METHOD FOR REMOVING RESIDUAL SPINNING SOLVENT FROM GEL SPUN FILAMENT, THE FILAMENT, MULTIFILAMENT YARN AND PRODUCT INCLUDING THE FILAMENT

• Main Authors: CLAUDIA MARIA VAZ, CARINA SACHA SNIJDER, ROELOF MARISSEN, JOSEPH ARNOLD PAUL MARIA SIMMELINK, NIELABA LEONARD JOSEF ARNOLD
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.07.2014
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONFILAMENTS; CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS,THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; DIAGNOSIS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING; SURGERY; TEXTILES

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for removing a residual spinning solvent from a gel spun, ultra high molecular weight (UHMwPE) filament which is used for medical applications.such as sutures and cables, and has an effective diameter of more than 16 μm.SOLUTION: A method includes a step of removing a residual spinning solvent from a filament to a level of less than 100 ppm, while keeping the filament taut at elevated temperature. A gel spun UHMwPE filament having an effective diameter of more than 16 μm and a residual spinning solvent residue of less than 100 ppm has a creep rate, measured at 50°C, under a load, so that the initial stress is 600 MPa, of less than 5×10sec. The step of removing residual spinning solvent is carried out by subjecting the filament to super critical COextraction in an environment having an oxygen content of less than 3.0 mol/m.