HIGH TENACITY OR HIGH LOAD BEARING NYLON FIBERS AND YARNS AND FABRICS THEREOF
High strength or load bearing nylon fiber with break tenacity greater than 7.5 g/den and/or a tenacity at 10% elongation of greater than 4.0 g/den as well as yarns, fabrics and articles of manufacture thereof and methods for their production are provided.
1 - 17 . (canceled)
18 . A method for producing high strength or load bearing nylon fibers, said method comprising:
(a) melt-spinning nylon polymer into filaments;
(b) uniformly quenching the filaments;
(c) forming a tow from a multiplicity of the quenched filaments;
(d) subjecting the tow to drawing in the presence of steam;
(e) annealing the drawn tow; and
(f) converting the resulting drawn and annealed tow into staple fibers.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the nylon polymer is nylon 6,6.
20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the drawing (d) comprises passing the tow from a set of feed rolls to a set of draw rolls while introducing steam to the tow.
21 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the annealing (e) is performed under tension.
22 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the nylon staple fiber has a break tenacity greater than 7.5 g/den.
23 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the nylon staple fiber has a tenacity at 10% elongation of greater than 4.0 g/den.