Morphologically stable bulked continuous filaments and methods and systems for making the same

Abstract

BCF yarn is melt-spun, drawn and textured to provide morphologically stable BCF yarns. The yarn texturizing includes a relatively low efficiency fluid jet texturizer, that is a fluid jet texturizer operating at a sufficiently low fluid jet velocity and a sufficiently high fluid jet temperature to obtain a yarn skein shrinkage of less than about 0.50 inch, more preferably about 0.25 inch or less. Most preferably, the BCF yarns are formed of nylon-6 and exhibit an alpha-crystalline content of less than about 45%, and usually between about 45% to about 55%.

1 - 13 . (Canceled)  
     
     
         14 . A system for making yarns of bulked continuous filaments comprising: 
 a spinning head for melt-spinning a polymeric material to form multiple filaments thereof;    a draw zone downstream of said spin head for drawing the melt-spun filaments; and    a texturing unit downstream of the draw zone for texturing the melt-spun, drawn filaments; wherein    the texturing unit includes a fluid jet texturizer operable at a sufficiently low fluid jet velocity and a sufficiently high fluid jet temperature to obtain a yarn skein shrinkage of less than about 0.50 inch.    
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising a finish applicator downstream of said spinning head to apply a liquid finish to the filaments.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising a winder downstream of said texturing unit to wind the BCF yarn into a yarn package.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein said texturizing unit imparts an alpha-crystalline content in the BCF of at least about 45%.  
     
     
         18 . A system for making yarns of bulked continuous filaments comprising: 
 a spinning head for melt-spinning a polymeric material to form multiple filaments thereof;    a draw zone downstream of said spin head for drawing the melt-spun filaments; and    a texturing unit downstream of the draw zone for texturing the melt-spun, drawn filaments; wherein    the texturing unit including fluid jet texturizer means operable at a sufficiently low fluid jet velocity and a sufficiently high fluid jet temperature for imparting alpha-crystalline content in the BCF of at least about 45% and a yarn skein shrinkage of less than about 0.50 inch.    
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising a finish applicator downstream of said spinning head to apply a liquid finish to the filaments.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising a winder downstream of said texturing unit to wind the BCF yarn into a yarn package.