PROCESSES TO PRODUCE SHORT CUT MICROFIBERS

(A) contacting the cut multi-component fibers having a length of less than 25 mm in the fiber slurry zone with the treated aqueous stream to produce a cut multi-component fiber slurry; (B) contacting the cut multicomponent fiber slurry with a heated aqueous stream in a mixing zone to produce a heated slurry; (C) sending the heated multi-component fiber slurry to a fiber open zone to remove a portion of the water-dispersible sulfopolyester to produce an open microfiber slurry; And (D) sending the open microfiber slurry to a first solid-liquid separation zone to produce a microfiber product stream and a first mother liquor stream. A process for producing a microfiber product stream， the process comprising: (A) contacting cut multicomponent fibers having a length of less than 25 millimeters with a treated aqueous stream in a fiber slurry zone to produce a cut multicomponent fiber slurry; (B) contacting the cut multicomponent fiber slurry with a heated aqueous stream in a mix zone to produce a heated multicomponent fiber slurry; (C) routing the heated multicomponent fiber slurry to a fiber opening zone to remove a portion of the water dispersible sulfopolyester to produce an opened microfiber slurry; and (D) routing the opened microfiber slurry to a primary solid liquid separation zone to produce the microfiber product stream and a first mother liquor stream. A process for producing a microfiber product stream， the process comprising: (A) contacting cut multicomponent fibers having a length of less than 25 millimeters with a treated aqueous stream in a fiber slurry zone to produce a cut multicomponent fiber slurry; (B) contacting the cut multicomponent fiber slurry with a heated aqueous stream in a mix zone to produce a heated multicomponent fiber slurry; (C) routing the heated multicomponent fiber slurry to a fiber opening zone to remove a portion of the water dispersible sulfopolyester to produce an opened microfiber slurry; and (D) routing the opened microfiber slurry to a primary solid liquid separation zone to produce the microfiber product stream and a first mother liquor stream.