Basf Corporation

Robert H Blackwell

Robert L Lilly

Wendel L Burton

Charles H Rogers

Zachary G Shoaf

A process for making ready-to-tuft, mock space-dyed bulked continuous filament yarn is a one-step process. It joins extruding, texturing, and interlacing to yield a yarn that may be tufted directly into carpet without further texturing or twisting. In another aspect, one or more additional strands may be inserted in the process. An apparatus for making the ready-to-tuft, mock space-dyed, bulked continuous filament yarn is described.

One step, ready-to-tuft, mock space-dyed multifilament yarn

A process for producing multicomponent fibers provides a dispersion of a particulate additive or chemical compound in a nonaqueous liquid carrier, forms a blend of a first thermoplastic polymer and the dispersion by injecting the dispersion into an extruder which is part of a fiber extrusion apparatus and which extruder is extruding the tint thermoplastic polymer thereby forming a blend of the additive in the first thermoplastic polymer, provides a second thermoplastic polymer to the fiber extrusion apparatus; in the fiber extrusion apparatus, arranges the blend and the second thermoplastic polymer in a preselected, mutually separated relative arrangement; directs the arrangement of blend and the second thermoplastic polymer to a spinneret which is a part of the fiber extrusion apparatus while maintaining the preselected, mutually separated relative arrangement; exudes the directed arrangement of the blend and the second molten polymer through the spinneret to form multicomponent fibers; and solidifies the multicomponent fibers.

Multicomponent yarn via liquid injection

A process for producing multicomponent fibers provides a dispersion of a particulate additive or chemical compound in a nonaqueous liquid carrier; forms a blend of a first thermoplastic polymer and the dispersion by injecting the dispersion into an extruder which is part of a fiber extrusion apparatus and which extruder is extruding the first thermoplastic polymer thereby forming a blend of the additive in the first thermoplastic polymer; provides a second thermoplastic polymer to the fiber extrusion apparatus; in the fiber extrusion apparatus, arranges the blend and the second thermoplastic polymer in a preselected, mutually separated relative arrangement; directs the arrangement of blend and the second thermoplastic polymer to a spinneret which is a part of the fiber extrusion apparatus while maintaining the preselected, mutually separated relative arrangement; extrudes the directed arrangement of the blend and the second molten polymer through the spinneret to form multicomponent fibers; and solidifies the multicomponent fibers.

Process of making mutlicomponent fibers

Fibers are made from thermoplastic polymers by supplying solid particles of the thermoplastic to a melting grid; heating the melting grid to a temperature sufficient to melt the thermoplastic; melting the thermoplastic particles on the heated melting grid such that the melted thermoplastic flows through the grid and is collected in a collecting chamber located beneath the melting grid; injecting into the collecting chamber below the melting grid an additive present in a non-aqueous carrier which carrier comprises organic rosin materials and a surfactant; without actuated mechanical stirring, forming a substantially homogeneous mixture from the injected additive; and extruding fibers from the substantially homogeneous mixture.

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Candler, NC, United States of America

Robert H Blackwell