A system comprising: (1) a grinding unit configured to receive and grind recycled PET bottles into a group of polymer flakes comprising up to about ten percent colored polymer flakes and balance substantially clear polymer flakes; (2) a washing unit configured to wash the group of polymer flakes; and (3) an extruder configured to extrude material in a plurality of different extrusion streams. The extruder may be further configured to: (1) receive a concentrate-polymer mixture comprising a mixture of the polymer flakes and a color concentrate; (2) melt the concentrate-polymer mixture to produce a polymer melt; (3) reduce a pressure within the extruder; and (4) pass the polymer melt through the extruder so that the polymer melt is divided into the plurality of extrusion streams. The system may then filter the polymer melt through at least one filter and form the polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament.

An apparatus for continuously making a spunbond web of filaments comprises a spinneret, a cooling chamber into which process air for can be introduced for the purpose of cooling the filaments, a monomer suction device between a spinneret and cooling chamber, a stretcher and a deposition device for depositing the filaments of the spunbond web. The cooling chamber is divided into two cooling compartments, and process air can be suctioned out from a first upper cooling compartment at a volumetric flow rate (V.sub.M) to a monomer suction device. Process air exits from the first upper cooling compartment at a volumetric flow rate (V.sub.1) into a second lower cooling compartment and from the first upper cooling compartment at a volumetric flow rate (V.sub.1) into a second lower cooling compartment. A ratio (V.sub.M/V.sub.1) is 0.1 to 0.35.

A filament containing a core material (CM) coated with a layer of shell material (SM), wherein the (CM) contains the components a) to c): a) 30 to 80% by volume, based on the total volume of the C) of at least one inorganic powder (IP), b) 20 to 70% by volume, based on the total volume of the CM of at least one binder (B) comprising component b1) b1) at least one polymer (P) and c) optionally at least one additive, wherein the at least one polymer (P) is a polyoxymethylene (POM) homopolymer, a POM copolymer or POM terpolymer and wherein at least some of the OH-end groups of the PO) homopolymer are capped, and the SM contains the components d) to f): d) 75 to 100% by volume, based on the total volume of the SM of at least one thermoplastic polymer, e) optionally at least one inorganic powder (IP), and f) optionally at least one additive, wherein the thickness of the layer of shell material is 0.05 to 0.5 mm.

Methods of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprise: (A) grinding recycled PET bottles into a group of flakes; (B) washing the flakes; (C) identifying and removing impurities, including impure flakes, from the group of flakes; (D) adding one or more color concentrates to the flakes; (E) passing the group of flakes through an MRS extruder (400) while maintaining the pressure within the MRS portion (420) of the MRS extruder (400) below about 25 millibars; (F) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter (450) having a micron rating of less than about 50 microns; and (G) forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament that consists essentially of recycled PET.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprises: (A) grinding recycled PET bottles into a group of flakes; (B) washing the flakes; (C) identifying and removing impurities, including impure flakes, from the group of flakes; (D) passing the group of flakes through an MRS extruder while maintaining the pressure within the MRS portion of the MRS extruder below about 1.5 millibars; (E) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter having a micron rating of less than about 50 microns; and (F) forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament that consists essentially of recycled PET.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprises: (A) grinding recycled PET bottles into a group of flakes; (B) washing the flakes; (C) identifying and removing impurities, including impure flakes, from the group of flakes; (D) passing the group of flakes through an MRS extruder while maintaining the pressure within the MRS portion of the MRS extruder below about 1.5 millibars; (E) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter having a micron rating of less than about 50 microns; and (F) forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament that consists essentially of recycled PET.

Methods of manufacturing multi-material fibers having one or more electrically-connectable devices disposed therein are described. In certain instances, the methods include the steps of: positioning the electrically-connectable device(s) within a corresponding pocket provided in a preform material; positioning a first electrical conductor longitudinally within a first conduit provided in the preform material; and drawing the multi-material fiber by causing the preform material to flow, such that the first electrical conductor extends within the multi-material fiber along a longitudinal axis thereof and makes an electrical contact with a first electrode located on each electrically-connectable device. A metallurgical bond may be formed between the first electrical conductor and the first electrode while drawing the multi-material fiber and/or, after drawing the multi-material fiber, the first electrical conductor may be located substantially along a neutral axis of the multi-material fiber.

An oil gel compositions comprising (i) between 10 to 20 wt. % of a selectively hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer, (ii) an oil, and (iii) optional additives is described herein. In embodiments, the oil gel composition is characterized as having, a viscosity at 25 C. and 10/s between 100 (See claims 2) and 200 Pa.Math.s, a cone penetration at 25 C. from 200 dmm to 600 dmm, a drop point from 100 to 250 C., and oil separation at 100 C. from 0% to 2%. In embodiments, the oil gel composition has a viscosity ratio of 25 C./100 C. from 4 to 20 at 10/s shear rate. The oil gel composition can be used in cables for post tensioning applications.

The present invention relates to a regenerated cellulose fiber having a multi-limbed cross-section. The fiber according to the invention is characterized in that the cross-section is formed of at least two multi-limbed basic shapes (1, 2, 3, 4), which basic shapes are connected, in each case at least at one of their limb ends, to the limb end of another basic shape and the length of the connecting limb (12) resulting from the connection of the two limb ends is longer than the length of the shortest one of the other limbs by a factor of at least 1.5, preferably of from 1.5 to 2.0.

The invention relates to a device for producing a spun-bonded web from filaments, comprising spinnerets, a cooling chamber into which process air can be introduced in order to cool the filaments, a monomer suction device arranged between the spinnerets and the cooling chamber, a stretching unit, and a placing device for placing the filaments so as to form the spun-bonded web. The cooling chamber is divided into two cooling chamber portions. Process air can be suctioned out of a first upper cooling chamber portion to the monomer suction device with a volumetric flow rate V.sub.m, and process air exits the first upper cooling chamber portion into a second lower cooling chamber portion with a volumetric flow rate V.sub.1. The volumetric flow rate ratio V.sub.M/V.sub.1 is 0.1 to 0.3.