EP0743380A2

High tenacity propylene polymer fibre and process for making it

Abstract

Process for the production of a high tenacity propylene polymer fiber which comprises: spinning fiber from a molten propylene polymer composition consisting essentially of an olefin polymer (I) and a high molecular weight propylene polymer (II) having a branching index less than 1 and melt strength from 5 to 40 cN; said propylene polymer (II) being present in a concentration from 0.1 to 10% by weight with respect to the total weight of the composition; anddrawing the solid fiber thus obtained with a draw ratio greater than 4.5 when the spinning step is continuous and greater than 5 when the spinning step is discontinuous.

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Projected expiry passed 15 May 2016, 10.4 years ago.

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12 claims: 3 independent, 9 dependent

  1. 1
    A process for the production of a high tenacity polypropylene fiber which comprises:- spinning fiber from a molten propylene polymer composition consisting essentially of an olefin polymer (I) and a high molecular weight propylene polymer (II), having a branching index less than 1 and melt strength from 5 to 40 centiNewton (cN);said propylene polymer (II) being present in a concentration from 0.1 to 10% by weight with respect to the total weight of the composition;and - drawing the solid fiber thus obtained with a draw ratio greater than 4.5 when the spinning step is continuous, and greater than 5 when the spinning step is discontinuous.
  2. 5
    A propylene polymer fiber having a tenacity greater than 50 cN/tex comprising a polypropylene composition consisting essentially of an olefin polymer (I) and a high molecular weight propylene polymer (II) having a branching index less than 1 and melt strength from 5 to 40 cN;said propylene polymer (II) being present in a concentration from 0.1% to 10% by weight with respect to the total weight of the composition.
  3. 6
    The fiber of claim 6, where the olefin polymer (I) is selected from:1) isotactic propylene homopolymers having an isotactic index greater than 90;2) random copolymers of propylene with ethylene and/or a C 4 -C 8 α-olefin;and 3) heterophasic polymers comprising (by weight): A) from 10 to 99.5 parts of a propylene homopolymer or a copolymer of propylene with ethylene and/or a C 4 -C 8 α-olefin, containing over 80% of propylene and having an isotactic index greater than 80, or mixtures thereof;B) from 0 to 25 parts of an essentially linear semicrystalline ethylene copolymer, insoluble in xylene at ambient temperature;and C) from 0.5 to 87 parts of a copolymer fraction of ethylene with propylene and/or a C 4 -C 8 α-olefin, and optionally minor quantities of diene, said copolymer fraction containing from 10 to 80% of ethylene, and being soluble in xylene at ambient temperature;4) mixtures of homopolymers (1) with copolymers (2).
  4. 8
    A propylene polymer composition consisting essentially of an olefin polymer (I) blended with a high molecular weight propylene polymer (II), having a branching index less than 1 and melt strength from 5 to 40 cN;said propylene polymer being present in a concentration from greater than 0.2% to less than 0.5% by weight with respect to the total weight of the composition.