Patent ID: 6416859
Filing Date: 2002-07-09
Classification: B29C,C08J,C08K,D01D,D01F,D06N,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of making pigmented filaments comprising:(i) supplying a melt flow of a melt-spinnable polymeric host material to spinneret orifices; (ii) incorporating within at least a portion of the melt flow of polymeric host material upstream of the spinneret orifices, a dispersible non-aqueous additive comprised of (1) dispersant-coated pigment particles, formed of solid pigment particles coated with a water-soluble/dispersible dispersant, which are dispersed in (2) a nonaqueous polycaprolactone carrier which is liquid at room temperature to form a mixture of the polymeric host material and the dispersible non-aqueous additive; wherein the dispersant is selected from the group consisting essentially of water soluble/dispersible polyamides and copolymers thereof, water-soluble/dispersible polyesters and copolymers thereof, water soluble/dispersible alkylene oxide polymers and copolymers thereof, water soluble/dispersible polyolefins and copolymers thereof, and mixtures thereof, and wherein the dispersant is soluble in the polymeric host material to an extent of at least about 5 wt. %, based on the total weight of the dispersant and polymeric host material and the dispersant is substantally insoluble with the polycaprolactone carrier at a temperature which is less than about the melt temperature of the polymeric host material minus 50Â° C., and then (iii) extruding a melt of the mixture of the polymeric host material and the non-aqueous dispersible additive through the spinneret orifices to form pigmented filaments.