Process of producing a melt-spinnable fiber using thermoplastic polymer and destructured starch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9925706-B2
Application number	US-201514605204-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2015
Priority date	May 10, 2001
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A melt spinnable fiber is provided that comprises a first component comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and a second component comprising thermoplastic starch where the second component is not encompassed by another component or components or if encompassed by another component or components then the second component encompasses a hollow core. A particular use of such a fiber is for removal of the second component in the presence of a solvent in order to produce fibers with desired properties. An agent may be present in the second component for controlling the rate of removal of the second component thereby allowing for physical manipulation of the fiber prior to complete removal of the component. The invention is also directed to nonwoven webs and disposable articles comprising the fibers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process of producing a melt spinnable fiber having a diameter of less than 200 microns, comprising:
compounding a first component comprising a thermoplastic polymer;
compounding a second component comprising destructured starch;
spinning the first component with the second component to form a fiber having a diameter of less than 200 microns, wherein the second component is not encompassed by another component or components or if encompassed by another component or components then the second component encompasses a hollow core, and;
contacting the fiber with a solvent for the second component wherein the second component is removed from the fiber by exposure to the solvent, and wherein the resulting fiber is durable, with a toughness of about 2 MPa or greater.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the compounding of the second component further includes an agent selected from the group consisting of an acid substituted vinyl polymer, a polyolefin carboxylic acid copolymer, a polyhydroxyetherester, a polyhydroxyetheramide, a C8-C22 aliphatic saturated or unsaturated carboxylic acid, an aliphatic carboxyamide, and an aromatic carboxyamide, wherein the second component is removed from the fiber by exposure to the solvent at a rate that is slower than that of a fiber lacking the agent.

3. The process of claim 2 further comprising physically manipulating the fiber prior to complete removal of the second component.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Bond Eric Bryan
• Autran Jean-Philippe Marie
• Mackey Larry Neil
• Noda Isao
• O'Donnell Hugh Joseph
• Phan Dean Van

Classifications

• Y10T428/2929

  Bicomponent, conjugate, composite or collateral fibers or filaments [i.e., coextruded sheath-core or side-by-side type] · CPC title

• D04H1/4391

  characterised by the shape of the fibres · CPC title

• D01F8/18

  from other substances · CPC title

• B29C47/0004 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• D04H1/54

  by welding together the fibres, e.g. by partially melting or dissolving (in combination with needling D04H1/485) · CPC title