Abstract: The present invention is related to a new process and equipment to produce mesh in non-metallic materials such as leather having a wide application in industrial and commercial fields. The process produces a variety of cuts or incisions in a relatively flat and thin, non-metallic material and then subjecting it to different treatments which include introducing the material into a steam chamber, extruding it, molding it and, if desired, submitting same to a heat treatment in order to keep the shape of the mesh during its practical usage and, if desired, further subjecting same to a final finish.

Abstract: Fibrillated films or flat netlike structures made of synthetic polymers and having a specific surface area of more than 12 m.sup.2 /g. the thickness thereof in microns are disclosed, as is use of said films or flat netlike structures as reinforcement for hydrosetting binders such as cement. A method of preparing the fibrillated films or flat netlike structures is also disclosed.

Abstract: Process for draw-fracturing yarn the continuous filaments of which each have a cross-section comprising a body section and one or more wing members joined to the body section, the one or more wing members varying up to about twice their minimum thickness along their width, at the junction of the body section and one or more wing members the respective faired surfaces thereof define a radius of concave curvature (Rc) on one side of the cross-section and a generally convex curve located on the other side of the cross-section generally opposite the radius of concave curvature (Rc), the body section comprising about 25 to about 95% of the total mass of the filament and the wing members comprising about 5 to about 75%, the filament being further characterized by a wing-body interaction (WBI) defined by ##STR1## where the ratio of the width of the filament cross-section to the wing member thickness (L.sub.T /Dmin) is .ltoreq.30 the process comprising drawing the yarn to a boiling water shrinkage of .ltoreq.

Abstract: A nonwoven texturized fabric is produced by embossing a molten film of a polymer blend of high density polyethylene and polystyrene with hexagonal shaped bosses, biaxially stretching the thus embossed film to produce an openwork net and then texturizing the net with special texturizing rollers to flatten and deform some of the bosses and bend some of the bands at an angle to the plane of the fabric to produce an essentially irregular pattern of bosses connected by bands.

Abstract: An improved process of manufacturing a plastic helical net is disclosed. The process begins by co-extruding two or more plastic materials characterized by having different properties of contraction and orientation to form a bi-component sheet. Holes or impressions are formed in the sheet at regular intervals as by embossing, drawing, punching or slitting, and then the sheet is oriented, as by stretching, well below the melt temperature of the materials, and then releasing.

Abstract: Relatively long plastic microfilaments are used to make reinforcing, filler materials and fabrics. A blowing gas is applied at a positive pressure to the inert surface of a liquid plastic film formed across a coaxial blowing nozzle to blow the film and form an elongated hollow tube having a thinned wall or weakened portion. An entraining fluid is directed at an angle over and around the blowing nozzle and as it passes over and around the blowing nozzle, it dynamically induces a pulsating or fluctuating pressure field at the opposite side of the blowing nozzle in the wake thereof and produces a laminar flow of entraining fluid in the vicinity of the forming elongated tube.

Abstract: A process for producing a porous film or sheet, which comprises melt-molding a composition prepared by compounding 100 parts by weight of a polyolefin resin with 25 to 400 parts by weight of a filler and 1 to 100 parts by weight of a liquid or waxy hydrocarbon polymer into film or sheet, and stretching the resulting film or sheet.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composite fiber consisting of two components, for example, such as a polyamide and a polyester, and to a multi-segment fiber wherein the two components thereof can be separated into a plurality of microfibers by chemical and physical treatments. Particularly, the invention relates to a composite fiber having low loss of weight in a chemical treatment and which can easily be separated into outer and inner components. After separation the composite fiber provides excellent performance.

Abstract: Filament yarns composed of multicomponent fibers of the matrix/segment type are produced and processed into textile fabrics by false-twist texturing the multicomponent fibres made up of segments of varying deniers to cause softening the matrix to bond the filaments together over short, medium or longer sections of the yarn. After conversion of the yarns into fabrics, the fabrics are subjected to a shrinking treatment. The fabrics so treated have a reduced tendency to crease or wrinkle, better crease recovery and better dyeing properties. The denier of the lower denier segments should be finer than 0.6 dtex and the denier of the high denier segments should be at least 1 dtex; the weight ratio of low to high denier segments in the yarn ranges from about 25:75 to about 75:25. The matrix is preferably made of polyamide 6 while the segments are polyethylene terephthalate. The cross-sectional shapes of the fibers may e.g.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a reinforcement product for use in cement boards and a method of manufacturing said product and of manufacturing cement boards using this product.The reinforcement product of the present invention comprises cross-layered webs of plastic fibres with a preponderance of fibres laid in the trans-axial direction, and continuous filaments or fibrillated tapes located between the layers to impart a high degree of strength in the axial direction. The cross-layered web and the filaments or tapes are compacted to form a reinforcement product which can be rolled up and handled for further processing on cement board forming machines. The webs of plastic fibre are formed by monoaxially orientating on extruded sheet of plastics material in axial direction, then fibrillating the sheet to form a cohesive fibre mass which is cut into lengths and carded to break up the film into a coarse fibrous mass which when stripped from the carding machine forms said plastic fibre web.

Abstract: There are disclosed a process for the continuous production of open, composite reticulated structures consisting of at least two superimposed or overlapping fibrilled films of synthetic polymers, and apparatus for effecting the transversal opening or stretching (with respect to the slitting or fibrilling direction) of a fibrilled film or of a combination of at least two superimposed fibrilled films and which comprises a feeding system for the fibrilled film, a pair of diverging guides each closing upon itself in the form of a ring for transverse stretching of the film, a series of clamps sliding on guides for gripping the edges of the film or film assembly, means for feeding the clamps to the guides, a series of two pulling means for engaging the clamps, means for opening the clamps and dragging them along the guides to the feeding devices, and means for take-up of the open film or the assembly of open films.

Abstract: Spinneret orifices the planar cross-section of which defines intersecting quadrilaterals in connected series, the improvement being that one or more of the defined quadrilaterals is or are characterized by its or their width being greater than the width of the remaining quadrilateral(s), with the wider quadrilateral(s) defining body sections and with the remaining quadrilateral(s) defining wing member(s).

Abstract: Spinneret orifices the planar cross-section of which defines an elongated slot having a plurality of wing member bar slots intersecting with the elongated slot at spaced intervals along the axial length thereof, and multiple intersecting body section bar slots intersecting with the elongated slot and intersecting with each of the other multiple intersecting body section bar slots at the elongated slot.

Abstract: A multi-component filament consisting of at least two polymer components and having a cross-section in which a matrix component separates several peripherally arranged segments of one or more segment components from each other, and a process for the production of such matrix/segment filaments, wherein the segment component is injected into the matrix component and fed to the spinneret opening in a combined stream with a plurality of segment components separated by the matrix. The multicomponent filament can be drawn to obtain individual microfilaments of less than 1 dtex after splitting, e.g. by false twist texturing.

Abstract: Fiber structures such as staple fibers, filaments, yarns as well as textile sheet structures such as woven or knitted fabrics as well as non-woven fabrics and the like made from multicomponent fibers of the matrix-segment type having in their cross sections a plurality of segments arranged peripherally without being fully surrounded by the matrix and being composed of polyalkylene terephthalate and copolyamides based on .epsilon.-caprolactam and hexamethylene diamine/adipic acid salt, are split by treatment with liquid or vaporous water. The difference in shrinkage between copolyamide and polyalkylene terephthalate in water is temporarily at least 10%. Corresponding short-staple fibers are particularly well suited for making wet-laid non-woven fabrics. The water used for treatment of the fiber structures may contain inorganic salts.

Abstract: A process for producing a storage battery separator including the mixing of at least 10 parts by weight of glass fiber having at least 1 m.sup.2 /g in specific surface area, with a fibril-formed synthetic fiber which is no greater than 350 c.c. in freeness in which the resultant mixture is formed into a sheetlike member suitable for use as a storage battery separator.

Abstract: A multi-filament splittable conjugate yarn wherein the filaments have the same denier and are splittable into different numbers of sub-filaments.

Abstract: An improved fibrous scouring material is disclosed, that material comprising a fibrous band in the form of a three-dimensional lattice of drawn irregular fibers obtained from a plastic bilaminar film, those fibers being helically crimped and self-bonded together at their mutual contact points, the helically crimped fibers exhibiting sharp corner-edges and being interconnected by helically crimped fibrils. The thickness of the fibers is typically between 100 and 200 microns. The process for manufacturing such scouring material is also disclosed, which process includes steps of extruding a bilaminar film, drawing and fibrillating the film, stacking the fibrillated lattice and thermally treating same to induce crimping and self-bonding.

Abstract: Multifilament yarns comprising continuous multifilaments each having at least one body section and having extending therefrom along its length at least one wing member, the body section comprising about 25 to about 95% of the total mass of the filament and the wing member comprising about 5 to about 75% of the total mass of filament, the filament being further characterized by a wing-body interaction defined by ##EQU1## where the ratio of the width of said fiber to the wing thickness (L.sub.T /Dmin) is .ltoreq.30. Also disclosed are specific yarns and processes for producing the filaments and yarns.The spun-like character of the fractured yarns of this invention is provided by the wing members extending from and along the body section being intermittently separated from the body section and a fraction of the separated wing members being broken to provide free protruding ends extending from the body section.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for making decorative grass or grass-like product in the form of strips of plastic material of predetermined dimensional characteristics having color, anti-static agents and flame retardants incorporated therein prior to extrusion of the resin thereby preventing rub off of the color and minimizing clinging of grass to the hands and clothes of a decorator. One method and apparatus for making the grass includes an extruder for plastic material and including a film extrusion die or a strand extrusion die. When a film is extruded, the film is cooled and slit longitudinally into strips of predetermined width. In another method, the extruded strips or strands are cooled. In all methods, the plastic strips pass through a slow godet, a drawing oven and a high speed godet to enable the strips or strands to be drawn down in width and thickness without breaking. From the high speed godet, the strips or strands are chopped to a desired length and conveyed to a storage area.

Abstract: Novel bi-metallic filamentary composites are produced by first forming a conjugate precursor filament comprised of an organic polymer together with particles of a first reducible metal oxide and particles of a second reducible metal oxide with the metal component of each of the two metal oxides being sinterable at a temperature which is below the melting point of the other. The structure of the precursor is characterized by a first longitudinally extending layer along its length which contains the particles of the first reducible metal oxide, and an adhering second essentially distinct longitudinally extending layer extending along its length which contains the particles of the second reducible metal oxide. The essentially discrete layers may be in a sheath-core arrangement or in side-by-side relationship.

Abstract: A net formed from partially crystalline synthetic material is made by first forming a plurality of parallel rows of overlapping slits in a solid, biaxially oriented shrinkable sheet of plastic film, such as polypropylene. The sheet is heated to produce a film lattice through shrinkage and thereafter stretched in the longitudinal direction while maintained at a temperature below the crystalline melting point, thereby causing the web portions to be stretched into thin filaments while the intersection portions remain undrawn. The resulting net comprises rhomboid-shaped meshes defined by the filaments and intersections and is expandable in a direction transverse to the net by a multiple of the width of the net.

Abstract: A mop yarn is produced by extruding onto the embossed face of a conveyor belt a first layer of a fiber reinforced sponge forming viscose mass, feeding regularly transversely spaced core yarns onto the conveyor advanced first layer and extruding a second layer of the sponge forming viscose mass onto the core yarn carrying first layer. The composite layers are then coagulated, regenerated and purified, and the resulting cellulose sponge web is then longitudinally slit to produce sponge strands in each of which is embedded and bonded at least one of the core yarns. The resulting cellulose sponge mop yarn is of rectangular transverse cross section and has low porosity water permeable top and bottom faces at least one of which is embossed and skinless side faces and each yarn has one or more core yarns of cotton twine embedded therein and bonded to the sponge material.

Abstract: Fibrillatable multicomponent fibers of the matrix segment type and a process for production of fiber structures by splitting shrinkable, basically unset, multi-component fibers consisting of at least two incompatible components which in the fiber cross section are arranged in the form of a matrix and several segments, the latter accounting for about 20% to 80% of the total cross section. After having been processed into fiber structures such as staple fibers, yarns or fabrics, the multicomponent fibers are treated with a liquid or gaseous organic solvent, particularly chlorinated lower alkanes, to partially or completely split the segment filaments from the matrix component. Useful solvents are those which will reduce the zero-shrinkage temperature of the matrix or the segment polymer by at least 160.degree. C. and in which the polymer components constituting the fiber show different shrinkage behaviour. Splitting may be further enhanced by the application of mechanical agitation, e.g. by ultrasonic waves.

Abstract: Fibrous products, including single fibers, yarn and fibrous webs, of improved fineness are produced from extruded sheet material extruding in the form of a sheet-like, multi-layer composite stream a plurality of extrudable materials, at least one of which is a synthetic thermoplastic fiber-forming polymer and another of which is expandable or swellable in nature, which layers extend generally parallel to the faces of the stream, with each such layer containing either a fiber-forming polymer or an expandable or swellable extrudable material with the different layers being interspersed in the composite stream; solidifying this composite stream into a multi-layer sheet, not earlier than during such solidification subjecting the multi-layer sheet to a swelling or expanding treatment to aid in its mechanical disruption, and then mechanically disrupting the swollen or expanded sheet to produce a fibrous product of increased fineness.

Abstract: Elastomeric particles which are rendered free flowing by treatment with the combination of a finely divided partitioning agent and a fibrilatable polymer which has been fibrilated to form a network on the surface of the elastomeric material with retention of the partitioning agent thereby.

Abstract: Natural suede-like artificial leathers are manufactured by subjecting pile fibrous structures wherein at least the pile portion is composed of separatable composite filaments made by bonding different polymers having mutual low adhesive affinity with each other, the cross-section of which is constituted of a radial segment (A) and segments (B) complementing the radial segment or a radial segment (A), segments (B') corresponding to said radial segment and having wedge-shaped concave portions directing to the center and wedge-shaped segments (C) complementing said concave portions, to at least one of a heat treatment and a swelling treatment to shrink said fibrous structure at least 10% in the area, impregnating or coating said fibrous structures with a synthetic polymer solution or emulsion, coagulating said polymer solution or emulsion, drying the thus treated pile fibrous structure and then buffing said piles to raise naps.

Abstract: An extruded sheet or the like of cold-drawable polymer such as polypropylene is embossed as a molten sheet by a circumferentially multi-grooved roller and stretched in the direction of the embossed grooves to split into filaments along the grooves.

Abstract: Film extrusion-fibrillation and film extrusion-narrow slitting processes for preparing fibrillated or narrow-width thermoplastic tape. The process is characterized by conducting the extrusion-orientation stage and the slitting or fibrillation stage as separate operations, thereby minimizing process disruptions caused by film defects and breakage, and further characterized by certain film shrinkage and heat treatment modifications which facilitate such separate stage operation. The fibrillated tapes can be twisted into cordage products. The narrow-width tapes are used to make carpet backing and indoor-outdoor carpet.

Abstract: Fibrous products, including single fibers, yarn and fibrous webs, of improved fineness are produced from extruded sheet material extruding in the form of a sheet-like, multi-layer composite stream a plurality of extrudable materials, at least one of which is a synthetic thermoplastic fiber-forming polymer and another of which is removable by mechanical, chemical, or solvent action or a combination thereof, which layers extend generally parallel to the faces of said stream, with each such layer containing either said fiber-forming polymer or said removable extrudable material with the different layers being interspersed in said composite stream; solidifying this composite stream into a multilayer sheet, then splitting the resultant solid sheet to convert the same into a coarse fibrous product, and treating the thus produced fibrous product by mechanical, chemical, or solvent action or a combination thereof to at least partially remove the removable extrudable material and produce a fibrous product of increased

Abstract: Centrifugal spinning apparatus is provided for the manufacture of fibrils from hot viscous hydrocarbon solutions of olefin polymers having an intrinsic viscosity of at least 3.5. The apparatus consists of an impeller which rotates at high speed in a cylindrical cavity having a discharge port. The impeller has a plurality of blades whose narrow dimensions lie substantially in the plane of the impeller's rotation and whose tips come in close proximity to the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical cavity. The blades are arranged in at least two substantially-identical sets. Within each set, the blades are offset substantially equidistant from one another, both in the rotational plane of the impeller and in the plane transverse thereto. Two inlet ports are provided in the peripheral surface of the cylindrical cavity to feed liquids to the cylindrical cavity, each of which port is narrow in a plane transverse to the plane of the impeller's rotation and extends over substantially the entire peripheral surface.

Abstract: A low denier, high tenacity poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibrillated tape yarn particularly suited for conversion into a sewing thread which exhibits excellent sewing performance is produced by intimately mixing poly(ethylene terephthalate) polymer with from about 0.1 to 20 percent polypropylene based on the weight of poly(ethylene terephthalate), extruding the polymer mixture in the form of a tape through a slit die having a modified entry port wherein the depth of the slit is greater at both ends than at the middle, at a melt draw down of from about 26:1 to about 75:1, quenching said tape, hot drawing said tape in two stages wherein said tape is initially hot drawn to a draw ratio of from about 3.3 to about 4.2 while being subjected to a temperature of from about 80.degree. to about 140.degree. centigrade, thereafter hot drawing to a total draw ratio of about 5.0 while heated to a temperature about 160.degree. and thereafter subjecting the tape to fibrillation.

Abstract: A grass-like carpet comprises 1-20 plies of a fibrous web needle-punched into a substrate. The fibrous web is made from a uniaxially oriented polymer film.

Abstract: A porous polymer film having many fine voids which are flat in the thickness direction can be prepared by forming many fine cracks in a stretchable polymer composition having a fine phase separation structure, heating the thus treated polymer composition to its stretching temperature under tension, and then stretching the polymer composition at the temperature.

Abstract: A method for producing crimped textile elements by extruding a bilaminate film each face of which comprises a different thermoplastic macromolecular polymer and one face of which comprises a mixture of such a polymer with a vinyl copolymer, orienting the bilaminate film by stretching, and then fibrillating the oriented film. The fibrillated film may be chopped into discontinuous fibers. The crimped products include fibrillated webs or sheets, continuous filaments and short fibers.

Abstract: Methods of making network structures include forming on one side of a sheet of thermoplastic polymer a plurality of parallel continuous main ribs and forming on the other side of the sheet in a different direction a plurality of parallel discontinuous tie ribs. The tie ribs are discontinuous in the areas where they cross over the main ribs to eliminate any increased thickness at the cross-over points of the main ribs and tie ribs. The ribbed sheet thus formed is drawn in either one direction or in two preferably perpendicular directions to open the sheet into a network structure and to orient the main ribs and preferably also to orient the tie ribs.

Abstract: Novel bi-metallic filamentary composites are produced by first forming a conjugate precursor filament comprised of an organic polymer together with particles of a first reducible metal oxide and particles of a second reducible metal oxide with the metal component of each of the two metal oxides being sinterable at a temperature which is below the melting point of the other. The structure of the precursor is characterized by a first longitudinally extending layer along its length which contains the particles of the first reducible metal oxide, and an adhering second essentially distinct longitudinally extending layer extending along its length which contains the particles of the second reducible metal oxide. The essentially discrete layers may be in a sheath-core arrangement or in side-by-side relationship.

Abstract: Processes and apparatus and filaments produced thereby wherein endless, molecularly oriented, multifile filaments of thermoplastic polymers are produced by extrusion of foil or web which is longitudinally ribbed to provide longitudinally extending breaking or tearing lines or zones with filament-forming ribbons or strips of polygonal cross section therebetween; cooling said foil upon exit from extrusion nozzle or immediately thereafter by air jet, cooling rollers or drums, or immersion in liquid coolant; drawing the extruded foil by at least several times its original length, e.g.

Abstract: A process for forming polytetrafluoroethylene yarn by1. forming an oriented polytetrafluoroethylene film by drawing a sintered sheet from about 5 to 30 times its original length at an elevated temperature; and2. passing the oriented film through fibrillating means such as a high turbulent air velocity jet to form a yarn of entangled irregular shaped non-uniform staple fibrils.The yarn and woven, non-woven and knitted fabrics prepared from this yarn also are part of the invention.

Abstract: A high-strength laminate comprising generally weakly adhered biaxially oriented films, each formed of a blend which exhibits a distinct fibrous morphology with the fibres forming a distinct unidirectional grain when measured on a macro-scale but with the fibre-portions strongly deflected from this direction as seen on a micro-scale and with the unidirectional grain in at least two of the films criss-crossing each other. Producing this laminate by melt attenuating the blend(s) while extruding the latter to films, cross-laminating the layers before or after solidification while they are still in molecularly unoriented state -- except for the weak orientation produced by the melt-attenuation -- and finally strongly biaxially orienting the laminate by stretching in several steps, whereby the stretching is generally uniaxial during each step.

Abstract: An improved felt-like material made from filamentary polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is provided. The improvement is the presence of fibrils of PTFE criss-crossing interstices of the felt. These improved felt-like materials have a higher air porosity, while maintaining as high a filtering efficiency, than the currently-used felt-like materials.

Abstract: Synthetic paper pulp is prepared by extruding a foam sheet of a synthetic thermoplastic fiber forming resin, which resin contains from 0.1 to 5.0 wt. % and preferably from 1 to 2 wt. % of a soap such as aluminum stearate, attenuating the foam sheet as it is extruded and applying either heat or a shearing action to the attenuated sheet to cause it to break down into short fibers containing numerous fibrils. This pulp is then either used directly or blended with natural pulp, wet laid to form a coarse paper and then formed into a final paper product by application of heat and pressure. The soap serves to improve the wettability of the resulting fibers.

Abstract: Dye receptive rubber articles are prepared by mixing about 2 to 15 parts by weight of powdered dimethyl terephthalate with 100 parts by weight of rubber and then curing the resulting material. This invention is particularly useful in the preparation of elastic threads which can be incorporated into textile products and then dyed along with the other threads and yarns present in these products.

Abstract: A flexible, homogeneous rubbery product comprising a matrix of a rubber selected from the group consisting of natural and synthetic elastomer in which there is uniformly dispersed at least 5% by weight based on the weight of the elastomer of a crystalline polyolefin whose molecular weight is equal to or greater than 500,000. A substantial proportion of the polyolefin is in the condition or form of fine particles which are drawn out in the form of elongated fibrils having a diameter smaller than 5 microns. This product exhibits a very high resistance to elongation in at least one direction.

Abstract: Self-gripping devices are disclosed and include a base having one or more integral trains of generally upright gripping elements which are adapted to penetrate and become lodged in a receiving material and especially receiving materials containing fibrils to form a self-gripping connection. The gripping elements in each train have a common origin in a continuous rib integral with the base. Self-gripping devices having a plurality of gripping elements capable of unique self-gripping action are also disclosed.A method is disclosed wherein a structure is formed with integral ribs which are cut to form spaced apart gripping elements.

Abstract: Improved fibrillated fibers made by fibrillating an oriented film or sheet, where the film or sheet is from about 70 to about 99.5 weight percent of polypropylene and from about 30 to about 0.5 weight percent of a rubber selected from the group consisting of polybutadiene or polystyrene/polybutadiene block copolymer.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing extremely fine polyamide/polystyrene fibers which include the steps of forming a molten blend consisting of from about 35 weight percent up to about 45 weight percent of a polyamide, preferably polycaprolactam and, correspondingly, from about 65 weight percent down to about 55 weight percent of a polystyrene, forcing this molten blend through an extrusion die to form a structure such as a strand, monofilament, sheet or film, melt drawing the extruded structure at a draw ratio of at least 4:1 to orient the same and thereby obtain a fibrillatable structure, and thereafter mechanically fibrillating the oriented, fibrillatable structure by cold drawing whereby the structure spontaneously and completely breaks up into extremely fine polyamide/polystyrene fibers. The blend may optionally additionally contain up to about 15 weight percent of an ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer containing about 20 weight percent acrylic acid.

Abstract: An improved process for the manufacture of fibers and yarns comprises drawing a sheet-like moss (web) of molecularly-orientable organic polymer at a temperature above its crystalline melting point, profiling said web followed by stretching and fibrillation of the web into filaments, the improvement comprising the intermediate step before stretching that the profiled polymer is chilled to a temperature below the crystalline melting point of the polymer and subjected to melt draw-down between the profiling element and movable chilling element.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for treating a travelling film made from a molecularly-orientable synthetic thermoplastic organic polymer, according to which the film while in an unoriented condition and a molten deformable state has at least one of its sides modified so as to have a homogeneous series of high frequency discrete protuberances or depressions. This is achieved by subjecting the film to the action of an appropriately contoured surface. The frequency is at least of the order of 100 per inch. The center line average height of the protuberances or depressions is preferably from 1 to 10 microns. The process is advantageously used for making, inter alia, weaving tapes, twine and fibrous materials.Also disclosed is apparatus for carrying out such a process. In a preferred form it comprises an extruder, a pair of nip rollers, at least one of which has an appropriately contoured surface, and a hot drawing means. Also disclosed are versions including slitting means and fibrillating means.

Abstract: Synthetic fibrous structures having a soft feel, an excellent luster and a silky feel are produced by forming composite filaments composed of a polyamide and a component having poor affinity to the polyamide selected from the group consisting of a polyester, polyolefin and polyacrylonitrile into a fibrous structure and treating the fibrous structure with an aqueous emulsion of 1.5-50% by weight of at least one of benzyl alcohol and phenylethyl alcohol and having a percent transmittancy of less than 20%, which is obtained by adding a surfactant to the emulsion, whereby to fibrillate the composite filaments.