Abstract: Improvements in permitting brighter colorations within polypropylene fibers and/or yams while simultaneously providing more efficient production methods of manufacturing of such colored fibers as well are provided. Generally, such fibers and/or yams have been colored with pigments, which exhibit dulled results, or dyes, which exhibit high degrees of extraction and low levels of lightfastness. Such dull appearances, high extraction levels, and less than stellar lightfastness properties negatively impact the provision of such desirable colored polypropylene fibers and/or yams which, in turn, prevents the widespread utilization of such fibers and yams in various end-use applications. Thus, it has surprisingly been determined that brighter colorations, excellent extraction, and more-than-acceptable lightfastness characteristics can be provided, preferably, through manufacture with certain polymeric colorants that include poly(oxyalkylene) groups thereon.

Abstract: Improvements in permitting brighter colorations within polypropylene fibers and/or yarns while simultaneously providing more efficient production methods of manufacturing of such colored fibers as well are provided. Generally, such fibers and/or yarns have been colored with pigments, which exhibit dulled results, or dyes, which exhibit high degrees of extraction and low levels of lightfastness. Such dull appearances, high extraction levels, and less than stellar lightfastness properties negatively impact the provision of such desirable colored polypropylene fibers and/or yarns which, in turn, prevents the widespread utilization of such fibers and yarns in various end-use applications. Thus, it has surprisingly been determined that brighter colorations, excellent extraction, and more-than-acceptable lightfastness characteristics can be provided, preferably, through manufacture with certain polymeric colorants that include poly(oxyalkylene) groups thereon.

Abstract: Improvements in creating resilient high denier polypropylene yarns are provided. Generally, high denier polypropylene yarns exhibit poor resiliency (such as crush resistance, for example, when utilized as carpet face yarns) that effectively prevents widespread use in articles that require high degrees of resiliency. As a result, higher cost, but more resilient, yarns, such as polyesters or polyamides, have found greater acceptance in such end-use articles. Furthermore, previous attempts at texturing high denier polypropylene fibers have failed to attain suitable resilience levels therein is insufficient to permit proper return to initial shape and/or length after impact.