BI-COMPONENT FIBER AND FABRICS MADE THEREOF

• Main Authors: BONAVOGLIA, Barbara, BENSASON, Selim, CLAASEN, Gert J, DEGROOT, Jacquelyn A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 07.12.2016
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONFILAMENTS; BRAIDING; CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS,THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; COTTON-WOOL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS,NON-WOVEN FABRICS; KNITTING; LACE-MAKING; LAYERED PRODUCTS; LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM; MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARYMATERIAL; NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL THREADS OR FIBRES; NON-WOVEN FABRICS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SPINNING; TEXTILES; TRANSPORTING; TRIMMINGS; WADDING

The instant invention provides bi-component fibers and fabrics made therefrom. The bi-component fiber according to the present invention comprises: (a) from 5 to 95 percent by weight of a first component comprising at least one or more first polymers, based on the total weight of the bi-component fiber; (b) from 5 to 95 percent by weight of a second component comprising at least an ethylene-based polymer composition, based on the total weight of the bicomponent fiber, wherein said ethylene-based polymer composition comprises; (i) less than or equal to 100 percent by weight of the units derived from ethylene; and (ii) less than 30 percent by weight of units derived from one or more α-olefin comonomers; wherein said ethylene-based polymer composition is characterized by having a Comonomer Distribution Constant in the range of from greater than from 100 to 400, a vinyl unsaturation of less than 0.1 vinyls per one thousand carbon atoms present in the backbone of the ethylene-based polymer composition; a zero shear viscosity ratio (ZSVR) in the range from 1 to less than 2; a density in the range of 0.920 to 0.970 g/cm3, a melt index (I2) in the range of from 10 to 40 g/10 minutes, a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) in the range of from 1.8 to 3.0, and a molecular weight distribution (Mz/Mw) in the range of from less than 2; and wherein said bi-component fiber has a denier per filament in the range of from 0.5 to 10 g/9000 m.