Fiber coated with water blocking material

• US 6,586,094 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1999
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rebouillat, Serge, Pfister, Friedrich V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelly, Cynthia H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, JILL M
• Application Number:
  US09/443,695
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 428/375, 428/379, 428/373, 428/364, 428/383, 428/389, 428/372, 428/395, 385/101, 385/103, 385/104, 385/113, 385/102
• US Class Current: 428/372
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/26 Macromolecular compounds or prepolymers
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 13/507 Organic silicon compounds without carbon-silicon bond
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 13/513 with at least one carbon-silicon bond
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/263 of unsaturated carboxylic acids; Salts or esters thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/285 of unsaturated carboxylic acid amides or imides
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/643 containing silicon in the main chain
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/647 containing polyether sequences
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 23/08 Processes in which the treating agent is applied in powder or granular form adhesives for multi-layer textile fabrics D06M17/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 23/10 Processes in which the treating agent is dissolved or dispersed in organic solvents; Processes for the recovery of organic solvents thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44384 the means comprising water blocking or hydrophobic materials G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/288 using hygroscopic material or material swelling in the presence of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 526/902 Monomer polymerized in bulk in presence of transition metal containing catalyst
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 526/922 Polymerization process of ethylenic monomers using manipulative technique
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2913 Rod, strand, filament or fiber
• 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 428/2933 Coated or with bond, impregnation or core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2969 Polyamide, polyimide or polyester

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fiber coated with a water blocking material that includes an essentially water free dispersion comprising a superabsorbent polymer and a dispersing medium. The fibers made according to this invention may be used, for example, as fiber reinforcing material used in the manufacture of cables, and in particular in yarns for fiber optical cables that use optical light wave guides for optical communication transmissions.

Claims

1. A fiber coated with a water blocking material that includes an essentially water free dispersion comprising a superabsorbent polymer and a wetting agent and an oil,

wherein the superabsorbent polymer is present in an amount of from 0.5 to 10 weight percent on the weight of the uncoated fiber,

wherein the superabsorbent polymer is in the form of particles having a particle size below 100 microns,

wherein the wetting agent is a superwetting agent having a surface tension below 30 millinewtons per meter, and

wherein the oil has a kinematic viscosity of 50 to 350 mm²/s at 20 degrees C.

2. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the dispersion contains less than two weight percent water.

3. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the superabsorbent polymer is a partially or totally neutralized, partially or totally crosslinked poly(acrylic acid) derivative;

a partially or totally crosslinked poly(sodium or potassium acrylamide-2-methyl-propane sulfonate) derivative;

a partially or totally crosslinked poly(chloro-trimethylaminoethyl-acrylate) derivative;

a partially or totally crosslinked poly(acrylamide) derivative;

mixtures thereof;

or copolymers thereof.

4. The fiber of claim 1, wherein the superabsorbent polymer is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 5 weight percent based upon the weight of the uncoated fiber.

5. The fiber of claim 1, wherein the superabsorbent polymer is in the form of particles having a particle size below 20 microns.

6. The fiber of claim 1, wherein the superabsorbent polymer is in the form of particles having a particle size below 5 microns.

7. The fiber of claim 1, wherein the superwetting agent is selected from the group consisting of trimethylsilane, a polyethylene oxide-modified trimethylsilane, trisiloxane, a polyethylene oxide-modified trisiloxane, polydimethylsiloxane, a polyethylene oxide-modified polydimethylsiloxane, and polyether modified siloxane.

8. The fiber of claim 1, wherein the fiber is a glass fiber, an aramid fiber, or blends thereof.

9. The fiber of claim 1, wherein the fiber includes poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide).

10. A yarn comprising a plurality of the fibers of claim 1.

11. A fibrous material comprising a plurality of the fibers according to claim 1.

12. A fiber optical cable comprising glass fiber wave guides, said guides surrounded with a yarn comprising a fiber according to claim 1.

13. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the oil has a kinetic viscosity of 50 to 350 square mm at 20 degrees C.

14. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the oil is thermally resistant losing less than 5 weight percent when exposed to heating of 150 degrees C. for 2 hours.

15. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the oil is thermally resistant losing less than 15 weight percent when exposed to heating at 230 degrees C. for 2 hours.

16. A method for coating a fiber with a water blocking material comprising the steps of providing a fiber and applying to the surface of the fiber an essentially water free dispersion comprising a superabsorbent polymer and a wetting agent and an oil,

wherein the superabsorbent polymer is present in an amount of from 0.5 to 10 weight percent on the weight of the uncoated fiber,

wherein the superabsorbent polymer is in the form of particles having a particle size below 100 microns,

wherein the wetting agent is a superwetting agent having a surface tension below 30 millinewtons per meter, and

wherein the oil has a kinematic viscosity of 50 to 350 mm²/s at 20 degrees C.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising providing a dispersion which includes 0.5 to 70 weight percent superabsorbent polymer.