Multicomponent fibers having elastomeric components and bonded structures formed therefrom

Abstract

Elastomeric multicomponent fibers and bonded fiber structures formed from elastomeric multicomponent fibers are disclosed. The elastomeric multicomponent fibers may comprise a thermoplastic polymer core material and an elastomeric polymer sheath material surrounding the core material. The bonded fiber structure may comprise a plurality of fibers bonded to each other at spaced apart points of contact, at least a portion of the fibers being multicomponent fibers having at least one elastomeric fiber component.

1 . A multicomponent fiber comprising: 
 a thermoplastic polymer core material; and    an elastomeric polymer sheath material surrounding the core material.    
   
   
       2 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric polymer sheath material is a thermoplastic polyurethane.  
   
   
       3 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric polymer sheath material is selected from the group consisting of elastomeric and plastomeric polypropylenes, styrene-butadiene copolymers, polyisoprene, polyisobutylene, polychloroprene, butadiene-acrylonitrile, elastomeric block olefinic copolymers, elastomeric block co-polyether polyamides, elastomeric block copolyesters, poly(ether-urethane-urea), poly(ester-urethane-urea), and elastomeric silicones.  
   
   
       4 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic core material comprises a second elastomeric material different from the elastomeric polymer sheath material.  
   
   
       5 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer core material is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, polybutylene terephthalate, and polyethylene terephthalate.  
   
   
       6 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the core material defines a cross-section that is substantially concentric with a cross-section defined by the sheath material.  
   
   
       7 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the core material defines a cross-section that is substantially non-concentric with a cross-section defined by the sheath material.  
   
   
       8 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber is a continuous strand.  
   
   
       9 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber is a bicomponent fiber in which the sheath material is bonded to the core material.  
   
   
       10 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber comprises at least one intermediate component material disposed intermediate the sheath material and the core material.  
   
   
       11 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 1  wherein the sheath material comprises about 10% to about 90% of the fiber by volume.  
   
   
       12 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 1  wherein the sheath material comprises about 25% to about 40% of the fiber by volume.  
   
   
       13 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber has a diameter in a range from about 1 micron to about 200 microns.  
   
   
       14 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber has a diameter in a range from about 1 micron to about 25 microns.  
   
   
       15 . A melt-blown multicomponent fiber, comprising: 
 a first component comprising a thermoplastic polymer material; and    a second component comprising an elastomeric polymer material.    
   
   
       16 . The melt-blown multicomponent fiber of  claim 15  wherein the fiber is formed as a sheath-core fiber in which the first component is formed as a core and the second component is formed as a sheath surrounding the core.  
   
   
       17 . The melt-blown multicomponent fiber of  claim 15  wherein the fiber is formed as a side-by-side bicomponent fiber in which the first component and second component are co-extensively bonded to one another along their lengths.  
   
   
       18 . The melt-blown bicomponent fiber of  claim 15 , wherein the first component comprises a second elastomeric material having a different elasticity from the elastomeric polymeric material of the first component.  
   
   
       19 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 15  further comprising a third component comprising a thermoplastic polymer.  
   
   
       20 . A bonded fiber structure comprising: 
 a plurality of fibers bonded to each other at spaced apart points of contact, at least a portion of the fibers being multicomponent fibers having at least one elastomeric fiber component.    
   
   
       21 . The bonded fiber structure of  claim 20 , wherein the multicomponent fibers are melt-blown side-by-side bicomponent fibers.  
   
   
       22 . The bonded fiber structure of  claim 20 , wherein the multicomponent fibers are sheath-core multicomponent fibers having an elastomeric polymer sheath material.  
   
   
       23 . The bonded fiber structure of  claim 20 , wherein the three dimensional bonded fiber structure has at least one dimension along which the structure exhibits can be elongated at least 200% while retaining its structural integrity.  
   
   
       24 . The bonded fiber structure of  claim 20 , wherein the three dimensional bonded fiber structure has an overall porosity in a range from about 20% to about 95%.  
   
   
       25 . The bonded fiber structure of  claim 20 , wherein the bonded fiber structure is formed as a substantially planar sheet.  
   
   
       26 . The bonded fiber structure of  claim 20 , wherein the bonded fiber structure is formed as a three dimensional, self-sustaining structural body.  
   
   
       27 . The bonded fiber structure of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one elastomeric fiber component comprises a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyurethanes, polyester copolymers, styrene copolymers, olefin copolymers, and polyamide copolymer.  
   
   
       28 . The bonded fiber structure of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one elastomeric fiber component comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane.  
   
   
       29 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 20 , wherein the elastomeric polymer sheath material is selected from the group consisting of elastomeric and plastomeric polypropylenes, styrene-butadiene copolymers, polyisoprene, polyisobutylene, polychloroprene, butadiene-acrylonitrile, elastomeric block olefinic copolymers, elastomeric block co-polyether polyamides, elastomeric block copolyesters, poly(ether-urethane-urea), poly(ester-urethane-urea), and elastomeric silicones.  
   
   
       30 . A bonded fiber structure comprising: 
 a plurality of polymeric fibers bonded to each other at spaced apart points of contact to form a self-sustaining, three dimensional, fluid transmissive body, the fibers collectively defining tortuous fluid flow paths through the fluid transmissive body,    wherein the self-sustaining, three dimensional, fluid transmissive body has at least one dimension along which the structure can be elongated at least 200% while retaining its structural integrity.    
   
   
       31 . A bonded fiber structure according to  claim 31  wherein at least a portion of the thermoplastic fibers are sheath-core multicomponent fibers having an elastomeric polymer sheath material.  
   
   
       32 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 31  wherein the elastomeric polymer sheath material is a thermoplastic polyurethane.  
   
   
       33 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 31 , wherein the elastomeric polymer sheath material is selected from the group consisting of elastomeric and plastomeric polypropylenes, styrene-butadiene copolymers, polyisoprene, polyisobutylene, polychloroprene, butadiene-acrylonitrile, elastomeric block olefinic copolymers, elastomeric block co-polyether polyamides, elastomeric block copolyesters, poly(ether-urethane-urea), poly(ester-urethane-urea), and elastomeric silicones.  
   
   
       34 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 31  wherein the elastomeric polymer sheath material comprises about 10% to about 90% of the fiber by volume.  
   
   
       35 . The multicomponent fiber of  claim 31  wherein the elastomeric polymer sheath material comprises about 25% to about 40% of the fiber by volume.