Claims
- 1. An elastic fiber having a percent recovery of at least 50 percent consisting essentially of at least one homogeneously branched substantially linear ethylene polymer characterized as having:
- a) a melt flow ratio, I.sub.10 /I.sub.2, .gtoreq.5.63,
- b) a molecular weight distribution, M.sub.w /M.sub.n, defined by the equation:
- M.sub.w /M.sub.n .ltoreq.(I.sub.10 /I.sub.2)-4.63,
- c) a critical shear rate at onset of surface melt fracture of at least 50 percent greater than the critical shear rate at the onset of surface melt fracture of a linear ethylene polymer having about the same I.sub.2 and M.sub.w /M.sub.n, and
- d) a density less than 0.90 g/cm.sup.3,
- e) a melt index from 0.01 grams/10 minutes to 1000 grams/10 minutes, and
- f) a CDBI of greater than 30%.
- 2. The elastic fiber of claim 1 wherein the M.sub.w /M.sub.n of the homogeneously branched substantially linear ethylene polymer is less than 3.5.
- 3. The elastic fiber of claim 1 wherein the M.sub.w /M.sub.n of the homogeneously branched substantially linear ethylene polymer is from 1.5 to 2.5.
- 4. The elastic fiber of claim 3 wherein the I.sub.10 I.sub.2 of the ethylene polymer is at least 6.
- 5. The elastic fiber of claim 3 wherein the I.sub.10 I.sub.2 of the ethylene polymer is at least 7.
- 6. The elastic fiber of claim 3 wherein the I.sub.10 I.sub.2 of the ethylene polymer is at least 8.
- 7. The elastic fiber of claim 1 wherein the ethylene polymer is an interpolymer of ethylene with at least one C.sub.3 -C.sub.20 .alpha.-olefin.
- 8. The elastic fiber of claim 1 wherein the ethylene polymer is a copolymer of ethylene with a C.sub.3 -C.sub.20 .alpha.-olefin.
- 9. The elastic fiber of claim 1 wherein the ethylene polymer is a copolymer of ethylene with 1-butene, 1-hexene, 4-methy-1-pentene or 1-octene.
- 10. The elastic fiber of claim 9 wherein the ethylene polymer is a copolymer of ethylene with 1-octene.
- 11. The elastic fiber of claim 10 wherein the density is from 0.85 to 0.89 g/cm.sup.3.
- 12. Fibers comprising at least one copolymer of ethylene and at least one comonomer, the polymer having a density less than 0.90 g/cm.sup.3, a MWD in the range of 1.5 to 2.5, a melt index in the range of 0.01 grams/10 minutes to 1000 grams/10 minutes, and a CDBI of greater than 30%.
- 13. The fibers of claim 12 wherein the CDBI is greater than 50%.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/339,610 filed Nov. 15, 1994 (now abandoned), which itself was a continuation of Ser. No. 08/053,583 filed Apr. 27, 1993 (now abandoned), which itself was a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/939,281 filed Sep. 2, 1992 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,272) and a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/776,130 filed Oct. 15, 1991 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,236), the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
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Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
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2085073A1 |
Jun 1993 |
CAX |
0546837A1 |
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Continuations (2)
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Date |
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Parent |
339610 |
Nov 1994 |
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Parent |
053583 |
Apr 1993 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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939281 |
Sep 1992 |
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