Electronic spinning apparatus, and a process of preparing nonwoven fabric using the thereof

• US 20030190383A1
• Filed: 03/04/2003
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Finetex Technology Global Ltd. (The InsideIQ Building Automation Alliance)
• Original Assignee: Hag-Yong Kim, Jong Cheol Park
• Inventors: Kim, Hag-Yong
• Granted Patent: US 6,991,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 425/110
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 1/06 Feeding liquid to the spinning head constructions of pumps F04
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0069 characterised by the spinning section, e.g. capillary tube, protrusion or pin
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0084 Coating by electro-spinning, i.e. the electro-spun fibres are not removed from the collecting device but remain integral with it, e.g. coating of prostheses

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrospinning apparatus including a spinning dope drop device (3) formed between a metering pump (2) and a nozzle block (4), the spinning dope drop device (3) including (i) a sealed cylindrical shape, (ii) a spinning dope inducing tube 3c and a gas inletting tube 3b receiving gas through its lower end and having its gas inletting part connected to a filter 3a being aligned side by side at the upper portion of the spinning dope drop device, (iii) a spinning dope discharge tube 3d being protruded from the lower portion of which, and (iv) a hollow unit for dropping the spinning dope from the spinning dope inducing tube 3c being formed at the middle portion of which. In addition, a method for preparing a non-woven fabric drops flowing of a spinning dope at least once by passing the spinning dope through a spinning dope drop device (3) before supplying the spinning dope to a nozzle block (4) supplied with a voltage in electrospinning. As a result, the present invention can mass-produce the nano fibers and non-woven fabrics by maximizing fiber formation effects in electrospinning, and easily control a with and thickness of the non-woven fabric.

Claims

1. An electrospinning apparatus constructed by a spinning dope main tank 1, a metering pump 2, a nozzle block 4, a collector 6 positioned at the lower end of the nozzle block, for collecting spun fibers, a voltage generator 11, a plurality of units for transmitting a voltage generated in the voltage generator to the nozzle block 4 and the collector 6, wherein the electrospinning apparatus is characterized in that comprising:

a spinning dope drop device 3 positioned between the metering pump 2 and the nozzle block 6, and the spinning dope drop device including;

(i) a sealed cylindrical shape,

(ii) a spinning dope inducing tube 3c and a gas inletting tube 3b receiving gas through its lower end and having its gas inletting part connected to a filter 3a being aligned side by side at the upper portion of the spinning dope drop device,

(iii) a spinning dope discharge tube 3d being protruded from the lower portion of which, and

(iv) a hollow unit for dropping the spinning dope from the spinning dope inducing tube 3c being formed at the middle portion of which. 0000

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzles are aligned in block units having at least two pins or injection needles.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a number of pins of one nozzle block ranges from 2 to 100,000.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the nozzle pins have circular or different shape sections.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the nozzle pins are aligned in a circumference shape, lattice shape or a row line.

6. A method for preparation of a non-woven fabric by electrospinning a thermoplastic or thermosetting resin spinning dope on a collector 6 from a nozzle block 4 and consecutively embossing a spun web, wherein the method is characterized in that comprising the step of:

passing a spinning dope from a spinning dope main tank 1 through a metering pump 2 and a spinning dope drop device 3 each other before supplying the spinning dope quantitatively supplied to the nozzle block 4 supplied with a voltage, and the spinning dope drop device 3 including;

(i) a sealed cylindrical shape,

(ii) a spinning dope inducing tube 3c and a gas inletting tube 3b receiving gas through its lower end and having its gas inletting part connected to a filter 3a being aligned side by side at the upper portion of the spinning dope drop device,

(iii) a spinning dope discharge tube 3d being protruded from the lower portion of which, and

(iv) a hollow unit for dropping the spinning dope from the spinning dope inducing tube 3c being formed at the middle portion of which.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the nozzles are aligned in block units having at least two pins.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein air or inert gas inlets into the spinning dope drop device.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the spinning dope is melts or solution.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein an endless belt is used as the collector 6.

11. A method for preparing a non-woven fabric coated with nano fibers comprising the steps of:

spinning the nano fibers on one surface or both surfaces of a transferred fiber material by one or more electrospinning apparatuses including a spinning dope drop device 3, and bonding the nano fibers, wherein the spinning dope drop device 3 formed between a metering pump and a nozzle block includes;

(i) a sealed cylindrical shape, (ii) a spinning dope inducing tube 3c and a gas inletting tube 3b receiving gas through its lower end and having its gas inletting part connected to a filter 3a being aligned side by side at the upper portion of the spinning dope drop device, (iii) a spinning dope discharge tube 3d being protruded from the lower portion of which, and (iv) a hollow unit for dropping the spinning dope from the spinning dope inducing tube 3c being formed at the middle portion of which.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the fiber material is a spun yarn, filament, textile, knitted fabrics, non-woven fabric, paper, film or braid.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the fiber material is dipped and compressed in an adhesive solution before spinning nano fibers, and dried prior to bonding after spinning the nano fibers.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the bonding treatment is needle punching, thermal compression, electromagnetic wave treatment, high pressure water injection, supersonic wave treatment or plasma treatment.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein spinning dopes supplied to the respective electronic spinning apparatuses have different polymers in case of using at least two electrospinning apparatuses.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the nozzles of the electrospinning apparatus are aligned in block units having at least two pins.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the number of pins of one nozzle block ranges from 2 to 100,000.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the nozzle pins have circular, injection needle type or different shape sections.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the nozzle pins are aligned in a circumference, grid or line.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein air or inert gas inlets into the spinning dope drop device.

21. The method according to claim 11, wherein the spinning dope is melts or solution.