CA1138163A - Die for a melt-blowing process - Google Patents

Die for a melt-blowing process

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Publication number
CA1138163A
CA1138163A CA000335162A CA335162A CA1138163A CA 1138163 A CA1138163 A CA 1138163A CA 000335162 A CA000335162 A CA 000335162A CA 335162 A CA335162 A CA 335162A CA 1138163 A CA1138163 A CA 1138163A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
gas
die
spacers
die assembly
extrusion
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000335162A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Takashi Mikami
Shigeo Fujii
Shuji Okano
Tokuzo Ikeda
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Tonen General Sekiyu KK
Original Assignee
Toa Nenryo Kogyyo KK
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Toa Nenryo Kogyyo KK filed Critical Toa Nenryo Kogyyo KK
Priority to CA000335162A priority Critical patent/CA1138163A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1138163A publication Critical patent/CA1138163A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Abstract

Jap. 30928/78 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
In an improved die-nose assembly for a melt-blowing process wherein molten resin is extruded from a series of die-holes while heated gas is blown out through slots on either side of the die nose associated therewith, spacers which are movable widthwise of the die assembly are provided in the gas slots to provide effective uniformity in the gas streams across the width of the die.

Description

1~1.3~1~6~

-- 1 ~

1 This invention relates to an improvement in
2 spinning die~, in particular, dies used for the production
3 of nonwoven fabrics by means of a melt-blowing process. More ; 4 particularly, the present invention is concerned with an improvement in dies used for the process of producing non-6 woven fabrics or cloth which comprises extruding a melted 7 thermoplastic resin through a plurality of resin extrusion 8 holes provided on the projecting part of a nozzle piece with 9 a triangular cross section, simultaneously passing a gas stream at high speed out from gas slots provided at both 11 sides of the spinning holes, thereby forming the thermoplastic 12 resin ~ibers into a fiber stream consisting of fine fibers 13 and the high speed gas, and then recovering the fiber stream 14 on a moving collecting surface. Such a process is called a "melt-blowing process" (Japanese Patent Application (OPI) 16 Nos. 10,258/1974, 48,921/1974, 121,570/1975 and 46,972/1975) 17 or "jet spinning process" (Japanese Patent Publication 18 Nos. 25,871/1969 and 26,977/1969).
19 The nonwoven fabrics obtained by the prior art process as described above are porous nonwoven fabrics ~ade 21 of fibers having a diameter of 0.5 to 20 microns, which 22 have been widely used, for example, as separators in lead 23 storage batteries, as filters, as medical masks, as artificial 24 leather, etc. The pore size of the nonwoven fabric can be chosen within a wide range depending upon the object of use.
26 When a thin nonwoven fabric is produced by the 27 prior art process, however, pinholes are often formed which 28 lower the worth as an article of commerce and render the 29 particular part useless.
The inventors have found that in the prior art 31 processes for the production of nonwoven fabrics, the 32 thermoplastic resin extruded from a die hole is not con-33 tinuously formed into a fiber but a~heres to the die around 34 the extrusion hole, or the intermediate part of the fiber is often formed into a glob, and when this glob is blown 36 against a collecting plate, not only the resulting nonwoven 1 fabric is uneven, but also the collected fibers in the 2 nonwoven fabric are sometimes melted by heat to cause pin-3 holes. It has further been found that such a phenomenon
4 is due to the unevenness in the flow rate, flow quantity and width of t~e ~aseous stream blown out at a high speed 6 near the speed of sound from the gas slots provided at 7 both sides of the extrusion holes simultaneously with the 8 extrusion of thermoplastic resin from the extrusion holes, 9 which unevenness etc., is caused by the unevenness of the gap of the gas slots.
11 Unless in a spinning die for producing a nonwoven 12 fabric, the gap of gas exhaust slots at both sides of the 13 resin extrusion holes in the projecting part of the die is 14 controlled with an accuracy within a range of ~ 10% of a predetermined value over the whole width of the die, a gas 16 stream blown at high speed from the gas slotsWill be uneven, 17 so that the spun fibers are not smoothly stretched, globular 18 parts are formed in the intermediate part of the fiber, 19 or fibers are not well formed due to adhesion or deposition.
In order to prevent this, it is necessary to m2ke the flow 21 rate, flow quantity and width of a jet stream blown at a 22 speed near the speed of sound from both sides of extrusion 23 holes in the projecting part of the die,uniform. If the 24 balance of jet streams at both sides of the projecting part of the die is upset, small swirls appear at the projecting 26 part of the die and the spinning condition is unstable, re-27 sulting in the disadvantages as set forth above.
28 As apparent from the foregoing illustration, it is 29 very important to control the gap of a gas slot at the pro-3~ jecting part of an extrusion die, but in the prior art die, even 31 if the dimension of the gap of a gas exhaust slot is precisely 32 controlled at normal temperature, the predetermined value can-33 not be held with high accuracy because deformation occurs due 34 to heat strain during operation.
For the purpose of solving these problems, the 36 inventors have made further studies on the provision of the 13~63 1 gap of a gas exhaust slot with a spacer and ~onsequently, 2 have found that the use of a fixed spacer with a large 3 contact area with the nozzle piece is not effective for 4 holding a predetermined gap value at normal temperature with high accuracy against thermal deforL2tion during 6 operation.
7 However, in accordance with the invention, an 8 extrusion die suitable for the production of nonwoven fabrics 9 in stable manner for a long period of time can be obtained in which the dimension of the gap or interval of the gas 11 exhaust slots can be held and controlled with high accuracy 12 by the provision of a spacer for determining the gap of 13 a gas exhaust slot which spacer (which will hereinafter be 14 referred to as "spacer" simply) is slidable or movable and brought into contact with the nozzle piece substantially at 16 one point in cross-section.
17 Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of an extrusion 18 die according to the present invention;
19 Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the projecting part of the die shown in Fig. l;
21 Fig. 3 (a) is a front view, partly cut away, of a 22 push plate for fitting a globular spacer;
23 Fig. 3 (b) is a front view, partly cut away, of a 24 push plate for fitting a spacer with each shape shown in 25 Eig. 6 (a), (b) or (c); .
26 Fig. 4 (a) is a sectional view along Y - Y or Y' - Y' 27 of Fig. 3 (a) or (b);
28 Fig. 4 (b) is a sectional view along Z - Z or Z' - Z' 29 of Fig. 3 (a) or (b);
Fig. 5 (a), (b) and (c) are sectional views along 31 X - X of Fig. 2 of the spacers for determining the set back; and 32 Fig. 6 (a), (b), (c) and (d) are perspective views 33 of spacer f for determining the gap of a gas exhaust slot.
34 The present invention provides an extrusion die assembly in which a nose piece has a triangular cross-36 section and extrusion holes along the apex thereof, for '~ ' ~ :

113~163 1 extrusion of melted thermoplastic resin. The assembly 2 also has gas lips defining gas slots at either side of 3 the apex and movable spacers provided in the gas slots.
4 The spacers contact the nose piece and the gas lips for determination of the gap of the gas slots.

7 Referring now to the accompanying drawings in 8 detail:
9 Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are cross sectional views of die assembly 1 according to the present invention. Spherical 11 spacer 5 is fitted to gas lip 3 by push plate 6. A pair of 12 gas lips 3 are fixed by bolt 12 to nozzle piece 2 through spacer 13 8 which determines "set back" S (Cf. Fi~. 2). Nozzle piece 14 2 is connected with die part 11 which is surrounded by a pair of casings 13 fixed by bolts 14. Gas lip 3 provided 16 with spheric~spacer 5 is pushed by push and draw bolt 15 17 or another push bolt with a spring so that globular spacer 5 may 18 be in contact with nozzle piece 2 to determine dimension H
19 (Cf. Fig. 2) of the gap of gas exhaust slot end 10. The gap between gas lip 3 and casing 13 is sealed by soft packing 21 material 16.
22 Spherlcal spacer 5 is generally made of a rigid 23 material, in particular~ having a particularly high rigidity, 24 such as metals, ceramics, synthetic ruby and the like. The diameter of spacer 5 is selected depending upon the desired 26 dimension H of the gap of gas exhaust slot end 10. Spherical 27 spacer 5 is fitted into push plate 6 made generally of a metal 28 and having spacer holding hole 17 and push plate fixing tapped 29 hole 18 as shown in Fig. 3 (a) and Fig. 4 (a) and (b). The spacers are arranged linearly in parallel with the gas exhaust 31 slot end in the width direction of the die. Push plate 6 is 32 fixed to air lip 3 by flat head screw 19 in such a manner that 33 the screw head is completely buried in the push plate 6.
34 Pitch P for fitting spheric~ spacer 5 is so determined that the flow rate of a gas jet stream exhausted from both 36 sldes of extrusion holes at the projecting part of the die is .
~ ' ' ' ' ', . ~' 1~381i3
- 5 -1 not disturbed, while the effect of the spacer is obtained.
2 Pitch P is preferably 20 times the width Gl of gas exhaust 3 slit 4. Spacer holding hole 17 of push plate 6 has a slope 4 expanded from the surface to the part of dotted line as shown in Fig. 3 (a) and Fig. 4 (a) and holds ~pher~al spacer
6 5 at a somewhat upper portion from the center of the cross
7 section shown in Fig. 2 so that it is prevented from falling
8 off and it is readily slidable or movable.
9 Spacer 8 for determining set back S has a shape as shown in Fig. 5 (a), (b) or (c) which can optionally 11 be chosen depending on the object, and is fixed to nozzle 12 piece 2 by boIt 12 through bolt hole 20 and bolt hole 21 of 13 gas lip 3 in the gas feed path between gas lip 3 and nozzle 14 piece 2 to thus determine set back S with high accuracy.
Bolt hole 21 of gas lip 3 has a space for bolt 12 and, 16 optionally, metallic or heat resisting packing material 22 is 17 used between gas lip 3 and bolt 12. Therefore, even if 18 the die is subject to thermal deformation, sliding of nozzle 19 piece 2 and gas lip 3 is possible, in particular, in the width direction of the die. The height of spacer 8 for 21 determining set back S is determined by the desired value 22 of set back S, and the width W thereof is the height G2 f gas 23 feed path 7 (Cf. Fig. 2). In addition, spacer 8 should be 24 fitted in such a direction that the longitudinal direction thereof is perpendicular to the width direction of the die 26 (arrangement direction of resin extrusion holes 9), except 27 in the case of circles, and in such an interval that the 28 disrurbance of the flow rate of a gaseous jet stream exhausted 29 from the both sides of extrusion holes 9 of the projecting part of the die can be neglected, the interval being preferably 31 5 times the witth W of spacer 8 for determining set back S.
32 In the above described embodiment of the present 33 invention, a spacer for defining the gap of a gas exhaust 34 slot, having a spherical shape, is used, but any other shape can be used that is contacted with nozzle piece 2 substantially 36 at one point in cross section, as shown in Fig. 6 (a), (b) . ~

,~ 11381~3 1 (c) and (d). "Substantially at one point" used in this 2 specification means a length of 1!10 of one side of the 3 triangular portion of the cross-section of nozzle piece 2.
4 The spacer of such a shape should have a length less than two tim~s the width Gl of gas exhaust slot 4 so as to prevent the jet 6 stream exhausted from both sides of spinning holes 9 from 7 disturbance of the flow rate, and the fitting direction of 8 the spacer is preferably in parallel with the width direction 9 of the die. Fitting of the spacer is carried out by using spacer holding hole 17' of push plate 6' for fitting a 11 spacer as shown in Fig. 3 (b) and fitting in an analogous 12 manner to that of a spherical form in the case of the forms 13 as shown in Fig. 6 (a), (b) and (c), and by fixing push 14 plate fi' to gas lip 3 using flat head screws through cut portions in the case of the shape as shown in Fig. 6 (d).
16 As set forth above, according to the spinning die 17 of the present invention, suitable for the production of non-18 woven fabrics, not only the dimension of the gap of a gas 19 exhaust slot and the dimension of the set back can be controlled with high accuracy over the whole width of the 21 die, but a;so the predetermined value at normal temperature 22 can be held with high accuracy because the change of the 23 contact position can be minimized by sliding or movement of 24 the spacer or by point or line contact of the spacer with the nozzle piece even if the whole body of the die is subject to 26 a large heat deformation at the start of operation. Further- ¦
27 more, control of these dimensions can readily be carried out 28 during operation and it is thus made possible to produce a 29 nonwoven fabric under stable spinning state for a long time The present invention is applicable to, in addition to the 31 die structures according to these embodiments, another 32 structure in which the end of a gas exhaust slot precedes the 33 extrusion hole of the projecting part of a die, for exa~ple, 34 disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 25,871/1959 and Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 67,411/76.

Claims (9)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An extrusion die assembly for a melt blowing process with a nose piece having a triangular cross-section and extrusion holes along the apex thereof, for extrusion of melted thermo-plastic resin, said assembly having gas lips defining gas slots at either side of the apex and having movable spacers provided in the gas slots, said spacers contacting said nose piece and said gas lips for determination of the gap of the gas slots.
2. A die assembly according to claim 1 wherein the spacers are slidable.
3. A die assembly according to claims 1 or 2 wherein the spacers are movable with the gas lips.
4. An extrusion die assembly for a melt blowing process with a nose piece having a triangular cross-section and extrusion holes along the apex thereof, said die assembly having gas lips defining gas slots at either side of the nose piece and having a plurality of movable spacers in each gas slot spaced from each other along the width of the die wherein the spacers are movable with the gas lips and have a cross-section such that they contact the nose substantially at one point.
5. A die assembly according to claim 4 wherein the spacers are spherical.
6. A die assembly according to claim 4 wherein the spacers are cylindrical.
7. A die assembly according to claim 4 wherein the spacers are triangular prisms.
8. A die assembly according to claim 4 wherein the spacers are made of metal, ceramics, or synthetic ruby.
9. A die assembly according to claim 1 wherein the spacers are made of metal, ceramics, or synthetic ruby.
CA000335162A 1979-09-06 1979-09-06 Die for a melt-blowing process Expired CA1138163A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000335162A CA1138163A (en) 1979-09-06 1979-09-06 Die for a melt-blowing process

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000335162A CA1138163A (en) 1979-09-06 1979-09-06 Die for a melt-blowing process

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1138163A true CA1138163A (en) 1982-12-28

Family

ID=4115100

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000335162A Expired CA1138163A (en) 1979-09-06 1979-09-06 Die for a melt-blowing process

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1138163A (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN114775078A (en) * 2022-01-11 2022-07-22 浙江精诚模具机械有限公司 Method for analyzing and improving uniformity of air duct of melt-blowing die head

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN114775078A (en) * 2022-01-11 2022-07-22 浙江精诚模具机械有限公司 Method for analyzing and improving uniformity of air duct of melt-blowing die head

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