Melt-spun elastoester multifilament yarns

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of melt-spinning a polyether ester thermoplastic elastomer under commercially viable conditions to produce an elastoester multifilament yarn, wherein the polyether ester thermoplastic elastomer is a polytrimethylene ether ester comprising a polytrimethylene ether dicarboxylate ester soft segment and hard segment selected from a trimethylene dicarboxylate ester and/or a tetramethylene dicarboxylate ester hard segment.

1 . A process for preparing an elastoester multifilament yarn comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a polyether ester thermoplastic elastomer comprising from about 80 to about 40 wt % of a polytrimethylene ether dicarboxylate ester soft segment, and from about 20 to about 60 wt % of a hard segment selected from the group consisting of a trimethylene dicarboxylate ester, a tetramethylene dicarboxylate ester and mixtures thereof, based on the combined weight of the hard and soft segments;   (b) melt spinning the elastomer by extruding it through one or more spinnerets to form at least 2 filaments; and   (c) processing the filaments into a multifilament yarn,   
     wherein the melt spinning is conducted at a spinning speed of greater than about 1200 meters/minute. 
   
   
       2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the dicarboxylate comprises terephthalate. 
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the polytrimethylene ether ester comprises about 80 to about 40 wt % polytrimethylene ether terephthalate soft segment and about 20 to about 60 wt % trimethylene terephthalate hard segment. 
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the polytrimethylene ether ester comprises about 80 to about 40 wt % polytrimethylene ether terephthalate soft segment and about 20 to about 60 wt % tetramethylene terephthalate hard segment. 
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the multifilament yarn comprises filaments having a denier per filament of about 0.5 to about 20. 
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the process further comprises interlacing and winding the filaments. 
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the multifilament yarn is spun drawn yarn and the processing comprises drawing the filaments at a draw speed, as measured at the roller at the end of the draw step, of about 1250 to about 5000 meters/minute. 
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 7 , wherein the processing into spun drawn multifilament comprises drawing, annealing, interlacing and winding the filaments. 
   
   
       9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the multifilament yarn is partially oriented yarn. 
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises cutting the multifilament yarn into staple fibers. 
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the polyether ester thermoplastic elastomer comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of delusterants, nucleating agents, heat stabilizers, viscosity boosters, optical brighteners, pigments and antioxidants. 
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the multifilament yarn is an elastoester yarn with an elongation of from about 100 to about 600%. 
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the multifilament yarn is an elastoester yarn with a tenacity of from about 0.5 to about 2.5 grams/denier. 
   
   
       14 . A process for preparing multifilament textured yarn comprising filaments of polytrimethylene ether ester comprising from about 80 to about 40 wt % polytrimethylene ether dicarboxylate ester soft segment and from about 20 to about 60 wt % hard segment selected from the group consisting trimethylene dicarboxylate ester and tetramethylene dicarboxylate ester, the process comprising: (a) preparing a package of partially oriented multifilament yarn by the process of  claim 9 ; (b) unwinding the yarn from the package; (c) drawing the filaments to form a drawn yarn; (d) false-twist texturing the drawn yarn to form the textured yarn; and (e) winding the yarn onto a package. 
   
   
       15 . Multifilament yarn prepared by the process of  claim 1 . 
   
   
       16 . Fabric comprising the multifilament yarn of  claim 15 .