Process for removing residual spin solvent from a gel spun filament, the filament, multi-filament yarn and products comprising the filament

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201225-A1
Application number	US-201614994121-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 12, 2016
Priority date	Mar 27, 2007
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Processes for removing residual spin solvent from a gel spun, UHMwPE filament having an effective diameter of above 16 μm, comprise the steps of removing residual spin solvent from the filament to a level of below 100 ppm at elevated temperature, while keeping the filament taut. Gel spun UHMwPE filaments having an effective diameter of above 16 μm and a residual spin solvent residue of less than 100 ppm are also provided. Preferably the filament has a creep rate, measured at 50° C., under a load, so that the initial stress is 600 MPa, of less than 5·10 −6 sec −1 .

First claim

1 . A process for removing residual spin solvent from a gel spun, UHMwPE filament, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a gel spun UHMwPE filament having a titer of 2-100 dtex, and a residual spin solvent content of between 100 and 2000 ppm, (b) winding the filament provided in step a) around a frame such that the filament is kept taut with a tension of above 0.15 g/dtex, and (c) removing residual spin solvent from the filament by subjecting the filament around a frame of step b) to an elevated temperature above 80° C. and below 140° C., to obtain a treated UHMwPE filament having a residual solvent level of below 60 ppm.

2 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the filament provided in step a) has residual spin solvent content of more than 200 ppm.

3 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the filament provided in step a) has a titer of 2-30 dtex.

4 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the filament is provided in step a) as a multi-filament yarn.

5 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the elevated temperature is above 90° C.

6 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the elevated temperature is above 100° C.

7 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the elevated temperature is below 130° C.

8 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the elevated temperature is below 125° C.

9 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein step (c) is carried out in an environment having an oxygen content of less than 3 mol/m 3 .

10 . The process according to claim 9 , wherein step (c) is carried out under a reduced air pressure.

11 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein step (c) is carried out for at least half an hour.

12 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the treated filament obtained in step (c) has a residual spin solvent level of below 40 ppm.

13 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the treated filament obtained in step (c) has a tenacity of at least 3.4 N/tex.

14 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the treated filament obtained in step (c) has a creep rate, measured at 50° C. under a load so that the initial stress is 600 MPa, of less than 5·10 −6 sec−1.

15 . The process according to claim 14 , wherein the treated filament has a creep rate of less than 10 −7 sec −1 .

16 . A treated gel spun UHMwPE filament as obtained by the process according to claim 1 .

17 . A gel spun UHMwPE filament having a diameter of above 16 μm and a residual spin solvent residue of less than 60 ppm.

18 . The gel spun UHMwPE filament according to claim 17 , wherein the filament has a creep rate, measured at 50° C. under a load so that the initial stress is 600 MPa, of less than 5·10 −6 sec −1 .

19 . The gel spun UHMwPE filament according to claim 17 , wherein the filament has a creep rate, measured at 50° C. under a load so that the initial stress is 600 MPa, of less than 8·10 −6 sec −1 .

20 . The gel spun UHMwPE filament according to claim 17 , wherein the filament has a creep rate, measured at 50° C. under a load so that the initial stress is 600 MPa, of less than 10 −7 sec −1 .

21 . A multi-filament yarn comprising a filament according to claim 16 .

22 . A mono-filament consisting of one filament according to claim 16 .

23 . A product for medical application comprising the yarn according to claim 21 .

24 . A product for medical application comprising the monofilament according to claim 22 .

Assignees

• Dsm Ip Assets Bv

Inventors

• Marissen Roelof
• Vaz Claudia Maria
• Snijder Carina Sacha
• Simmelink Joseph Arnold Paul Maria
• Nielaba Leonard Josef Arnold

Classifications

• A61L17/14

  Post-treatment to improve physical properties · CPC title

• D01F13/04

  of synthetic polymers · CPC title

• D10B2321/0211

  high-strength or high-molecular-weight polyethylene, e.g. ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene [UHMWPE] · CPC title

• Y10T428/298

  Physical dimension · CPC title

• D01F6/04 Primary

  from polyolefins · CPC title