Apparatus of polymer web by electrospinning process

• US 20020122840A1
• Filed: 04/03/2001
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Jo, Seong Mu, Chun, Suk Won, Lee, Wha Seop, Go, Seok Gu
• Granted Patent: US 6,616,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 425/174.6
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0061 characterised by the electro-spinning apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus of polymer web by electrospinning process and manufacturing method thereof, which can manufacture porous polymer web using an electrospinning method. The method for manufacturing porous polymer web by electrospinning process includes the steps of: forming, pressurizing and supplying at least one or more kinds of polymer materials in a liquid state; and discharging and piling the polymer materials to a collector through one or more charged nozzles, the collector being located under the nozzles and charged to have a polarity opposed to the polarity of the charged nozzles, the collector moving in a prescribed speed.

Claims

1. An apparatus of polymer web by electrospinning process, the apparatus comprising:

a barrel storing at least one or more kinds of polymer materials in a liquid state;

a pump pressurizing and supplying the polymer materials of the liquid state stored in the barrel;

a spinning part for injecting the polymer materials of the liquid state supplied by the pump through at least one or more charged nozzles and manufacturing thin fibers;

a first high voltage generator providing electric charge for charging the polymer materials discharged through the nozzles of the spinning part to have one polarity; and

a collector for piling and transferring the thin fibers to form the polymer web, the fibers being charged to have a polarity opposed to the polarity of the spinning part and discharged by the nozzles.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pump can control a discharged amount of the polymer materials discharged through the nozzles.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spinning part includes:

a base having an inlet pipe formed at the center and a path for passing the polymer materials of the liquid state within, the inlet pipe receiving the polymer materials of the liquid state from the pump;

a base conductor board attached on a lower surface of the base and having a conductive plate for transferring electric charge, the base conductor board having a plurality of nozzle taps for mounting the nozzles at a lower surface thereof;

at least one or more nozzles mounted on the nozzle taps formed on the base conductor board for discharging the polymer materials;

a charge distribution board mounted on a lower portion of the base conductor board, the charge distribution board having a plurality of holes formed at the positions, where the nozzles are mounted, for passing the nozzles; and

a conductor board mounted on a lower portion of the charge distribution board for charge distribution.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzles is a unitary nozzle, which has a needle discharging the polymer materials of the liquid state, and a multi-nozzle, which has a plurality of needles.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the needles of the multi-nozzle are arranged in intervals of 1 mm or more.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the needles have a ratio of a length and an external diameter is more than 10.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the collector is in a web structure of conductive materials or a plate structure of the conductive materials.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the collector is in a conveyer belt type for transferring the polymer web piled on the upper portion thereof in one direction.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the collector further includes a second high voltage generator for supplying electric charge of polarity opposed to the polarity of the spinning part.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charge distribution board is located upwardly at a distance of 5 mm or more from an end of the nozzle discharging the polymer materials.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein output voltage of the first and second high voltage generators is DC voltage having an absolute value of 1 kV to 50 kV.