethylene terephthalate), wherein the polyester bicomponent fiber is present at from about 17 to about 45 weight percent, based on the total weight of the yarn.
• the yarn of the invention contains at least about 50 weight percent acrylic fiber, based on the total weight of the yarn.
• the balance of the yarn content may be any conventional staple fiber.
• the spun yarn of the invention may contain conventional poly(ethylene terephthalate) staple fiber.
• the invention also provides a process for making such a spun yarn, comprising the steps of providing the bicomponent staple fiber; providing the acrylic staple fiber; combining by intimate blending the acrylic and the bicomponent staple fibers so that the resulting 1 mixture contains at least about 30 weight percent acrylic staple fiber and about 17 to about 45 weight percent polyester bicomponent fiber based on the total weight of the yarn; carding the blended fibers to form a card sliver; drawing the card sliver; doubling and redrawing the card sliver; converting the drawn sliver to roving; and ring-spinning the roving to form the spun yarn.
• the invention further provides a fabric selected from the group consisting of knits and wovens, comprising such a spun yarn as made by such a process.
• the figure shows a schematic cross-section of a spinneret pack useful in making bicomponent polyester fiber tow.
• spun yarn comprising acrylic staple fiber and certain proportions of a bicomponent staple fiber comprising , poly( ethylene terephthalate) and poly(trimethylene terephthalate), has unexpectedly high stretch characteristics even when the bicomponent staple content is limited.
• the spun yarn can be used in apparel fabrics, for example in sweaters and the like, in craft yarns, and in outdoor fabrics, for example in awnings, tents, tarps, deck and lawn chairs, and the like.
• the fabrics can be knit or woven.
• bicomponent fiber means a fiber in which two polymers are in a side-by-side or eccentric sheath-core relationship and includes both spontaneously crimped fibers and fibers with latent spontaneous crimp that has not yet been realized.
• “Intimate blending” means the process of gravimetrically and thoroughly mixing dissimilar fibers in an opening room (for example with a weigh-pan hopper feeder) before feeding the mixture to the card or of mixing the fibers in a dual feed chute on the card, and is to be distinguished from draw-frame blending.
• acrylic fiber means a manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is a long chain synthetic polymer comprising acrylonitrile units and includes within its meaning acrylic fiber (at least 85 percent by weight of acrylonitrile units), modacrylic fiber (less than 85 percent but at least 35 percent by weight of acrylonitrile units), and fiber blends thereof.
• the spun yarn of the invention comprises at least about 30 weight percent, preferably at least about 50 weight percent of acrylic staple fiber together with a polyester bicomponent staple fiber comprising poly(ethylene terephthalate) ("2G-T”) and poly(t imethylene terephthalate) (“3G-T”) wherein the polyester bicomponent fiber is present at at least about 17 weight percent and no more than about 45 weight percent, preferably at least about 25 weight percent and no more than about 40 weight percent, based on the total weight of the yarn.
• a polyester bicomponent staple fiber comprising poly(ethylene terephthalate) (“2G-T”) and poly(t imethylene terephthalate) (“3G-T”) wherein the polyester bicomponent fiber is present at at least about 17 weight percent and no more than about 45 weight percent, preferably at least about 25 weight percent and no more than about 40 weight percent, based on the total weight of the yarn.
• the total boil-off shrinkage of the yarn can be at least about 32%, which corresponds to about 30% elongation when a 0.045 g/den (0.04 dN/tex) load is applied to the yarn after boil-off. It is preferred that the total boil-off shrinkage be at least about 40%.
• the spun yarn of the invention also exhibits desirably higher bulk than conventional acrylic spun yarns.
• the spun yarn may also contain a conventional staple fiber such as a convention poly(ethylene terephthalate) staple fiber.
• the bicomponent staple fiber can have a crimp development ("CD") value of at least about 35% and can have a crimp index (“Cl”) value of at least about 10%, preferably at least about 20%, when substantially free of interlacing, and no higher than about 45%, preferably no higher than about 30%.
• CD value crimp development
• Cl crimp index
• the spun yarn can have too little total boil-off shrinkage to provide good stretch in fabrics made therefrom.
• the Cl value is lower than about 10%, mechanical crimping can be necessary for satisfactory carding and spinning.
• the bicomponent staple can have too much crimp to be readily cardable, even when blended with the acrylic staple.
• the blended fibers can be ring-spun to form the yam, either on the cotton system or on a worsted spinning frame.
• the bicomponent staple fiber and the acrylic fiber can have a length of about at least about 2.5 cm and no longer than about 10 cm. When the fibers are shorter than about 2.5 cm or longer than about 5.7 cm, they can be difficult to spin on a cotton spinning system, and when they are shorter than about 5 cm or longer than about 10 cm they can be difficult to spin on a worsted spinning system.
• the bicomponent fiber can have a linear density of at least about 0.7 dtex and preferably at least about 0.9 dtex per fiber and no more than about 3.0 dtex per fiber, preferably less than about 2.5 dtex per fiber.
• the bicomponent staple has a linear density more than about 3.0 dtex per fiber, the yarn can have a harsh hand, and it can be difficult to blend with the acrylic fiber.
• it has a linear density below about 0.7 dtex per fiber, it can be difficult to card.
• the bicomponent staple fiber can have a weight ratio of poly(ethylene terephthalate) to poly(trimethylene terephthalate) of about 30:70 to 70:30, preferably 40:60 to 60:40.
• One or both of the polyesters comprising the bicomponent fiber can be copolyesters, and "poly( ethylene terephthalate)" and “poly(trimethylene terephthalate)” include such copolyesters within their meanings.
• a copoly(ethylene terephthalate) can be used in which the comonomer used to make the copolyester is selected from the group consisting of linear, cyclic, and branched aliphatic dicarboxylic acids having 4-12 carbon atoms (for example butanedioic acid, pentanedioic acid, hexanedioic acid, dodecanedioic acid, and 1,4-cyclo-hexanedicarboxylic acid); aromatic dicarboxylic acids other than terephthalic acid and having 8-12 carbon atoms (for example isophthalic acid and 2,6-naph thalenedicarboxylic acid); linear, cyclic, and branched aliphatic diols having 3-8 carbon atoms (for example 1 ,3-propane diol, 1 ,2-pr opanediol, 1 ,4-butanediol, 3-methyl- 1 ,
• the comonomer can be present to the extent that it does not compromise the benefits of the invention, for example at levels of about 0.5-15 mole percent based on total polymer ingredients.
• Isophthalic acid, pentanedioic acid, hexanedioic acid, 1 ,3-propane diol, and 1 ,4-butanediol are preferred comonomers.
• the copolyester(s) can also be made with minor amounts of other comonomers, provided such comonomers do not have an adverse affect on the benefits of the invention.
• Such other comonomers include 5- sodium-sulfoisophthalate, the sodium salt of 3-(2-sulfoethyl) hexanedioic acid, and dialkyl esters thereof, which can be incorporated at about 0.2-4 mole percent based on total polyester.
• the (co)polyes ter(s) can also be mixed with polymeric secondary amine additives, for example poly(6,6'-imino-bishexamethylene terephthalamide) and copolyamides thereof with hexamethylenediamine, preferably phosphoric acid and phosphorous acid salts thereof.
• the spun yarn of the invention comprises acrylic staple fiber and a bicomponent staple fiber comprising poly( ethylene terephthalate) and poly(trimethylene terephthalate) and having a plurality of longitudinal grooves in the surface thereof.
• Such a bicomponent staple fiber can be considered to have a "scalloped oval" cross-section which can improve the wicking properties of the polyester bicomponent.
• the polyester bicomponent staple fibers in the spun yarn of the present invention can also comprise conventional additives such as antistats, antioxidants, antimicrobials, flameproofing agents, dyestuffs, light stabilizers, and delustrants such as titanium dioxide, provided they do not detract from the benefits of the invention.
• the bicomponent staple fiber of which the spun yarn of the invention is comprised can have a tenacity-at-break of at least about 4 dN/tex and no higher than about 5.5 dN/tex.
• the linear density of the spun yarn can be in the range of about 100 to 700 denier (111 to 778 dtex).
• Knit for example warp knit and weft knit, including circular knit and flat knit
• woven for example plainwoven and twill
• the process of the invention comprises a step of mixing by intimate blending an acrylic staple fiber with the polyester bicomponent staple fiber, wherein the bicomponent staple fiber is present at a level of at least about 17 wt% and no more than about 45 wt%, preferably at least about 25 wt% and no more than about 40 wt%, based on the total weight of the blended fibers.
• bicomponent staple fiber exhibiting "follow-the-leader" crimp in the process is preferred because such staple is believed to improve carding due to its lower Cl level.
• the bicomponent fibers in the tow precursor to the staple fiber be 'in register' with each other and not be 'de-registered'.
• the blended fibers can be further processed by carding the blended fibers to form a card sliver, drawing the card sliver, doubling and redrawing the card sliver up to 3 times, converting the drawn sliver to roving, and ring-spinning the roving, preferably with a twist multiplier of 3 to 5.5 to form the spun yarn, which can have a total boil-off shrinkage of at least about 32%.
• IV Intrinsic viscosity of the polyesters was measured with a Viscotek Forced Flow Viscometer Model Y-900 at a 0.4% concentration at 19°C and according to ASTM D-4603-96 but in 50/50 wt% trifluoroacetic acid/methylene chloride instead of the prescribed 60/40 wt% phenol/1 ,1 ,2,2-tetr achloroethane. The measured viscosity was then correlated with standard viscosities in 60/40 wt% phenol/1 , 1,2,2- tetrachloroethane to arrive at the reported intrinsic viscosity values.
• tow Crimp Index (“C.I.”)
• C.I tow Crimp Index
• a 1.1 meter sample of polyester bicomponent tow was weighed, and its denier was calculated; the tow size was typically of about 38,000 to 60,000 denier (42,000 to 66,700 dtex).
• Two knots separated by 25 mm were tied at each end of the tow.
• Tension was applied to the vertical sample by applying a first clamp at the inner knot of the first end and hanging a 40 mg/den (0.035 dN/tex) weight between the knots of the second end. The sample was exercised three times by lifting and slowly lowering the weight.
• Poly(ethylene terephthalate) of 0.56 IV was prepared in a continuous polymerizer from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol in a two- step process using an antimony transesterification catalyst in the second step.
• TiO 2 0.3 wt%, based on weight of polymer
• TiO 2 0.3 wt%, based on weight of polymer
• the polymer was transferred at 285°C and fed by a metering pump to a 790- hole precoalescence bicomponent fiber spinneret pack maintained at 280°C
• Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (1.04 IV Sorona®, a registered trademark of E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company) was dried, melt- extruded at 258°C, and separately metered to the spinneret pack.
• Figure 1 shows a cross-section of the spinneret pack that was used.
• Molten poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(trimethylene terephthalate) entered distribution plate 2 at holes 1a and 1b, were distributed radially through corresponding annular channels 3a and 3b, and first contacted each other in slot 4 in distribution plate 5.
• the two polyesters passed through hole 6 in metering plate 7, through counterbore 8 in spinneret plate 9, and exited the spinneret plate through capillary 10.
• the internal diameters of hole 6 and capillary 10 were substantially the same.
• the fibers were spun at 0.5-1.0 g/min per capillary and a polymer weight ratio of 50/50 2G-T//3G-T into a radial flow of air supplied at 142 to 200 standard cubic feet per minute (4.0 to 5.6 cubic meters per minute) so that the mass ratio of ai ⁇ polymer was in the range of 9:1 to 13:1.
• the quench chamber was substantially the same as that disclosed in United States Patent 5,219,506, which is incorporated herein by reference, but used a foraminous quench gas distribution cylinder having similar sized perforations so that it provided 'constant' air flow.
• Spin finish was applied to the fibers with the conical applicator disclosed in United States
• the tow was then collected into boxes under substantially no tension and cut to 1.5 inch (3.8 cm) staple for blending with acrylic fiber in Example 1B. No mechanical crimp was applied to the bicomponent staple fiber.
• Example 1B The polyester bicomponent staple fiber from Example 1 A and semi- dull, 0.9 denier per filament (1.0 dtex per filament), 1 1/16 inches (2.7 cm) long acrylic staple fiber (T-V111 H, Sterling Fibers, Inc.) were opened and intimately blended to obtain various weight percents of the two fibers.
• the fibers were loaded into a dual feed chute feeder which fed a Trutzschler Corp. staple card at 70 pounds/hr (32 kg/hr). It was observed that samples that were 100wt% in the polyester bicomponent fiber could not be carded.
• the ambient conditions were maintained at 76°F (24°C), and 56% relative humidity.
• the resulting card sliver was 75 grain/yard (about 5.25 grams/meter).
• the resulting spun yarns had the total Boil-Off Shrinkage ("B.O.S.") values shown in Table I, wherein "Comp.” indicates a Comparison Sample, not of the invention.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Yarns And Mechanical Finishing Of Yarns Or Ropes (AREA)
• Artificial Filaments (AREA)
• Multicomponent Fibers (AREA)
• Woven Fabrics (AREA)

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Family Applications (1)

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• 2002
  • 2002-10-04 US US10/264,375 patent/US20040067707A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2003
  • 2003-10-03 BR BR0314504A patent/BR0314504A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-10-03 CN CNA2003801009234A patent/CN1703543A/zh active Pending
  • 2003-10-03 KR KR1020057005674A patent/KR20050071535A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-10-03 DE DE60310246T patent/DE60310246D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-10-03 WO PCT/US2003/031556 patent/WO2004033772A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 2003-10-03 EP EP03770647A patent/EP1549789B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-10-03 TR TR200501193T patent/TR200501193T2/xx unknown
  • 2003-10-03 AU AU2003279139A patent/AU2003279139A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-10-03 TW TW092127444A patent/TW200508437A/zh unknown
  • 2003-10-03 JP JP2004543366A patent/JP2006502321A/ja not_active Withdrawn

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