×

Methods of orienting multifilament yarn and monofilaments of poly-4-hydroxybutyrate and copolymers thereof

  • US 9,555,155 B2
  • Filed: 12/10/2015
  • Issued: 01/31/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A multifilament yarn or monofilament fiber comprising a 4-hydroxybutyrate polymer or copolymer wherein the yarn has one or more properties selected from the group consisting of:

  • a tenacity greater than 8.1 grams per denier but less than 12 grams per denier;

    an elongation to break of between 10% to 30%; and

    a denier per filament between 1.7 and 9.0, and wherein the monofilament fiber has one or more properties selected from the group consisting of;

    a tensile strength between 500 MPa and 1,500 MPa;

    a Young'"'"'s Modulus of less than 2 GPa and an elongation to break of 15% to 120%,wherein the multifilament yarn or monofilament fiber is produced by a method comprising (a) spinning a multifilament yarn or monofilament fiber comprising a 4-hydroxybutyrate polymer or copolymer, and (b) cold drawing the multifilament yarn or monofilament fiber, wherein the multifilament yarn or monofilament fiber is hot drawn after cold drawing at a temperature above the melt temperature of the polymer or copolymer, wherein the monofilament fiber is cold drawn with an orientation ratio of 3 to 4, and then hot drawn in one or more subsequent draws;

    or,wherein the multifilament yarn or monofilament fiber is produced by a method comprising;

    (a) producing the polymer with a recombinant E. coli cell culture, (b) extracting and purifying the polymer from the biomass, (c) spinning the multifilament yarn or monofilament fiber from the polymer, (d) cold drawing the multifilament yarn or monofilament fiber, (e) hot drawing the multifilament yarn or monofilament fiber after cold drawing at a temperature above the melt temperature of the polymer or copolymer, and (f) optionally relaxing and/or annealing the multifilament yarn or monofilament fiber, wherein the multifilament yarn or monofilament fiber is biocompatible.

View all claims
  • 3 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×