Electrically-conductive fibres

• US 4,388,370 A
• Filed: 08/26/1975
• Issued: 06/14/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Imperial Chemical Industries Limited (Nouryon BV)
• Inventors: Ellis, Vincent S., Mieszkis, Kazimierz W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kendell, Lorraine T.
• Application Number:
  US05/607,949
• Time in Patent Office: 2,849 Days
• Field of Search: 428/368, 428/372, 428/373, 428/374, 428/375, 428/384, 428/389, 428/379, 428/370, 428/381, 428/244, 428/367, 427/122, 427/121, 427/180
• US Class Current: 428/368
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/441 Yarns or threads with antistatic, conductive or radiation-shielding properties electroconductive, anti-static or radiation-shielding filaments D01F1/09, D01F1/106; anti-static fabrics D03D15/533; conducting, insulating or anti-static layers for floor coverings D06N7/0042
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/74 with carbon or graphite; with carbides; with graphitic acids or their salts
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/83 with metals; with metal-generating compounds, e.g. metal carbonyls; Reduction of metal compounds on textiles
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/00 Conductors or conductive bodies characterised by the conductive materials; Selection of materials as conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/24 the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/292 In coating or impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2924 Composite
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2927 including structurally defined particulate matter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2929 Bicomponent, conjugate, composite or collateral fibers or filaments [i.e., coextruded sheath-core or side-by-side type]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2931 Fibers or filaments nonconcentric [e.g., side-by-side or eccentric, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/294 including metal or compound thereof [excluding glass, ceramic and asbestos]

Abstract

Finely divided, electrically-conductive particles are penetrated into an annular region located at the periphery of the sheath component of a drawn melt-spun sheath/core bicomponent fibre. The electrically conductive particles are present in an amount sufficient to render the fibre with an electrical resistance of less than 5×10⁹ ohms/cm. The fibre exhibits durable anti-static properties.

Claims

1. A drawn electrically-conductive fibre of substantially circular cross-section, comprising a fibre substrate formed from two polymeric components in an integral sheath/core configuration, the sheath component having a lower softening temperature than the core component, and finely divided electrically-conductive particles penetrating into the sheath component so as to form a phase independent of the polymeric material of the sheath component in an annular region located at the periphery of the sheath component, the electrically-conductive particles being present in an amount sufficient to render the fibre antistatic.

2. A fibre according to claim 1, wherein the electrically-conductive particles are particles of carbon black.

3. A process for making a drawn, electrically-conductive fibre according to claim 1, which comprises applying to a drawn fibre substrate formed from two polymeric components in an integral sheath/core configuration, the sheath component having a lower softening temperature than the core component, finely divided electrically-conductive particles in an amount sufficient to render the fibre antistatic, at a temperature above the softening temperature of the sheath component but below the softening temperature of the core component, and cooling the fibre substrate when the desired degree of penetration has taken place in the annular region located at the periphery of the sheath component.

4. A process according to claim 3, wherein the electrically-conductive fibre is subjected to a further heating at a temperature below the softening temperature of the core component.