Contact person
Anja Lund
Forskare
Contact Anja
Pilot scale melt spinning of multi-component textile fibres
RISE in Mölndal has a pilot scale melt spinning equipment that can produce textile fibres from thermoplastic polymers. The melt spinning line is equipped with four extruders allowing to combine up to four different polymers in each fibre. The production rate is 1 - 10 kg per hour.
Purpose
Melt spinning is the most commonly used method for industrial production of textile fibres. The method is attractive as it uses only heat, no solvents, to convert solid polymer into a melt which can be extruded and drawn into thin fibres. This limits the method to be useful for thermoplastic polymers, most commonly polyester. Bicomponent fibres, which are multi-component fibres with two components, are relatively common especially in technical textiles. Multi-component fibres with more than two components, however, are rare and the four-component equipment at RISE presents a great opportunity to develop unique and novel textile fibres.
With recent material developments towards biobased thermoplastics, as well as the increasing availability of recycled polyester, melt spinning can also be used to produce textile fibres with a more sustainable use of resources.
Method
The melt spinning line at RISE is a pilot scale spinning machine produced by Hills Inc., equipped with four materials channels. Each channel comprises a drying tower, an extruder, a meter pump and thermally regulated transport lines towards the spinneret. This setup allows the combination of up to four polymers, potentially with different thermal and rheological characteristics, to be combined in one multifilament yarn or even in each single filament.
RISE’s melt spinning expertise can offer producers of polymers or textiles support in the evaluation of polymer materials for melt spinning and/or development of textile fibres with new functionalities. Our pilot spinning trial includes:
- Melt spinning with up to four polymers in one fibre
- A selection of fibre geometries
- Multifilament spinning with 12 – 72 filaments
- Post-treatments including texturizing, cutting, heat-setting, carding and needle-felting
- Mechanical characterisation of fibres
- Study of the fibre geometry using optical microscopy and/or scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
If the polymer has not previously been used for fibre spinning, we can first do a small scale evaluation of the spinnability, using 100 grams of material.
We can also suggest suitable polymers for spinning, depending on the final fibre application.
Deliveries
Fibres on a bobbin or other agreed format.
Report in Swedish or English.
