The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 15, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 22, 2011
Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Kingsport, TN (US);
Melvin Glenn Mitchell, Penrose, NC (US);
Daniel William Klosiewicz, Kingsport, TN (US);
Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Kingsport, TN (US);
Melvin Glenn Mitchell, Penrose, NC (US);
Daniel William Klosiewicz, Kingsport, TN (US);
Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport, TN (US);
Abstract
A water non-dispersible polymer microfiber is provided comprising at least one water non-dispersible polymer wherein the water non-dispersible polymer microfiber has an equivalent diameter of less than 5 microns and length of less than 25 millimeters. A process for producing water non-dispersible polymer microfibers is also provided, the process comprising: a) cutting a multicomponent fiber into cut multicomponent fibers; b) contacting a fiber-containing feedstock with water to produce a fiber mix slurry; wherein the fiber-containing feedstock comprises cut multicomponent fibers; c) heating the fiber mix slurry to produce a heated fiber mix slurry; d) optionally, mixing the fiber mix slurry in a shearing zone; e) removing at least a portion of the sulfopolyester from the multicomponent fiber to produce a slurry mixture comprising a sulfopolyester dispersion and water non-dispersible polymer microfibers; and f) separating the water non-dispersible polymer microfibers from the slurry mixture. A process for producing a nonwoven article is also provided.