Polycarbonate fibers and substrates comprising same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017015783-A1
Application number	US-201515301248-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 3, 2015
Priority date	Apr 4, 2014
Publication date	Jan 19, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein are polycarbonate fibers and fibrous substrates, such as papers, containing such fibers. The polycarbonate fibers are produced from a polymeric composition comprising a cross-linkable polycarbonate containing endgroups derived from a monofunctional benzophenone or containing repeating units derived from a difunctional benzophenone. The polycarbonate fibers can be combined with other fibers to form the fibrous substrate. Upon exposure to ultraviolet light, crosslinking of the polycarbonate fibers will occur, improving various properties of the fibrous substrate.

First claim

1 . A cross-linkable polycarbonate fiber, formed from a polymeric composition comprising a cross-linkable polycarbonate resin containing a photoactive group derived from a benzophenone.

2 . The fiber of claim 1 , having a diameter of about 1 micron to about 40 microns and an aspect ratio of about 3:1 to about 1 million:1.

3 . The fiber of claim 1 , wherein the benzophenone from which the photoactive group is derived is a monohydroxybenzophenone.

4 . The fiber of claim 3 , wherein the cross-linkable polycarbonate resin is formed from a reaction of: the monohydroxybenzophenone; a diol chain extender; and a first linker moiety comprising a plurality of linking groups, wherein each linking group can react with the hydroxyl groups of the monohydroxybenzophenone and the diol chain extender.

5 . The fiber of claim 3 , wherein the cross-linkable polycarbonate resin contains from about 0.5 mole % to about 5 mole % of endcap groups derived from the monohydroxybenzophenone and has a polydispersity index (PDI) of between 3.0 and 7.3 as measured by GPC using a UV-VIS detector and polycarbonate standards.

6 . The fiber of claim 1 , wherein the benzophenone from which the photoactive group is derived is a dihydroxybenzophenone.

7 . The fiber of claim 6 , wherein the cross-linkable polycarbonate resin is formed from a reaction of: the dihydroxybenzophenone; a diol chain extender; a first linker moiety comprising a plurality of linking groups, wherein each linking group can react with the hydroxyl groups of the dihydroxybenzophenone and the diol chain extender; and an endcapping agent.

8 . The fiber of claim 6 , wherein the dihydroxybenzophenone is 4,4′-dihydroxybenzophenone; the diol chain extender is bisphenol-A; and the first linker moiety is phosgene.

9 . The fiber of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric composition further comprises a polymeric base resin.

10 . The fiber of claim 9 , wherein the weight ratio of the cross-linkable polycarbonate resin to the polymeric base resin is from about 50:50 to about 95:5.

11 . The fiber of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric composition forms the exterior surface of the fiber.

12 . The fiber of claim 1 , wherein the fiber does not include a coating or jacket.

13 . An article comprising the fiber of claim 1 .

14 . A fibrous substrate comprising polycarbonate fibers that are formed from a polymeric composition that comprises a cross-linkable polycarbonate resin comprising a cross-linkable polycarbonate resin containing a photoactive group derived from a benzophenone.

15 . The fibrous substrate of claim 14 , wherein the polycarbonate fibers comprise from about 20 wt % to about 80 wt % of the fibrous substrate.

16 . The fibrous substrate of claim 14 , wherein the fibrous substrate further comprises first fibers.

17 . The fibrous substrate of claim 16 , wherein the first fibers and the polycarbonate fibers are evenly dispersed throughout the fibrous substrate.

18 . The fibrous substrate of claim 16 , wherein the first fibers are made from a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, glass, aramid, basalt, quartz, boron, cellulose, natural fibers, liquid crystal polymer, and high tenacity polymer; or are made from a thermoplastic selected from the group consisting of polycarbonates, polyimides, polyetheretherketone, polyetherketone, polyetherketoneketone, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyoxymethylene, poly(p-phenylene ether), polypropylenes, polyethylenes, polystyrenes, polyvinyls, polyethylene terephthalates, polybutylene terephthalates, acrylics, nylons, thermoplastic polyurethanes, polyacetals, polyphenylene sulfides, cycloolefin copolymers, and thermotropic polyesters,

19 . The fibrous substrate of claim 14 , wherein the dimensional stability of the substrate is improved after UV exposure, as measured by an absolute improvement in the average % loss of fiber length of 9.5% or more compared to before the UV exposure at 160° C.

20 . A process for producing a strengthened fibrous substrate, comprising:
exposing the fibrous substrate of claim 14 to a dosage of UV radiation.

Assignees

• Sabic Global Technologies Bv

Inventors

• Flores Amanda Marie
• Labelle Jacob
• Zuber Peter James
• Choate Kim R

Classifications

• D01D10/00

  Physical treatment of artificial filaments or the like during manufacture, i.e. during a continuous production process before the filaments have been collected (finishing D02J) · CPC title

• D01D5/18

  by means of rotating spinnerets · CPC title

• D01D5/04

  Dry spinning methods {(D01D5/0038 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C08G64/14 Primary

  containing a chain-terminating or -crosslinking agent · CPC title

• C08L2201/08

  Stabilised against heat, light or radiation or oxydation · CPC title