Patent ID: 6585922
Filing Date: 2003-07-01
Classification: A61L,C08L,D01F,Y10T

Abstract:
A reactive blending process for the manufacture of fiber, wherein the process comprises forming a fiber composition by melt blending polypropylene and poly(ethylene oxide), in the presence of at least one polar vinyl monomer and a free radical initiator, under heat and mechanical shear conditions, and subsequently processing the fiber composition into fibers, and wherein:A. the ratio of polypropylene: poly(ethylene oxide) is from 1:99 to 99:1 by weight; B. from about 0.1 to about 30 percent, based on the total weight of the polypropylene and poly(ethylene oxide), of a polar vinyl monomer is added; C. from about 0.1 to about 2 percent, based on the total weight of the polypropylene and poly(ethylene oxide), of a free radical initiator is added; and D. the fiber composition has an apparent viscosity at a temperature of about 195Â° C. of less than about 150 Pascal*second at shear rates of about 50 secondsâˆ’1.