Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – With twining – plying – braiding – or textile fabric formation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-16
2003-10-07
Tentoni, Leo B. (Department: 1732)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
With twining, plying, braiding, or textile fabric formation
C264S172140, C264S172150, C264S210800, C264S211140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06630087
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fields of synthetic filaments and products made therefrom. More particularly, it concerns synthetic filaments that have both low surface energy and high strength.
2. Description of Related Art
Fabrics which are water-repellent (i.e. provide a barrier to moisture) while allowing the passage of water vapor and other gases are desirable for use in apparel, shoes, tents and camping equipment, packaging, medical apparel, and medical supplies. Such fabrics require fibers that have both a low surface energy to repel water and a strength high enough to be processible into a useful fabric. Other desirable fabrics are both water-repellent and do not allow the passage of water vapor and other gases, for use in packaging and medical supplies.
In packaging, protective apparel, and industrial filtration, a need exists for fabrics that are stable to both heat and chemicals. Such fabrics require fibers both low in surface energy and high enough in strength to be processible into a useful fabric, as well as heat and chemical resistance.
One class of water-repellent fabrics are those made by applying a finish to a fabric or its component filaments before or after the weaving or knitting process. The finish is intended to provide the low surface energy needed to repel water. However, such finishes tend to have poor durability and washfastness, and often require environmentally taxing application or post-treatment steps.
A second class of water-repellent fabrics is one comprised of water-repellent materials. An example of this class is a fabric comprising polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sold by W.L. Gore Inc. under the trade name GORE-TEX®. Known uses of PTFE fabrics are chiefly lamination of the PTFE fabric to a textile fabric. This suggests that PTFE fabrics, although having low surface energy, do not have high enough strength to be useful fabrics per se.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a textile fabric made of filaments that exhibit low surface energy and strength high enough to be processible into useful fabrics. It is also desirable for such filaments to be produced by high throughput, economical spinning technology. Although filaments with a core/sheath structure wherein the sheath comprises a halogenated polymer are known (Chimura et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,930,103 and 3,993,834), the core of the known filaments comprises primarily methyl methacrylate, and is not useful in forming textile fibers or filaments. Although core/sheath filaments wherein the core comprises nylon and the sheath comprises a grafted olefinic polymer are known, such as Tabor et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,885, no such filaments are known to comprise a sheath useful in heat- and chemical-resistant textile applications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a textile filament comprising a first longitudinally extending component formed of at least one filament-forming polymer, and a second longitudinally extending component formed of at least one polymer, wherein the second longitudinally extending component is in contact with the surface of the first longitudinally extending component, and wherein the filament has a contact angle greater than or equal to 90 degrees. In one embodiment, the first longitudinally extending component forms the core of the filament, and the second longitudinally extending component is in the form of a sheath that surrounds the circumference of the core. In another embodiment, the second longitudinally extending component is in the form of one or more stripes located on the surface of the first longitudinally extending component.
In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a yarn, wherein the yarns comprise a plurality of filaments as described above. The yarn may possess a contact angle greater than 90 degrees. The present invention also relates to a fabric comprising a plurality of said yarns. The spacing between the yarns may be sufficiently small to provide a barrier to liquids and sufficiently large to allow the passage of gases, or is sufficiently small to provide a barrier to liquids and to gases. The fabric may possess a contact angle greater than 90 degrees.
In a further embodiment, the present invention relates to a laminate that comprises a plurality of yarns, fabrics and/or filaments as described above. The laminate may possess a contact angle greater than or equal to 90 degrees.
Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a process for making a method for producing a low surface energy filament comprising, melting a first component comprising at least one filament-forming polymer; melting a second component comprising at least one polymer; extruding said first component and said second component to form a filament, wherein said second component is formed on said first component; quenching said filament; and drawing said filament; wherein said filament possesses a contact angle greater than or equal to 90 degrees.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3118011 (1964-01-01), Breen
patent: 3399259 (1968-08-01), Brayford
patent: 3491178 (1970-01-01), Nishioka et al.
patent: 3509013 (1970-04-01), Oppenlander
patent: 3568249 (1971-03-01), Matsui
patent: 3577308 (1971-05-01), Van Drunen et al.
patent: 3608148 (1971-09-01), Sluijters
patent: 3657062 (1972-04-01), Eshima et al.
patent: 3725192 (1973-04-01), Ando et al.
patent: 3726955 (1973-04-01), Hughes et al.
patent: 3803453 (1974-04-01), Hull
patent: 3900678 (1975-08-01), Aishima et al.
patent: 3930103 (1975-12-01), Chimura et al.
patent: 3969559 (1976-07-01), Boe
patent: 3993834 (1976-11-01), Chimura et al.
patent: 4059949 (1977-11-01), Lee
patent: 4069363 (1978-01-01), Segraves et al.
patent: 4075378 (1978-02-01), Anton et al.
patent: 4145473 (1979-03-01), Samuelson et al.
patent: 4263691 (1981-04-01), Pakarnseree
patent: 4337155 (1982-06-01), Sasaki et al.
patent: 4384022 (1983-05-01), Fowler
patent: 4391872 (1983-07-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 4424257 (1984-01-01), Bach
patent: 4657718 (1987-04-01), Sicka et al.
patent: 4663221 (1987-05-01), Makimura et al.
patent: 4708080 (1987-11-01), Conrad
patent: 5154934 (1992-10-01), Okamoto
patent: 5226434 (1993-07-01), Britton et al.
patent: 5244614 (1993-09-01), Hagen
patent: 5256050 (1993-10-01), Davies
patent: 5260013 (1993-11-01), Samuelson
patent: 5277974 (1994-01-01), Kubo et al.
patent: 5311890 (1994-05-01), Thornton
patent: 5313909 (1994-05-01), Tseng et al.
patent: 5314922 (1994-05-01), Takai
patent: 5352518 (1994-10-01), Muramoto et al.
patent: 5353820 (1994-10-01), Suhonen et al.
patent: 5372885 (1994-12-01), Tabor et al.
patent: 5427595 (1995-06-01), Pihl et al.
patent: 5445884 (1995-08-01), Hoyt et al.
patent: 5468555 (1995-11-01), Lijten et al.
patent: 5505889 (1996-04-01), Davies
patent: 5520924 (1996-05-01), Chapman et al.
patent: 5556589 (1996-09-01), Sibal
patent: 5560377 (1996-10-01), Donovan
patent: 5590420 (1997-01-01), Gunn
patent: 5605739 (1997-02-01), Stokes et al.
patent: 5618479 (1997-04-01), Lijten et al.
patent: 5662978 (1997-09-01), Brown et al.
patent: 5680876 (1997-10-01), Hasham et al.
patent: 5697390 (1997-12-01), Garrison et al.
patent: 5711935 (1998-01-01), Hill et al.
patent: 5722106 (1998-03-01), Masterman et al.
patent: 5752278 (1998-05-01), Gunn
patent: 5807490 (1998-09-01), Davis et al.
patent: 5807633 (1998-09-01), Tamaru et al.
patent: 5829057 (1998-11-01), Gunn
patent: 5832636 (1998-11-01), Lyden et al.
patent: 5837179 (1998-11-01), Pihl et al.
patent: 5871836 (1999-02-01), Schultink et al.
patent: 5958806 (1999-09-01), Jensen et al.
patent: 6057414 (2000-05-01), Razavi
patent: 6287689 (2001-09-01), Elliott et al.
patent: 06116816 (1994-04-01), None
patent: 97/20974 (1997-06-01), None
Abstract of Japanese application No. 56058085 (publication No. 57171720, Oct. 22, 1982) No Translation.
Abstract of Japanese 02251653A, Oct. 9, 1990 No translation.
“Surface Energetics of Nylon 66 Fibers”, Martha L. Tate, Yashavanth K. Kamath, Sheldon P. Wesson and Sigrid B. Ruetsch, Art. No. 0072, J. of Colloid and Interface
Elliott John
Fisher W. Keith
Hancock J. Gregory
Horn David B.
Foryt John P.
Howrey Simon Arnold & White , LLP
Solutia Inc.
Tentoni Leo B.
LandOfFree
Process of making low surface energy fibers does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Process of making low surface energy fibers, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Process of making low surface energy fibers will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3114220