Dyeable fabric comprising melt-spun thermoplastic polyurethane fibers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12404608-B2
Application number	US-202118030552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2021
Priority date	Oct 27, 2020
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

The invention relates to a melt-spun thermoplastic polyurethane fiber which comprises a copolymer diol derived from caprolactone and polyether polyol and fabrics made therefrom, both of which are capable of being dyed under disperse dyeing conditions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fabric comprising;
a. a first fiber component, wherein the first fiber component is a thermoplastic hard yarn having 10% to 75% ultimate elongation measured according to ASTM D2256;
b. a second fiber component comprising a melt-spun thermoplastic polyurethane fiber having at least 300% ultimate elongation measured according to ASTM D2731;
wherein the first fiber component and the second fiber component together form the fabric,
wherein the fabric is dyed at a temperature of at least 130° C., and wherein the melt-spun thermoplastic polyurethane fiber exhibits hysteresis after 5th load and un-load cycle of
(a) at 100% elongation has hysteresis of less than 30%;
(b) at 150% elongation has hysteresis of less than 30%; and
(c) at 200% elongation has hysteresis of less than 30%;

wherein hysteresis is measured according to ASTM D2731, wherein the second fiber component is a melt-spun thermoplastic fiber comprising the reaction product of a polyol component, wherein the polyol component comprises a co-polymer diol derived from caprolactone monomer and poly(tetramethylene ether glycol); a hydroxyl terminated chain extender component; and a first diisocyanate component; and an isocyanate functional prepolymer cross-linking agent, and wherein the co-polymer diol comprises the reaction product of 50% by weight caprolactone monomer polyol and 50% by weight poly(tetramethylene ether glycol).

2. The fabric of claim 1 , wherein the melt-spun thermoplastic polyurethane fiber has a weight average molecular weight measured by gas permeation chromatography of 300,000 to 450,000.

3. The fabric of claim 1 , wherein the first diisocyanate component comprises an aromatic diisocyanate, optionally comprising 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate.

4. The fabric of claim 1 , wherein the isocyanate functional prepolymer crosslinking agent comprises or consists of the reaction product of: (i) a poly(tetramethylene ether glycol) and a second diisocyanate component; or (ii) neopentyl glycol adipate and a second diisocyanate component.

5. The fabric of claim 4 , wherein the second diisocyanate component comprises an aromatic diisocyanate, 4,4′-methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate), an aliphatic diisocyanate, or dicyclohexylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate.

6. The fabric of claim 1 , wherein the first fiber is selected from polyester fiber, nylon fiber, cotton fiber, wool fiber, acrylic fiber, polypropylene fiber, viscose-rayon fiber, or mixtures thereof.

7. A process for preparing a dispersed dyed fabric, comprising the steps of:
(1) providing a fabric comprising (a) a first fiber component is a thermoplastic hard yarn having 10% to 75% ultimate elongation measured according to ASTM D2256 and (b) a second fiber component comprising a melt-spun thermoplastic polyurethane fiber having at least 300% ultimate elongation measured according to ASTM D2731, wherein the melt-spun thermoplastic polyurethane fiber exhibits hysteresis after 5th load and un-load cycle of
(a) at 100% elongation has hysteresis of less than 30%;
(b) at 150% elongation has hysteresis of less than 30%; and
(c) at 200% elongation has hysteresis of less than 30%;

wherein hysteresis is measured according to ASTM D2731, wherein the second fiber component is a melt-spun thermoplastic fiber comprising the reaction product of a polyol component, wherein the polyol component comprises a co-polymer diol derived from caprolactone monomer and poly(tetramethylene ether glycol); a hydroxyl terminated chain extender component; and a first diisocyanate component; and an isocyanate functional prepolymer cross-linking agent, and wherein the co-polymer diol comprises the reaction product of 50% by weight caprolactone monomer polyol and 50% by weight poly(tetramethylene ether glycol); and
(2) dyeing the fabric at a temperature of at least 130° C. using disperse dyeing conditions.

8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the melt-spun thermoplastic polyurethane fiber has a weight average molecular weight measured by gas permeation chromatography of 300,000 to 450,000.

9. The process of claim 7 , wherein the first diisocyanate component comprises an aromatic diisocyanate.

10. The process of claim 9 , wherein the first diisocyanate component comprises 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate.

11. The process of claim 7 , wherein the isocyanate functional prepolymer crosslinking agent comprises or consists of the reaction product of a poly(tetramethylene ether glycol) and a second diisocyanate component.

12. The process of claim 7 , wherein the isocyanate functional prepolymer crosslinking agent comprises or consists of the reaction product of neopentyl glycol adipate and a second diisocyanate component.

13. The process of claim 11 , wherein the second diisocyanate component comprises an aromatic diisocyanate, 4,4′-methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate), an aliphatic diisocyanate, or dicyclohexylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate.

14. The process of claim 7 , wherein the first fiber is selected from polyester fiber, nylon fiber, cotton fiber, wool fiber, acrylic fiber, polypropylene fiber, viscose-rayon fiber, or mixtures thereof.

Assignees

• Lubrizol Advanced Mat Inc

Inventors

• Suragani Venu Lalith B
• Vedula Ravi R
• Sprague Christopher A
• Walton Brandon

Classifications

• D10B2401/14

  Dyeability · CPC title

• D10B2401/061

  elastic · CPC title

• D10B2401/046

  Shape recovering or form memory · CPC title

• D10B2401/041

  thermoplastic; thermosetting · CPC title

• D10B2331/10

  polyurethanes · CPC title