Abstract: Undrawn, tough, durably melt-bondable, macrodenier, thermoplastic, multicomponent filaments, such as sheath-core and side-by-side filaments, comprising a first plastic component and a second lower-melting component defining all or at least part of the material-air boundary of the filaments. The filaments can be made by melt-extruding thermoplastics to form hot filaments, cooling and solidifying the hot filaments, and recovering the solidified filaments without any substantial tension being placed thereon. Aggregations of the filaments can be made in the form of floor matting and abrasive articles.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 24, 1997
Date of Patent:
September 22, 1998
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, Inc.
Inventors:
Philip G. Martin, Gary L. Olson, Dennis G. Welygan