Steam jet bulking of multicomponent yarns for improved post textile processing

Abstract

Processes for steam jet bulking of multicomponent yarns, yarns produced via these processes, packages of wound multicomponent yarns produced via these processes, and stretch fabrics and articles of manufacture of these yarns and stretch fabrics are provided.

1 . A process for steam jet bulking of multicomponent yarns, said process comprising overfeeding multicomponent yarns at a high rate into an entanglement jet using steam as the fluid media and pressure to provide partial thermal bulking and steam bulking of the multicomponent fiber. 
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  in which the entanglement jet is an air texturing jet. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the multicomponent yarns are overfed at a rate of greater than 30%. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the pressure is 10 to 60 psig. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising winding the resultant product onto a cardboard or plastic tube to allow for direct processing of the bulked multicomponent yarn into further textile processing equipment. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising introducing heated water to the multicomponent yarn prior to overfeeding the entanglement jet. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6  wherein the water is heated to temperature above 70° C. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1  wherein multiple feed yarns are plied at a point prior to entering the entanglement jet. 
     
     
         9 . A multicomponent yarn prepared from the process for steam jet bulking of multicomponent yarns of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . A package of the multicomponent yarn of  claim 9  wound on cardboard paper or plastic tube. 
     
     
         11 . The package of  claim 10  wherein the wound multicomponent yarn package creates bulk through thermal activation that has a percent bulking efficiency (% BE) greater than 15%. 
     
     
         12 . The package of  claim 10  having a package weight greater than 1 kg. 
     
     
         13 . A stretch fabric comprising the multicomponent yarn of  claim 9 . 
     
     
         14 . An article of manufacture comprising the multicomponent yarn of  claim 9 . 
     
     
         15 . An article of manufacture comprising the stretch fabric of  claim 13 . 
     
     
         16 . The package of  claim 10  that has been dyed. 
     
     
         17 . A multicomponent yarn with a percent bulking efficiency (% BE) ranging from 15% to 67%.