High-strength chemically resistant thin sheath fibers and methods of manufacture

Abstract

Compositions and methods are directed to a sheath core fiber with a core and a sheath that comprises a fluoropolymer. Contemplated sheath materials include PVDF, ECTFE, and ETFE, and may have an apparent shear viscosity equal to or less than the apparent shear viscosity of the core material. Especially contemplated sheaths have a weight of 30% or less of the weight of the fiber. Preferred fibers are spun in a spin pack having a sheath material conduit with a ratio of open volume to sheath material mass flow of less than 0.75 for a fiber with a 30 wt % sheath, of less than 1.15 for a fiber with a 20 wt % sheath, and of less than 2.30 for a fiber with a 10 wt % sheath.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A fiber comprising: 
 a core that is formed from a core material, and a sheath that is formed from a sheath material and at least partially surrounds the core, wherein the sheath material comprises a fluoropolymer.    
     
     
         2 . The fiber of  claim 1  wherein the sheath material has an apparent shear viscosity V S  that is equal to or less than an apparent shear viscosity of the core material V C .  
     
     
         3 . The fiber of  claim 2  wherein V C  is at least 1.3 times V S .  
     
     
         4 . The fiber of  claim 2  wherein V C  is at least 1.6 times V S .  
     
     
         5 . The fiber of  claim 1  wherein the core has a weight W C , the sheath has a weight W S , and wherein W S /W C  is no higher than 0.43.  
     
     
         6 . The fiber of  claim 1  wherein the core has a weight W C , the sheath has a weight W S , and wherein W S /W C  is no higher than 0.12.  
     
     
         7 . The fiber of  claim 1  wherein the core material comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of a poly(ethylene terephthalate), a poly(ethylene naphthalate), a polyamide, and a polyolefin.  
     
     
         8 . The fiber of  claim 7  wherein the core material comprises poly(ethylene terephthalate).  
     
     
         9 . The fiber of  claim 1  wherein the sheath material comprises a melt-processable fluoropolymer.  
     
     
         10 . The fiber of  claim 9  wherein the melt-processable fluoropolymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(vinylidene fluoride), ethylene-chloro-tri-fluoro-ethylene, and ethylene-tetrafluoro-ethylene.  
     
     
         11 . The fiber of  claim 1  wherein the core material comprises poly(ethylene terephthalate) and the sheath material comprises poly(vinylidene fluoride).  
     
     
         12 . The fiber of  claim 1  wherein the core has a weight W C , the sheath has a weight W S , W S /W C  is no higher than 0.43, and wherein the sheath is formed in a spin pack with a sheath material conduit at a ratio of open volume to sheath material mass flow of no more than 1.13.  
     
     
         13 . The fiber of  claim 1  wherein the core has a weight W C , the sheath has a weight W S , W S /W C  is no higher than 0.25, and wherein the sheath is formed in a spin pack with a sheath material conduit at a ratio of open volume to sheath material mass flow of no more than 1.7.  
     
     
         14 . The fiber of  claim 1  wherein the core has a weight W C , the sheath has a weight W S , W S /W C  is no higher than 0.12, and wherein the sheath is formed in a spin pack with a sheath material conduit at a ratio of open volume to sheath material mass flow of no more than 3.4.  
     
     
         15 . A method of producing a fiber comprising: 
 providing a core material and a sheath material that comprises a melt-processable fluorine-containing polymer; and    providing a spin pack and forming a sheath core fiber with a sheath and a core from the sheath material and the core material using the spin pack, wherein the sheath at least partially surrounds the core.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the core has a weight W C , the sheath has a weight W S , W S /W C  is no higher than 0.43, and wherein the spin pack has a sheath material conduit having a ratio of open volume to sheath material mass flow of no more than 1.2.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the core has a weight W C , the sheath has a weight W S , W S /W C  is no higher than 0.25, and wherein the spin pack has a sheath material conduit having a ratio of open volume to sheath material mass flow of no more than 1.7.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the core has a weight W C , the sheath has a weight W S , W S /W C  is no higher than 0.12, and wherein the spin pack has a sheath material conduit having a ratio of open volume to sheath material mass flow of no more than 3.4.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the sheath material has an apparent shear viscosity V S  that is equal to or less than a apparent shear viscosity of the core material V C .  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the core material comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of a poly(ethylene terephthalate), a poly(ethylene naphthalate), a polyamide, and a polyolefin, and wherein the sheath material is selected from the group consisting of poly(vinylidene fluoride), ethylene-chloro-tri-fluoro-ethylene, and ethylene-tetrafluoro-ethylene.