Techmer Pm, LLC

The University of Tennessee Research Foundation

Vasanthakumar Narayanan

Ebrahim Mor

Larry C Wadsworth

Gajanan S Bhat

The invention is directed to wettable fibers or filament having a thermoplastic polymer, a first wetting agent, and a second wetting agent.

Wettable polymer fibers, compositions for preparaing same and articles

Wettable fibers or filaments are prepared from a composition having a polymer which has a wetting agent incorporated therein. The polymer is selected from the group consisting of olefin polymers, polyesters and polyamides. The wetting agent consists essentially of a glyceride selected from the group consisting of a mono-glyceride, a combination of mono-glycerides and a mixed glyceride having a mono glyceride content of at least 85 percent by weight. The fatty ester group or groups in the glyceride each have from about 12 to about 22 carbon atoms. The olefin polymer is preferably polypropylene, LLDPE, LDPE and HDPE, more preferably polypropylene. The polyamide is preferably a nylon 6 and nylon 6,6. The polyester is preferably a polyethylene terephthalate and a polybutylene terephthalate.

Wettable polymer fibers

Dimensionally stable (shrink-resistant) polyester fibers, webs and fabrics, comprising a nucleating agent incorporated into the fibers are disclosed. Methods of incorporating the nucleating agent within the polyester are disclosed.

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Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Vasanthakumar Narayanan