Eco-friendly polyester fibers and microfiber shed-resistance polyester textiles

Abstract

The present application is generally concerned with polyester-based fibers, which exhibit enhanced resistance to breakage and attritional wear. More particularly, the inventive fibers may be especially aimed at textile applications, wherein the inventive fibers may reduce the propensity of the textile materials to produce microplastic and nanoplastic particles during use and during laundering or other cleaning operations, which are a known pollution hazard in the natural environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A melt-spun polyester fiber for reducing microplastics pollution, wherein said melt-spun polyester fiber is in the form of:
 (i) a core-sheath bicomponent polyester fiber comprising a core domain and a sheath domain, wherein said core domain comprises a poly(alkylene terephthalate) and said sheath domain comprises a homopolyester or copolyester and at least one shed-resistance additive; or   (ii) a monocomponent polyester fiber comprising a poly(alkylene terephthalate), wherein said monocomponent polyester fiber is at least partially coated with a shed-resistance coating.   
     
     
         2 . The melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein said poly(alkylene terephthalate) comprises poly(1,2-ethylene terephthalate), poly(1,3-propylene terephthalate), or poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate), and
 wherein said homopolyester or said copolyester comprises poly(1,2-ethylene terephthalate), poly(1,3-propylene terephthalate), or poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate).   
     
     
         3 . The melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 2 , wherein said melt-spun polyester fiber is said core-sheath bicomponent polyester fiber. 
     
     
         4 . The melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 3 , wherein said sheath domain comprises an inner layer and an outer layer. 
     
     
         5 . The melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 4 , wherein said inner layer and said outer layer are formed from different polyesters. 
     
     
         6 . The melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 3 , wherein said melt-spun polyester fiber comprises 0.1 to 25 weight percent of said shed-resistance additives. 
     
     
         7 . The melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 6 , wherein said shed-resistance additives comprise a lubricant, an impact modifier, a crosslinker, a chain extender, a crystallization modifier, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein said melt-spun polyester fiber is said monocomponent polyester fiber. 
     
     
         9 . The melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 8 , wherein said melt-spun polyester fiber comprises 0.1 to 25 weight percent of said shed-resistance coating, wherein said shed-resistance coating comprises one or more shed-resistance additives. 
     
     
         10 . The melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 9 , wherein said shed-resistance additives comprise a lubricant, an impact modifier, a crosslinker, a chain extender, a crystallization modifier, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein said melt-spun polyester fiber exhibits a fiber weight loss after a washing cycle of less than 2 weight percent. 
     
     
         12 . The melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein said melt-spun polyester fiber exhibits a waste microfibers loss per gram of tested sample after a washing cycle of less than 10 mg of waste microfibers. 
     
     
         13 . A textile comprising said melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . An article of manufacture comprising said melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A method for forming said melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 1 , said method comprising melt spinning said poly(alkylene terephthalate) to thereby form said melt-spun polyester fiber. 
     
     
         16 . A melt-spun polyester fiber for reducing microplastics pollution, wherein said melt-spun polyester fiber is in the form of:
 (i) a first core-sheath bicomponent polyester fiber comprising a first core domain and a first sheath domain, wherein said first core domain comprises a poly(alkylene terephthalate) and said first sheath domain comprises a homopolyester or a copolyester that is different from said fiber-forming poly(alkylene terephthalate);   (ii) a second core-sheath bicomponent polyester fiber comprising a second core domain and a second sheath domain, wherein said second core domain comprises a poly(alkylene terephthalate) and said second sheath domain comprises a homopolyester or a copolyester and at least one shed-resistance additive; or   (iii) a monocomponent polyester fiber comprising a poly(alkylene terephthalate), wherein said monocomponent polyester fiber is at least partially coated with a shed-resistance coating,   wherein said melt-spun polyester fiber exhibits a fiber weight loss after a washing cycle of less than 2 weight percent, and   wherein said melt-spun polyester fiber exhibits a waste microfibers loss per gram of tested sample after a washing cycle of less than 10 mg of waste microfibers.   
     
     
         17 . The melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 16 , wherein said poly(alkylene terephthalate) comprises poly(1,2-ethylene terephthalate), poly(1,3-propylene terephthalate), or poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate), and
 wherein said homopolyester or said copolyester comprises poly(1,2-ethylene terephthalate), poly(1,3-propylene terephthalate), or poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate).   
     
     
         18 . A textile comprising said melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 16 . 
     
     
         19 . An article of manufacture comprising said melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 16 . 
     
     
         20 . A method for forming said melt-spun polyester fiber according to  claim 16 , said method comprising melt spinning said poly(alkylene terephthalate) to thereby form said melt-spun polyester fiber.