Patent GB-888343-A (GB)
Title: Wet spinning of chlorine-containing polymers
IPC: D01F6/10
Filed: 1959-08-11
Abstract: Filamentary materials are made by wetspinning a chlorine-containing polymer having at least 50% of polymerized vinyl chloride and/or vinylidene chloride and from 0 to at most 50% of another mono-olefinic monomer copolymerized therewith into a coagulating bath composed of a polyalkylene glycol of molecular weight at least 200. Specified mono-olefinic monomers include vinyl mono-carboxylic esters, e.g. vinyl acetate, other vinyl halides, dimethyl-, diethyl- and dibutyl maleate and fumarate, p  acrylonitrile, methyl, butyl and octyl acrylates, methyl and butyl methacrylates, vinyl ethyl ether and vinyl isobutyl ether, isobutylene, isopropenyl acetate and alkyl vinyl ketones. Polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl pyridine, polymers of alkyl-substituted vinyl pyridines, and polymers of other vinyl-substituted N-heterocyclic compounds may also be incorporated to improve the dyeing affinity of the polymer. Suitable spinning solvents include cyclohexanone, methylcyclohexanone, nitrobenzene, tetrahydrofuran, isophorone, mesityl oxide, N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethyl acetamide, dimethyl sulphoxide and dimethyl sulphone. Preferably, the chlorine-containing polymer is a copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride, and the polyalkylene glycol has a molecular weight of 200-6,000, a polyethylene glycol of molecular weight 600-2,000 being preferred.  In preferred methods:- (1) a solution of a chlorine-containing polymer having at least 90% of a polymer of vinyl chloride and/or vinylidene chloride and less than 10% of another mono-olefinic monomer copolymerized therewith is extruded into a coagulating bath composed of a polyethylene glycol or polypropylene glycol, especially a polyethylene glycol of molecular weight 600-2,000, maintained at 50 DEG -150 DEG C.  (2) A solution of a chlorine-containing polymer as in (1) in N,N-dimethylformamide or N,N-dimethylacetamide is extruded into a coagulating bath composed of a polyethylene glycol or polypropylene glycol of molecular weight 200-6,000.  (3) A solution of a chlorine-containing polymer as in (1) in N,N-dimethylacetamide is extruded into a coagulating bath consisting essentially of a polyethylene glycol of molecular weight 600-2,000 and up to 20% by weight N,N-dimethylacetamide and the filaments so formed are withdrawn from the coagulating bath, passed through a hot water bath in which they are given a substantial stretch, and dried.  (4) A solution of a chlorine-containing polymer having at least 90% of polymerized vinyl chloride or vinylidene chloride and less than 10% of another mono-olefinic monomer copolymerized therewith is extruded into a coagulating bath composed of polyethylene glycol or polypropylene glycol of molecular weight 200-6,000 and the filaments so formed are directed substantially upwards through the bath, withdrawn therefrom, passed through a hot water bath in which they are given a substantial stretch, and dried. The bath can be used at temperatures in excess of 100 DEG C. and permits jet stretching of up to twenty-five times.  Filaments so spun have higher tenacity, elongation, and abrasion resistance than comparable filaments spun in an aqueous coagulating bath. Specification 888,342 is referred to.