US Patent 6919130 High speed melt spinning of fluoropolymer fibers

The processes and apparatus of the present invention concerns melt spinning high viscosity fluoropolymers into single filaments or multi-filament yarns at high spinning speeds, the melt spinning being carried out at a temperature which is at least 90° C. greater than the melting point of the polymer or in the case of perfluoropolymer, at a temperature of at least 450° C., and the yarns produced by the process, wherein the filaments can exhibit an orientation at the surface of the filament no greater than at the core of the filament.