Polymer fibre having improved long-term dispersibility

Abstract

The polymer fibre according to the invention has improved dispersibility and is thus suitable for the preparation of aqueous suspensions which are used, for example, in the formation of textile fabrics, for example nonwovens.

1 . A polymer fibre comprising:
 at least one synthetic polymer, wherein the fibre has, on the surface, a preparation including
 at least one cellulose ether selected from the group carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), methyl cellulose (MC), ethyl cellulose (EC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), methylethyl cellulose (MEC), hydroxyethylmethyl cellulose (NEMC), hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC), ethylhydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethylhydroxyethyl cellulose, and mixtures thereof, and 
 the cellulose ethers have a gelling temperature in the range of 35° C. to 90° C. and 
 the preparation covers at least 99% of the total surface of the fibre. 
   
     
     
         2 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the synthetic polymer is a thermoplastic polymer. 
     
     
         3 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the synthetic polymer is selected from the group of polymers comprising acrylonitrile ethylene propylene (diene) styrene copolymer, acrylonitrile methacrylate copolymer, acrylonitrile methyl methacrylate copolymer, acrylonitrile chlorinated polyethylene styrene copolymer, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer, acrylonitrile ethylene propylene styrene copolymer, aromatic polyester, acrylonitrile styrene acryloester copolymer, butadiene styrene copolymer, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetobutyrate, cellulose acetopropionate, hydrated cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose nitrate, cellulose propionate, cellulose triacetate, polyvinylchloride, ethylene acrylic acid copolymer, ethylene butylacrylate copolymer, ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer, ethylene ethylacrylate copolymer, ethylene methacrylate copolymer, ethylene methacrylic acid copolymer, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, ethylene vinylalcohol copolymer, ethylene butene copolymer, ethylcellulose, polystyrene, polyfluoroethylene propylene, methylmethacrylate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer, methylmethacrylate butadiene styrene copolymer, methylcellulose, polyamide 11, polyamide 12, polyamide 46, polyamide 6, polyamide 6-3-T, polyamide 6-terephthalic acid copolymer, polyamide 66, polyamide 69, polyamide 610, polyamide 612, polyamide 6I, polyamide MXD 6, polyamide PDA-T, polyamide, polyarylether, polyaryletherketone, polyamide imide, polyarylamide, polyamino-bis-maleimide, polyarylate, polybutene-1, polybutylacrylate, polybenzimidazole, poly-bis-maleimide, polyoxadiazobenzimidazole, polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polychiorotrifluoroethylene, polyethylene, polyestercarbonate, polyaryletherketone, polyetheretherketone, polyetherimide, polyetherketone, polyethylene oxide, polyarylethersulfone, polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide, polyisobutylene, polyisocyanurate, polyimide sulfone, polymethacrylimide, polymethacrylate, poly-4-methylpentene-1, polyacetal, polypropylene, polyphenylene oxide, polypropylene oxide, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene sulfone, polystyrene, polysulfone, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, polyvinylacetate, polyvinylalcohol, polyvinylbutyral, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinylfluoride, polyvinylmethylether, polyvinylpyrrolidone, styrene butadiene copolymer, styrene isoprene copolymer, styrene maleic acid anhydride copolymer, styrene maleic acid anhydride butadiene copolymer, styrene methylmethacrylate copolymer, styrene methylstyrene copolymer, styrene acrylonitrile copolymer, vinylchloride ethylene copolymer, vinylchloride methacrylate copolymer, vinylchloride maleic acid anhydride copolymer, vinylchloride maleimide copolymer, vinylchloride methylmethacrylate copolymer, vinylchloride octylacrylate copolymer, vinylchloride vinylacetate copolymer, vinylchloride vinylidene chloride copolymer and vinylchloride vinylidene chloride acrylonitrile copolymer. 
     
     
         4 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the synthetic polymer is a polyester. 
     
     
         5 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the synthetic polymer is a synthetic biopolymer. 
     
     
         6 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 5 , wherein the polylactic acid has a number-average molecular weight (Mn) of at least 500 g/mol. 
     
     
         7 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 5 , wherein the polylactic acid has a number-average molecular weight (Mn) of at most 1,000,000 g/mol. 
     
     
         8 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 5 , wherein the polylactic acid has a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) in the range of 750 g/mol to 5,000,000 g/mol. 
     
     
         9 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 5 , wherein the polylactic acid has a polydispersity in the range of from 1.5 to 5. 
     
     
         10 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 5 , wherein the polylactic acid is a poly-D-, poly-L- or poly-D,L-lactic acid. 
     
     
         11 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibre is present in the form of a staple fibre. 
     
     
         12 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibre has a titre between 0.3 and 30 dtex. 
     
     
         13 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibre is a bicomponent fibre, the fibre consisting of a core component A and a shell component B, and the melting point of core component A is at least 5° C. higher than the melting point of shell component B. 
     
     
         14 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein between 0.1 and 20 wt. % of the preparation is applied to the surface of the fibre. 
     
     
         15 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the preparation comprises at least two cellulose ethers selected from the group carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), methyl cellulose (MC), ethyl cellulose (EC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), methylethyl cellulose (MEC), hydroxyethylmethyl cellulose (NEMC), hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC), ethylhydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethylhydroxyethyl cellulose. 
     
     
         16 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the preparation covers at least 99% of the total surface of the fibre. 
     
     
         17 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the preparation has a thickness of 5-10 nm. 
     
     
         18 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the cellulose ethers have a gelling temperature in the range of 40° C. to 70° C. 
     
     
         19 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the cellulose ethers have a degree of substitution (number of substituted hydroxy groups per glucose molecule) in the range of from 1.3 to 2.6. 
     
     
         20 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the cellulose ethers are methyl celluloses which with a methoxy group fraction of from 26% to 33%. 
     
     
         21 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the cellulose ethers are hydroxypropyl celluloses with a hydroxypropyl group fraction of at most 5%. 
     
     
         22 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the cellulose ethers have a methoxy group fraction of from 26% to 33%, and a hydroxypropyl group fraction of at most 5%. 
     
     
         23 . The polymer fibre according to  claim 1 , wherein the cellulose ethers have a methoxy group fraction of from 26% to 33%, and a hydroxypropyl group fraction of from 7% to 12. 
     
     
         24 . A textile fabric comprising the polymer fibre of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         25 . A method of making an aqueous suspension comprising the step of
 providing the fibre of  claim 1 .