Studies on high‐speed melt spinning of noncircular cross‐section fibers. III. Modeling of melt spinning process incorporating change in cross‐sectional shape

Abstract

AbstractA numerical analysis program for high‐speed melt spinning of flat and hollow fibers was developed. Change in cross‐sectional shape along the spin line was incorporated adopting a formulation in which energy reduction caused by the reduction of surface area was assumed to be equal to the energy dissipation by viscous flow in the plane perpendicular to the fiber axis. In the case of flat fiber spinning, the development of temperature distribution in the cross section was considered. It was found that the empirical equations for air friction and cooling of the spin line of circular fibers can be applied for the flat fiber spin line if the geometrical mean of long‐axis and short‐axis lengths was adopted, instead of fiber diameter, as the characteristic length for Reynolds number and Nusselt number. Three features expected through the high‐speed spinning of noncircular cross‐section fibers could be reproduced: (1) although cooling of the flat fiber spin line was enhanced, calculated tension at the position of solidification was not affected much by the difference in cross‐sectional shape; (2) change in cross‐sectional shape proceeded steeply near the spinneret; and (3) temperature at the edge became significantly lower than that at the center in the cross section of flat fibers. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 1589–1600, 2001