Polyurethane elastomeric fiber and process for making the fiber

1. A thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer obtained by a bulk melt polymerization of:

A. a polyurethane derived from a diisocyanate reacted with a hydroxyl terminated polyether intermediate and a glycol chain extender; wherein the amount of said chain extender is from about 0.7 to less than 1.0 mole per mole of said hydroxyl terminated polyether intermediate, and

B. an isocyanate-terminated polyether additive, wherein said additive is capable of cross linking said polyurethane in (A).

2. An elastic fiber made by melt spinning the thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer of claim 1 .

3. The fiber of claim 2 , wherein the shrinkage is less than 10 percent at 100° C. in water for 30 minutes.

4. The fiber of claim 2 , having a percent elongation and break of between about 300 and 700 percent, and shrinkage of less than 10 percent, at 100° C. in water for 30 minutes, and weight average molecular weight of between 300,000 and 500,000, and a recovery, at 30 minutes, 130° C., and 200% elongation, of more than more than 70 percent.

5. The fiber of claim 2 , wherein such fibers are melt spun at a temperature of between about 150° C. and 300° C.

6. The elastomer of claim 1 , wherein said diisocyanate in (A) is diphenyl methane diisocyanate.

7. The elastomer of claim 1 , wherein said hydroxyl terminated polyether intermediate has alkylene oxide repeat units containing from 2 to 6 carbon atoms and has a weight average molecular weight of at least 1,500,

said chain extender is a glycol having from 2 to 16 carbon atoms,

the amount of said chain extender is from about 0.7 to less than 1.0 mole per mole of said hydroxyl terminated polyether intermediate, and

the polurethan is (A) has a rebound of at least 60 percent when measured in accordance with ASTM D2632.

8. The elastomer of claim 1 , wherein the polyurethane in (A) has a melting point of 160° C. or higher.

9. The elastomer of claim 1 , wherein the polyurethane (A) has a melting point 175° C. or higher.

10. The elastomer of claim 1 , wherein the polyurethane (A) has a melting point of 160° C. to 230° C.

11. The elastomer of claim 1 , wherein the polyurethane in (A) has a rebound of 60% or higher, when measured in accordance with ASTM D2632.

12. The elastomer of claim 1 , wherein the polyurethane in (A) has a rebound of 65% or higher, when measured in accordance with ASTM D2632.

13. The elastomer of claim 1 , wherein said isocyanate-terminated polyether additive in (B) has a molecular weight of about 250 to 10,000and a functionality of 2.0 or greater

14. A method of making a melt-spun elastomeric fiber comprising melting a polyurethane having a rebound of 60% or more, as measured in accordance with ASTM D2632, together with an isocyanate-terminated polyether additive, melt-spinning to provide a fiber, and recovering said fiber; wherein said polyurethane is derived from a diisocyanate reacted with a hydroxyl terminated polyether intermediate and a glycol chain extender, and wherein the amount of said chainextender is from 0.7 to 1.0 mole per mole of said hydroxyl terminated polyether intermediate.

15. A method for the preparation of a melt-spun fiber comprising a melt-spinnable thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer composition, said elastomer composition comprising:

A. a polyether urethane derived from a diisocyanate reacted with a hydroxyl terminated polyether and a glycol chain extender,

said hydroxyl terminated polyether having alkylene oxide repeat units containing from 2 to 6 carbon atoms and having a weight average molecular weight of at least 1,500,

said chain extender being a glycol having from 2 to 16 carbon atoms,

wherein the amount of said chain extender is from about 0.7 to less than 1.0 mole per mole of said hydroxyl terminated polyether intermediate and wherein said polyether urethane has a rebound of at least 60 percent when measured in accordance with ASTM D2632; and

B. a diphenyl methane diisocyanate-terminated polyether additive, wherein said additive is capable of linking said polyether urethane in (A); and

melt spinning said elastomer composition to provide a fiber.