FIBERS MADE FROM SOLUBLE POLYMERS

• US 20140230390A1
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donaldson Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Donaldson Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Weik, Thomas M., Shenoy, Suresh L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,435,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 55/528
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/1623 of synthetic origin
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2201/54 Aqueous solutions or dispersions
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2203/12 used for fibers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/04 containing interpenetrating networks
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2312/00 Crosslinking
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 37/00 Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, each having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond, and at least one being terminated by a heterocyclic ring containing oxygen of cyclic esters of polyfunctional acids C08L31/00; of cyclic anhydrides of unsaturated acids C08L35/00; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 39/08 Homopolymers or copolymers of vinyl-pyridine
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 61/06 of aldehydes with phenols
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 61/26 of aldehydes with heterocyclic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 61/28 with melamine
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 161/06 of aldehydes with phenols
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 161/26 of aldehydes with heterocyclic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 161/28 with melamine
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0007 Electro-spinning non-woven fabrics produced by electro-spinning D04H1/728
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/20 from polymers of cyclic compounds with one carbon-to-carbon double bond in the side chain
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/42 comprising cyclic compounds containing one carbon-to-carbon double bond in the side chain as major constituent
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/56 of polymers of cyclic compounds with one carbon-to-carbon double bond in the side chain
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/94 of other polycondensation products
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 8/04 from synthetic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 8/16 with at least one other macromolecular compound obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds as constituent
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/728 : by electro-spinning electro-spinning methods and apparatus D01D5/0007
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2321/12 : polymers of cyclic compounds with one carbon-to-carbon double bond in the side chain
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/04 : Filters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2967 : Synthetic resin or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/298 : Physical dimension

Abstract

A fiber can be made having a structure with an axial core and a coating layer. The fiber can have a polymer core and one or two layers surrounding the core. The fine fiber can be made from a polymer material and a resinous aldehyde composition such that the general structure of the fiber has a polymer core surrounded by at least a layer of the resinous aldehyde composition.

Claims

1. A fine fiber comprising a nonreactive polymer and a self-crosslinked resinous aldehyde composition within the fiber.

2. The fine fiber of claim 1 wherein the nonreactive polymer and self-crosslinked resinous aldehyde composition forms a uniform mixture in a semi-interpenetrating network morphology.

8. The fine fiber of claim 1 which is a fine fiber having an average diameter of no greater than 5 microns.

9. The fine fiber of claim 1 wherein the resinous aldehyde composition comprises a resinous formaldehyde composition.

10. The fine fiber of claim 9 wherein the resinous formaldehyde composition comprises a resinous melamine-formaldehyde composition.

11. The fine fiber of claim 1 wherein the resinous aldehyde composition comprises a melamine-aldehyde composition;

and wherein the aldehyde comprises formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, butyraldehyde, isobutyraldehyde, or mixtures thereof.

12. The fine fiber of claim 1 wherein the resinous aldehyde composition comprises a condensation product of urea and an aldehyde, a condensation product of phenol and an aldehyde, a condensation product of melamine and an aldehyde, or a mixture thereof.

13. The fine fiber of claim 1 wherein the resinous aldehyde composition comprises a condensation product of benzoguanamine and an aldehyde, a condensation product of glycoluril and an aldehyde, or a mixture thereof.

15. A filter media comprising a filtration substrate and a layer comprising a plurality of fine fibers of claim 1 disposed on the substrate.

16. The filter media of claim 15 wherein the fine fiber layer has a thickness of 0.05μ

, to 30μ

.

17. The filter media of claim 15 wherein the filtration substrate is a non-woven substrate.

18. The filter media of claim 15 wherein the fine fiber layer is an electrospun layer and the filtration substrate comprises a cellulosic or synthetic nonwoven.

19. The filter media of claim 15 wherein the filtration substrate comprises a polyester nonwoven, a polyolefin nonwoven, or a blended nonwoven thereof.

20. The filter media of claim 15 wherein the filtration substrate comprises polypropylene nonwoven.

21. The filter media of claim 15 wherein the filtration substrate comprises a spunbonded or melt-blown support.

22. A filter element comprising a filter media of claim 15.

3. (canceled)

5. The fine fiber of claim 3 comprising three phases, wherein the core phase comprises the polymer, the coating phase comprises the resinous aldehyde composition, and a transition phase comprises a mixture of the polymer and the resinous aldehyde composition.

6. The fine fiber of claim 3 which is prepared from a resinous aldehyde composition comprising reactive alkoxy groups and a nonreactive polymer.

7. The fine fiber of claim 3 wherein the resinous aldehyde composition is present in an amount of greater than 20 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the polymer.

4. (canceled)

14. A fine fiber comprising a core phase and a coating phase;

wherein the core phase comprises nonreactive polymer and the coating phase comprises a self-crosslinked resinous melamine-aldehyde composition;

wherein the fine fiber is prepared from a resinous melamine-aldehyde composition in an amount of greater than 20 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the nonreactive polymer.