Fibers and Polymers 2007, Vol.8, No.

6, 620-624

Preparation and Characterization of Melt-spun PVC Filament Yarns

1*
Tae Young Park and Seung Goo Lee

Division of Fashion Design and Beauty, Howon University, Kunsan 573-930, Korea
1
BK21 FTIT, Department of Organic Materials & Textile System Engineering, Chungnam National University,
Daejeon 305-764, Korea
(Received March 27, 2007; Revised November 15, 2007; Accepted November 26, 2007)

Abstract: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) fibers were melt-spun to prepare mono and multifilament yarns. To find optimum spin-
ning and drawing conditions, various parameters such as spinning temperature, spinneret diameter, drawing temperature, and
drawing ratio were examined. From the observation of the spinnability under various conditions, we found that the optimum
conditions were as following: the extrusion temperature and die temperature were 175-180 oC and 185-190 oC, and the draw-
ing temperature and drawing ratio were 85-95 oC and 3.4, respectively. Under these conditions, the spinneret diameter could
be reduced to the minimum value, 0.5 mm. Spun PVC filament yarns were subjected to the different yarn texturing process of
stuffing box and pin false-twist method. The PVC yarn fabric was prepared by the knitting of textured yarns. Finally, the
anion-emission and antibiotic properties of the knitted PVC fabrics were precisely evaluated.
Keywords: PVC flat yarn, Melt spinning, Drawing, Texturing, PVC knitted fabric

Introduction the PVC carbonization and improve the spinning conditions

Since the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) fiber has various
advantages of flame retardancy, chemical resistance, weather
resistance, and corrosion resistance, it has been used in
interior and industrial fabrics and materials such as curtains,
carpets, insect screens, fishing nets, electric wire coatings,
and filter bags [1,2]. Also, besides feeling good to the touch,
the PVC fiber tends to be negatively charged upon friction
and has thus been used in underwear [3,4]. However, the
PVC fiber shows high thermal shrinkage when washed in
hot water or ironed at high temperatures due to its low
softening point and low melting point, which restricts its
applications in apparel. On the other hand, to take advantage
of such properties, the PVC fiber can be blended with other
fibers to produce decorative yarns and pile fabrics [5].
Generally, commercial PVC fibers have been produced as
staple fibers by dry or wet spinning. Melt spinning of PVC
fibers lags behind as a technology because of its thermal
decomposition and carbonization at high temperatures. Most
of the fine-denier PVC filament yarn (usually about 3
denier), is also mainly produced by dry spinning [3]. However,
PVC monofilament yarn of 50-60 denier fineness can be
melt-spun for fishing nets and wigs.
Recently, through the development of thermal stabilizers
and lubricants, the melt spinning of PVC has been improved
to produce commercial filament yarns of 20 deniers [1,2,6,7].
However, the melt-spun PVC flat yarn often has filament
breakage caused by PVC carbonization in the melt-extrusion
process and thus, is difficult to produce. As a result, so far,
there has been no research on the melt-spun PVC flat yarn of
less than 10 deniers fineness. It is known that the PVC flat
yarn can be produced by preparing pellets, which can minimize
*Corresponding author: lsgoo@cnu.ac.kr
and drawing apparatus. The PVC fiber has a low thermal
conductivity, excellent thermal insulation, and anion generation
upon friction, which lasts during rubbing. It is also known
that the generated negative charge can be maintained after
the anion generation. A considerable amount of anions can
be generated by weak friction, such as against the skin of the
human body. The anion generation and the negative electricity
chargeability of the PVC fiber can be applied to materials
with various medical uses: the treatment of rheumatism,
arthritis, and lumbago, knee- and waist-protection and support,
as well as the production of fabrics for bed linens. For these
applications, the PVC filament yarn should have softness,
elasticity, anion-emission and antibiotic properties. However,
there has been almost no research on the melt spinning of
PVC flat yarn of less than 10 deniers or PVC textured yarn.
In the present study, PVC flat yarns of 270 de/48 f and
350 de/48 f were spun and then subjected to the yarn texturing
processes. The textured yarn was knitted to prepare PVC
fabrics. The anion-emitting and antibiotic properties of the
knitted PVC fabrics were examined to determine their
applicability to healthcare and home textiles.
Experimental
Preparation of PVC Flat Yarn and Fabrics
The PVC pellet was supplied by the Modtech Corporation.
To minimize carbonization, the pellet was prepared by mixing
PVC (Mw:100,000) with dibuty tin thermal stabilizer, wax
lubricant and additives. Two types of spinnerets (L/D:3.0)
were used for melt spinning: a circular and a Y-shaped one
with a diameter of 0.4-0.6 mm, calculated cross-sectionally.
As a result, two PVC flat yarns of 270 de/48 f and 350 de/
48 f with two different fiber cross-sectional shapes were
produced. The throughput of flat yarn was in the range of

620
Melt-spun PVC Filament Yarns Fibers and Polymers 2007, Vol.8, No.6 621

12-15 g/min. The spin-draw method was used for both flat Table 1. Relationship between spinning conditions and spinnability
yarns at drawing temperature of 75-105 oC and drawing ratio Spinning Extrusion Spinneret
of 3.1-3.7. The final take-up speed of the flat yarn was condition temp. Die temp. diameter Spinnability
automatically controlled with the drawing ratio. The PVC (No.) (oC) (oC) (mm)
textured yarn was prepared by the stuffing box method and 1 165-170 175-180 0.4 Poor
the pin false-twist method at process temperature of 105 oC 2 165-170 175-180 0.5 Poor
and take-up speed of 70 m/min. As the PVC flat yarn 3 165-170 175-180 0.6 Poor
traveled through spindle in the false-twist process, the yarn 4 175-180 185-190 0.4 Poor
was twisted, heat set, and untwisted. Specially, the feeding 5 175-180 185-190 0.5 Good
speed of 68 m/min and spindle speed of 72 m/min were 6 175-180 185-190 0.6 Average
selected.
The knitted PVC fabrics were produced in a 1×1 rib stitch 7 185-190 195-200 0.4 Poor
using a small-sized circular knitting machine of 16 gauges. 8 185-190 195-200 0.5 Average
In addition, to compare the antibiotic properties, cotton fabrics 9 185-190 195-200 0.6 Average
were also prepared by the same process using cotton yarn 10 195-200 205-210 0.4 Poor
(20s’). 11 195-200 205-210 0.5 Poor
12 195-200 205-210 0.6 Poor
Analysis and Measurements
The spinnability of the PVC flat yarns was rated on a 3-
point scale: good, average, and poor depending on the
frequency of yarn breakage. Good was defined as less than 3
times, average as between 3 and 5 and poor as more than 5
for 8 hours of spinning. The fineness and tensile properties
of the PVC yarn were measured according to ASTM D 885
and ASTM D 2256, respectively. To measure the thermal
shrinkage of the yarn, the filament yarn was cut to 50 cm in
length and treated in an oven for 10 minutes at 100 oC.
Thermal shrinkage was calculated as the ratio of the length Figure 1. Microphotographs of the PVC particle residues in the
of shrinkage to 50 cm. To measure the negative ion emission, inner part of the die; (a) without black particle and (b) with black
the knitted PVC fabric was rubbed 20 times against the particle.
human dry skin for 1 minute and then the initial negative ion
value was determined by air ion counter (FISA Co.). The the spinnability for 8 hours of spinning. The spinnability of
antibiotic property of the PVC fabric was examined against the PVC was relatively good in the 175-180 oC extrusion
two standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella temperature range and the 185-190 oC die temperature range.
pneumoniae according to the AATCC 100 specification in When the process temperatures of the extruder and the die
which a polyester standard fabric was used as a reference part were increased, carbonization of PVC occurred. Thus,
and the standard strain was 1.3×105 /ml for 1 hour of contact filament breakages caused by the carbonization were observed.
time. Antibiotic value was calculated as following equation. Even at extrusion temperatures below 170 oC, filament
Antibiotic value=(Mb−Mc)/Mb×100 breakages often occurred due to the instability of the PVC
melt. Under the spinning conditions in Table 1 and the
Where Mb and Mc are a number of strain in the standard spinneret diameter of 0.4 mm, the spinnability of PVC was
fabric and PVC fabric after 18 hrs. The Staphylococcus aureus very poor.
used in the antibiotic test is a representative pyrogenic Figure 1 presents microphotographs of the solidified PVC
bacterium involved in food poisoning and athlete’s foot and residues in the die, showing the carbonization during the
the Klebsiella pneumoniae is known to induce a bacterial spinning of the PVC flat yarn. The arrow shows the PVC
pneumonia. flow direction. Figure 1(b) demonstrates the black particles,
aligned small black dots and large dots at the edge wall,
Results and Discussion resulting from the PVC carbonization. While no PVC
carbonization was observed in spinning condition 5, it was
In order to prepare PVC fine filament yarn, it is necessary observed in spinning condition 11. However, when the yarn
to select the optimal spinning conditions for minimizing the was spun for 8 hours, the filament breakages increased, as
diameter of the spinneret in the possible spinning range and did carbonization. In general, the circular-shaped flat yarn
preventing the carbonization and filament breakage. Table 1 showed lower frequency of yarn breakage compared to the
shows the relationship between the spinning conditions and Y-shaped flat yarn; hence the smaller amount of sludge on
622 Fibers and Polymers 2007, Vol.8, No.6 Tae Young Park and Seung Goo Lee

Table 2. Relationship between drawing conditions and drawability

(spinning condition 5)
1st drawing 2nd drawing Drawing ratio
temp. (oC) temp. (oC) (Take-up speed; Drawability
(1st and 2nd (2nd and 3rd m/min)
R/O zone) R/O zone)
75-80 80-85 3.1 (370) Average
75-80 80-85 3.4 (400) Average
75-80 80-85 3.7 (430) Poor
85-90 90-95 3.1 (370) Good
85-90 90-95 3.4 (400) Good
85-90 90-95 3.7 (430) Poor
95-100 100-105 3.1 (370) Average
95-100 100-105 3.4 (400) Average Figure 2. Dimensions of Y-shaped spinneret (calculated diameter
95-100 100-105 3.7 (430) Poor 0.5 mm).

Table 3. Specifications of the PVC flat yarn and textured yarn of 130 m/min, second roller of 220 m/min, and third roller of
450 m/min were selected. Figure 2 shows the specification
Sample Cross-section Yarn type Yarn denier/ of Y-shaped spinneret used in this study. Unlike TY1(S)-
filaments
TY4(S) from the stuffing box method, TY1(P)-TY4(P),
FY1 Y-shape Filament yarn 270/48 textured by the pin false-twist process under 5 % drawing
FY2 Circular Filament yarn 270/48 condition to produce fine filament yarn, showed a relatively
FY3 Y-shape Filament yarn 350/48 low fineness. Specifically, in the stuffing box process, since
FY4 Circular Filament yarn 350/48 the filament yarns were supplied without tension and taken-
TY1(P) Y-shape Textured yarn (pin) 260/48 up on a bobbin, they were shrunken and thermally set at the
TY2(P) Circular Textured yarn (pin) 260/48 same time.
TY3(P) Y-shape Textured yarn (pin) 340/48 Figures 3 and 4 show the tensile strength and strain at
TY4(P) Circular Textured yarn (pin) 340/48 break and thermal shrinkage of the PVC flat yarn and the
TY1(S) Y-shape Textured yarn (stuffing box) 350/48 textured yarn, respectively. The PVC flat yarn had a tensile
TY2(S) Circular Textured yarn (stuffing box) 350/48 strength in the range of 1.32-1.60 gf/d and an elongation of
TY3(S) Y-shape Textured yarn (stuffing box) 420/48 23-31 %. Because of good spinnability, the circular-shaped
TY4(S) Circular Textured yarn (stuffing box) 420/48 flat yarn had a slightly higher tensile strength than the Y-
shaped flat yarn. The stuffing box textured yarn showed
lower tensile strength than the pin false-twist textured one
the nozzle surface of the circular-shaped one. due to their different yarn shrinkage. Although thermal
Table 2 shows the relationship between the drawing treatment was performed for a short period, the thermal
conditions and spinnability under spinning condition 5. A shrinkage of the flat yarn was about 50 % or more, while the
two-step drawing process was employed in this spinning- thermal shrinkage of the textured yarn was remarkably
drawing system. To produce the finer PVC flat yarn, the small. It has been reported that thermal shrinkage of high-
draw ratio should have a maximum value of 3.4 within the denier PVC flat yarn can be significantly reduced by
possible spinning range. Fiber breakages obviously occurred introducing chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) into the
under the draw ratio of 3.7 in the drawing line, while they preparation step of pellets [1,6].
occurred in the spinning line under the other drawing con- To extend the usage of the PVC flat yarn for textile materials,
ditions. Before the PVC flat yarn take-up process, interlacing it should have a structure and properties providing softness
was performed at air pressure of 0.6-0.8 kgf/cm2. This process and bulkiness. Figure 5 shows the initial moduli of the PVC
enhances the cohesiveness between the filaments and thus flat yarn and the textured yarn with the crimping effect. The
prevents filament breakage during the yarn texturing process. circular-shaped flat yarn and the pin false-twist textured
But for the interlacing process, yarn breakages often might yarn, considering the crimping effect, are much softer than
occur in the texturing process. the Y-shaped flat yarn and the stuffing box textured yarn,
Table 3 presents the specifications of the PVC flat yarns respectively. But, if the crimping effect could be removed as
and textured yarns. The flat yarns were prepared under shown in Figure 5, the initial modulus of pin false-twist
spinning condition 5: drawing temperature of 85-95 oC, and textured yarn would be the highest. Due to crimp formation,
drawing ratio of 3.4, respectively. The velocity of first roller their initial moduli are considerably reduced and thus, their
Melt-spun PVC Filament Yarns Fibers and Polymers 2007, Vol.8, No.6 623

Figure 3. Tensile strength of PVC flat yarn and textured yarn.

Figure 4. Strain and shrinkage of PVC flat yarn and textured yarn.

Figure 5. Initial modulus of PVC flat yarn and textured yarn.

Figure 6. Microphotographs of surface structure of the PVC flat and textured yarns; (a) FY2, (b) TY2(P), and (c) TY2(S).
624 Fibers and Polymers 2007, Vol.8, No.6
Table 4. Ion emission and antibiotic values of the PVC compared
to the cotton fabric
Anion Cation Antibiotic
Sample (ions/cc) (ions/cc) (%)
PVC fabric 600 100 99.9
Cotton fabric 150 100 0
Figure 7. Photographs of the antibiotic test results of the PVC
knitted fabric [TY2(P)]; (a) control, (b) staphylococcus aureus, and
(c) Klebsiella pneumoniae.
softness and dry touch can be improved.
Figure 6 presents the morphologies of the PVC flat yarn
and the textured yarn, in which the bulkiness of the textured
yarn increased significantly. The PVC textured yarns, TY2(P)
and TY2(S), showed good knitting efficiency with no yarn
breakages observed. It is necessary to further enhance PVC
yarns for apparel applications. They have to be subjected to
additional pile formation or to specific finishing for improved
tactile qualities. On the other hand, thermal shrinkage of
PVC yarns may be effective in inducing elasticity in the
knitted fabric.
Table 4 shows the anion and cation emission and antibiotic
properties of the PVC knitted fabric. The PVC knitted fabrics
were found to generate about 4 times more anions than
cotton knitted fabrics do. Some negative electric generating
textiles may relieve pains, such as those resulting from arthritis
or lumbago, are presently used in healthcare products and
bed linens. Though not a sufficient condition, negative electric
charging is necessary for anion generation. In anion generation
by friction, it has been reported that the anion generation is
closely related to the structure of the PVC fiber, particularly
the presence of a chloro-group. Figure 7 shows the result of
the antibiotic test. The PVC knitted fabric showed 99.9 %
antibiotic property against two standard strains of Staphylococcus
Tae Young Park and Seung Goo Lee
aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Therefore, it can be
concluded that the PVC fibers, prepared in this study, have
an excellent antibiotic property.
Conclusion
In order to prepare PVC fine flat yarn and textured yarn,
the effects of various processing conditions of spinning,
drawing, interlacing, and texturing were investigated. From
the results of the melt spinning experiments, we found that
the optimal conditions of extrusion and die temperature were
175-180 oC and 185-190 oC, respectively. The drawing temper-
ature and drawing ratio were 85-95 oC and 3.4, respectively.
The spinneret diameter can be reduced to the minimum
value of 0.5 mm in the possible spinning range. Before the
texturing, an interlacing process was found to be necessary
just prior to the take-up bobbin. Considering the crimping
effect, the textured yarn by pin false-twist method was softer
than that produced by the stuffing box method. From the
results of the anion-emission measurement and the antibiotic
test, the PVC knitted fabrics can be applicable to health care
and home textile materials.
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by Howon University Research
Grant.
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