Texturing / Crimping (Developing properties of natural polymer fibers)
Interlacing / Intermingling (Applied instead of twisting)
Heat Setting (Made dimensionally stable)
Spinning (Extrusion through spinneret)
The conversion of polymer into fiber is called spinning. The fiber forming substance is made temporal fluid, extruded through spinneret and then return to solid state (by solidification) in fiber form. Spinning (Extrusion through spinneret) The polymer processing from the solid to the fluid state can take place with two methods:
1. by melting: this method can be applied on thermoplastic polymers
which show stable performances at the processing temperatures (this method is used by 70% of the fibers)
2. by solution: the polymer is solved in variable concentrations according
to the kind of polymer and of solvent, anyhow such as to produce a sufficiently viscous liquid (dope) (this method is used by 30% of the fibers) Type of spinning 1) Melt spinning
2) Dry spinning
3) Wet spinning Melt spinning The process of spinning by which fiber or filament is produced from melt polymer chips by extruding through spinneret.
or
The fiber forming material is melted and subsequently passed through
the holes of spinneret .
Example: Polyester, Nylon, Polypropylene
Melt spinning Requirements:
a) The polymer should not be volatile.
b) The polymer should not decompose in the molten state & the melting point of polymer should be 300C less than its decomposition temperature. i.e., DT – MT > 300C Melt spinning Melt spinning as the name suggests, is the process in which, polymer is melted and is pumped through a spinneret with holes (number, size and shape is adjusted as per requirement).
Melt spinning is the preferred method for manufacturing polymer fibers.
The molten fibers are cooled, solidified and collected on a take up wheel after being extruded in molten form.
Stretching of fibers in both molted and solid state gives orientation of polymer chain along fiber axis.
Example: Polyethylene Terephthalate, Nylon 6,6 etc.
Melt Spinning Process Figure: Melt Spinning Process Dried Flow- Process - At First fiber forming polymers chips are melted by polymer
Chart heating over melting point.
Chips - Polymer solution is pumped through the filter to Melting of Chips remove impurities. - Melted polymer is then extruded through spinneret Distributi on of holes. Melt - Cold air is passed through filament to bring solid form. Filter - Then solid filaments are passed through spin finish
Advantag Advantages applicator of wound and finally Melt Spinning: on package
Disadvan Spinnere Can be used for both staple and continuous ts filament.
e vs 1.Direct and simple process.
tage Cooling 2.No environment pollution. Melt Spin Finish 3.High production speed 5000 m/min. 4.Non Toxic and no explosion risk. Spinning Applicati on 5.No solvent requirement and recovery. 6.Low investment cost. Process Take-up Winder Disadvantage of Melt Spinning: 1.Required more proper maintained of machine. 2.High temperature input is required. 3.Uniform temperature is required for optimum Melt Spinning The relations which connect some spinning parameters one another (and are calculated for melted polymers) are the following:
Polymer flow rate:
mF = VF Tsp/10,000 where: mF = polymer quantity for each yarn (g/min) VF = take-up speed (m/min) Tsp = linear mass of taken-up yarn (dtex)
If we know the linear mass of the drawn yarn (T d) and the draw ratio R, the relation becomes: mF = VF Td R/10,000 Melt Spinning Extrusion speed of the melted polymer
VB = 4 mB/πd2ρ
VB = extrusion speed at spinneret hole (m/min)
mB = polymer quantity per spinneret hole (g/min) d = hole diameter (mm) ρ = density of melted polymer (g/cm3) Spinneret A nozzle or plate provided with fine holes or slits through which a fiber forming solution or melt is extruded in fiber manufacture is called spinneret.
This is the most important part of a machine.
The number of holes, their sizes & shapes vary with the filament desired.
