Study of polypropylene/poly(ethylene terephthalate) bicomponent melt‐blowing process: The fiber temperature and elongational viscosity profiles of the spinline

Although there are significant differences between high‐speed melt spinning and melt blowing (MB), they are similar in many important components. This study, motivated by the need to better understand the bicomponent MB process, used the basic theories of high‐speed melt spinning to estimate the fiber temperature and elongation viscosity profiles of the polypropylene/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PP/PET) bicomponent MB process. During the MB process, the filament temperature decreased dramatically within the first 2 in. from the MB die. The fiber temperature‐decay profiles of PP, PET monocomponent, and PP/PET bicomponent filaments followed similar trends. PP filaments attenuated faster than PET filaments and the bicomponent filaments attenuated at a medium rate between that of PP and PET. Accordingly, the elongational viscosity increased significantly in the first 2 in. from the die. PET filaments exhibited higher elongational viscosity than that of 100% PP filaments. The elongational viscosity profile of 75%PP/25%PET was between that of PP and PET monocomponent filaments. These data provided important information on understanding the MB process and filament attenuation. It also suggested that the filament elongational viscosity profile is the key factor in production of finer bicomponent MB fibers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 1145–1150, 2003     

Enhancement of fiber structure formation of a liquid crystalline copolyester via ultra-high speed bicomponent spinning with poly(ethylene terephthalate)

A thermotropic liquid crystalline copolyester, poly(hydroxybenzoic acid-co-ethylene terephthalate) (LCP), and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) were coextruded using two different extrusion systems to form sheath-core type biocomponent fibers. The bicomponent fibers could be spun up to a take-up velocity of 8 Km/min. The structural characterization of the individual components in the as-spun fibers showed that the orientation development in the PET component was significantly suppressed compared with the corresponding single component fibers. A significant increase in the tensile modulus of the LCP core component, which was estimated by the simple rule of mixtures, was observed above a take-up velocity of 4 km/min. The increase in tensile modulus was attributed to the increase in the overall orientation of the LCP core resulting from the combination of the high levels of stress generated during spinning at very high speeds and the altered thermal and stress generated during spinning at very high speeds and the altered thermal and stress histories provided by the bicomponent spinning process. On-line study of the thinning behavior of single component and bicomponent spinning was carried out in order to gain an understanding of the spinline dynamics, which improved the processability and structure development of LCP.     

Fine structure and physical properties of polyethylene/poly(ethylene terephthalate) bicomponent fibers in high‐speed spinning. I. Polyethylene sheath/poly(ethylene terephthalate) core fibers

The high‐speed melt spinning of sheath/core type bicomponent fibers was performed and the change of fiber structure with increasing take‐up velocity was investigated. Two kinds of polyethylene, high density and linear low density (HDPE, LLDPE) with melt flow rates (MFR) of 11 and 50, [HDPE(11), LLDPE(50)], and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) were selected and two sets of sheath/core combinations [HDPE(11)/PET and LLDPE(50)/PET bicomponent fibers] were studied. The fiber structure formation and physical property effects on the take‐up velocities were investigated with birefringence, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, thermal analysis, tensile tests, and so forth. In the fiber structure formation of PE/PET, the PET component was developed but the PE components were suppressed in high‐speed spinning. The different kinds of PE had little affect on the fine structure formation of bicomponent fibers. The difference in the mechanical properties of the bicomponent fiber with the MFR was very small. The instability of the interface was shown above a take‐up velocity of 4 km/min, where the orientation‐induced crystallization of PET started. LLDPE(50)/PET has a larger difference in intrinsic viscosity and a higher stability of the interface compared to the HDPE(11)/PET bicomponent fibers. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 2254–2266, 2000     

海岛复合超细纤维的纺丝工艺探讨

采用特性粘数0.70dL/g以上的水溶性聚酯(COPET)为海组分,半消光聚酯(PET)为岛组分进行纺丝,得到海岛复合超细纤维,探讨了纺丝工艺对纤维染色性能的影响。结果表明:应严格控制干燥条件及纺丝组件工艺,干切片含水量小于30μg/g,岛组分与海组分粘度差0.02dL/g,COPET纺丝温度273～286℃,PET纺丝温度289～295℃,冷却吹风速率0.45～0.50m/s,吹风温度18～20℃,卷绕速度3300m/min,可得到染色性能好的海岛复合超细纤维。     

Structure development and properties of high-speed melt spun poly(butylene terephthalate)/poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) bicomponent fibers

Ultra-high-speed bicomponent spinning of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) as sheath and biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) as core was accomplished with the take-up velocity up to 10 km/min. The structure development of the individual component and the properties of PBT/PBAT fibers were investigated through the measurements on differential scanning calorimetry, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, birefringence and tensile test. Due to the mutual interaction between two polymer-melts along the spinline, the processability of both components in PBT/PBAT bicomponent spinning was improved compared with those of corresponding single component spinnings. Furthermore, in PBT/PBAT fibers, the structure development of PBT component was found to be greatly enhanced, which led to the improvement in its thermal and mechanical properties; whereas the structure development of PBAT component was significantly suppressed, in which nearly non-oriented structure was observed in both crystalline and amorphous phases.     

Rheological behavior of polyester blend and mechanical properties of the polypropylene–polyester blend fibers

The article deals with method of preparation, rheological properties, phase structure, and morphology of binary blend of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) and ternary blends of polypropylene (PP)/(PET/PBT). The ternary blend of PET/PBT (PES) containing 30 wt % of PP is used as a final polymer additive (FPA) for blending with PP and subsequent spinning. In addition commercial montane (polyester) wax Licowax E (LiE) was used as a compatibilizer for spinning process enhancement. The PP/PES blend fibers containing 8 wt % of polyester as dispersed phase were prepared in a two‐step procedure: preparation of FPA using laboratory twin‐screw extruder and spinning of the PP/PES blend fibers after blending PP and FPA, using a laboratory spinning equipment. DSC analysis was used for investigation of the phase structure of the PES components and selected blends. Finally, the mechanical properties of the blend fibers were analyzed. It has been found that viscosity of the PET/PBT blends is strongly influenced by the presence of the major component. In addition, the major component suppresses crystallinity of the minor component phase up to a concentration of 30 wt %. PBT as major component in dispersed PES phase increases viscosity of the PET/PBT blend melts and increases the tensile strength of the PP/PES blend fibers. The impact of the compatibilizer on the uniformity of phase dispersion of PP/PES blend fibers was demonstrated. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 4222–4227, 2006     

Elongational viscosity in the isothermal melt spinning of polypropylene

The elongational viscosity of polypropylene has been investigated by isothermal melt spinning, carried out over a range of experimental conditions. The filament diameter and the elongational force were measured for running filaments and the relationship between elongational viscosity and elongational strain rate reported. The elongational viscosity was observed to decrease in the vicinity of the spinneret and then remained constant before increasing along the thread line. An increase in elongational viscosity did not occur within the isothermal zone until the elongational flow was fully developed. The onset of an increase in elongational viscosity was determined from the constant total elongational strain. The degree of molecular orientation was also studied by birefringence measurements and was investigated as a function of elongational stress. At a high elongational stress, the relation between birefringence and elongational stress departed from linearity and exhibited a rapid increase which can be related to the increase in elongational viscosity.     

Structure–property evolution of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/poly(trimethylene terephthalate) side-by-side self-crimp filament

To investigate the microstructure and mechanical properties of self-crimping two-component side-by-side bicomponent filament, this paper focuses on systematically investigating the structure–property evolution of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) side-by-side bicomponent filament prepared via melt spinning with various component ratios, drawing and heating treatment. The investigation was operated upon the combination of morphology analysis, thermal analysis, crystallization, and orientation analysis. The variation of cross section and curl-morphology, crystallization, and microstructures mainly containing lamellar and microfibrillar crystals as well as their effects on the mechanical and self-crimping properties were discussed. As the draft ratio (DR) increases, the crystallinity, sonic orientation factor, tensile strength, and crimp-recovery rate of the filaments were increased. The sonic orientation factor in the crystalline region decreases from 0.923 to 0.777 but increases from 0.677 to 0.903 in the amorphous region. In contrast to the variation of the DR, heating temperature has a limited effect on the tensile strength of the PET/PTT hybrid filaments. Crimp-recovery rate, however, first increases to 11.8 and then decreases to 9.8 with an increasing heating temperature from 144 to 168°C. Most of these behaviors have been attributed to changes in the ratio of contractile stress for both PTT and PET components, originating from microstructural evolution in hybrid filaments, including crystal growth, breakage, deflection, and deformation of chains along the axial direction. As a summary, an interpretive diagrammatic sketch has been proposed to clarify the structure–property relationships of the commercial PET/PTT filaments.     

Computer Simulation of Polyester High‐Speed Thermal Channel Spinning

A mathematical model to describe the thermal channel spinning (TCS) process in PET high‐speed melt‐spinning has been developed. This model, which is based on the spinning process kinematics, includes the effects of acceleration, gravity, and surfacial air friction. It incorporates the constitutive equation of PET polymer, the heat transfer related to the transverse air blowing and, in particular, to a convection and radiation combining procedure in the thermal channel, while taking into account the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics related to temperature and molecular orientation as well as the elongational viscosity of PET polymer connected with temperature, intrinsic viscosity and crystallinity. The developments of crystallinity, molecular orientation and morphological features of high‐speed‐spun PET fiber in the TCS process are investigated at take‐up speeds ranging from 3 600–4 400 m/min and thermal channel temperatures ranging from 160–200°C. The simulated results of this model are compared with the measured crystallinity, diameter, and birefringence of the spun yarn. The “necking point” in the TCS spinline can be predicted by this model.     

Influence of polymer characteristics and melt-spinning conditions on the production of fine denier poly(ethylene terephtalate) fibers. Part II. Melt spinning dynamics

The effect of poly(ethylene terephtalate) (PET) polymers with different rheological properties as well as the effect of different spinning conditions on the minimum attainable takeup denier were determined. The spinning conditions were modified by the use of heating devices, insulation plate, and convergence guides tested in the range of take-up speeds from 2000 to 6000 m/min. It is postulated that the important parameter in the production of fine denier PET fiber is the spinline tension level, which must be kept low in order to obtain finer denier fibers. The increase of take-up velocity and the threadline length increase the spinline stress level, and therefore the minimum denier attainable increases. The effect of the apparent elongational viscosity of the polymer and the threadline cooling profile can be thought as affecting the draw-down tension and therefore the minimum take-up denier. Higher apparent elongational viscosity level or faster cooling generates higher spinline tension resulting in higher minimum denier. The effects of the apparent elongational viscosity is more significant at a speed of 5000 m/min. This is in part due to the already very small denier obtained at speeds up to 4000 m/min, where the conditions of uniformity of polymer flow seem to be more important.     

中空硬弹聚丙烯单丝超分子结构和物理—机械性能的研究

研究了单、双两种组分的中空硬弹聚丙烯单丝在不同纺丝温度和拉伸倍数下的超分子结构及性质变化,并与硬弹、普通中空聚丙烯单丝进行了比较。发现单、双两种组分的中空硬弹聚丙烯单丝与普通中空聚丙烯单丝在结构和性质上有很大的差别,而与硬弹聚丙烯单丝基本相似。随着拉伸倍数的增加,单、双两组分的中空硬弹聚丙烯单丝,其取向,断裂强度均有一个最小值;回弹率有一最大值;单丝的晶轴取向与硬弹处理有关,而晶型变化与硬弹处理无直接联系,结晶度高于普通单丝。纺丝温度低,有利于取向和弹性的提高。     

皮芯型复合纤维的研制及其应用

介绍皮芯型复合纤维,重点是锦/涤纶偏心型复合长丝的工艺流程、复合喷丝组件结构、纺丝和拉伸工艺、纤维的力学性能和卷曲性能,以及产品的开发应用。     

Modelling of liquid crystalline compound fibres

A model for slender, liquid crystalline, bicomponent fibres at low Reynolds and Biot numbers based on the slenderness ratio as the perturbation parameter, is presented. The model results in one-dimensional equations for the fibre's radii, axial velocity component and temperature, to which we have added two transport equations for the molecular orientation and crystallization and the effects of these variables on the elongational viscosity. The crystallization kinetics is based on Avrami–Kolmogorov theory and is affected by the molecular orientation, while the latter is based on Doi's slender body theory for liquid crystalline polymers. It is shown that the model depends on a large number of dimensionless parameters, and shows that the axial strain rate and the degree of molecular orientation increase as the activation energy of the dynamic viscosity of the core, the heat transfer losses, the thermal conductivity ratio and the pre-exponential factors ratio are increased, whereas they decrease as the thermal capacity of the core is increased. It is also shown that the degree of molecular orientation increases and reaches a value equal to one, whereas no complete crystallization is achieved. It is also shown that the crystallization first increases sharply and then at a smaller pace. It is also shown that the axial stresses on liquid crystalline bicomponent fibres are much higher than those on amorphous ones.     

Shaping conjugated hollow fibers using a four‐segmented arc spinneret

This study discusses a light‐weight bicomponent hollow fiber that is formed from a low‐density material on the inside, such as polypropylene (PP), and a regularly dyeable material outside, such as polyterephthalate (PET) or nylon. Finite elements and the Optimesh‐3D remeshing approach are adopted to identify the main controlling factors of spinning the sheath‐core hollow fiber without the consideration of winding actions are performed, based on a four‐segmented arc spinneret design. The results indicate that the deflection of melt streams under the spinneret is a major factor that controls the gluing of the gap between arc segments. A greater mismatch between the viscosities of the sheath and the core causes a greater deflection and increases the likelihood of gluing events. Beyond deflection, die swelling under the spinneret is another issue of concern in the processing of bicomponent hollow fibers. Finally, the simulation results are compared with experimental data, and the most appropriate conditions for forming a PET/PP hollow fiber were obtained. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Studies on high‐speed melt spinning of noncircular cross‐ section fibers. I. Structural analysis of as‐spun fibers

Flat fibers and hollow fibers were prepared through the high‐speed melt spinning of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and the structures of these fibers were compared with those of circular fibers. The cross‐sectional shape of each fiber changed to a dull shape in comparison with that of the respective spinning nozzle. The change in the cross‐sectional shape was slightly suppressed with an increase in the take‐up velocity. There was a significant development of structural variation in the cross section of flat fibers in that the molecular orientation and crystallization were enhanced at the edge. Despite the difference in the cross‐sectional shape, the structural development of flat, hollow, and circular fibers with increasing take‐up velocity showed almost similar behavior. Considering that the tensile stress at the solidification point of the spin line is known to govern the structure development of high‐speed spun PET fibers, it was speculated that the effects of the enhancement of cooling and air friction on the tensile stress at the solidification point cancel each other. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 1575–1581, 2001     

DRYING BEHAVIOR OF ACETATE FILAMENT IN DRY SPINNING

Drying behavior of acetate filament in dry spinning is investigated, including the elongational deformation of polymer solution thread in the early stage of drying. Variations of diameter, velocity, temperature, solvent concentration profile in the thread and tension distribution along the threadline in the spinning column, are calculated for spinning conditions encountered commercially by means of the equations of simultaneous momentum, heat and mass transfer between the thread and hot air flow in the spinning column. Concentration and temperature dependencies of the mutual diffusion coefficient from desorption experiment are correlated by the free volume theory. The elongational viscosity is estimated from the shear viscosity data using Krevelen theory. Residual acetone concentratio in the thread and tension at the exit of the spinning column are compared between the calculated results and the experimental data by a commercial apparatus; satisfactory agreement is found. Rapid decreases of temperature and surface concentration of the dope thread after extrusion confine the elongational deformation within several centimeters below the spinnerette. Initial elongational rate and die swell ratio are related to the winding velocity and tension at the exit of the spinning column. The tension is determined mainly by initial viscous force and air drag.     

DRYING BEHAVIOR OF ACETATE FILAMENT IN DRY SPINNING

Drying behavior of acetate filament in dry spinning is investigated, including the elongational deformation of polymer solution thread in the early stage of drying. Variations of diameter, velocity, temperature, solvent concentration profile in the thread and tension distribution along the threadline in the spinning column, are calculated for spinning conditions encountered commercially by means of the equations of simultaneous momentum, heat and mass transfer between the thread and hot air flow in the spinning column. Concentration and temperature dependencies of the mutual diffusion coefficient from desorption experiment are correlated by the free volume theory. The elongational viscosity is estimated from the shear viscosity data using Krevelen theory. Residual acetone concentratio in the thread and tension at the exit of the spinning column are compared between the calculated results and the experimental data by a commercial apparatus; satisfactory agreement is found. Rapid decreases of temperature and surface concentration of the dope thread after extrusion confine the elongational deformation within several centimeters below the spinnerette. Initial elongational rate and die swell ratio are related to the winding velocity and tension at the exit of the spinning column. The tension is determined mainly by initial viscous force and air drag.     

PET/PTT并列复合纤维生产工艺探讨

探讨了150 dtex/48 f聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯(PET)/聚对苯二甲酸丙二醇酯(PTT)双组分并列预取向丝(POY)的生产工艺.结果表明:选择特殊设计的纺丝组件,喷丝板的长径比大于2,孔形为花生形,选用特性黏数为0.53 dL/g的PET和特性黏数为1.02 dL/g的PTT切片质量比为50/50,PET的纺丝温...     

On-line studies and computer simulation of the melt spinning of nylon-66 filaments

A mathematical model was developed to describe the high-speed melt-spinning behavior crystallizable polymers. This model included the effects of acceleration, gravity, and air friction on the kinematics of the process; temperature and molecular orientation on the crystallization kinetics of the polymer; and temperature, molecular weight, and crystallinity on the elongational viscosity of the material. Experimental on-line diameter, birefringence, and temperature profiles were obtained for a 12,000 Mn nylon-66 at 2.5 g/min spun at take-up speeds ranging from 2800 to 6600 m/min. These profiles were qualitatively and reasonably quantitatively in agreement with the predicted profiles. They indicated that orientation induced crystallization occurs at spinning speeds greater than 4000 m/min. The experimental diameter and birefringence profiles were compared to those predicted by the model using Avrami indices of 3, 2, and 1. There was a small increase in the crystalline index at the lower speeds with decreasing index. The effect of the strain hardening was more significant at the higher speeds, this being shown by decreasing the exponent in the relationship for the crystallinity on the elongational viscosity. The model developed in this study indicates that high spinning speeds provide the high stress environment that increases the molecular orientation within the fiber. It is this higher molecular orientation that is the driving force for rapid crystallization on the spinline. This rapid crystallization causes a strain hardening, preventing any further drawdown in the fiber diameter and an abrupt rise in the birefringence. This behavior closely corresponds to the observed spinline profiles.     

从织物弹性考查PTT/PET双组分长丝的制造技术

首先采用自纺丝和企业中试丝两大系列18种聚对苯二甲酸丙二酯(PTT)/聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯(PET)双组分长丝,试制了18种机织物试样,并进行织物弹性测试,分析复合方式、PTT组分特性黏度和含量、热盘温度4个主要纺丝工艺参数对织物弹性的影响。试验发现,在采用板内复合纺丝方法,PTT和PET两组分特性黏度差较大,热盘温度高的纺丝条件下,织物的定力伸长率比较大;文献资料报道的PTT质量分数为50%时双组分纤维卷曲曲率及卷曲伸长率最大仅仅是某些条件下的试验结果,当PET与PTT弹性模量比(e)较大时,存在例外情况。