Biodegradation-enhanced synthetic fiber and methods of making the same

Abstract

The disclosure provides a synthetic biodegradation-enhanced fiber, methods of making such fiber, and articles including such fiber. The fiber includes a polymer material and 0.1 to 10 wt % one or more biodegradation additives at least partially contained within the polymer material. The biodegradation additives enhance the biodegradation rate of the polymer material in a biodegradation environment. The biodegradation additives may comprise at least one of an aliphatic-aromatic ester, a polylactide, an organoleptic, a monosaccharide, an aldohexose or a combination thereof. The synthetic fiber may be micro-denier fiber have a denier of less than or equal to 1, or macro-denier fiber having a denier greater than 1. The synthetic fiber may be siliconized.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Number 62 / 612,789, filed on Jan. 2, 2018, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention generally relates to biodegradation-enhanced synthetic fiber (e.g., biodegradation-enhanced polyester fiber), and to methods of forming biodegradation-enhanced synthetic fiber, insulation comprising biodegradation-enhanced synthetic fiber, and articles comprising biodegradation-enhanced synthetic fiber.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Plastics, such as plastics in the polyester family, are industrially mass-produced and used widely throughout the world. For example, thermoplastic or thermoset polymer resins, such as resins including polyethylene, are used to form fibers for a myriad of different applications, containers for liquids and foodstuff, thermoforming for manufacturing, and in combination with other mate...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]Briefly, the present disclosure satisfies the need for improved fiber with beneficial degradable qualities. In various embodiments, the inventive fiber lends itself toward use in insulation that demonstrates improved biodegradation without undesirably decreasing the strength and / or insulative qualities of the insulation.

Problems solved by technology

While polyethylene polymers, such as those of the polyester family, may eventually degrade (e.g., biodegrade), they may only do so over a very long period of time.

This same characteristic that makes plastics so attractive has led to serious environmental problems.

In recent years, environmental littering and destruction due to discarded plastic products has occurred at an alarming pace.

In the clothing and / or textile industry, for example, it has become an increasing problem that such products formed by polyester or other plastic fibers end up in landfills or seawater / waterways.

While some biodegradable plastics have been developed to attempt to mitigate or reduce the disposal problems of plastic products, such materials have not been suitable for fibers that are used to form high quality clothing and / or textile products.

Images