Colorable filaments from polymer blend

Abstract

A process for making colorable mono-component filament, and the colorable mono-component filament. A virgin polymer and a recycle polymer are blended to form a mixture, followed by forming the mixture into colorable mono-component filament. Achieved is a good dyeability characteristic for the colorable mono-component filament comparable to that of colorable mono-component filament formed from the virgin polymer free of the recycle polymer.

1 . a process for making colorable filament comprising: 
 (a) blending virgin polymer A and recycle polymer A to form a mixture; and    (b) forming the mixture into colorable mono-component filament that has a good colorability characteristic comparable to that of colorable mono-component filament formed from the virgin polymer A free of the recycle polymer A.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein forming the mixture into colorable mono-component filament comprises a first step of making the filament and a second step of dyeing the filament.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein forming the mixture into colorable mono-component filament comprises adding pigment into the mixture when making the filament.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer A is selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyester, and polypropylene.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the polymer A comprises nylon that is selected from the group consisting of nylon 6, nylon 6,6, nylon 6,10, nylon 6,12, nylon 11, nylon 12, nylon 66612, nylon 6,9, nylon 6,10, nylon 6T, nylon 4,6, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the polymer A comprises nylon, and the virgin nylon and the recycle nylon are chosen so that the combined virgin nylon and recycle nylon in the mixture has a range of sulfur from about 1000 ppm to about 2600 ppm.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein forming the mixture into colorable mono-component filament comprises a first step of making the filament and a second step of dyeing the filament with a cationic dye.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the polymer A comprises nylon, and the virgin nylon and the recycle nylon are chosen so that the combined virgin nylon and recycle nylon in the mixture has a range of amine ends from about 33 meq/gm to about 71 meq/gm.  
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 8 , wherein forming the mixture into colorable mono-component filament comprises a first step of making the filament and a second step of dyeing the filament with an acid dye.  
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the polymer A comprises nylon, and forming the mixture into colorable mono-component filament comprises adding pigment into the mixture when making the filament.  
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the polymer A comprises polyester that is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the polymer A comprises polyester, and forming the mixture into colorable mono-component filament comprises a first step of making the filament and a second step of disperse dyeing.  
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein polymer A comprises polypropylene, and forming the mixture into colorable mono-component filament comprises adding pigment into the mixture when making the filament.  
     
     
         14 . A process for making colorable filament comprising: 
 (a)blending virgin nylon and recycle nylon to form a mixture, wherein the virgin nylon and the recycle nylon are chosen so that the combined virgin nylon and recycle nylon in the mixture has one of (i) a range of sulfur from about 1000 ppm to about 2600 ppm, or (ii) a range of amine ends from about 33 meq/gm to about 71 meq/gm, and    (b) forming the mixture into colorable mono-component nylon filament that has a good colorability characteristic comparable to that of colorable mono-component nylon filament formed from the nylon free of the recycle nylon.    
     
     
         15 . A colorable mono-component filament comprising virgin polymer A and recycle polymer A, and having a good dyeability characteristic comparable to that of colorable mono-component filament made from the virgin polymer A free of the recycle polymer A.  
     
     
         16 . The filament of  claim 15 , wherein the polymer A is selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyester, and polypropylene.  
     
     
         17 . The filament of  claim 16 , wherein the polymer A comprises nylon that is selected from the group consisting of nylon 6, nylon 6,6, nylon 6,10, nylon 6,12, nylon 11, nylon 12, nylon 66612, nylon 6,9, nylon 6,10, nylon 6T, nylon 4,6, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The filament of  claim 16 , wherein the polymer A comprises nylon, and the virgin nylon and the recycle nylon are chosen so that the combined virgin nylon and recycle nylon has a range of sulfur from about 1000 ppm to about 2600 ppm.  
     
     
         19 . The filament of  claim 1   8 , wherein the filament is cationic dyed.  
     
     
         20 . The filament of  claim 16 , wherein the polymer A comprises nylon, and the virgin nylon and the recycle nylon are chosen so that the combined virgin nylon and recycle nylon has a range of amine ends from about 33 meq/gm to about 71 meq/gm.  
     
     
         21 . The filament of  claim 20 , wherein the filament is acid dyed.  
     
     
         22 . The filament of  claim 16 , wherein the polymer A comprises nylon, and the filament is pigmented.  
     
     
         23 . The filament of  claim 16 , wherein the polymer A comprises polyester that is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         24 . The filament of  claim 16 , wherein the polymer A comprises polyester, and wherein the filament is disperse dyed.  
     
     
         25 . The filament of  claim 16 , wherein polymer A comprises polypropylene, and wherein the filament is pigmented.  
     
     
         26 . A colorable mono-component nylon filament comprising virgin nylon and recycle nylon, and having a good dyeability characteristic comparable to that of colorable mono-component filament made from the virgin nylon free of the recycle nylon, and wherein the virgin nylon and the recycle nylon are chosen so that the combined virgin nylon and recycle nylon has one of (i) a range of sulfur from about 1000 ppm to about 2600 ppm, or (ii) a range of amine ends from about 33 meq/gm to about 71 meq/gm.