Contributions to the Reaction Mechanism of Elastane Fiber Melt Spinning According to the Crosslinking Process

Today, such elastane fibers are mainly produced from segmented polyurethaneureas. Four processes were developed for the production of these elastane fibers. The dry spinning process and the melt spinning process have of them the most importance. The various melt spinning processes show some advantages. One of the most important industrial procedure is the melt spinning according to crosslinking process. In this crosslinking process a melt spinnable polyurethane is mixed with a crosslinking agent during the melt spinning process, wherein the crosslinking of the hard segments of the polyurethane takes place by formation of covalent bonds of the allophanate types. The mechanical and thermal properties of the elastane fibers are distinctly improved by this crosslinking process.