Basf Corporation

Honeywell International Inc.

Akzo Nobel N.v.

Matthew B Hoyt

Charles F Helms, Jr

Diane R Kent

Otto M Ilg

John A Hodan

Andrew M Coons, Iii

Phillip E Wilson

David N Dickson

James R Bristow

Carol W Morgan

Dominick A Burlone

Richard Kotek

Randall A Sferrazza

Fang A Wang

Ronald G Morrow

Terry D Roberts

Morris K Queen

Wendel L Burton

Bobby J Bailey

Jeffrey S Dugan

Stanley A McIntosh

Dean R Gadoury

Gary W Shore

George M Kent

David F Mitchell

Michael A Davis

James P Sullivan

Olli P Tuominen

Robert A Tyler

Katherine M Snyder

Clyde Gordon Roberts

Stanley A Mcintosh

Philip E Wilson

An electric toothbrush charging station platform organizer for an electric powered toothbrush system having an electric powered toothbrush and a charging station, includes a housing. The housing includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion of the housing includes a recess configured to securely retain the charging station, a power cord chamber to secure a power cord of a charging station of an electric powered toothbrush, a recess passage connecting a volume of the recess with a volume of the power cord chamber, and a power cord chamber passage. The lower portion includes a power strip chamber for locating a power strip. The power cord chamber passage connects a volume of the power strip chamber with the volume of the power cord chamber.

Electric toothbrush charging station platform organizer

The present invention provides a process for producing yarn having reduced heatset shrinkage. Preferably, the fibers used in making the yarn are bicomponent fibers. The present invention also provides a process for producing yarn having reduced heatset shrinkage at reduced heat temperatures.

Process for producing yarn having reduced heatset shrinkage

Continuous anionic polymerization and melt-spinning of a polycaprolactam includes forming a reaction mixture by bringing at least two streams of liquid caprolactam respectively containing a polymerization initiator and co-initiator into contact with one another, and then subjecting the reaction mixture to anionic polymerization reaction conditions in the reactor zone to obtain a molten polycaprolactam. The molten polycaprolactam is the directly (i.e., without intermediate solidification) transferred to, and extruded through, a fiber-forming orifice of a spinneret to form a fiber thereof. A spinneret zone downstream of the reactor zone thus receives the molten polycaprolactam directly from the reactor zone and forms a fiber therefrom by extruding it through the spinneret's fiber-spinning orifice.

Continuous polymerization and direct fiber spinning and systems for accomplishing same

Dyeable and dyed filaments have a core and a sheath which entirely surrounds the core. The core is formed of a core polymer which is susceptible to dyeing by a dye bath chemical, while the sheath is formed of a sheath polymer which is resistant to dyeing by the dye bath chemical. When the filament is brought into contact with a dye bath containing the dye chemical, the dye chemical in the dye bath will physically diffuse or migrate through the sheath polymer to cause the core polymer to be dyed a color of the dye bath chemical, while the sheath polymer is substantially undyed thereby.

Dyed sheath/core fibers and methods of making same

Continuous anionic polymerization and melt-spinning of a polycaprolactam includes forming a reaction mixture by bringing at least two streams of liquid caprolactam respectively containing a polymerization initiator and co-initiator into contact with one another, and then subjecting the reaction mixture to anionic polymerization reaction conditions to obtain a molten polycaprolactam. The molten polycaprolactam is the directly (i.e., without intermediate solidification) transferred to, and extruded through, a fiber-forming orifice of a spinneret to form a fiber thereof. One exemplary system to achieve such continuous anionic polymerization and melt-spinning of polycaprolactam includes a mixer for receiving and mixing at least two streams of liquid caprolactam respectively containing a polymerization initiator and co-initiator, and a reactor and melt-spinning apparatus downstream of the mixer. The reactor and melt-spinning apparatus most preferably is formed of multiple plates which establish a reactor zone having a flow path for the reaction mixture which is sized and configured to achieve a predetermined residence time of the reaction mixture therein, and a temperature control zone in thermal communication with the reactor plate for controlling the temperature of the reaction plate to achieve anionic polymerization reaction conditions while the reaction mixture is flowing along the defined flow path therein to obtain the molten polycaprolactam. A spinneret zone downstream of the reactor zone thus receives the molten polycaprolactam directly and forms a fiber therefrom by extruding it through the spinneret's fiber-spinning orifice.

Continuous polymerization and direct fiber spinning and apparatus for accomplishing same

Superconductor containing filaments having embedments of superconducting material surrounded by a rayon matrix are formed by preparing a liquid suspension which contains at least 10 weight percent superconducting material; forming a multicomponent filament having a core of the suspension and a viscose sheath which contains cellulose xanthate; and thereafter, regenerating cellulose from the cellulose xanthate to form a rayon matrix.

Process for the production of superconductor containing filaments

Relatively thin (e.g., thickness of less than about 2.5 mm, and typically no greater than about 1.0 mm) plates for synthetic fiber-forming spin packs include a first metal layer exhibiting a relatively slow photochemical etching property and a second metal layer exhibiting a relatively fast photochemical etching property which are adhered (laminated) to one another to form a composite substrate structure. The differential etch rates as between the first and second metal layers permit relatively dimensionally larger distribution channels and relatively dimensionally precise through holes to be formed in the composite substrate. In this regard, the second metal layer permits the formation via photochemical etching of dimensionally deeper and/or wider polymer distribution channels. The first metal layer, on the other hand, allows for the formation of relatively dimensionally precise through holes via concurrent (simultaneous) etching with the second metal layer.

Photochemically etched plates for synthetic fiber-forming spin packs and method of making same

Multicomponent fibers and methods of producing the same are provided such that an inter-domain boundary layer is interposed between distinct domains formed of incompatible polymers so as to minimize (if not eliminate entirely) separation of the domains at their interfacial boundary. The polymer forming the inter-domain boundary layer therefore is provided so as to be compatible with the otherwise incompatible polymers forming each of the domains between which it is interposed.

Process of making multicomponent fiber

Bicomponent fibers of different cross-sections may be formed without changing the geometry of the spinneret orifices. More specifically, at least two polymers are co-melt-spun through an orifice of fixed geometry so as to achieve a bicomponent fiber having a desired cross-section. In order to change to a bicomponent fiber having a cross-section which is different, therefore, at least one of (1) the differential relative viscosity, (2) the relative proportions of the first and/or second polymers, and (3) the cross-sectional bicomponent distribution of the first and second polymers, is changed. In such a manner, therefore, a wide variety of bicomponent fibers having different cross-sectional geometries may be produced without changing the fixed geometry orifice through which the polymers are co-melt-spun. Thus, bicomponent fiber cross-sections may be 'engineered' to suit a variety of needs without necessarily shutting down production equipment in order to change spinnerets. The bicomponent fibers are most preferably multilobal (e.g., trilobal) in which the core component is generally triangularly shaped.

Process for modifying synthetic bicomponent fiber cross-sections

Novel bicomponent fibers have a polyamide domain and a contaminant-containing polymer domain which is embedded entirely within, and thereby completely surrounded by, the polyamide domain. The preferred bicomponent fibers have a sheath-core structure wherein the polyamide domain constitutes the sheath and the contaminant-containing polymer constitutes the core. Surprisingly, even though the core is formed of a contaminant-containing polymer (which is difficultly spinnable), the bicomponent fibers are readily spinnable and exhibit properties which are comparable in many respects to fibers formed from 100% polyamide. Preferably, the fibers are concentric sheath-core bicomponent fibers having an uncontaminated nylon-6 sheath and a core formed from nylon-6 having a relatively high level of contamination in the form of the cyclic dimer of caprolactam and/or nylon-6 derived from colored regenerated post-consumer nylon carpet fibers.

Process of making a bicomponent fiber

Novel bicomponent fibers have a sheath domain and an core domain which is embedded entirely within, and thereby completely surrounded by, the polyamide domain. The core domain is annular and defines a longitudinally extending central void. The preferred bicomponent fibers have a sheath-core structure wherein the polyamide domain constitutes the sheath and a fiber-forming polyolefin polymer constitutes the core. The preferred trilobal bicomponent fibers will exhibit a modification ratio of between 2 to 4, an arm angle of between 7.degree. to about 35.degree., and a total cross-sectional void area between about 3 and about 10 percent. Each lobe of the fiber may optionally contain a lobal void space which, if present, is preferably radially elongate in cross-section.

Method of making hollow bicomponent filaments

Multicomponent fibers and methods and apparatus for producing the same are provided such that an inter-domain boundary layer is interposed between distinct domains formed of incompatible polymers so as to minimize (if not eliminate entirely) separation of the domains at their interfacial boundary. The inter-domain boundary layer is formed of a heterogeneous mixture of the polymers forming the respective adjacent domains between which the boundary layer is interposed. The inter-boundary layer will most preferably include rivulets or fingers of each polymer forming the adjacent domains which interlock with one another in a randomly tortuous manner. These different polymer rivulets thereby effectively increase the surface area and mechanical interlocking at the interfacial boundary between the fiber domains thereby increasing the adhesion therebetween.

Process of making a multiple domain fiber having an inter-domain

Multicomponent fibers have a primary core, and multiple secondary cores equidistantly radially spaced from one another and from the primary core. The primary and secondary cores are entirely embedded within (and thus completely encased by) a primary sheath. Optionally, the primary sheath may be entirely or partly surrounded by a secondary sheath. The primary and secondary cores may be spun from polymers having distinctly different or complementary properties which are surrounded by a sheath or sheaths formed of another polymer(s) which protects the cores.

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Arden, NC, United States of America

Matthew B Hoyt