US3771306A - Fibrillation process - Google Patents

Fibrillation process Download PDF

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Publication number
US3771306A
US3771306A US00849672A US3771306DA US3771306A US 3771306 A US3771306 A US 3771306A US 00849672 A US00849672 A US 00849672A US 3771306D A US3771306D A US 3771306DA US 3771306 A US3771306 A US 3771306A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
tape
false
fluid
ribbon
twist
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US00849672A
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English (en)
Inventor
H Ostrowski
J Roberts
J Blacker
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Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd
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Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd
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    • 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
    • D02G1/00—Producing crimped or curled fibres, filaments, yarns, or threads, giving them latent characteristics
    • D02G1/02—Producing crimped or curled fibres, filaments, yarns, or threads, giving them latent characteristics by twisting, fixing the twist and backtwisting, i.e. by imparting false twist
    • D02G1/04—Devices for imparting false twist
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D01—NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
    • D01D—MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS
    • D01D5/00—Formation of filaments, threads, or the like
    • D01D5/42—Formation of filaments, threads, or the like by cutting films into narrow ribbons or filaments or by fibrillation of films or filaments
    • D01D5/423—Formation of filaments, threads, or the like by cutting films into narrow ribbons or filaments or by fibrillation of films or filaments by fibrillation of films or filaments
    • 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
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S264/00—Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
    • Y10S264/47—Processes of splitting film, webs or sheets

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A method of fibrillating ribbon or tape, by subjecting the material to at least two fluid false-twisting means such that the direction of twist imparted to the material is completely reversed between adjacent false twisting means.
  • the material may be polyamide, polyester or mixture of these two and it may be heated prior to passing into the false-twist means and relaxed after passing therethrough.
  • the present invention concerns improvements in or relating to filamentary materials and their production and particularly to yarns, threads, cords or other filamentary articles which are made by fibrillation techniques.
  • a method for fibrillating a fibrillatable ribbon or tape which comprises subjecting a travelling fibrillatable ribbon or tape under tension to the action of a series of at least two fluid false-twisting means such that the direction of twist imparted to the strand is completely reversed between adjacent false-twisting means.
  • a series of at least two fluid false-twisting means such that the direction of twist imparted to the strand is completely reversed between adjacent false-twisting means.
  • ribbon as used herein means an elongated structure wider than it is thick which is produced by extrusion ofa melt of a thermoplastic polymer or a solution thereof through a slot or a number of slots in a spinneret or die and the term tape is used herein to denote an elongated structure of ribbon form but which is produced by extruding or casting the thermoplastic polymer into a film which is longitudinally slit before or after orientation into a number of narrower widths.
  • a high degree of longitudinal orientation preferably uniaxial orientation is necessary to produce a fibrillatable tape or ribbon.
  • the fibrillatable ribbons or tapes used in the present invention may be made from any polymeric substance capable of producing such ribbons or tapes and particularly useful substances are polypropylene, polyarnides, polyesters and melt blends of incompatible polymers. Tapes and films of enhanced fibrillation tendency comprising a plurality of spaced parallel striations longitudinally aligned with the axis of orientation and thinner webs integral with and extending between the striations are also suitable for use in the present invention. Likewise fibrillatable, conjugate ribbons or tapes which comprise two or more superposed layers of film adhered together which films may have different shrinkage propensities may be used in a method according to this invention. In certain cases fibrillation may be affected by heating the fibrillatable ribbon or tape.
  • twist stopping guides may be positioned upstream and downstream of the fluid twisting means to confine the false twist effects within a shorter length.
  • treatment in a series of two or more pairs of contrarotating fluid jets may be used, preferably arranged to produce alternating directions of twist throughout the whole series of fluid jets.
  • Air is the preferred fluid for use in a process according to this invention but other fluids, as for example steam, which do not have a deleterious effect on a ribbon or tape being treated, may be used.
  • Ribbons or tapes treated according to the present invention may be used directly, for example in the production of cords or textile articles or a certain amount of true twist may be inserted before such use of the fibrillated materials.
  • the usefulness of the treated materials may be enhanced by carrying out a treatment according to the invention in a manner which imparts a tendency to contract to a bulky, elastic structure.
  • the bulk so developed may be set in and the elastic properties modified by a further heat treatment under controlled tension or partial relaxation conditions at an elevated temperature, usually higher than the first heat setting temperature.
  • Heat treatments as described may be applied in continuous manner by suitably positioned heating and relaxing means or the second heat treatment may be applied to a package of fibrillated material which has been wound up at a lower speed than the speed or delivery from the last false-twisting device, i.e., which has been overfed to the winding unit, such over-feeding providing the necessary tension relaxation.
  • the method of the present in vention produces very good fibrillation of enhanced uniformity, and this is shown by the low fibril deniers and ratios of fibril width to fibril thicknesses obtained in the fibrillatable products. Also fewer free fibril ends and fibril loops may be obtained and the product of the ratio of fibril width to fibril thickness and free fibril ends per cm. for the products produced by the method of this invention may be considerably lower than in the prior art products because of the inherently better control possible in the present invention. Free fibril ends in this context include all ends and loops which protrude from the product at least 1 mm.
  • FIG. 1 shows an arrangement of apparatus for fibrillating fibrillatable structures according to the invention
  • FIG. 2 shows a device for producing two contra-rotating fluid vortices
  • FIGS. 2a and 2b are cross-sections through the device of FIG. 2.
  • FIGS. 2, 2a and 2b Detailed construction of a device which applies reversing false twist by means of contra-rotating fluid vortices is shown in FIGS. 2, 2a and 2b wherein the device 11 is a U-shaped member through the parallel limbs 22, 22' of which are coaxial bores 23, 23' the axes of which bores coincide.
  • Manifold bore 29 is provided in the interior of the device, and is axially parallel with coaxial bores 23, 23'. Manifold bore 29 is connected to a pressurized fluid supply (not shown) by means of connector 31. From manifold bore 29 fluid passageways 27, 27' pass and enter bores 23, 23' tangentially and perpendicularly to the axes of said bores 23, 23'. The exit orifices from passageways 27, 27' are positioned in the walls of bores 23, 23' so as to produce fluid vortices rotating in opposite directions in limbs 22,22.
  • pressurised fluid enters manifold bore 29 and passes therefrom by way of fluid passageways 27, 27' into coaxial bores 23, 23' whereby fluid vortices which are contra-rotating with respect to each other are generated in bores 23, 23'.
  • a travelling fibrillatable ribbon or tape passes through coaxial bores 23, 23' and is false-twisted in each bore by action of the contra-rotating fluid vortices.
  • the direction of the false-twist imparted to the ribbon or tape is reversed at a point substantially mid-way between parallel limbs 22, 22' whereat intense traverse shearing forces and stresses are induced in the ribbon or tape causing it to fibrillate and to form many fine fibrils.
  • the diameters of passages 25 and 25' and 27 and 27 are respectively 4.8 and L6 mm.
  • an undrawn tape 1 consisting of a melt blend of polymers of composition 95.5 percent polyhexamethylene adipamide and 4.5 percent polypropylene, having a denier of 4,860, a width of 9.5 mm and a thickness of 0.055 mm is drawn and fibrillated by the following route.
  • the tape 1 is first drawn between two rollers, 3 and 5, with associated idler rollers 4 and 6 arranged so that the tape follows a helical path on the roller assemblies having different peripheral speeds in the ratio of l 5, to produce drawn, oriented tape 7 having a denier of 975, a width of 5.0 mm and a thickness of 0.028 mm.
  • the drawn tape 7 is immediately and continuously fed at a speed of 18 metres per minute to a heating zone 9 and it is then passed at a tension of 49 grams through two contra-rotating air vortices produced by the jet device 11 shown in detail in FIG. 2, operating at a line-pressure of 10.2 kg/cm gauge.
  • Pigtail guides 13 and 15 are placed before and after the fibrillating device 11 in a position which allows the jet device ll to generate a swirling balloon in the tape, having 6 nodes, with a node 17 positioned halfway between the contra-rotating fluid vortices generated by the device ll. After fibrillation the fibrillated tape is wound up on a constant tension winder 19.
  • the fibrillated tape has the following properties:
  • Denier of product 1035 Mean denier of fibrils l2 Fibril width to thickness ratio (W)/(T) 2.4 Fibril free ends/cm 1.5 (W)/(T) free ends 3.6 Tenacity (grams per denier) l.6
  • the fibrillated tape is a compact bundle of substantially rectangular (the narrow ends of some fibril crosssections being somewhat rounded) cross-section fibrils having little longitudinal variation in the number of fibrils and showing few free ends or loops.
  • EXAMPLE 2 An undrawn tape of the same size as used in Example 1 but consisting wholly of polyhexamethylene adipamide is drawn in the same way to produce tape of 1,034 denier which is fibrillated as in the foregoing Example to produce a product having the following properties:
  • EXAMPLE 3 Apparatus according to FIG. 1 slightly modified is used to draw, fibrillate and impart bulk to a tape of polyethylene terephthalate (intrinsic viscosity measured in o-chlorphenol at 25 C. of 0.67) measuring 6 mm wide and 0.044 mm thick in the undrawn condition.
  • the FIG. 1 apparatus is modified by providing means to heat feed roll 3 to a surface temperature of 100 C., a hotplate cm long and of surface temperature 200 **C. between rolls 3 and 5 and dispensing with the guide 13 which allows the twist to run back through the heating zone 9 which is also a hotplate 20 cm long of surface temperature 220 C.
  • the tape is drawn between rolls 3 and 5 to draw ratio of 5.8:1 at a draw speed of 61 metres per minute giving a drawn tape 2.5 mm wide and 0.013 mm thick.
  • the device producing two contra-rotating fluid vortices is supplied with air at a line pressure of 5.6 kg per square centimetre and the fibrillated tape is wound up at a tension of 40 g and a speed of 61 metres per minute.
  • the bulky fibrillated product had a denier of 600 (compared with a denier of 400 for the drawn unfibrillated tape) a number of free fibril ends and a network structure when unravelled with the means fibril denier being 10.
  • EXAMPLE 4 A tape of polyethylene terephthalate as used in Example 3 is drawn as in that Example using an electrically heated oven operating at 180 C in place of the hotplate 9 to give a drawn tape measuring 2.4 X 0.009 mm (270 denier) which is fibrillated as in Example 3 and heat treated at 200 C in the relaxed state producing a bulky material of 348 denier and 4.0 mean fibril denier.
  • EXAMP LES 6-9 In these Examples a series of four air jets is used to fibrillate a polyethylene terephthalate tape as used in Example 4, each jet causing a twist counterto that of the immediately preceding jet, all being supplied with compressed air at a pressure of 5.6 Kg/cm. With this arrangement for the same overall consumption of air, 0.23 cubic metres per minute, as used for two jets amarkedly improved fibrillation is produced as the following table, wherein processing speed is varied, shows Speed Mean fibril denier Example (m./min.)
  • EXAMPLE 14 A conjugate tape 5 mm. wide and 0.032 mm. thick is prepared by casting a thin film of polyethylene terephthalate (intrinsic viscosity 0.65) on top of a thin simultaneously cast film of a polyester comprising moles percent ethylene terephthalate and 20 moles percent of ethylene isophth alate and longitudinally slitting into 5 mm. tapes. A cast conjugate tape is then drawn to a draw ratio of 6.96:1 as in Example 3 (feed roll surface temperature 80 C.) giving a drawn tape of 275 denier measuring 1.9 X 0.012 mm. which is fibrillated as in that Example. The fibrillated product on heat relaxation at 80 C develops increased bulk. The relaxed material has a total denier of 503 and a mean fibril denier of 8.8.
  • EXAMPLE 15 An isotactic polypropylene tape is produced with longitudinal parallel striations interspersed with thinner integral webs by melt extrusion through a shaped die and is oriented by drawing to a draw ratio of 7:1.
  • the drawn tape of 1,830 denier and 6.5 mm width is fibrillated in a device producing two contra-rotating air vortices operated at an air pressure of 4.6 Kg. per sq.cm., the yarn speed being 150 m. per minute and the winding tension 183 g.
  • a coarse, open network product results having an average fibril denier of 53.
  • a method for fibrillating a fibrillatable ribbon or tape which comprises subjecting a travelling fibrillatable ribbon or tape under tension to the action of a series of at least two fluid false-twisting means such that the direction of twist imparted to the strand is completely reversed between adjacent false-twisting means.
  • a ribbon or tape is composed of polypropylene, a polyamide, a
  • polyester or mixtures of any of these polymers.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Yarns And Mechanical Finishing Of Yarns Or Ropes (AREA)
  • Spinning Methods And Devices For Manufacturing Artificial Fibers (AREA)
  • Nonwoven Fabrics (AREA)
  • Artificial Filaments (AREA)
US00849672A 1968-08-19 1969-08-13 Fibrillation process Expired - Lifetime US3771306A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB39488/68A GB1235122A (en) 1968-08-19 1968-08-19 Production of filamentary materials by fibrillation

Publications (1)

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US3771306A true US3771306A (en) 1973-11-13

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US (1) US3771306A (de)
AT (1) AT311534B (de)
BE (1) BE737463A (de)
BR (1) BR6911586D0 (de)
CA (1) CA932513A (de)
CH (1) CH516019A (de)
DE (1) DE1942166C3 (de)
DK (1) DK127604B (de)
FR (1) FR2015928A1 (de)
GB (1) GB1235122A (de)
NL (1) NL6912566A (de)
NO (1) NO127674B (de)
SE (1) SE348238B (de)
ZA (1) ZA695849B (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6270532B1 (en) * 1997-04-04 2001-08-07 Akzo Nobel N.V. Element for washing or treating a yarn or similar structure with a fluid

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
BE754526A (fr) * 1969-08-07 1971-02-08 Rhodiaceta Procede et dispositif de transfert de fil textile progressant agrande vitesse
US3837155A (en) * 1970-06-01 1974-09-24 Celanese Corp Pneumatic false twist interlaced yarn
US3727392A (en) * 1970-07-30 1973-04-17 Fiber Industries Inc Fibrillation jet
US3707837A (en) * 1970-07-30 1973-01-02 J Gibbon Fibrillation process

Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2515299A (en) * 1948-10-19 1950-07-18 Us Rubber Co Apparatus for imparting false twist to strands
GB864695A (en) * 1957-06-11 1961-04-06 Du Pont Artificial yarn-like structures and process for their production by fibrillation
US3177557A (en) * 1964-01-22 1965-04-13 Du Pont Process for producing bulk yarns from film strips
US3186155A (en) * 1957-11-22 1965-06-01 Du Pont Textile product of synthetic organic filaments having randomly varying twist along each filament
US3293844A (en) * 1965-05-24 1966-12-27 Eastman Kodak Co Process of incompletely longitudinally splitting an oriented polymeric film
US3382663A (en) * 1964-12-22 1968-05-14 Shell Oil Co Manufacture of fibrillated strands
US3395525A (en) * 1967-01-13 1968-08-06 Phillips Petroleum Co Method and apparatus for frictionally fibrillating films
US3470594A (en) * 1967-03-30 1969-10-07 Hercules Inc Method of making synthetic textile yarn
US3494522A (en) * 1968-01-08 1970-02-10 Hercules Inc Apparatus for making yarn by fibrillation of ribbons of plastic material
US3500626A (en) * 1964-07-01 1970-03-17 Ici Ltd Process for treatment of molecularly oriented crystalline organic polymeric material
US3702055A (en) * 1968-08-14 1972-11-07 Mitsubishi Rayon Co Method for manufacturing false twisted threads from thermoplastic resin tapes

Patent Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2515299A (en) * 1948-10-19 1950-07-18 Us Rubber Co Apparatus for imparting false twist to strands
GB864695A (en) * 1957-06-11 1961-04-06 Du Pont Artificial yarn-like structures and process for their production by fibrillation
US3186155A (en) * 1957-11-22 1965-06-01 Du Pont Textile product of synthetic organic filaments having randomly varying twist along each filament
US3177557A (en) * 1964-01-22 1965-04-13 Du Pont Process for producing bulk yarns from film strips
US3500626A (en) * 1964-07-01 1970-03-17 Ici Ltd Process for treatment of molecularly oriented crystalline organic polymeric material
US3382663A (en) * 1964-12-22 1968-05-14 Shell Oil Co Manufacture of fibrillated strands
US3293844A (en) * 1965-05-24 1966-12-27 Eastman Kodak Co Process of incompletely longitudinally splitting an oriented polymeric film
US3395525A (en) * 1967-01-13 1968-08-06 Phillips Petroleum Co Method and apparatus for frictionally fibrillating films
US3470594A (en) * 1967-03-30 1969-10-07 Hercules Inc Method of making synthetic textile yarn
US3494522A (en) * 1968-01-08 1970-02-10 Hercules Inc Apparatus for making yarn by fibrillation of ribbons of plastic material
US3702055A (en) * 1968-08-14 1972-11-07 Mitsubishi Rayon Co Method for manufacturing false twisted threads from thermoplastic resin tapes

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6270532B1 (en) * 1997-04-04 2001-08-07 Akzo Nobel N.V. Element for washing or treating a yarn or similar structure with a fluid

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH516019A (de) 1971-11-30
SE348238B (de) 1972-08-28
BE737463A (de) 1970-02-13
DE1942166A1 (de) 1970-02-26
GB1235122A (en) 1971-06-09
CA932513A (en) 1973-08-28
DE1942166C3 (de) 1978-06-01
AT311534B (de) 1973-11-26
DE1942166B2 (de) 1977-09-29
FR2015928A1 (de) 1970-04-30
NO127674B (de) 1973-07-30
ZA695849B (en) 1971-03-31
DK127604B (da) 1973-12-03
BR6911586D0 (pt) 1973-04-19
NL6912566A (de) 1970-02-23

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