Abstract: An aqueous coating and/or impregnating composition is provided for treating a plurality or bundle of fibers. The coating composition includes an acrylic, ethylene acrylic acid copolymer and water.

Abstract: This invention relates to generally to geosynthetic materials which can be used for earthen reinforcement, and more particularly to a novel geosynthetic material exhibiting less strain under an initial tensile load then presently available geosynthetic materials.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fiber strand useful in composites and geosynthetics which includes a plurality of fibers having applied to at least a portion of surfaces thereof a base layer of a base coating composition and thereupon a principal layer of an aqueous coating composition different from the base coating composition, the aqueous coating composition including a blend of (1) a halogenated vinyl polymer and (2) an elastomeric polymer, the blend being essentially free of a monoolefinic material.

Abstract: The present invention provides fiber strands having on at least a portion of surfaces thereof (a) a primary layer of a coating composition including a hydrophobic fluorine-containing polymer, the primary coated strands being useful for reinforcing thermoplastic composites, and (b) a secondary layer including a hydrophilic material applied over at least a portion of the primary layer, the secondarily coated strands being useful for inhibiting water wicking in a telecommunications cable assembly.

Abstract: The present invention provides aqueous secondary coating compositions adapted to coat a sized fiber strand, the compositions including a urethane-containing polymer and a blend of a halogenated vinyl polymer and an elastomeric polymer. Another aspect of the present invention is a generally tubular assembly having a reinforcement coated with a primary layer of a sizing composition including a fiber lubricant which provides the assembly with an electrical resistance of greater than about 750 megaohms per 152.+-.13 millimeters of length of the assembly and a secondary layer including a halogenated vinyl homopolymer and a urethane-containing polymer. Another aspect of the present invention is a fiber strand formed from a thermoplastic or thermosetting material having a primary layer including a halogenated vinyl homopolymer and a urethane-containing polymer. The present invention also includes strands coated with the above-discussed coatings and polymeric composites and assemblies reinforced with the same.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical fiber cable assembly including an optical fiber and a reinforcement strand including a plurality of sized glass fibers positioned about the optical fiber, the strand having thereon a dried residue of a secondary aqueous coating composition which is essentially free of a urethane-containing material and includes a first polymer prepared by vinyl addition polymerization of a first monomer component including a first vinyl aromatic monomer and an acrylic monomer and a second polymer different from the first polymer, the second polymer being prepared by vinyl addition polymerization of a second monomer component including a curable polymer of a second vinyl aromatic monomer, wherein the surface of the strand wicks water at a rate of less than about 25.4 millimeters (one inch) in about six hours at a temperature of about 25.degree. C. A method of reducing the wicking of water along the surface of a glass fiber strand is also provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides multifilament reinforcing articles which include fibers coated and impregnated with at least a partially cured, moisture reduced residue derived from an aqueous coating composition in which the major polymeric component is an elastomeric polymer. The coated and impregnated fibers are bound with a polymeric film-forming binder in the form of a tape, wire or other shape-retaining arrangement in which the fibers are substantially parallel. In an alternative embodiment, bundles of sized fibers are bound together in a shape-retaining arrangement by an aqueous coating composition including an aqueous emulsion of a thermoplastic polymer and water in an effective amount to bind the plurality of fiber bundles together, the aqueous coating composition being free of a crosslinking material.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical fiber cable assembly including an optical fiber and a reinforcement strand including a plurality of sized glass fibers positioned about the optical fiber, the strand having thereon a dried residue of a secondary aqueous coating composition which is essentially free of a urethane-containing material and includes a first polymer prepared by vinyl addition polymerization of a first monomer component including a first vinyl aromatic monomer and an acrylic monomer and a second polymer different from the first polymer, the second polymer being prepared by vinyl addition polymerization of a second monomer component including a curable polymer of a second vinyl aromatic monomer, wherein the surface of the strand wicks water at a rate of less than about 25.4 millimeters (one inch) in about six hours at a temperature of about 25.degree. C. A method of reducing the wicking of water along the surface of a glass fiber strand is also provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a secondary aqueous coating composition for coating sized glass fibers of a glass fiber strand, including a first water soluble, emulsifiable or dispersible curable acrylic polymer and a second water soluble, emulsifiable or dispersible curable acrylic polymer different from the first acrylic polymer, the secondary aqueous coating composition being essentially free of a urethane-containing polymer. Other aspects of the present invention include a strand of sized glass fibers having thereon the aforementioned coating composition and an optical fiber cable assembly including an optical fiber and a reinforcement strand of the sized and secondarily coated glass fibers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a secondary aqueous coating composition for coating sized glass fibers of a glass fiber strand, including a first water soluble, emulsifiable or dispersible curable acrylic polymer and a second water soluble, emulsifiable or dispersible curable acrylic polymer different from the first acrylic polymer, the secondary aqueous coating composition being essentially free of a urethane-containing polymer. Other aspects of the present invention include a strand of sized glass fibers having thereon the aforementioned coating composition and an optical fiber cable assembly including an optical fiber and a reinforcement strand of the sized and secondarily coated glass fibers.

Abstract: A chemical treating composition, treated glass-type surfaces and vinyl addition polymer compatible substrates with such treated surfaces are provided where the treating composition has at least five nonaqueous components. These components include in weight percent of the nonaqueous component the following: at least one starch in an amount from around 1 to around slightly greater than 50, at least one wax in an amount to have a ratio with the starch and a range of around 0.

Abstract: Flexible coated bundles of fibers are provided that are both encapsulated and impregnated with a coating of one or more independently partially crosslinkable polyurethane. The fibers in the bundle can have a first chemical treatment or size and the bundle of these fibers is treated to have the coating of the polyurethane. The coating impregnates the bundle so that a majority of the fibers have a substantial portion of their surfaces covered with the coating. The independently partially crosslinkable polyurethane is selected from polyurethane polymers that are solvent-soluble, dispersible or emulsifiable that produce a thermoplastic elastomeric film. The partial crosslinkability is from one or more of the following types of crosslinking: self-crosslinkable, internally crosslinkable and/or in-situ crosslinkable. Additional components other than external crosslinking agents can also be present in the coating composition.

Abstract: A textile strand weaveable on air jet looms is described which is a unitary bundle of glass fibers having on their surface the dried residue of an aqueous dispersion having at least one wax that is a solid at ambient temperatures and is in a solid-in-water dispersion (emulsion) present in an amount of at least 45 percent and up to around 90 percent of the dispersion, but always as the predominant component of the nonaqueous components of the composition. The dispersion also has on a weight percent basis of the nonaqueous components a cationic lubricant, at least one lubricating material such as high molecular weight polyols, polyalkylene polyols, and glycols wherein each of the lubricating materials are present in an amount less than the amount of the wax. The aqueous dispersion may also have poly(vinylpyrrolidone) and one or more organofunctional alkoxysilane coupling agents or their hydrolysis products.

Abstract: Chemically treated glass fiber strands can have a reduced tendency for fiber breakage and fuzz ball production through the present invention. The present invention constitutes glass fiber strands where the glass fibers have a moisture-reduced, non-homogeneous residue having a lubricious phase, where the residue results from an aqueous chemical treating composition having: a lubricating system; an aqueous soluble, dispersible or emulsifiable film forming polymer that produces a non-rigid film; and water. The lubricating system has one or more polyoxyalkylene polyols and/or polyalkylene polyols with an effective high molecular weight in an effective amount of the solids of the aqueous chemical treating composition to form a lubricious phase and a cationic lubricant. The lubricating system can also have polyethylene glycol, wax, internally lubricated organo silane esters and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: More flexible bundles of high modulus, low elongation fibers are provided by the impregnated bundles of the present invention. The flexible bundle of fibers comprise a plurality of fibers having a first treatment of a moisture-reduced residue of an aqueous chemical composition and a second treatment of a moisture-reduced, partially-cured impregnant of an aqueous chemical coating composition. The individual fibers in the impregnated bundle were first treated with an aqueous sizing composition having at least a fiber protectorant and optionally an antistatic agent and/or coupling agent. The impregnating composition has one or more elastomeric curable polyurethanes that are water soluble, emulsifiable or dispersible and one or more crosslinking materials that are water soluble, emulsifiable or dispersible and water. Optionally, there may be present one or more emulsifiable or dispersible lubricants, plasticizers, polymeric materials, and flame retardants.

Abstract: More flexible bundles of high modulus, low elongation fibers are produced by the impregnated bundles and process of the present invention. The flexible bundle of fibers comprise a plurality of fibers having a first treatment of a moisture-reduced residue of an aqueous chemical composition and a second treatment of a moisture-reduced, partially cured impregnant of an aqueous chemical coating composition. The individual fibers in the impregnated bundle were first treated with an aqueous sizing composition having at least a fiber protectorant and optionally an antistatic agent and/or coupling agent. The impregnating composition has one or more water soluble, dispersible or emulsifiable elastomeric polymers that are essentially free of hydrocarbon diene and chlorine functionalities, and one or more crosslinking materials that are water soluble, emulsifiable or dispersible, and water.

Abstract: Coated fabrics produced with more flexible bundles of filaments -are possible with the flexible bundle of filaments of the present -invention. The flexible bundle of filaments comprise a plurality of -sized filaments having the moisture-reduced partially cured coating and -impregnant of an aqueous chemical coating composition. The composition -has a vinyl-containing interpolymer with one or more comonomers and a -self-crosslinking polymeric material and water. Optionally, there may be -present one or more aqueous emulsifiable or dispersible waxes, aqueous -dispersible or emulsifiable plasticizers and/or one or more aqueous -dispersible or emulsifiable diene-containing elastomers. The -diene-containing elastomer is always present when the comonomer of the -ethylene-containing interpolymer tends to decrease the noncrystallinity -of the interpolymer or increase the glass transition temperature of the -interpolymer.

Abstract: A method of preparing a thermoplastic, water-soluble, phenolic aldehyde resin and the composition are provided to enhance the flexibility and resistance to compression fatigue breakage of glass fibers to which the resin has been applied. The method involves two steps. In the first step, the phenolic compound and the aldehyde are reacted to less than 100 percent completion in an amount so that the aldehyde to phenolic compound ratio is in the range of about 0.6 to about 1.5 and at an acidic pH and for a period of time equivalent to about 3 hours to about 10 hours when the temperature is in the range of about 55.degree. F. (13.degree. C.) to about 90.degree. F. (32.degree. C.) to produce a resinous mixture. In the second stage the pH of the reaction is adjusted within the range above about 7.0 to about 7.

Abstract: A method of preparing a thermoplastic, water-soluble, phenolic aldehyde resin and the composition are provided to enhance the flexibility and resistance to compression fatigue breakage of glass fibers to which the resin has been applied. The method involves two steps. In the first step, the phenolic compound and the aldehyde are reacted to less than 100 percent completion in an amount so that the aldehyde to phenolic compound ratio is in the range of about 0.6 to about 1.5 and at an acidic pH and for a period of time equivalent to about 3 hours to about 10 hours when the temperature is in the range of about 55.degree. F. (13.degree. C.) to about 90.degree. F. (32.degree. C.) to produce a resinous mixture. In the second stage the pH of the reaction is adjusted within the range above about 7.0 to about 7.

Abstract: An aqueous coating composition is provided for filamentary materials that yields coated filamentary material with improved weavability and that yields reinforced elastomeric materials having improved properties of flexibility and fatigue resistance. The aqueous adhesive coating composition has a vinyl-pyridine-containing copolymer or terpolymer latex, a non-selfcrosslinkable elastomeric latex, a carboxylated butadiene polymer, and a phenolic aldehyde condensate polymer. The vinyl pyridine-containing elastomeric latex is produced from a vinyl pyridine-containing monomer, 1,3-diene hydrocarbon monomer or the terpolymer is produced in the same way with the addition of a vinyl containing monomer. The non-selfcrosslinkable elastomeric latex has a low gel content of less than around 40 weight percent and a low average particle size of less than around 2000 angstroms.