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:
Aug. 27, 2013
Filed:
Aug. 22, 2007
Aimin He, Alpharetta, GA (US);
James H. Wang, Appleton, WI (US);
Vasily A. Topolkaraev, Appleton, WI (US);
Gregory J. Wideman, Menasha, WI (US);
Doris Palfery, Neenah, WI (US);
Aimin He, Alpharetta, GA (US);
James H. Wang, Appleton, WI (US);
Vasily A. Topolkaraev, Appleton, WI (US);
Gregory J. Wideman, Menasha, WI (US);
Doris Palfery, Neenah, WI (US);
Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US);
Abstract
A biodegradable, substantially continuous filament is provided. The filament contains a first component formed from at least one high melting polyester and a second component formed from at least one low melting polyester. The low melting point polyester is an aliphatic-aromatic copolyester formed by melt blending a polymer and an alcohol to initiate an alcoholysis reaction that results in a copolyester having one or more hydroxyalkyl or alkyl terminal groups. By selectively controlling the alcoholysis conditions (e.g., alcohol and copolymer concentrations, catalysts, temperature, etc.), a modified aliphatic-aromatic copolyester may be achieved that has a molecular weight lower than the starting aliphatic-aromatic polymer. Such lower molecular weight polymers also have the combination of a higher melt flow index and lower apparent viscosity, which is useful in the formation of substantially continuous filaments.