Application of permanent coatings to fibers, fiber assemblies and their components

Abstract

A fiber yarn and a method for making the fiber yarn are provided, the fiber yarn comprising at least one filament, the filament comprising a surface having voids therein. A thermoplastic curable polymer is on the surface, the thermoplastic curable polymer includes a coating material, and the thermoplastic curable polymer and the coating material extend into the gap.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 816,405, filed July 30, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to the purpose and application of durable and penetrating coatings to a wide range of carbon, glass, polymeric, cellulose, protein, and other fiber assemblies and filaments to enhance aesthetic appearance with pigments, improve physical performance with strength or elongation modifications, improve medical capabilities with antimicrobial agents, or improve environmental sustainability. [Background technology]

[0003] Coating fibers or filaments and products made from fibers or filaments is an important economic activity worldwide. Fiber assemblies or superstructures are made from fibrous materials, or substrates, ranging from cotton fibers to twisted strands of carbon nanotubes. Traditionally, fiber assemblies and filaments are dyed using a combination of large amounts of water, chemical dyes, heat, and high pressure. This process results in low penetration of color into the surface of the fiber assemblies or filaments, which can then be removed by use, bleaching, and light of various spectrums.

[0004] Chemical coatings are applied to fiber assemblies and filaments to enhance their aesthetics, physical performance, or medical capabilities. In a commonly used approach, the chemical coating is applied to the surface of the fiber or fiber bundle and then heat-cured and optionally light-cured. These coatings are not durable and typically erode or wear away quickly with planned use or exposure to daylight or other light sources.

[0005] In addition to lacking robustness, prior art methods used to coat fiber assemblies or filaments have the disadvantages of using hundreds to thousands of liters of purified water to process one kilogram of material, and of adding dozens of harmful chemicals to each step used to apply the coating, most of which are either lightly treated or discarded as wastewater and other materials without treatment.

[0006] Through extensive research, it has been discovered that much of the lack of robustness is due to poor adhesion of colorants or pigments to the fiber assembly and filaments. Described herein is an advanced material approach that significantly improves the robustness of coatings. In addition to improving robustness, the present invention allows for the utilization of significantly lower amounts of material, which is both economically and environmentally advantageous. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is an improved process for providing a permeable and durable coating to superstructures, fiber assemblies, filaments or fibers, collectively fiber yarns, with materials that provide aesthetic changes such as color and / or texture, or performance-oriented changes such as resistance to biological agents or enhanced environmental requirements.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is the use of corona discharge plasma restructuring of the fiber yarn to ensure that the surface area has adequate adhesive properties to create gaps that allow a penetrating and durable coating to permanently adhere to the fiber yarn.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is to further enhance surface adhesion and increase porosity by exposing the fiber strands to an ionic, anionic, or acidic surfactant solution. The thermoplastic polymer is applied with sufficient energy to ensure the necessary physical parameters for application of the coating.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention is the use of a high temperature and humidity linear manufacturing system to ensure electrochemical modification of the fiber yarn, preferably in the form of a superstructure, filament aggregate, filament or fiber, that is permanent and resistant to future oxidation, heat or other damage.

[0011] Another aspect of the present invention is a strand of fiber to an air diffuser that applies a chemical mixture of coating materials to the top of the strand of fiber at a specific pressure, which creates physical bonds that form during process heating or moderate heat, resulting in a crosslinking reaction and covalent bond formation, resulting in a chemical mixture of thermoplastic polymer and coating materials that is insensitive to hydrolytic agents and has a particle size sufficient to promote specific performance properties such as pigmentation, bacterial resistance, heat resistance, strength enhancement, lubricity, brightness, reflectivity, or environmental performance.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention is that all fluids, surfactant solutions, water, pigments and other chemicals are used until exhausted at each process step, and even though waste is generated, no gases or fluids are released into the environment for treatment or disposal.

[0013] These and other embodiments are provided as realized in a twisted fiber yarn comprising at least one filament, the filament comprising a surface having a gap thereon, a thermoplastic set polymer on the surface, the thermoplastic set polymer including a coating material, and the thermoplastic set polymer and coating material extending into the gap.

[0014] Yet another embodiment is a process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn, comprising: subjecting at least one strand of fiber to a plasma discharge, thereby forming a treated strand of fiber including interstices; treating the treated fiber strand with a surfactant activated by ultrasonic energy, thereby forming a wet fiber strand; applying a thermoplastic polymer and a coating material to the wet twisted fiber yarn, thereby forming an impregnated twisted fiber yarn having interstices impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer and the coating material; This involves curing the thermoplastic polymer. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic top view illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The present invention relates to an improved process for coating a twisted fiber yarn, preferably in the form of a superstructure, fiber aggregate, filament, or fiber, to produce an improved twisted fiber yarn. More specifically, the present invention relates to a process for forming interstices in a twisted fiber yarn, followed by application of an active surfactant, an active thermoplastic polymer, and optional coating materials, and optional fixation, to provide a twisted fiber yarn with improved coating robustness.

[0017] As used herein, "filament" or "fiber" are used interchangeably and refer to natural or synthetic materials that are significantly longer than they are wide, typically in the form of very fine threads.

[0018] As used herein, the term "fiber assembly" refers to a bundle of fibers or filaments that are wound parallel to one another or intertwined to form a single twisted yarn.

[0019] As used herein, "superstructure" includes a collective term for a plurality of fiber aggregates to form a molded article.

[0020] As used herein, "planar" refers to the horizontal arrangement of one, tens, hundreds, or thousands of superstructure assemblies on a flat horizontal surface, with the superstructures side-by-side and slightly touching each other as measured in nanometers or micrometers.

[0021] As used herein, a "corona discharge plasma" is a high voltage corona discharge plasma that has the effect of modifying the surface to improve adhesion and allow for a permanent coating in a subsequent step.

[0022] As used herein, "surfactant" refers to a compound that reduces the surface tension between two liquids, between a gas and a liquid, or between a liquid and a solid. Surfactants can be cationic, anionic, or acidic, depending on the surface to be coated.

[0023] As used herein, "fiber yarn" is used expressly to refer to a superstructure, fiber assembly, filament, or fiber, individually or collectively.

[0024] As used herein, the term "thermoplastic polymer" refers to a material that becomes flexible or moldable at a certain elevated temperature and solidifies upon cooling. Particularly preferred thermoplastic polymers include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon (PA), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyolefin elastomer (POE), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA), poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA), poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate) (PEHA), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), and copolymers of acrylic acid with other monomers such as styrene, acrylonitrile, and vinyl acetate.

[0025] The polymer may be a fiber or a binder that holds the pigment in place, in either case the polymer becomes part of the superstructure of the fiber bundle.

[0026] As used herein, "adhesion" refers to the tendency of dissimilar surfaces to stick together by distributed adhesion due to attractive forces resulting from molecular interactions of each material.

[0027] As used herein, "gaps" refer to cracks, fissures, or fissures on the surface of a fiber yarn, the gaps being at least 1 nm to 10 microns in size on the surface, and the volume of the gaps being 15 to 90% of the volume of the fiber yarn.

[0028] As used herein, "air diffusion" refers to a technique for continuously applying a non-uniform substance or permanent coating to a fiber yarn under conditions of constant temperature and humidity. The continuous nature of the wetting technique is justified by the principle of chemical potential equilibrium.

[0029] As used herein, "fusing" is a chemical process that provides toughness or rigidity to polymeric materials by cross-linking polymer chains through exposure to a temperature gradient.

[0030] As used herein, "permeation" refers to the extent to which the coating material and thermoplastic polymer permeate the surface of the fiber yarn to form a core-shell structure with the fiber yarn as the core and the coating material as the shell, preferably filling at least 20 vol.% of the interstitial volume, more preferably at least 50 vol.%, and even more preferably up to about 90 vol.% of the interstitial volume with the thermoplastic polymer and coating material.

[0031] The present invention will now be described with reference to the figures, which are an integral but non-limiting part of the specification, provided to clarify the invention, and in which like elements are numbered accordingly throughout the various figures.

[0032] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates fibrous material 10 being fed from a feed system as individual strands of laterally separated fibrous material. The dry fibrous material is provided consistent with known techniques in the art and will not be specifically modified herein. It will be understood that the fibrous material depicted schematically in the accompanying drawings represents a superstructure, fibrous aggregate, filament, or fiber. For clarity, the fibrous material is under tension and moves in the direction of the arrows in each figure. Each strand of fibrous material passes through a plasma treatment element 12, which preferably includes a comb 13 to ensure the fibrous material is separated and substantially parallel. The fibrous material is preferably under sufficient tension to maintain a substantially parallel orientation for passage through a discharge device 14, preferably a high-voltage plasma corona discharge device. In some embodiments, the fibrous material lies in the plane of the strand, with the individual strands preferably within nanometers of each other but not entangled. The discharge device preferably operates at up to 6 kW of energy, which is sufficient to disrupt the surface of each strand of fiber material, resulting in gaps in the treated fiber material 102. The speed through the comb and ejector is not particularly limited, within the constraint of sufficient residence time for adequate processing, which must be balanced against the ever-present need for production efficiency. With the understanding that increasing the plasma discharge energy can increase the speed, and decreasing the plasma discharge energy can decrease the speed, a speed of about 3 to about 100 meters per minute has proven sufficient for the present invention.

[0033] An embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to Figure 2. In Figure 2, a treated strand of fiber 102 passes through an ultrasonic treatment element 30, where the treated strand of fiber is immersed in a surfactant 22, preferably a pool of surfactant, which is activated by ultrasonic energy, resulting in a wet strand of fiber 104. The surfactant in the ultrasonic treatment element may be cationic, anionic, or acidic. Rollers 21 are provided to control the path of the surfactant through the strand, as is well known in the art. The ultrasonic energy is sufficient to penetrate the interstices of the strand of fiber, thereby at least partially impregnating the treated strand of fiber with the surfactant.

[0034] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the ultrasonic treatment element is configured so that surfactant that does not adhere to the wet fiber elements returns to or remains in the surfactant pool, thereby reducing material loss.

[0035] An embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to Figure 3. In Figure 3, a wet fiber strand 104 preferably passes through a fixing station 23 where the wet fiber strand is subjected to additional ultrasonic energy, preferably without the addition of a surfactant. The ultrasonic energy further promotes surfactant penetration into the interstitial regions of the fiber strand due to the voids formed by the corona plasma treatment. The ultrasonic energy results in an impregnated fiber strand 106. A series of idler rollers 24 controls the path of the fiber strand through the fixing station and ensures that the entire sample is treated with sufficient ultrasonic energy.

[0036] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 4, which shows a side view of a portion of a diffusion box 40. In FIG. 4, the diffusion box includes a series of air diffusers 32 with nozzles 31 that deliver a pressurized spray 42 to the impregnated fiber strand 106, the spray being in the form of droplets of thermoplastic polymer and coating material. In one embodiment, the droplets are further activated by ultrasonic energy. By applying energy from the spray, preferably further ultrasonic energy, the coating material and thermoplastic polymer penetrate into the interstitial regions initially formed by the plasma treatment, followed by the surfactant impregnation. The thermoplastic polymer preferably has a particle size of about 1 to 5 nanometers, and a pressure of about 0.5 to about 1.5 megapascals is applied. The particle size is selected to facilitate impregnation by the previously impregnated surfactant and to penetrate into the interstitial surfaces of the previously treated interstitial regions to ensure penetration. The thermoplastic polymer preferably has a particle size of about 200 nm. o C or less, more preferably about 130 to about 180 o C in a curing element 16, which may be integral with or separate from the diffusion box, resulting in a cured fiber strand 108. The curing process sets the polymer material by cross-linking adjacent polymer chains.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, excess spray of thermoplastic polymer and coating material is captured and returned to the air diffuser, thereby minimizing material loss.

[0038] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 5. In Figure 5, a stiffened fiber strand 108 is coated with an optional anchoring coating material 53, 55 by an anchoring element 50. The anchoring coating material reduces the effects of oxidation, abrasion, and other damage and provides a lubricating surface, resulting in an anchored fiber strand 110. Materials suitable for use as anchoring coatings are not particularly limited, as a wide selection of materials are available depending on the substrate. Examples of materials include, but are not limited to, modified polyurethanes, particularly for light colors, or crosslinkers, acrylic binders, and PVC, preferably supplied by Archroma textile chemicals, for use with dark colors.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, excess fuser coating material is captured and returned to the fuser element apparatus, thereby minimizing material loss.

[0040] One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated schematically in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, a feed assembly 112 feeds a fiber strand 10 into a plasma treatment element 12, thereby forming a treated fiber strand 102. The treated fiber strand enters an ultrasonic treatment element 30, which converts the treated fiber strand into a wet fiber strand 104. The wet fiber strand enters a fusing station 23, forming an impregnated fiber strand 106. The impregnated fiber strand passes through at least one diffusion box 40, and optionally up to ten diffusion boxes, thereby forming a hardened fiber strand 108, which then passes through an additional wetting tank 16 containing a crosslinking agent to form a fiber strand 109, which is then optionally fusing in a fusing element 50. A fiber strand 110 is the finished product. While shown schematically as linear, it will be understood that various components, which are described separately for convenience, may be in various orientations and combinations. Ensuring treatment of the entire cross section of the fiber strand with each treatment can be achieved by utilizing dual elements, both of which essentially increase the effective residence time, or by utilizing multiple passes within the unit, both of which essentially increase the effective residence time, or by changing the path within or between treatment zones. Dual treatment elements may also be employed, and treatment elements are one of the elements of the present invention, including discharge devices, ultrasonic treatment elements, air diffusers, fixation elements, etc. The treatment elements may be dual, and dual elements may treat each side, or the fiber strand may be re-pathed by rotating, reversing, changing direction, etc. to ensure treatment on both sides. In one embodiment, the fiber strand is parallel to the ground with treatment elements above and below it, or at an angle to the ground, such as vertical with treatment elements on either side, and treatment may be simultaneous or sequential.

[0041] The coating materials and thermoplastic polymers preferably have particle size and chemical crosslinking capabilities to promote specific performance, such as aesthetic changes by including pigments or colorants, electrical conductivity changes by including electrical insulators or conductors, antibacterial properties by including antibacterial materials, heat resistance by including temperature conductors or insulators, strength enhancement by including crosslinking agents, lubricity or friction reduction by including surface treatment materials, brightness by including light emitting or light absorbing materials, reflectivity by including light reflecting materials, gas separation properties by including pore forming materials, and environmental performance changes by including hydrophobic or hydrophilic materials.

[0042] Particularly preferred filaments or fibers include natural fibers, synthetic fibers, regenerated cellulose fibers, and specialty fibers. Particularly preferred natural fibers include cotton, wool, silk, flax, hemp, jute, ramie, coir, sisal, alpaca, cashmere, mohair, angora, camel hair, vicuna, and spider web. Particularly preferred synthetic fibers include glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, polyester, nylon 6, nylon 66, acrylic fiber, modacrylic fiber, spandex, elastane, Lycra, olefin, PVC fiber, polypropylene, and polyethylene. Particularly preferred regenerated cellulose fibers include bamboo, synthetic protein, synthetic spider web, cupro rayon, viscose rayon, acetate, lyocell, Tencel, modal, Solona, soybean, seacell, and kapok. Particularly preferred specialty fibers include gold fibers, silver fibers, copper fibers, conductive fibers, antibacterial fibers infused with silver or other substances, mixed chemical polymers, and flame-retardant fibers such as bromine-based, chlorine-based, and high-purity antimony trioxide.

[0043] The cured fiber yarns and optional fixative coatings are suitable for use in many applications, including aerospace, automotive applications, construction applications, landscaping applications, industrial applications, scientific applications, apparel, household goods, military applications, and the like.

[0044] The fiber strands are typically provided from individual reels, packages, or warp beams, as is well known in the art. The number of fiber strands simultaneously fed into the process of the present invention is not particularly limited, and conventional feed systems and conventional recovery systems can be used without modification to recover the finished product. In the art, it is not uncommon for the number of fiber strands simultaneously fed to be between 1 and 2,500; this limitation is typically due to space, demand, and cost, not technical limitations.

[0045] The speed and tension are typically controlled externally to the components of the present invention, with the speed being based on the rate of collection of the fiber yarn passing through the components of the present invention, and the tension being controlled by the resistance of the rollers preceding the components of the present invention. The tension and speed are not limited by the present invention, except for the need for a certain residence time in various components, such as discharge devices or ultrasonic treatment elements, which is a function of power. However, residence time during treatment can be increased by slowing the passage, increasing the number of rollers in the treatment zone, or increasing the size of the treatment zone, the treatment zone being the area where treatment is taking place. Residence time during treatment can be decreased by increasing the passage speed, reducing the number of rollers in the treatment zone, shortening the path, or reducing the size of the treatment zone. As is well known to those skilled in the art, each element of the process of the present invention can be optimized using conventional engineering principles.

[0046] A particular feature of the present invention is the ability of the coating material to adhere to the fiber yarn. Without being limited by theory, it is hypothesized that the thermoplastic polymer and coating material penetrate the interstices of the fiber yarn. Once cured, the thermoplastic polymer provides mechanical efficiencies not available with the coating material alone. The result is an encapsulated fiber yarn in which each filament of the fiber yarn is encased in the thermoplastic cured polymer in a core-shell configuration.

[0047] One embodiment of the present invention is shown in the schematic cross-sectional view of Figure 7, where a coated filament 190 is constructed with a core filament or fiber 200 containing at least one gap 202 through which a thermoplastic polymer 204 extends, where the thermoplastic polymer is cured with a coating material within the gap. Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 8, which shows a fiber assembly 192 consisting of two filaments 200, each containing at least one gap 202 through which a thermoplastic polymer 204 extends, where the thermoplastic polymer is cured with a coating material within the fiber assembly. Figure 9 schematically illustrates multiple fiber assemblies 192 embedded in a resin 204 to form a superstructure 206.

[0048] In some embodiments, the assembly or morphology of the superstructures is dried and conditioned by heat, steam, both heat and steam, or other methods.

[0049] Example 1 Process Protocol A single superstructure assembly or configuration ranging from 600 to over 20,000 meters in length is removed from the reel, or multiple fiber strands, up to 2,500 or more at a time, are removed from the warp beam and directed through adjustable combs designed to ensure that the fiber strands are closely aligned with a preferred spacing of about 1 nanometer to about 10 micrometers and do not tangle or become entangled.

[0050] The fiber strands are then passed through a plasma treatment element with up to 6 kilowatts of energy, followed by a surfactant bath of about 100 to about 1000 liters containing anionic, cationic, or acidic surfactants delivered with 0 to 3 kilowatts of ultrasonic energy to form a treated fiber strand. This electrochemical process strengthens and enlarges the porosity on the surface of the fiber strands, allowing them to better retain coating materials for further processing.

[0051] The treated fiber strands are passed through a series of sinusoidal rollers within the ultrasonic treatment element, which is over 75 meters long.

[0052] The coating material and thermoplastic polymer mixture is applied to the surface of the wet fiber strand under a specific pressure and speed, which ensures that the entire surface of the material is coated with the appropriate material to impart pigment, antimicrobial properties, temperature resistance, strength enhancement, brightness, reflectivity or environmental performance, water resistance or other desired properties, and then the fiber strand is subjected to a curing process to ensure complete coating.

[0053] By applying a fixative coating, the fiber strands are protected from oxidation, abrasion, and other potential damage.

[0054] Example 2: Carbon tape With the advent of skyscrapers such as Dubai's Burj Khalifa (828 meters (2,716 feet) tall) and Shanghai's Shanghai Tower (632 meters (2,703 feet) tall), traditional steel hoist cables, such as elevator hoist cables or "ropes," are now highly engineered and constructed from steel and other composite materials. Instead of a single wire, they are made up of multiple strands of various sizes. A typical cable or rope can consist of more than 150 wires, precisely engineered for strength, flexibility, and long life. While multiple wire strands are used to extend cable life and flexibility, they cannot be used for high-speed elevators or lifts used to move passengers and cargo. Traditional steel cables are limited in length to approximately 500 meters (1,640 feet), at which point they cannot support the weight of the hoist rope on the hoist motor and the loads of the sheaves, pulleys, and shafts. Flat carbon tape has been used in place of steel hoist ropes to solve the 500-meter problem, particularly in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. In Asia, there are examples of the use of round carbon fiber superstructures. Flat carbon tape can be used in lengths up to 1 km, weighs 90% less, reduces energy consumption, reduces hoistway noise (or "whining"), and has a much longer lifespan. However, unlike steel hoist ropes, wear and damage are difficult to diagnose; all four sides of the tape must be inspected. Typical flat carbon tape used in hoist applications is 250 mm wide (up to 10 in), 50 mm thick (up to 2 in), and up to 2,500 m (8,200 ft) long. This material is usually treated with a protective polyurethane coating to provide lubricity and protection to the flat carbon tape.

[0055] Safety is a key licensing requirement for elevators and lifts, and steel hoist ropes have had inspection protocols in place since the mid-1870s. Initial protocols were developed for flat carbon tape, but further refinements are needed. The present invention provides for replacing the standard polyurethane coating step associated with flat carbon tape with a colored protective coating. The colored protective coating is designed to accomplish three goals. First, it differentiates lengths of flat carbon tape by color. Second, it utilizes the wear characteristics of the colored protective coating as an inspection tool. The lighter the color, the easier it is to inspect (the weaker the color appears, the greater the wear or damage) and it can be performed by computer vision. Third, the use of the present invention provides needed lubrication for hoist sheaves.

[0056] As a demonstration of the invention, a flat, fully thermoset carbon tape product 250 mm wide (maximum 10 inches), 50 mm thick (maximum 2 inches), and 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) long is threaded onto a special reel for a colored protective coating and then reloaded onto the special reel.

[0057] The superstructure's mass and morphology are coated using a continuous process technology that transfers the colored protective coating from a unique air diffusion system without the use of conventional processing equipment, hazardous chemicals, or large amounts of energy.

[0058] A flat piece of carbon tape approximately 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) long is removed from a special reel.

[0059] The flat carbon tape is moved over an AC electrode at a speed of 3 to 100 meters per minute, and a corona plasma discharge of up to 6 kW is applied, further electrochemically making the flat carbon tape adhesive or tacky.

[0060] A 1-5 nanometer coating is applied to the top of a flat carbon tape at a specific pressure of about 0.5 to about 1.5 megapascals and a speed of 3 to 100 meters per minute. After the coating process, the flat carbon tape is flipped 180 degrees to expose the bottom or untreated surface.

[0061] The bottom of the superstructure assembly or form is placed in a double enclosure that applies a coating material and thermoplastic polymer to the other side under a specific pressure and speed to ensure that the entire surface of the flat carbon tape is coated with a suitable material designed to impart color and wear or abrade at a specified rate, after which the flat carbon tape undergoes a curing process to ensure complete coating.

[0062] The final processing step is to apply a binder coating to the flat carbon tape, which seals the coating and provides additional protection and design.

[0063] Flat carbon tape up to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) long is removed from the process and wound onto special reels.

[0064] While the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not limited thereto, and other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art as set forth and defined in the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. at least one filament, said filament comprising a surface having gaps on said surface; a thermoplastic hardening polymer on the surface, the thermoplastic hardening polymer comprising a coating material, the thermoplastic hardening polymer and the coating material extending into the gaps.

2. 10. The twisted fiber yarn of claim 1, wherein the voids have an average size of 1 nm to 10 micrometers.

3. 10. The twisted fiber yarn of claim 1, wherein the interstices have a void volume that accounts for at least 15% of the volume of the filaments, and at least 20% of the void volume is filled with the thermoplastic set polymer and coating material.

4. 2. The twisted fiber yarn of claim 1, wherein the interstices have an average size of 1 nm to 10 microns at the surface of the filaments.

5. 5. The twisted fiber yarn of claim 4, wherein the void volume is 90% or less of the twisted fiber yarn volume.

6. 5. The twisted fiber yarn of claim 4, wherein up to 90% of the interstitial volume is filled with the cured thermoplastic polymer and the coating material.

7. 10. The twisted fiber yarn of claim 1, comprising up to 2,500 filaments.

8. 10. The twisted fiber yarn of claim 1, wherein the filaments are selected from the group consisting of natural fibers, synthetic fibers, regenerated cellulose fibers, and specialty fibers.

9. 9. The twisted fiber yarn of claim 8, wherein the natural fibers are selected from the group consisting of cotton, wool, silk, flax, hemp, jute, ramie, coir, sisal, alpaca, cashmere, mohair, angora, camel hair, vicuna, spider web, and the like; and particularly preferred synthetic fibers are selected from the group consisting of glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, polyester, nylon 6, nylon 66, acrylic fiber, modacrylic fiber, spandex, elastane, lycra, olefin, PVC fiber, polypropylene, and polyethylene.

10. 9. The fiber yarn of claim 8, wherein the regenerated cellulose fibers are selected from the group consisting of bamboo, synthetic protein, synthetic spider web, cupro rayon, viscose rayon, acetate, lyocell, tencel, modal, sorona, soy, seacell, and kapok.

11. 9. The fiber twist of claim 8, wherein the specialty fiber is selected from the group consisting of gold fiber, silver fiber, copper fiber, conductive fiber, antibacterial fiber infused with silver or other substances, mixed chemical polymers, and flame-retardant fibers such as bromine-based, chlorine-based, and high-purity antimony trioxide.

12. The twisted fiber yarn of claim 1 further comprising a surfactant in the interstices.

13. 13. The twisted fiber yarn of claim 12, wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of cationic, anionic, and acidic.

14. 10. The twisted fiber yarn of claim 1, wherein the coating material is selected from the group consisting of pigments, electrical insulators, electrical conductors, antimicrobial materials, temperature conductors, temperature insulators, crosslinking agents, surface treatment materials, luminescent materials, light absorbing materials, optically reflective materials, pore formers, hydrophobic materials, and hydrophilic materials.

15. A fiber assembly comprising a plurality of the twisted fiber yarns according to claim 1.

16. A superstructure comprising a plurality of fiber assemblies according to claim 15.

17. 10. The twisted fiber yarn of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, ethylene vinyl acetate, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyolefin elastomer, poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(ethyl acrylate), poly(butyl acrylate), poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate), poly(acrylic acid), and copolymers of acrylic acid.

18. 10. The twisted fiber yarn of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer is a copolymer comprising acrylic acid and at least one selected from the group consisting of styrene, acrylonitrile, and vinyl acetate.

19. 1. A process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn, comprising: subjecting at least one strand of fiber to a plasma discharge, thereby forming a treated strand of fiber including interstices; treating the treated fiber yarn with a surfactant activated by ultrasonic energy to form a wet fiber yarn; applying the thermoplastic polymer and the coating material to the wet twisted fiber yarn, thereby forming an impregnated twisted fiber yarn in which the thermoplastic polymer and the coating material impregnate interstices; A process for forming a coated fiber yarn comprising curing said thermoplastic polymer.

20. 20. The process for forming a coated twisted fiber yarn of claim 19, further comprising applying additional ultrasonic energy to the wet twisted fiber yarn without the addition of a surfactant prior to said forming of the impregnated twisted fiber yarn.

21. 21. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 20, wherein the ultrasonic energy is up to 3 Kw of energy.

22. 20. The process for forming a coated twisted fiber yarn of claim 19, further comprising applying a fixative coating to the cured twisted fiber yarn.

23. 20. The process for forming a coated twisted fiber yarn of claim 19, comprising subjecting a plurality of twisted fiber yarns to said plasma discharge, thereby forming a treated twisted fiber yarn having gaps in each of said twisted fiber yarns.

24. 24. The process for forming coated twisted fiber yarns of claim 23, comprising separating the plurality of twisted fiber yarns prior to said plasma discharge.

25. 24. The process for forming coated twisted fiber yarns of claim 23, wherein the plurality of twisted fiber yarns are spaced apart from 1 nanometer to 10 microns.

26. 20. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 19, wherein the ultrasonic energy is up to 6 Kw of energy.

27. 20. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 19, wherein the thermoplastic polymer and the coating material are applied at a pressure of 0.5 to 1.5 megapascals.

28. 20. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 19, wherein the pores have an average size of 1 nm to 10 micrometers.

29. 20. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 19, wherein the interstices have a void volume that accounts for at least 15% of the volume of the filament, and at least 20% of the void volume is filled with the thermoplastic set polymer and coating material.

30. 20. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 19, wherein the voids have an average size of 1 nm to 10 microns at the surface of the filaments.

31. 31. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 30, wherein the void volume is 90% or less of the superstructure volume.

32. 31. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 30, wherein up to 90% of the void volume is filled with the cured thermoplastic polymer and the coating material.

33. 20. A process for forming the twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 19, comprising up to 2,500 filaments.

34. 20. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 19, wherein the filaments are selected from the group consisting of natural fibers, synthetic fibers, regenerated cellulose fibers, and specialty fibers.

35. 35. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 34, wherein the natural fibers are selected from the group consisting of cotton, wool, silk, flax, hemp, jute, ramie, coir, sisal, alpaca, cashmere, mohair, angora, camel hair, vicuna, and spider web; and particularly preferred synthetic fibers are selected from the group consisting of glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, polyester, nylon 6, nylon 66, acrylic fiber, modacrylic fiber, spandex, elastane, Lycra, olefin, PVC fiber, polypropylene, and polyethylene.

36. 35. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 34, wherein the regenerated cellulose fibers are selected from the group consisting of bamboo, synthetic protein, synthetic spider web, cupro rayon, viscose rayon, acetate, lyocell, tencel, modal, sorona, soy, seacell, and kapok.

37. 35. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 34, wherein the specialty fibers are selected from the group consisting of gold fibers, silver fibers, copper fibers, conductive fibers, antibacterial fibers infused with silver or other substances, mixed chemical polymers, and flame retardant fibers such as bromine-based, chlorine-based, and high purity antimony trioxide.

38. 20. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 19, further comprising a surfactant in the gap.

39. 39. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 38, wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of cationic, anionic, and acidic.

40. 20. The process for forming a coated twisted fiber yarn of claim 19, wherein the coating material is selected from:

41. 20. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 19, wherein the coating material is selected from the group consisting of pigments, electrical insulators, electrical conductors, antimicrobial materials, temperature conductors, temperature insulators, crosslinking agents, surface treatment materials, luminescent materials, light absorbing materials, optically reflective materials, pore formers, hydrophobic materials, and hydrophilic materials.

42. 20. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 19, wherein the thermoplastic polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, ethylene vinyl acetate, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyolefin elastomer, poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(ethyl acrylate), poly(butyl acrylate), poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate), poly(acrylic acid), and copolymers of acrylic acid.

43. 20. The process for forming a twisted coated fiber yarn of claim 19, wherein the thermoplastic polymer is a copolymer comprising acrylic acid and at least one selected from the group consisting of styrene, acrylonitrile, and vinyl acetate.

44. 20. The process for forming coated twisted fiber yarns of claim 19, wherein the plurality of twisted fiber yarns have a particle size of 1 to 5 nanometers.

45. 20. Combining a plurality of twisted fiber yarns of claim 19 into a fiber bundle to form a twisted coated fiber yarn.

46. 47. The joining of a plurality of fiber assemblies according to claim 46 to form a superstructure.

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