Wool-like synthetic multifilament yarns

Abstract

Wool-like, synthetic multifilament yarns may be produced with a plurality of primary yarns and at least one secondary yarn. Generally, the primary yarn and secondary yarn may be produced from polyamides. The wool-like multifilament yarns may be produced by: (1) melt-spinning the primary yarns and the secondary yarn; (2) drawing and texturizing the primary yarns and the secondary yarns; (3) entangling the texturized primary yarns and the texturized secondary yarn to form the inventive yarn; (4) optionally subjecting the inventive yarn to heat-setting or heat annealing; and (5) winding the yarn onto a package for distribution. The multifilament yarns may be used to produce floorcoverings.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wool-like multifilament yarn comprising:
 (a) a plurality of texturized primary yarns formed from a first fiber-forming synthetic polymer, wherein said texturized primary yarns exhibit a residual elongation to break in the range of 50 to 700 percent as measured according to ISO 2062; and   (b) at least one texturized secondary yarn formed from a second fiber-forming synthetic polymer, wherein said texturized secondary yarn exhibits a residual elongation to break in the range of 50 to 700 percent as measured according to ISO 2062,   wherein the denier of said texturized primary yarns is greater than the denier said texturized secondary yarn.   
     
     
         2 . The multifilament yarn according to  claim 1 , wherein said first fiber-forming synthetic polymer and/or said second fiber-forming synthetic polymer comprises a polyamide. 
     
     
         3 . The multifilament yarn according to  claim 2 , wherein said polyamide comprises at least one polyamide selected from the group consisting of Nylon 6, Nylon 11, Nylon 12, Nylon 5,6, Nylon 6,6, Nylon 6,10, and Nylon 6,12. 
     
     
         4 . The multifilament yarn according to  claim 2 , wherein said first fiber-forming synthetic polymer and/or said second fiber-forming synthetic polymer comprise the same polyamide. 
     
     
         5 . The multifilament yarn according to  claim 1 , wherein said texturized primary yarns and said secondary yarn comprise filaments having a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of round, oval, triangular, multilobal, irregular, and hollow. 
     
     
         6 . The multifilament yarn according to  claim 1 , wherein said texturized primary yarns comprise a first set of filaments and said secondary yarn comprise a second set of filaments, wherein said first set of filaments and said second set of filaments have different cross-sectional shapes. 
     
     
         7 . The multifilament yarn according to  claim 1 , wherein said texturized primary yarns have a denier in the range of 100 to 2,000. 
     
     
         8 . The multifilament yarn according to  claim 7 , wherein said texturized primary yarns have a denier per filament in the range of 2 to 20. 
     
     
         9 . The multifilament yarn according to  claim 7 , wherein said texturized secondary yarns have a denier in the range of 50 to 750. 
     
     
         10 . The multifilament yarn according to  claim 9 , wherein said texturized secondary yarns have a denier per filament in the range of 2 to 25. 
     
     
         11 . The multifilament yarn according to  claim 1 , wherein said multifilament yarns comprise 2 to 10 of said texturized primary yarns. 
     
     
         12 . The multifilament yarn according to  claim 11 , wherein said multifilament yarn comprises only one of said texturized secondary yarn. 
     
     
         13 . A floorcovering face yarn comprising said multifilament yarn according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . A textile comprising said multifilament yarn according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A process for the manufacture of a multifilament yarn, said process comprising:
 (a) texturizing a plurality of primary yarns formed from a first fiber-forming synthetic polymer and at least one secondary yarn formed from a second fiber-forming synthetic polymer to thereby form texturized primary yarns and a texturized secondary yarn, wherein said primary yarns exhibit a residual elongation to break in the range of 50 to 700 percent as measured according to ISO 2062, wherein said primary yarns comprise less than 100 tack points per meter of yarn;   (b) entangling said texturized primary yarns and said texturized secondary yarn within an entangling device to thereby form said multifilament yarn;   (c) optionally, heat setting said multifilament yarn; and   (d) winding said multifilament yarn to form a package.   
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 15 , wherein said texturizing of step (a) comprises false-twist texturing, mechanical crimping, and/or stuffer box crimping. 
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 15 , wherein said texturizing of step (a) comprises stuffer box crimping. 
     
     
         18 . The process according to  claim 15 , wherein said entangling device comprises a cable twisting device or an air twisting device. 
     
     
         19 . The process according to  claim 15 , further comprising melt-spinning said first fiber-forming synthetic polymer to form said primary yarns and melt-spinning said second fiber-forming synthetic polymer to form said secondary yarn, wherein said melt-spinning occurs at a rate in the range of 100 to 1,500 meters per minute. 
     
     
         20 . The process according to  claim 19 , wherein said melt-spinning does not involve a drawing step.