US2116064A - Production of textile materials - Google Patents

Description

Patented May 3, 1938 UNITED STATES PRODUCTION OF TEXTILE MATERIALS Henry Dreyfus, London, and Robert Wighton Moncrieif, Spondon, near Derby, England, assignors to Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application May 2t, 1936, Serial No. 81,912. In Great Britain June 12, 1935 11 Claims.

This invention relates to the production of textile materials, and is more particularly concerned with the production of highly twisted cellulose ester or ether yarns.

Textile yarns having a high degree of twist are valuable in that with their aid it is possible to produce fabrics of characteristic and pleasing appearance. In particular, when yarns having a sufficient degree of twist are employed fabrics exhibiting the well known crepe effects can be obtained. However in the case of cellulose acetate and other cellulose ester or ether yarns the insertion of a high degree of twist very frequently effects such a great reduction in the strength of the yarn that the latter is of no commercial value. This is especially the case when the degree of twist is sufiicient to impart good crping power to the yarn.

It has now been found that the strength and 20 extensibility of highly .twisted cellulose acetate and other cellulose ester or ether yarns, and also other types of yarns in the manufacture of crepe fabrics, and hence of the fabrics prepared therefrom, is maintained at a high level if the yarn is treated with an oily substance before at least par: of the crepe twist is applied thereto. For example, a cellulose acetate yarn of about 100 denier may be twisted to 15 to turns or more per inch and then immersed in and thoroughly impregnated with olive oil, and thereafter twisted to '70 or 75 turns. This high twist may thus be inserted while maintaining at a high level the strength of the yarns and fabrics produced therefrom.

The oiling is particularly advantageous in the 'case of a yarn containing a large number of filaments, for example 50, 75, or 100 or more.

Advantageously the thread may have thereon at the time of twisting at least of its weight of oil, for example 40 or or more, e. g. 60, or Improved results may be obtained with a lower proportion of oil, for example 6%, 10% or 15%.

The oiling treatment maybe brought about with the aid of animal, vegetable, or other oils and oily substances, e. g. with olive oil, castor'oil, neats-foot oil, cocoanut oil, ground nut oil, whale oil, or oleic acid, or with higher fatty acid esters of glycerol and other diand poly-hydric a1co-,

50 hols, especially glycerol mono-oleateand other vegetable and other oils such for example as olive oil. The oily substance is permitted to remain in 55 the yarns throughout the twisting.

The application of the oily substance may be effected in any convenient manner. For example a heavy coatingof the oily substance may be applied and allowed to soak well into the material before twisting. These conditions are satisfied 5 by immersion of the yarn for several hours in the oily substance. Thus, for example, the yarn wound on bobbins or the like may be immersed for two hours or more in an'oil and excess liquid subsequently removed by centrifuging or the like. 10

A method which enables the yarn to be wetted quickly and thoroughly consists in winding the yarn on to a perforated tube or bobbin (which may serve as the take-up device employed in twisting the yarn or may be wound with twisted yarn in a back-winding operation) and placing the package on a perforated tubular support which is supplied with a liquid'lubricant under pressure. The liquid is thus forced outwardly through the yarn on the package and rapidly per- 20 meates the whole package. The liquid may be applied to the package by alternate suction and pressure to ensure complete impregnation of the package.

Among other methods of application mention may be made of the application of the oily substance to the travelling yarn, for example by spraying or by passing the yarn through baths of the liquid or over wicks, roller or other devices adapted to feed the liquid on to the yarn. 30

The oily substance may also be applied simultaneously with a twisting operation, for example, cellulose acetate yarn may be twisted to about 10 turns per inch on a machine of the type in which twist is applied as the yarn is drawn from its package, the drawn off and twisted yarn being passed through-a body or spray of the desired oily substance on its way to the rewinding device.

It may prove advantageous, especially when the oily substance is thick, to dilute it with a solvent therefor which exercises no solvent or softening action on the cellulose derivative of the yarn under treatment. Choice of the solvent will depend on the lubricant and the cellulose derivative of the yarn. Mention may however be made of hydrocarbons and ethers and like volatile liquids, as generally suitable for this purpose. After application of thesolution of the oily substance the solvent is evaporated. Where the oily substance is a solid or semi-solid e. g. a fat or grease at ordi- 50 nary temperatures it may be applied in a molten condition to the yarn.

The crepe twist-applied to the crepe threads may be applied in a single operation or it may be applied in two or more stages, the yarn being 55 treated with the oily substance before twisting or between any two of the stages.

The degree of twist employed in the crepe threads may vary within wide limits and according to the nature of the yarn and the filaments contained therein. The new process is particularly valuable when inserting twists above about 50 turns per inch and especially above 60 turns per inch, for'example when inserting about 65 to 75 turns per inch, e. g. '70 turns per inch in a yarn of 100 denier or 55 to 65 turns per inch, e. g. 60 turns per inch, in a yarn of 150 denier. It may be used when inserting sufficient twist to impart good crping power, for example '70 to 75 turns per inch when producing a thread of 165 final denier or 80-85 turns per inch when producing a thread of 115 denier.

Yarn composed of fine filaments, for example filaments of less than 1 denier, e. g. filaments of 0.25 to 0.75 denier, is advantageously twisted by the new process. It will be appreciated that yarns composed of filaments of high initial tensile strength are advantageously employed. In this connection reference may be made to yarns stretched in the presence of steam (compare British Patent No. 438,584) or in the presence of hot water (see for example British Patent No.

438,586). Yarns of fine filaments of high strength are very conveniently produced by such stretching operations.

Where the high twist is applied in two or more stages, the total twist may be applied in equal or unequal stages. Thus, where the high twist is to be applied in two stages, one half of it may be applied in each, or a relatively small or a large proportion in the first stage and in the second stage the corresponding proportion required to give the desired total twist. In general, if the tensile strength and extensibility of the yarn is to be well maintained not more than one third of the total twist and in any case not more than about 25-30 turns per inch should be inserted before an application of the oily body. Preferably an application of the oily body is made before twisting or while twist is small, e. g. 5-10 turns per inch.

If desired any or all of the twist applied may be irregular in character as described in U. S. Patent No. 2,061,614.

The twisting of the yarns may be effected in any convenient manner. It has been found advantageous, however, particularly when applying the second or subsequent stage of twist, to utilize twisting devices of the type in which yarnis twisted as it is drawn off from a rotating package. If desired the twisting device may be provided with a device which restricts ballooning of the thread or the tendency of twist to run back to the package. As examples of such devices may be mentioned fiyers and the floating ring device described in U. S. Patent No. 1,784,581.

Steaming, hot water and treatments for softening the substance of yarn during twisting are not essential to the production of crepe yarns of high quality in accordance with the present invention, indeed the oily substance may be the sole auxiliary agent applied to the yarn.

The highly twisted yarns may be incorporated into fabrics in any suitable manner. For example the weft alone may be wholly or partially composed of such yarns or both the warp and the weft or the warp alone may contain them. The crepe threads may be disposed in the fabrics in any convenient manner, for example pairs of threads of left-hand twist may alternate with pairs of threads of right-hand twist.

A further method of constructing the fabrics is to weave composite crepe yarns consisting of a yarn of high twist, doubled with a yarn of low twist or consisting of two yarns of high but opposite direction twist, the yarns being prepared' ticular value in connection with the production.

of highly twisted yarns from cellulose acetate filaments. Highly twisted yarns made from filaments of other cellulose esters or ethers such for example as cellulose formate, cellulose propionate or cellulose butyrate, or methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose or benzyl cellulose may however be produced in an analogous manner. If desired, highly twisted yarns consisting of or comprising filaments of materials other than the cellulose esters and ethers may also be prepared in accordance with the present invention for example filaments or fibres of silk, cotton or artificial silk of the regenerated cellulose type. The yarns may also be composed of filaments of two or more different kinds with respect to material, denier, or both. Thus, yarns may be prepared containing both filaments of cellulose esters or ethers, and filaments of natural silk or regenerated cellulose artificial silk, or containing filaments of cellulose esters of different acid value or containing cellulose ester or cellulose ether filaments of two or more different deniers. Furthermore, the yarns may consist wholly or in part of staple fibres, i. e. relatively short lengths of filaments.

Having described our invention what we desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1; Process for the insertion of a high degree of twist in a textile yarn, which comprises applying at least part of the twist while the yarn carries as the sole auxiliary agent an amount of a non-drying oily substance equal to at least 6% of the weight of the yarn.

2. Process for the'insertion of a high degree of twist in a textile yarn offilaments of an organic derivative of cellulose, which comprises applying at least part of the twist while the yarn carries as the sole auxiliary agent an amount of a non-drying oily substance equal to at least 6% of theweight of the yarn.

3. Process for the insertion of a high degree of twist in a textile yarn of cellulose acetate filaments, which comprises applying at least part of the twist while the yarn carries as the sole auxiliary agent an amount of a non-drying oily substance equal to at least 6% of the weight of the yarn.

4. Process for the production of a highly twisted yarn of cellulose acetate filaments, which comprises applying as the sole auxiliary agent at least 6 per cent. of a non-drying oily substance to a yarn of cellulose acetate filaments and thereafter inserting twist to a total of at least 50 turns per inch.

5. Process for the production of a highly twisted yarn of cellulose acetate filaments, which comprises applying, as the sole auxiliary agent, at least 10 per cent. of a non-drying oily substance .to a yarn of cellulose acetate filaments and thereafterinserting twist to a total of at least 50 turns per inch.

6. Process for the production of a highly twisted yarn of cellulose acetate filaments, which comprises applying, as the sole auxiliary agent,

at least per cent. of a non-drying oily glyceride of a higher fatty acid to a yarn of cellulose acetate filaments and thereafter inserting twist to a total of at least turns per inch.

7. Process for the production of a highly twisted yarn of cellulose acetate filaments, which comprises applying, as the sole auxiliary agent, at least 10% of olive oil to a yarn of cellulose acetate filaments and thereafter inserting twist to a 10 total of at least 50 turns per inch.

8. Process for, the production of a highly twisted yarn of cellulose acetate filaments, which comprises applying, as the sole auxiliary agent, at least 25 per cent. of a non-drying oily glyceride 5 of a higher fatty acid to a yarn of cellulose acetate 20 to a yarn of cellulose acetate filaments, as the sole auxiliary agent, at least 10 per cent. of a nondrying oily substance and then inserting twist to a minimum total determined according to the denier of the thread, said minimum being turns per inch for a thread of 150 denier and turns per inch for a thread of denier.

10. Process for the production of a highly twisted yarn of cellulose acetate filaments, which comprises applying, as the sole auxiliary agent, at least 6 per cent. of a non-drying oily substance to a low twist yarn of cellulose acetate filaments and thereafter inserting in a single stage twist to a total of at least 50 turns per inch.

11. Process for the production of a highly twisted yarn of cellulose acetate filaments, which comprises applying, as the sole auxiliary agent, at least 10 per cent. of a non-drying oily glyceride of a higher fatty acid to a low twist yarn of cellulose acetate filaments and thereafter inserting in a single stage twist to a total of at least 50 turns per inch.

HENRY DREYFUS. ROBERT WIGHTON MONCRIEFF.