Superabsorbent yarn and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

Disclosed are to a superabsorbent yarn capable of minimizing the degradation of strength and elongation thereof after coated with a superabsorbent material and minimizing white powders which might be caused and impose processing difficulties during an optical cable manufacturing process and a method for manufacturing the same. The superabsorbent yarn of the invention comprises a yarn and a superabsorbent material coated on the yarn, wherein the superabsorbent material comprises crosslinked polyurethane.

1 . A superabsorbent yarn comprising:
 a yarn; and   a superabsorbent material coated on the yarn,   wherein the superabsorbent material comprises crosslinked polyurethane.   
     
     
         2 . The superabsorbent yarn of  claim 1 , wherein the superabsorbent material comprises polyurethane having a network structure formed through crosslinking. 
     
     
         3 . The superabsorbent yarn of  claim 1 , wherein the polyurethane is crosslinked with polyacrylic acid, polyacrylamide, or polymethacrylamide. 
     
     
         4 . The superabsorbent yarn of  claim 1 , wherein the yarn is a continuous aramid multifilament. 
     
     
         5 . A method for manufacturing a superabsorbent yarn, the method comprising:
 preparing a polyurethane dispersion;   adding a first crosslinking agent to the polyurethane dispersion to produce a coating solution;   applying the coating solution to a yarn;   then, heat-treating the yarn at 50° C. to 90° C.; and   removing remaining moisture from the heat-treated yarn.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the preparing the polyurethane dispersion comprises:
 making diol and diisocianate react with each other to produce a polyurethane precursor;   adding water to the polyurethane precursor to produce a polyurethane precursor dispersion;   adding an aqueous solution including a second crosslinking agent dissolved therein to the polyurethane precursor dispersion to produce a mixture; and   heating the mixture at 40° C. to 80° C.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the preparing the polyurethane dispersion further comprises, before producing the polyurethane precursor dispersion, decreasing viscosity of the polyurethane precursor. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the decreasing the viscosity of the polyurethane precursor is performed by adding dibutyltin dilaurate and acetone to the polyurethane precursor. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the diol is polyethylene glycol, and the diisocianate is hexylmethanediisocianate or 1,8-octanediisocianate. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second crosslinking agent is diethylenetriamine. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first crosslinking agent is methylenebisacrylamide. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein acrylamide is further added to the polyurethane dispersion to produce the coating solution. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein potassium persulfate is further added to the polyurethane dispersion to produce the coating solution.