Photopolymerizable compositions for solventless fiber spinning

Abstract

Disclosed are methods of fiber spinning and polymer fibers that utilize multifunctional thiol and enes compounds. Also, the subject matter disclosed herein relates to uses of polymer fibers and articles prepared from such fibers.

1 - 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A polymer fiber comprising an ene polymer, wherein the ene polymer is a photopolymerized product of an ene compound. 
     
     
         29 . The polymer fiber of  claim 28 , wherein the ene polymer is crosslinked. 
     
     
         30 . The polymer fiber of  claim 28 , further comprising a thiol compound that is polymerized to the ene compound. 
     
     
         31 . The polymer fiber of  claim 30 , wherein the ene compound is a multifunctional ene compound and the thiol compound is a multifunctional thiol. 
     
     
         32 . The polymer fiber of  claim 30 , wherein the ene compound is a monofunctional ene compound and the thiol compound is a multifunctional thiol compound. 
     
     
         33 . The polymer fiber of  claim 30 , wherein the ene compound is a multifunctional ene compound and the thiol compound is a monofunctional thiol compound. 
     
     
         34 . The polymer fiber of  claim 30 , wherein the molar amount of the ene compound is in excess of the molar amount of the thiol compound. 
     
     
         35 . The polymer fiber of  claim 30 , wherein the molar ratio of ene compound to thiol compound is from 10:1 to 1:1. 
     
     
         36 . The polymer fiber of  claim 30 , wherein the molar ratio of ene compound to thiol compound is from 1:10 to 1:1. 
     
     
         37 . The polymer fiber of  claim 28 , wherein the ene compound is chosen from vinyl ether, vinyl benzene, styrene, alkylstyrene, halostyrene, acrylate, methacrylate, acrylonitrile, vinyl chloride, vinyl propionate, vinyl acetate, vinyl pivalate, vinyl neononanoate, N,N-dimethyl acrylamide, N,N-diethyl acrylamide, N-isopropyl acrylamide, N-octyl acrylamide, and N-t-butyl acrylamide, and (meth)acrylonitrile. 
     
     
         38 . The polymer fiber of  claim 28 , wherein the ene compound is chosen from norbornenes, vinyl esters, N-vinyl amides, allyl ethers, allyl triazines, allyl isocyanurates, N-substituted maleimides, conjugated dienes, vinyl-containing ceramic precursors, dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate, and (meth)acrylated epoxidized soybean oil. 
     
     
         39 . The polymer fiber of  claim 30 , wherein the thiol compound is chosen from dimercaptodiethyl sulfide, 1,6-hexanedithiol, 1,8-dimercapto-3,6-dithiooctane, propane-1,2,3-trithiol, 1,2-bis[(2-mercaptoethyl)thio]-3-mercaptopropane, tetrakis(7-mercapto-2,5-dithiaheptyl] methane, trimethylolpropane tris(2-mercaptoacetate), pentaerythritol tetrakis(2-mercaptoacetate), ethylene glycol bis(3-mercaptopropionate), dipentaerythritol hexakis(3-mercaptopropionate), 1,4-butanediol bis(3 mercaptopropionate), tris[2-(3-mercaptopropionyloxy)ethyl]isocyanureate, tetraethylene glycol bis(3-mercaptopropionate), ethylene glycol bisthioglycolate, trimethylolethane trithioglycolate, 1,4-butanediol bismercaptoacetate, trithiocyanuric acid, and glyceryl thioglycolate. 
     
     
         40 . The polymer fiber of  claim 30 , wherein the thiol compound is chosen from an α or β-mercaptocarboxylic acid, ethylene glycol bis(thioglycolate), pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate), trimethylolpropane tris(thiolglycolate), trimethylolpropane tris(3-mercaptopropionate), pentaerythritol tetrakis(thioglycolate), polypropylene ether glycol bis(3-mercaptopropionate), poly-2-mercaptoacetate, and poly-3-mercaptopropionate esters. 
     
     
         41 . The polymer fiber of  claim 30 , wherein the ene compound is pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate) and the thiol compound is dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate. 
     
     
         42 . The polymer fiber of  claim 30 , wherein the fiber further comprises one or more viscosity modifiers, surfactants, stabilizers, pigments, dyes, plasticizers, fillers, thermally stable inorganic materials, crosslinking agents, micro fibers, nanofibers, nanotubes, nanowhiskers, nanoparticles, and platelets. 
     
     
         43 . The polymer fiber of  claim 28 , wherein the fiber has an average diameter of about 1000 nm or less. 
     
     
         44 . The polymer fiber of  claim 28 , wherein the fiber has an average diameter of about 1 μm to about 1 mm. 
     
     
         45 . An article comprising the polymer fiber of  claim 28 . 
     
     
         46 . The article of  claim 45 , wherein the article is a woven, nonwoven, or spooled nonwoven fibrous article.