METHOD OF SOLUTION PREPARATION OF POLYOLEFIN CLASS POLYMERS FOR ELECTROSPINNING PROCESSING INCLUDING

• US 20100056007A1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Delaware
• Original Assignee: University of Delaware
• Inventors: Lee, Keun-Hyung, Givens, Steven R., Rabolt, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,083,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 442/401
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 1/02 Preparation of spinning solutions
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0038 the fibre formed by solvent evaporation, i.e. dry electro-spinning
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/04 from polyolefins
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/46 of polyolefins
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4291 Olefin series
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43825 Composite fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43838 Ultrafine fibres, e.g. microfibres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/681 Spun-bonded nonwoven fabric

Abstract

A process to make a polyolefin fiber which has the following steps: mixing at least one polyolefin into a solution at room temperature or a slightly elevated temperature to form a polymer solution and electrospinning at room temperature said polymer solution to form a fiber.

Claims

1. A process to make a polyolefin fiber which comprises mixing at least one polyolefin into a solution at a slightly elevated temperature to form a polymer solution and electrospinning said polymer solution at room temperature to form a fiber.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said polyolefin is polypropylene, polyethylene, polybutylene, or poly (4-methyl-1-pentene), their copolymer and/or blends.

3. The process as claimed in claim 2, wherein there is at least two polyolefins.

4. The process as claimed in claim 3, wherein said at least one polyolefin comprises polybutylene and poly (4-methyl-1-pentene).

5. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said solution contains HFIP, dichloromethane, dimethylacetamide, chloroform, dimethylformamide, or xylene.

6. The process as claimed in claim 2, wherein said solution contains multicomponents where at least one component is a good solvent and the other is either a poor solvent or a nonsolvent.

7. The process as claimed in claim 2, wherein said nonsolvent is HFIP, dichloromethane, dimethylacetamide, chloroform, dimethylformamide, xylene or methylcyclohexane.

8. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said solution is a solvent which is a high-volatility solvent group or a low-volatile solvent group.

9. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said solvent is acetone, chloroform, ethanol, isopropanol, methanol, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, water, benzene, benzyl alcohol, 1,4-dioxane, propanol, carbon tetrachloride, cyclohexane, cyclohexanone, dichloromethane, phenol, pyridine, trichloroethane or acetic acid;

N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate (PC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), acetonitrile (AN), N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide, butylene carbonate (BC), 1,4-butyrolactone (BL), diethyl carbonate (DEC), diethylether (DEE), 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME), 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (DMI), 1,3-dioxolane (DOL), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), methyl formate (MF), 3-methyloxazolidin-2-on (MO), methyl propionate (MP), 2-methyletetrahydrofurane (MeTHF) or sulpholane (SL).

10. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said solution comprises a solvent and said solvent is at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of acetone, chloroform, ethanol, isopropanol, methanol, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, water, benzene, benzyl alcohol, 1,4-dioxane, propanol, carbon tetrachloride, cyclohexane, cyclohexanone, dichloromethane, phenol, pyridine, trichloroethane or acetic acid;

N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate (PC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), acetonitrile (AN), N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide, butylene carbonate (BC), 1,4-butyrolactone (BL), diethyl carbonate (DEC), diethylether (DEE), 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME), 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (DMI), 1,3-dioxolane (DOL), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), methyl formate (MF), 3-methyloxazolidin-2-on (MO), methyl propionate (MP), 2-methyletetrahydrofurane (MeTHF) and sulpholane (SL).

11. The process as claimed in claim 2, wherein said solution comprises a solvent and said solvent is at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of acetone, chloroform, ethanol, isopropanol, methanol, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, water, benzene, benzyl alcohol, 1,4-dioxane, propanol, carbon tetrachloride, cyclohexane, cyclohexanone, dichloromethane, phenol, pyridine, trichloroethane or acetic acid;

N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate (PC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), acetonitrile (AN), N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide, butylene carbonate (BC), 1,4-butyrolactone (BL), diethyl carbonate (DEC), diethylether (DEE), 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME), 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (DMI), 1,3-dioxolane (DOL), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), methyl formate (MF), 3-methyloxazolidin-2-on (MO), methyl propionate (MP), 2-methyletetrahydrofurane (MeTHF) and sulpholane (SL).

12. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elevated temperature is from above 25 to 100°

C.

13. The process as claimed in claim 7, wherein the elevated temperature is from 50 to 100°

C.

14. A fiber made from the process as claimed in claim 1.

15. A textile which is comprised of the fiber as claimed in claim 14.

16. A membrane which is comprised of the fiber as claimed in claim 14

17. A nonwoven which is comprised of the fiber as claimed in claim 14.