WO2005038106A1

WO2005038106A1 - Device and method for the heat treatment of thread, especially for air bubble texturing

Info

Publication number: WO2005038106A1
Application number: PCT/CH2004/000611
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christian Simmen; Kurt Klesel; Mauro Zanellato
Original assignee: Heberlein Fibertechnology, Inc.
Priority date: 2003-10-21
Filing date: 2004-10-04
Publication date: 2005-04-28
Also published as: EP1675981A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for the heat treatment of filament thread in a vapour pressure zone by means of vapour. Said device comprises a thread guiding element provided with a inlet throttle and an outlet throttle for the vapour pressure zone. The thread guiding element is embodied as a channel and comprises three channel regions: a vapour pressure channel part, an inlet labyrinth, and an outlet labyrinth. The thread guiding element can be entirely freed for the insertion of the thread and can be moved into an open threading position and a closed operating position. The inventive method is used for the thermal treatment of filament thread by means of compressed vapour. According to said method, for the thermal treatment, the thread is continuously guided through a thread guiding element of a vapour treatment stage at an excess pressure of between 0.1 and 30 bar.

Description

Device and method for the thermal treatment of yarn, in particular for air blast texturing

Technical field

The invention relates to a device for the thermal treatment of filament yarn in a steam pressure zone by means of steam with a yarn pass, which has an inlet and an outlet throttle for the steam pressure zone, furthermore to a method for the thermal treatment of filament yarn by means of compressed steam, the yarn being used for the thermal treatment is continuously passed through a yarn pass through a steam treatment stage with an overpressure of 0.1 to 30 bar.

State of the art

A very important quality feature for a synthetic, thermoplastic yarn produced by a spinning process is the orientation of the filament-shaped macromolecules to the axis of each individual filament from a yarn. The orientation of the thread-like macromolecules significantly influences the shrinking of the game like the textiles made from it. The required mechanical fiber properties can only be achieved if the thread-like macromolecules are approximately parallel. The process is initiated by the spinning process, in which the orientation increases with the spinning speed. But even with fast-spun, partially drawn yarns, especially with POY, the orientation is not sufficient, so that a drawing process has to be connected. The orientation depends on the stretch ratio.

Heat setting is the most important method for the treatment of synthetic yarns when drawn under dry heat, steam or hot water. A distinction is made between heat setting without and with applied voltage. The process helps to significantly improve the overall dimensional stability. Treated filament yarns and staple fibers show low heat shrinkage, twists have a lower tendency to curl, and fabrics for clothing improve wrinkle recovery, permanent pleats and creases have a longer shelf life. The mechanism of heat setting presupposes a semi-crystalline, super-molecular structure. The most common method is to heat the yarn before and / or after stretching using heated godets or so-called hot pins. The heat transfer is limited by the very brief physical contact of the yarn on the surface of godets or hot pins, so that, for example, the processing speed of hot pins is less than 500 m / min due to quality. is. The use of heated godets is limited by the complex construction.

Another known method is the HCS method. "Hot Channel Stretching", within a one-step spin-stretch winding process for polyesters and polyamides for the production of fully drawn plain yarns (FDY). In contrast to processes with heated godets, the process works with hot air, with two main features characterizing the process:

- the hot air supplied is countercurrent to the undrawn yarn,

- The individual filaments of the yarn are exposed to the hot air unbundled.

SET treatment or relaxation is intended to bring the shrinkage behavior of synthetic yarn to the lowest possible value. An important area of application is the thermal treatment of air-blown textured yarns, the so-called loop yarns, in which the loop structure is positively influenced. Thermal treatment has many other areas of application in yarn finishing. However, there are two basic areas of application:

- The use of a hot medium, at the same time for a special intervention such as the production of "loop yarn or knot yarn. Here, the treatment medium is also working equipment.

- An essentially pure thermal influence of the hot medium on the molecular structure. Other work interventions can be made upstream or downstream.

W099 / 45182 is an example for the production of loop yarn, with hot steam being provided before and / or after a texturing nozzle within a continuous steam chamber and the temperature range preferably being 150-220 ° C.

For example, EP 0 703 306 proposes a method and a device for simultaneously stretching and braiding pre-oriented thermoplastic multifilament yarns, which is carried out in a single device, whereby the yarn, which is kept under tension, is caused to unite in a direction transverse to the yarn direction To pass a jet of steam or a jet of another gaseous fluid and be hit by it at a temperature suitable for drawing, thereby simultaneously drawing and braiding the yarn.

In WO00 / 52240, the applicant set itself the task of developing a method and yarn treatment nozzles which allow the yarn connection to be pre-consolidated, in particular with the highest possible consistency of a slight structural intervention. The aim was to establish the connection immediately after the spinnerets and e.g. at the highest yarn transport speeds. directly in connection with the application of preparation agents e.g. 3000 to 7000 m / min. to create. The conditions for the treatment of yarn with regard to preparation, the productivity, in particular the quality, even at the highest speeds, are to be improved.

DE 195 46 784 proposes a device for the relaxing heat treatment of filament yarns made of synthetic polymers. For this purpose, a compact device for the relaxing heat treatment of filament yarns made of synthetic polymers with condensing water vapor is provided, which essentially consists of a ballast nozzle, an injector nozzle as an entry into a treatment channel, which has at least two narrow points, and a ballast chamber and is heated. The solution should be able to be integrated into a known rapid spinning process. The great advantage is seen in the fact that no seals on the inlet and outlet side are required to prevent steam loss.

WO01 / 51 6591 makes a special proposal in that yarn treatment is to be carried out using a treatment chamber with liquid. In contrast to the aforementioned DE 195 46 784, a labyrinth seal is provided when entering and leaving the treatment chamber. Furthermore, a heating medium, e.g. Steam. The device is designed in two parts. The interesting thing about this proposal is the possibility, depending on the design of the yarn treatment chamber, to produce a knot or loop yarn or a false twist on the yarn.

With DE-OS 2855640, the applicant proposed a heating device for the heat treatment of textile yarns. The centerpiece is a heating pipe into which a gaseous or a liquid heating medium is introduced. Saturated steam with heating medium pressures of up to 25 bar and more is preferably used. It has been recognized that a significant problem lies in the loss of heating medium in In view of the very high steam pressures of over 20 bar in the treatment tank, it should be reduced and steam or condensate should not escape from the steam deposits. As a solution, a heating device for the heat treatment of textile yarns is proposed, which has a heating tube that can be passed by the yarn in the axial direction to accommodate a gaseous or liquid heating medium, which has seals on both tube ends. These each consist of a bushing and a bolt that can be inserted into it and has a groove running longitudinally to a generatrix for the game passage. Free steam escape is prevented by a suction line connected to the grooves of the two sealing bolts. It is also proposed to arrange a filter part at the yarn feed end of the heating tube between the latter and the heating medium supply line. Seals are arranged in the bolts which can be pushed in on both sides and which close the end of the treatment container, and which are designed for thread passage as capillaries or capillary bores of 0.1 to 05 mm. In the area of the sealing bolts, an extraction system for the heating medium and a filter are also provided.

DE-OS 27 03 991 gives further details for the sealing bolts. The capillary bores are designed as grooves that connect several chambers. The chambers can be formed as blind bores, ring-shaped grooves or ring sector-shaped recesses. In practical operation, the bolts for threading can be pulled out using a handle. The U-shaped groove or the corresponding capillary is thus exposed for the insertion of the yarn. The yarn can be pulled through the treatment chamber, which has a considerable length of 0.5 m and more, inserted one after the other into the groove of the bolts and inserted again, so that after steam has been supplied via a steam tap, the steam treatment is started in the work mode can. This solution could not solve a dilemma. Fine capillaries can maintain the vapor pressure and prevent the loss of steam even at very high vapor pressure. However, the capillaries must be dimensioned so large that knots from tying two yarn ends can pass through the capillaries without interference. The compromise to be chosen in practice was not suitable for implementing the solution in industrial production. Either there were too many thread breaks, precisely because of the knots, or if the capillaries were too large, the losses were too great. The three-part design of the heating device with a treatment tank and the bolt that can be pushed in and out on both sides was unsatisfactory in practice. No prior art solution has succeeded in bringing it to a wider industrial use. This is surprising insofar as condensing water vapor allows a very intensive heat transfer, in any case a multiple compared to, for example, the hot air or the transfer by godets or hot pins.

The invention was based on the task of seeking an economically optimal and trouble-free use of steam and especially for practical handling and a corresponding device structure, also with regard to threading the yarn, and also to optimize the thread-like macromolecular structure of yarn by means of a steam treatment stage ,

Presentation of the invention

The device according to the invention is characterized in that the yarn passage is channel-like and has three channel zones: a vapor pressure channel piece, an inlet labyrinth and an outlet labyrinth, the yarn passage as a whole being exposed for threading and being able to be brought into an open threading position and a closed operating position.

The method according to the invention is characterized in that the yarn passage, including an inlet and an outlet choke, is channel-like and can be brought as a whole into an open threading division and a closed operating position for threading without tools.

The new solution has surprisingly succeeded in fulfilling the two basic requirements of practical handling of a steam treatment device and economically optimal use. All state-of-the-art solutions have been designed to meet specific requirements. In the last-mentioned solution by the applicant, the aim was steam treatment of yarn in the range from 180 ° to 200 ° C., which requires steam pressures of over 20 bar. The required vapor pressure in the treatment tube could be maintained with a capillary-shaped seal structure; however, this had to be bought with the price of a very uncomfortable threading and too many yarn breaks. With all other solutions, the threading was not at all or solved very impractically. As will be shown in the following, the channel-shaped design is a very important aspect of the new invention, so that on the one hand the steam medium is brought specifically to the yarn and on the other hand the exposure of the whole treatment channel is simplified. The channel shape provides an optimal starting point for its exposure. This is in contrast to any chamber-like form of steam treatment. The steam chamber model was based on older methods of batch-wise treatment of entire coils in containers. This overlooked the fact that with saturated steam or post-dried steam with the heat of condensation, intensive action and extremely rapid heat transfer are possible. Post-dried steam is understood to be a steam free of a steam / water mixture. The heat of condensation can be transferred in the range of milliseconds. Especially with the use of satin, filament yarn has a very aggressive effect on the individual filaments. The heat immediately penetrates the structure of the filaments, as these are usually only 8 to 22 micrometers thick. In addition to the design of a yarn treatment channel, the new invention proposes three channel zones. The length of the steam pressure duct piece can be determined as required. For physical reasons, there is a constant, defined temperature in the steam pressure duct section. With the labyrinth-like design of the inlet and outlet throttle for the steam pressure channel piece, the steam pressure is reduced. The flow of steam is deflected very strongly in many cases in a labyrinth with flow, so that the effect of the steam on the yarn is additionally intensified by multiple deflection. A very important aspect is that company conversions can be carried out without specialist staff, such as a company mechanic, if possible. This particularly affects threading. The operating personnel should be able to set the relevant operating positions themselves with an auxiliary key by simply loosening and tightening again. The new invention allows several particularly advantageous configurations. For this purpose, reference is made to claims 2 to 1 1 and 1 3 to 1 7.

A first requirement is that a temperature of over 100 ° C and a uniform overpressure of at least 0.1 bar is generated with saturated steam or post-dried steam in the steam pressure channel piece, which is broken down via the two labyrinths. An overpressure of up to 20 bar or more can be used in the steam pressure channel piece with saturated steam. The thermal exposure time in the entire yarn treatment channel preferably lasts from 5 to 50 milliseconds. The heat of the steam flowing out on both sides is used as far as possible. Particularly preferably, a vapor overpressure of 0.5 to 3.5 bar is generated in the steam pressure channel piece and, accordingly, a uniform steam temperature in the range of 110-150 ° C. is maintained. It has been shown that this is the majority of thermal treatments in industrial practice can be carried out successfully. The higher pressure and temperature range is reserved for special treatment applications, which can be implemented in practice by a corresponding length, in particular, the inlet labyrinth and the outlet labyrinth, with total lengths of the yarn treatment channel in the order of magnitude of, for example, 1 meter and more.

The inlet labyrinth and the outlet labyrinth are preferably arranged approximately symmetrically with respect to the vapor pressure channel piece, so that the vapor pressure is reduced evenly on both sides of the vapor pressure channel piece. For the pressure range from 0.5 to 3.5 bar, the game treatment channel has a length of e.g. 20 to 100 cm and for higher pressures, as already mentioned, up to one meter and more. The length of the yarn treatment channel in each case corresponds to more than 5 times, preferably more than 10 times the largest transverse dimension of the yarn treatment channel.

According to a very particularly advantageous embodiment, the steam treatment stage is formed within a divided body. The thread treatment channel is exposed for threading by a sliding movement and closed again for the operating state, the steam supply being switchable at the same time. With regard to practical use, this design concept is of central importance, since the advantage known in air nozzles can now be fully implemented even with steam treatment.

Another very important embodiment of the new invention lies in the fact that the steam treatment stage can be brought into two positions, wherein it has a steam valve device which, with the displacement movement, either releases the steam supply for the thermal treatment of the filament game or steam circulation in the device. In all solutions of the prior art, the device could not be switched to the two positions, although this is very important for industrial practice. Industrial practice requires constant operating conditions during production. However, constant conditions prevail in the specific case only after uniform heating of the area surrounding the yarn pass. This can take a few minutes. Without this measure, condensate would be created with every change or start-up state, and there would be a risk that yarn would be exposed to liquid drops. With regard to the device, it is proposed that the yarn treatment channel be formed within an insert, the entire flow channel being able to be brought into an open threading position and into a closed operating position by means of a planar displacement movement. A cover is particularly preferably pressed onto the insert for the operating state under spring pressure and is lifted off at a slight angle for the displacement movement, in order to relieve the sliding movement. This measure is important because, in contrast to known air nozzles with channel lengths of, for example, 1 to 3 cm, now part of the device with a yarn pass of more than, for example, 20 cm and up to over one meter in length across the channel for a threading and a Operating position must be shifted.

According to a further very advantageous design idea, the device has a steam valve device which simultaneously switches the steam supply with the displacement movement. This means that the two operating states can be set or changed with minimal effort, so that handling is particularly optimal in practical use. Advantageously, the yarn treatment channel has a vapor extraction device directly in front of the inlet opening of the inlet labyrinth and immediately in front of the outlet opening of the outlet labyrinth. This prevents steam and, with the steam, also preparation agents from flowing into the free space. The two labyrinths are designed in such a way that a preferably identical section with the smallest free and straight transport opening is formed next to the steam pressure channel piece. This measure is very important in that it eliminates the stumbling block with solutions according to DE-OS 28 55 640 and DE-OS 27 03 991. The two older publications suggest a narrow capillary channel for pressure reduction, which was almost closed with the continuous yarn. The consequence of this was that any thickening of yarn immediately led to yarn breakage.

According to the new invention, the pressure reduction takes place preferably via sharp flow deflections in a large number of labyrinths arranged one after the other. This allows the free transport cross section to be dimensioned larger, without the disadvantage of a deterioration in the maintenance of the vapor overpressure in the vapor pressure channel piece.

According to another very advantageous design idea, it is proposed that the device have a plate-like insert with at least four plates: a duct plate, a steam chamber plate, a diversion plate and a base plate, the steam chamber plate preferably consisting of two parts exists and the entire plate-like insert is soldered as a package. The plate-like structure has the enormous advantage that there is complete freedom, for example, to define the dimensions and design of the entire labyrinth, so that any changes can also be made subsequently.

Seriously with the new invention, it was recognized that attempts were repeatedly made in the prior art to develop devices for steaming the running yarn. However, an important problem has been overlooked, namely free access to the yarn pass on the one hand and heat insulated encapsulation on the other hand, which must also be designed to allow free access to the yarn pass. According to a very particularly advantageous solution, the insert is fixed in a housing and sealed with respect to the steam supply and the exhaust steam line. A cover plate is pressed onto the insert with spring pressure and brought into a threading position and an operating position via a sliding mechanism. The spring pressure must be so great that there is no gap between the cover and the insert, even at the highest steam pressures, and under no circumstances can hot steam flow into the free space. The housing preferably has a pivotable hinged lid which can be opened for threading and brought into a closed position for the operating state, such that a closed vapor space is formed in the interior of the housing for internal heating of the entire insert and the cover plate. These measures also create the prerequisite for setting the aforementioned second operating state for the internal heating.

A particularly expedient embodiment lies in the fact that the mechanism for pivoting the hinged lid can also be used to actuate the displacement mechanism for closing and opening the yarn treatment channel. With a single movement, not only is the yarn treatment channel exposed, as in the case of air nozzles, but at the same time an internal steam space that can be isolated from the outside is opened and closed.

Brief description of the invention

The invention will now be explained in more detail on the basis of some exemplary embodiments. 1 a, 1 b, 1 c show three examples for the use of thermal treatments before and / or after an air bladder intervention with a stretching zone; 2a shows a laboratory test bench for testing the main functions according to the solutions in FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c, with a set treatment on the left and a stretching on the right again individually; Figure 3a shows the yarn run, as it is arranged in a thin vapor space plate; viewed in a cross-section, the yarn pass has a square shape; Figure 3b in the middle of a channel plate and on both sides a plate half of the steam space plate; 4a shows a complete insert with four plates in a perspective view; Figure 4b shows the four plates of Figure 4a in an exploded view; 5 shows an entire steam treatment device in a section V - V of FIG. 2c; FIG. 6 different damper concepts; FIGS. 7a to 7g different areas of application for the damper according to the invention; FIG. 8a a loop yarn produced with solutions of the prior art; FIG. 8b shows a loop yarn produced with the solution according to the invention; 9 shows the relationship between steam pressure and steam temperature, according to the school book; FIG. 10 shows an example of air-blast texturing with steam.

Ways and implementation of the invention

In the following, reference is now made to FIGS. 1 a to 1 c, which shows different applications of the damper according to the invention in accordance with current textile engineering practice. Reference is made to the explanations of W099 / 451 82. In contrast to the W099 / 45182, the respective use or areas of use of the damper 1, 1 'and 1 "and 1 * and 1 * * are marked in the sense of the new invention.

FIG. 2a shows a test stand 2, which naturally has several process sequences, essentially with the conditions that industrial practice allows. In the construction shown, two yarns A and B are fed to the test device at the top, approximately in the middle of the picture. Both yarns are guided via motor-driven and heated hot pins 3 and 4 or 5 and 6. The hot pins 3 and 4 as well as 5 and 6 are regulated very precisely in terms of the circulating speed and the outside temperature that is relevant for the yarn, so that the at different feed and take-off speeds, the yarn undergoes very precise drawing. The hot pins are not heated to operate the test facility according to the new invention. The heat required for drawing is applied by dampers 1 'and 1 "through the action of saturated steam. The two drawn yarns A' and B 'are subsequently fed to an air-blasting texturing unit 7 and a loop yarn C is produced. The loop yarn is immediately after the exit from the air blast texturing unit 7 is guided via a take-off godet so that the yarn transport is guided through the air blast texturing with high speed constancy via the driven pins 4 and 8 or 6 and 8. Before the loop yarn C enters a second damper 1 *, this becomes via a deflecting roller 9 and after the damper 1 * via a deflecting roller 10 directly to a winding station 1 1. The damper 1 * is a SET treatment of the textured yarn, so that the loop structure in particular can be greatly optimized and above all 2b and 2b are the two ver steps, namely the stretching (right) and the SET treatment (left) again shown individually. Recent experience with very large series of tests has shown that the structural length L 'of the damper can be relatively short, for example 15 to 30 cm, when stretched. In contrast, a length of more than 30 cm, for example from 50 cm to 100 cm or more, is generally required for the SET treatment, so that a correspondingly longer exposure time at a transport speed can be ensured. After the air bubble texturing, the transport speed is no longer changed. The yarn speed changes very strongly in accordance with the work intervention from a feed speed Vo or Vo 'or to Ve.

Figure 3a shows the top element 20, in which the entire yarn pass GBL is attached. Typical, but not mandatory, is a symmetrical design with respect to a central plane M - M for the yarn inlet side GE, yarn outlet side GA and an essentially unobstructed straight yarn passage, as indicated by the two arrows 21 and 21 '. The heart of the yarn pass is a steam pressure channel piece 22 with the inlet labyrinth 23 adjoining on both sides, which is an inlet throttle, and an outlet labyrinth 24, which is an outlet throttle. The corresponding throughput lengths are designated G23, G22 and G24. On both sides of the labyrinths is a short extension piece E, each with a steam suction 25, which prevent hot steam from being released into the environment. A short inlet piece 26 and a corresponding outlet piece 27 are again designed like a labyrinth. Both have a throttle function again, as it were as a safety barrier, so there is never steam can escape into free space. The throttle function on both sides and the steam extraction are also important because the aim is to prevent preparation agents from escaping with a steam outlet.

As can be seen from FIG. 3b, the uppermost element 20 consists of two parts 28 'and 28 ". The two-part design has an enormous advantage for the production, since each part can be produced by itself using an optimal process, for example by means of a laser process or For the assembly, the channel width B-Dd for the steam pressure channel piece 22 and BL for the inlet labyrinth and the outlet labyrinth can only be determined before the assembly of an entire insert 30 (FIG. 4a). FIG. 3b is an exploded view between the two Parts 28 ', 28 "of the uppermost element 20 shown a channel plate. The channel plate 31 has the purpose of supplying and removing the steam. The steam is fed into the steam pressure channel piece via a longitudinal slot 32, which is fed evenly through bores 33. The shape of the longitudinal slot roughly corresponds to that of the steam pressure duct piece 22. A part to prevent direct blowing disturbances on the yarn can still be covered. The steam suction takes place via a respective longitudinal hole 34 or. 34 '. The insert 30 is constructed in the manner of a plate in accordance with FIG. 4a and has a damper plate 20, a channel plate 31, a diversion plate 35 and a base plate 36 from top to bottom. All four plates, if each made of metal, can be soldered firmly for installation so that there is no leakage between the plates. The diversion plate has a diversion function, depending on the position of the steam supply, the steam is either supplied for a production position according to arrow 37 and discharged according to arrow 38. In the second position, the steam is guided into a circulation flow via a slot 39.

FIG. 5 shows an entire steam treatment device. The insert 30 with a cover 40 is located approximately in the center. The insert 30 is sealed off from the housing 42 by a seal 41, so that no steam leakage can occur at this point either. The housing 42 is well thermally insulated over the entire circumference, a sheet or plastic jacket 44 being provided on the outside and an insulation layer 43 being provided on the inside. The hot parts, namely the insert 30, the lid 40 and the steam supply 47 are thus protected, so that no hot parts can be touched for normal manipulations from the outside. The interior 48 can be exposed via a hinged lid 45 by means of an opening lever 46. Via a displacement mechanism, not shown, with the rotary movement of the opening lever 46, the cover 40 is simultaneously in relation to the Insert shifted so that when the hinged lid 45 is open, the yarn channel 50 or the entire yarn treatment channel is also opened for threading. An important point is that the cover is pressed firmly onto the insert by means of a spring 52 so that there is no gap between the insert and the cover. FIG. 6 shows schematically four damper concepts, with the length L of the damper always being the same as an assumption; on the far left is a simple pass, as shown in Figures 1 to 5. To the right is a double barrel with a deflection roller 60 outside the damper, t means the dwell time in the damper; V the entry speed and Lab the number of labyrinths. In the third figure from the left, the deflection roller is arranged in the damper and in the figure on the far right, two deflection rollers are arranged in the interior of the damper.

Figures 7a to 7f show different possible areas of application for the new invention. Figure 7a is a false twist texturing with a polypropylene yarn. A steam temperature of up to 1,50 ° C is required here. Figure 7b shows an application of yarn based on polyester. The example shows the use of a damper according to the invention, a steam temperature of 150 ° C. and a downstream dry heater which electrically heats the yarn to 190 ° C. to 200 ° C. FIG. 7b shows the use for the draw winding and FIG. 7d for the SDY / FDY spin draw process. FIG. 7c shows a BCF spin-draw texturing; FIG. 7f shows a DT draw twist system and FIG. 7g shows an SDY7 / FDY spinning draw process for technical yarns. FIG. 8 shows two examples of loop yarns, a yarn according to the prior art being shown above and a yarn according to the new invention shown below. With the use of the new invention, a reduction in the loop size can be achieved. The knitted tube is denser and more regular.

Figure 8 essentially shows the relationship between steam pressure and steam temperature according to the school book. The important thing here is that the higher the desired steam temperature, the higher the required steam pressure. In industrial practice, the generation and handling of steam pressures up to 5 bar is still very inexpensive. From more than 5 bar, the production of saturated steam and the cost of sealing become more expensive.

In the following, reference is now made to FIG. 10, which shows a schematic overview in relation to the new texturing process. The separate process stages are progressively shown from top to bottom. Smooth yarn 100 is transferred from above via a first delivery unit LW1 to a given transport speed V1 Texturing nozzle 101 and passed through the yarn channel 104. Via compressed air channels 103, which are connected to a compressed air source P1, highly compressed, preferably not heated, air is blown into the yarn channel 104 at an angle α in the transport direction of the yarn. Immediately afterwards, the yarn channel 104 is opened conically in such a way that a strongly accelerated air flow with supersonic, preferably with more than Mach 2, occurs in the conical section 102. The shock waves generate the actual texturing, as is described in detail in WO97 / 30200 mentioned at the beginning. The first section from the air injection point 105 into the yarn channel 104 to the first section of the conical extension 102 serves to loosen and open the plain yarn so that the individual filaments are exposed to the supersonic flow. The texturing takes place depending on the level of the available air pressure of 9, 12 to 14 bar and more, either within the conical part 102 or in the outlet area. There is a direct proportionality between Mach number and texturing. The higher the Mach number, the stronger the impact and the more intense the texturing. There are two critical parameters for the production speed:

• the desired quality standard and

• the slagging, which can lead to the breakdown of the texturing if the transport speed is increased further.

It means:

Th .: vor: thermal pretreatment, possibly only with yarn heating or with hot steam.

G.mech .: Yarn treatment with the mechanical effect of a compressed air flow (supersonic flow).

Th. After .: thermal aftertreatment with hot steam (possibly only heat or hot air).

D: steam. PL: compressed air.

With additional thermal treatment, the production speed could reach up to 1500 m / min. can be increased without breakdown of the texturing and without slagging, the limit being given by the existing test facility. The best texturing qualities were possible at production speeds of well over 800 m / min. be achieved. Surprisingly, one or two completely new quality parameters were discovered by the inventors, although the regularity mentioned above (higher Mach number = stronger impact = more intensive texturing) could only be confirmed in all tests. They discovered On the one hand, parameters lie in a heat treatment upstream and / or downstream of the texturing, and on the other hand in an increase in the Mach number by increasing the air pressure and correspondingly designing the acceleration channel. a) Thermal aftertreatment or relaxing An important quality criterion for texturing is judged by the person skilled in the art based on the yarn tension of the yarn emerging from the texturing nozzle, which is also recognized as a measure of the intensity of the texturing. The yarn tension is established on the textured yarn 106 between the texturing nozzle (TD) and a delivery unit LW2. In this area, between the texturing nozzle (TD) and the delivery unit LW2, a thermal treatment is carried out on the yarn under tension and the yarn is heated to approx. 180 ° C.

b) Thermal pretreatment The thermal pretreatment also has a positive effect on the texturing process. A combinatorial effect between shrinkage and yarn opening in the section between the air injection point in the yarn channel and the first section of the conical expansion, in the area of the supersonic speed, may be the cause of the success here. The stiffness is reduced by warming up the yarn, so that the prerequisite for loop formation in the texturing process is improved. Here too, tests with both hotplate and hotpin as heat sources were successfully completed. It may also help that the thermal pretreatment of the yarn avoids a negative cooling effect due to the air expansion in the texturing nozzle, and therefore the texturing of the heated yarn is improved. With the very high transport speed, part of the heat in the yarn itself is retained up to the area of the loop formation.

If the exposure to steam is maximized, then the additional thermal process steps are preferably carried out locally or carried out shortly or immediately after the running yarn. The procedural interventions are not isolated in this way, but are combined in a joint venture between two suppliers. This means that the yarn is only held at the beginning and at the end, both mechanical air intervention and thermal intervention take place in between. The thermal treatment is carried out on the tension in the filaments or in the yarn, which is still mechanically generated by the compressed air.

Claims

- 16 claims

1.Device for the thermal treatment of filament yarn in a vapor pressure zone by means of steam with a yarn pass, which has an inlet and an outlet throttle for the vapor pressure zone, characterized in that the yarn passage is channel-like and has three channel zones: a vapor pressure channel piece, an inlet labyrinth and an outlet labyrinth, wherein the yarn pass as a whole can be exposed for threading and can be brought into an open threading position and a closed operating position.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the yarn passage is formed in an insert, wherein the yarn passage can be brought into the open threading position and into the closed operating position by a displacement movement or relative movement between the insert and a cover.

3. Device according to claim "1 or 2, characterized in that the insert is constructed like a plate and has at least four plates: a duct plate, a steam chamber plate, a diversion plate and a base plate.

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the steam space plate consists of two parts and the insert is at least partially soldered as a package.

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cover for the operating state with spring pressure can be pressed tightly onto the insert and, for the displacement movement, can preferably be lifted at a slight angle to relieve the sliding movement.

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the length of the yarn treatment channel is at least 10 cm and corresponds to more than 5 times, preferably more than 10 times the largest transverse dimensions of the yarn treatment channel.

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the yarn treatment channel has a connection for steam suction in each case immediately before the inlet opening of the inlet labyrinth and immediately before the outlet opening of the outlet labyrinth.

8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the two labyrinths each have the same section with the smallest, free and straight transport opening after the steam pressure channel piece.

9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it has a steam valve device which either releases the steam supply for the thermal treatment of the filament yarn or a steam circulation in the device with the displacement movement.

10. Device according to one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the insert is fixed in a housing with a pivotable hinged lid and is sealed with respect to the steam supply and the steam line, the hinged lid being connected to a sliding mechanism, via which the thread pass can be brought into the threading position and the operating position.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that with the pivoting movement of the hinged lid, the steam supply for an internal heating of the yarn pass or for the thermal treatment of the yarn can be switched at the same time.

12. Process for the thermal treatment of filament yarn by means of compressed steam, the yarn for the thermal treatment being passed continuously through a yarn pass through a steam treatment stage with an overpressure of 0.1 to 30 bar, characterized in that the yarn pass with the inclusion of an inlet and an outlet throttle is channel-like and can be brought as a whole for threading into an open threading position and a closed operating position without tools.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the yarn for optimizing the thread-like macromolecular structure with respect to the filament axis is subjected to a steam treatment, in particular a SET treatment, or partially drawn yarns are preferably POY drawn.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that a temperature of over 100 ° C and a uniform overpressure is generated with saturated steam in the steam channel piece, which is broken down over the two labyrinths.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that an excess pressure of 0.5 to 4 bar is generated in the steam pressure channel piece with saturated steam and a uniform steam temperature in the range of 110 to 150 ° C is maintained.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that the steam treatment stage consists of a divided body formed from an insert and a cover, the entire yarn treatment channel being exposed for threading and for the operating state again by a sliding movement of the cover can be closed, the steam supply can be switched with the sliding movement.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that the insert is fixedly arranged in a protective housing with a hinged lid and the steam supply can be switched by means of the movement of the hinged lid into a production position for the thermal treatment and a circulation flow for an internal heating of the insert is.

18. A method for thermal treatment, in particular for the air blast texturing of continuous filament yarn by means of compressed steam, the yarn for the thermal treatment being continuously passed through a yarn pass through a steam treatment stage with an overpressure of 0.1 to 30 bar and for air blast texturing with an air blast texturing nozzle (101) continuous yarn channel (104), at one end of which the yarn (100) is fed and at the other end of which the textured yarn (106) is discharged and compressed air (PL) is fed into the yarn channel (104) in a central section and in an expanding acceleration channel (102) the blown air jet is accelerated to supersonic and the loop yarn (106) is produced at a high transport speed of preferably more than 600 m / min, characterized in that the yarn between a supply unit 1 and a supply unit 2 is preceded and / or switched yarn heating device (120, 121) is heated, such that between mechanical supply 1 and mechanical supply 2 takes place between supply unit 1 and supply unit 2, whereby the yarn passage through the steam treatment stage with "inclusion of an inlet and an outlet throttle is channel-like and as a whole for threading into an open threading position and without tools closed operating position can be brought.