JP2003201664A - Method for drying yarn-like material, method for producing hydrophilic polymer single yarn and apparatus for drying yarn-like material - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a means for efficiently and continuously drying a yarn-like material having low heat resistance and weakness like a collagen single yarn without causing heat denaturation and fracture. <P>SOLUTION: This method for drying the yarn-like material comprises passing the yarn-like material to be dried in an axial direction through an air duct and applying airflow to the yarn-like material so as to carry out nearly circular motion of the yarn-like material around a straight line L as a center connecting a feed position P1 at which the yarn-like material is charged into the air duct with a take-up position P2 at which the yarn-like material is discharged from the air duct on a plane M perpendicular to the straight line L. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for drying a filamentous material, a method for producing a hydrophilic polymer single yarn, and a filamentous material drying apparatus, and particularly to a filamentous material that is fragile in a wet state and easily causes thermal denaturation. The present invention relates to a means for continuously and efficiently drying, without causing breakage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional method for drying a filamentous material containing moisture, a method of applying heat energy to the filamentous material to give heat energy or a method of blowing a gas such as air to the filamentous material, And a method combining these methods. Such a method is generally similar to removing liquid components from a wet object. As a method of applying heat energy, which is one of the conventional methods for drying filamentous materials, for example, an undried hollow fiber membrane is enclosed in a housing case as described in JP-A-9-888. Then, microwaves are generated in the housing case to uniformly heat and evaporate the water content contained in the bundle of hollow fiber membranes, and the generated water vapor is exchanged with the air outside the housing to dry the hollow fiber membranes. There is a way. On the other hand, a combination of the method of applying thermal energy and the method of blowing gas includes, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-237756.
As described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. JP-A No. 2004-242242, carbon fibers to which a sizing treatment liquid is attached are installed in a drying device at 100 to 300 ° C., and hot air that has undergone heat exchange in a combustion furnace is fed into the drying device to perform the sizing treatment. There is a method of drying the liquid.

In order to dry the filamentous material in a wet state by the method of applying heat energy, the filamentous material to be dried is required to have heat resistance. For example, in the method described in JP-A-9-888, the hollow fiber membrane does not undergo thermal denaturation by microwaves. In the method described in JP-A-10-237756, the sizing agent and the carbon fiber are 10
It is necessary not to thermally decompose in the temperature range of 0 to 300 ° C. Therefore, when the heat resistance of the filamentous material is low, the drying by the method of applying thermal energy is not suitable.

By the way, collagen, which is a hydrophilic polymer, has been attracting attention as a medical material because of its excellent properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, tissue regeneration, cell proliferation, and hemostatic action. It is useful to spin into filaments for use as tissue regeneration membranes and the like. However, the denaturation temperature of collagen is generally low, although there are some differences depending on the species of origin,
It is about ℃. Therefore, the method of applying heat energy as described above is not suitable as a method of drying a collagen thread in a wet state.

As a method of drying a filamentous material having a low heat resistance such as a collagen filament, JP-A-6-228505 and JP-A-6-228506 disclose a method in which collagen is dehydrated and coagulated with a hydrophilic organic solvent to form a filamentous material. The method of drying after molding is described. According to the method described in the above publication, when the amount of water in collagen is set to 10% or more, the denaturation temperature of collagen rises to about 100 ° C. due to the latent heat of vaporization effect. Therefore, the drying temperature in the drying step is raised to about 60 ° C. Therefore, it can be efficiently dried in a short time. However, since the latent heat of vaporization effect can no longer be obtained after the collagen is completely dried, the collagen is exposed to a temperature of about 60 ° C., which is higher than the denaturation temperature, immediately after the water is completely removed from the collagen. Causes heat denaturation. As a result, the properties of collagen are lost, and only gelatinized products are obtained.

[0006]

When it is not possible to adopt a drying method that imparts thermal energy due to the heat resistance of the filamentous material to be dried, such as the above-mentioned collagen thread, generally, a gas such as air is used. Although a method of blowing air is adopted, such a method has disadvantages such as poor drying efficiency and long drying time as compared with the method of applying heat energy. On the other hand, if the amount of air blown per unit time is increased, that is, the air pressure is increased, the drying time can be shortened, but the load on the filamentous material also increases. For example, as described above, the collagen yarn immediately after dehydration and coagulation with the hydrophilic organic solvent is very fragile, and there is a problem that the collagen yarn is torn when the air pressure is increased to improve the drying efficiency. As described above, since the brittle filamentous material such as collagen thread has poor drying efficiency, it is difficult to continuously spin and wind the filamentous material in the production thereof, and the filamentous material is dried by appropriately cutting it. It has been necessary to spin a plurality of filaments having a length suitable for the above, and then perform natural drying or drying with a weak blast.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is effective for efficiently producing brittle filaments having low heat resistance and weakness, such as collagen single filaments, without causing thermal denaturation and rupture. Moreover, it aims at providing the means to dry continuously.

[0008]

A method for drying a filamentous material according to the present invention is such that a filamentous material to be dried is axially passed through a wind tunnel, and a feeding position at which the filamentous material enters the wind tunnel and a filamentous material from the wind tunnel. In a plane orthogonal to a straight line connecting the take-out position, the filamentous material gives an air flow so as to make a substantially circular motion about the straight line.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substantially circular movement of the filamentous material means that the filamentous material rotates in an arc shape between the feeding position P1 and the take-out position P2, that is, a so-called jump rope shape. And a plane M orthogonal to a straight line L connecting the feed position P1 and the take-out position P2, as shown in the figure, the filamentous substance is substantially a circle with an intersection O between the straight line L and the plane M as a rotation center. It means to rotate the orbit R. The direction of rotation is not particularly limited, and it may be clockwise or counterclockwise, but it is preferably constant. Further, the maximum outer diameter when the filamentous material is rotated in a jump rope shape, that is, the maximum radius in the plane M is not particularly limited, but the filamentous material is prevented from coming into contact with the inner wall of the wind tunnel. The maximum radius is the distance between the feed position P1 and the take-out position P2,
It can be adjusted by the direction of the air flow, the wind pressure, or the like.

The wind tunnel is a tubular body having a circular or elliptical cross section, preferably a tubular body having a circular cross section. The wind tunnel can be formed of a material such as metal, plastic, wood, or glass, but a metal one is preferable in terms of strength and workability. Both ends of the wind tunnel are open, and an inlet and an outlet for the filamentous material and an air flow vent are provided in the opening. The inlet and the outlet are preferably circular, and the diameter thereof is not particularly limited as long as a thread can be inserted therethrough, but it may also be used as the vent by being sufficiently large. It is possible. Of course, the inlet and outlet and the vent may be provided separately. The feed-in position P1 and the take-out position P2 are positions at which the filamentous material passes through the feed-in port or the take-out port.
The filamentous material advances in the axial direction in the order of the take-out position P2 and passes through the wind tunnel. The position where the filamentous material should pass is preferably on the axis of the wind tunnel. Further, the feeding position P1 and the unloading position P2
It is preferable to provide a guide member such as a rotary roller for guiding the filamentous material to both positions in the vicinity of the position. In order to pass the filamentous material through the wind tunnel of the tubular body, it is necessary to first perform a preparatory work for inserting the filamentous material into the wind tunnel along the guide member. It is a preferred embodiment that the structure is divided and the divided members are pivotally attached to each other, or that the divided members are provided with engaging portions so that they can be assembled into a tubular body. During the preparatory work, it becomes possible to work by exposing the inside of the wind tunnel.

As the air flow that causes the filamentous material to make a substantially circular motion, a rotating air flow that advances while spirally rotating in a wind tunnel is suitable, but it does not have to be a laminar flow in which the directions of the flow velocity are uniform, and is a turbulent flow. It may be. Further, it is preferable that the rotating airflow is generated by blowing air in a direction different from the straight line L that is parallel to the straight line L connecting the inlet position P1 and the outlet position P2 in the wind tunnel. Here, the direction different from the straight line L means, for example, the straight line L as indicated by an arrow in FIG.
It is a direction away from, and is a direction that does not overlap with the straight line L when viewed from any direction other than a plan view and a side view. The direction of travel of the airflow is opposite to the direction of travel of the filamentous material in order to increase the relative speed of the filamentous material with respect to the airflow and increase the area in which the filamentous material contacts the airflow, that is, from the take-out position P2 to the feeding position. It is preferable to blow air toward P1. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the blowing direction is a straight line L with the blowing direction.
It is possible to arbitrarily set the angle α formed with the straight line L in the range of 1 to 89 ° when viewed in a plan view so as to intersect with, but in consideration of the rotation speed and drying efficiency of the filamentous material, It is preferably in the range of 15 to 75 °, particularly preferably in the range of approximately 30 to 60 °. By sending the air in such a direction, the sent-out gas advances while swirling along the inner wall of the wind tunnel, and becomes a so-called spiral rotating airflow. The rotating air flow acts on the filamentous material in the wind tunnel, and the filamentous material makes a rope jumping rotational movement.

By giving an air flow such as the above-mentioned spiral rotating air flow to the filamentous material, the wind pressure (physical external force) of the air flow acting on the filamentous material is used for the rope-jumping rotary motion of the filamentous material. The risk of rupture of the filamentous material due to is reduced. Further, even when the wind pressure is increased, the angular velocity of the rope-jump-like rotary motion of the filamentous material is increased with almost no change in the amplitude, so that the risk of rupture is hardly increased. Since the wind pressure can be increased without causing breakage in the filamentous material, when the drying conditions are limited, for example, due to thermal denaturation of the filamentous material, the upper limit of the gas temperature is limited, and a gas at room temperature is used. Even when air is blown to dry the filamentous material, it is possible to efficiently dry the filamentous material.

In the present invention, the thread-like material means an elongated and flexible material like a general thread. The outer diameter of the filamentous material is not particularly limited, but is approximately 5 μm to 1.
5 mm is suitable, and about 10 to 20 μm is optimum. The material of the filamentous material is preferably a hydrophilic polymer substance or a biodegradable substance, more preferably collagen or mucopolysaccharide having low strength and heat resistance, and collagen is most suitable.

The drying method according to the present invention is used for drying a filamentous material in a wet state, and is particularly suitable for a method for producing a hydrophilic polymer single yarn by using a wet spinning method. . The wet spinning method is a method in which a stock solution prepared by dissolving a polymer to be spun in a solvent is extruded from a nozzle having fine pores and solidified with a solidifying solution to produce a filamentous material. The stock solution is desolvated by the solidifying solution to form a filamentous material having a solid surface, and thereafter, the interior of the filamentous material is also desolvated by various drying methods. The solidified liquid contains ethanol,
Hydrophilic organic solvents such as methanol, isopropanol, acetone, and methyl ethyl ketone, salt solutions such as sodium chloride, potassium chloride, ammonium chloride, sodium sulfate, and ammonium sulfate are used, and further aldehydes, epoxies, carbodiimides, and isocyanates. Although a cross-linking agent of the class may be added, the drying method according to the present invention is particularly suitable for a wet spinning method using a hydrophilic organic solvent as a solidifying solution, and a wet spinning method using ethanol as a solidifying solution. Optimal.

As an apparatus for carrying out the drying method according to the present invention, (a) a wind tunnel, and (b) a guide member for guiding the filamentous material to the delivery position and the take-out position, respectively, should be dried in the wind tunnel. A filamentous-material feeding mechanism that allows the filamentous material to pass in the axial direction, and (c) an air flow that causes the filamentous material to make a substantially circular motion about the straight line in a plane orthogonal to a straight line that connects the feeding position and the take-out position. A device provided with a blower mechanism for generating in a wind tunnel is preferable.

The wind tunnel is the above-mentioned tubular body, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The guide member is for guiding the filamentous material to the feeding position P1 and the take-out position P2, respectively, and has a pulley having a groove for guiding the filamentous material on the peripheral surface and a smooth inner peripheral surface. A ring-shaped member or the like is suitable, and a pulley is most suitable. The filamentous material feeding mechanism allows the filamentous material to pass through the wind tunnel along the guide member in the axial direction.
It is realized by providing a bobbin for winding the filamentous material that has passed through the take-out position P2 and rotating the bobbin at a predetermined angular velocity by a motor and a reduction gear. Further, it is preferable to have a slide mechanism that axially reciprocates the rotating bobbin so that the bobbin winds the filamentous material evenly.

The blower mechanism is provided in the wind tunnel and a blower for blowing gas, and blows the gas in parallel with a straight line connecting the inlet position and the outlet position and in a direction different from the straight line. It is preferable that the nozzle comprises a nozzle. As the blower, a well-known and arbitrary one having a compressor, a fan and the like can be used. The blowing nozzle is not particularly limited as long as it can guide the gas blown out from the blower in a fixed direction. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the direction of the outlet of the blow nozzle is a straight line L connecting the inlet position P1 and the outlet position P2 in the wind tunnel.
A direction parallel to the line L and different from the straight line L is preferable,
More preferably, it is in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the filamentous material. As a result, in the plane M orthogonal to the straight line L, the air current is generated in the wind tunnel such that the filamentous material makes a substantially circular motion about the straight line L. It should be noted that the position and the number of the blowing nozzles can be set as appropriate according to the embodiment, and are not particularly limited.

The gas blown into the wind tunnel from the blower is preferably an inert gas which does not adversely affect the filamentous material to be dried such as denaturation. For example, air or nitrogen is preferable, and the cost and the handling are easy. Air is the best choice. The humidity and temperature of the gas can be arbitrarily set within a range in which the filamentous material does not undergo thermal denaturation, but preferably the relative humidity is about 50% or less, the temperature is about room temperature,
More preferably, the relative humidity is about 30% or less. Also,
It is preferable to remove dust with a filter or the like so that dust or the like does not adhere to the filamentous material in a wet state.

Further, when the filament passing through the wind tunnel may be significantly loosened or ruptured between the feeding position P1 and the take-out position P2 due to its own weight or the like, or the filament rotates in a jump rope shape. In this case, in the case of contacting the inner wall of the wind tunnel, it is preferable to dispose an intermediate support member that supports the filamentous material in the wind tunnel so that the filamentous material can be delivered freely. The intermediate support member supports the filamentous material so that the filamentous material can be delivered freely. For example, a member having an insertion passage through which the filamentous material can be inserted is suitable. Further, in the above-described preparatory work for inserting the filamentous material into the wind tunnel, the filamentous material is also inserted into the insertion hole of the intermediate support member. Therefore, similarly to the wind tunnel, the intermediate support member is inserted in the axial direction of the insertion hole. It is preferable that the preparation work can be facilitated by dividing into two parts. Further, the number and the positions of the intermediate support members are appropriately set in consideration of the length of the wind tunnel, the strength of the filamentous material, etc., and may be single or plural.

[0020]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, a method for drying a filamentous material according to an embodiment of the present invention and a method for producing a filamentous material using the drying method will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Although the present embodiment shows the case where the collagen single yarn is spun by the wet spinning method and then dried, the present embodiment is an example, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. Is natural.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the collagen single yarn spinning device 100. As shown in the figure, the collagen single yarn spinning device 100 includes a spinning unit 100A and a drying unit (filamentary material drying device) 100B.
Is a syringe 101 that pushes out the collagen aqueous solution, a first dehydration liquid tank 102 that dehydrates and solidifies the extruded collagen aqueous solution, and a second dehydration that further dehydrates the collagen single yarn T formed into a thread shape in the first dehydration liquid tank 102. It is composed of a liquid tank 103. On the other hand, the drying unit 100B has the wind tunnel 10
4, a winding mechanism (filament feeding mechanism) 105 that allows the collagen single yarn T to pass through the wind tunnel 104, and a blowing mechanism 106 that generates an air flow in the wind tunnel 104.

First, the spinning section 100A and the method for spinning collagen single yarn will be described in detail. The syringe 101 that pushes out the collagen aqueous solution is such that the syringe 101 is filled with a predetermined volume of collagen aqueous solution, and the plunger 10 is pushed down at a predetermined speed, whereby the syringe 10
1st dewatering liquid tank 102 located below the tip of 1
The collagen aqueous solution is continuously discharged toward the inside at a predetermined speed. Collagen is solubilized collagen, and when used for medical purposes, it is preferable that solubilization treatment and telopeptide removal, which is an antigenic determinant of collagen, be performed. The origin and type of collagen are not particularly limited, but type I is preferable from the viewpoint of handling. As the solvent of the collagen aqueous solution, a dilute acid solution, a mixed liquid of a hydrophilic organic solvent and water,
Water or the like can be used. The concentration of the collagen aqueous solution is about 4 to 10% by weight.

The first dehydrated liquid tank 102 is a solvent tank filled with the first dehydrated liquid, and the material is not particularly limited, but if a transparent material such as glass is used, the dehydrated state of collagen from the outside can be obtained. Is preferable because it can be observed. Although the capacity of the first dehydration liquid tank 102 is not particularly limited, when the collagen aqueous solution is discharged downward from the syringe 101 to dehydrate and solidify as shown in FIG. It is preferable to have a depth such that the surface does not adhere to the bottom until it solidifies to form a thread. As the first dehydrated liquid, hydrophilic organic solvents such as alcohols and ketones can be used, and the water content thereof is preferably about 50% by volume or less, more preferably about 30% by volume or less. The collagen aqueous solution discharged from the syringe 101 is dehydrated and solidified by the first dehydration liquid while descending in the first dehydration liquid tank 102 to form a filament-like collagen single yarn T.

The second dehydration liquid tank 103 is a solvent tank filled with the second dehydration liquid, and is provided adjacent to the first dehydration tank. The collagen single yarn T formed into a thread shape in the first dehydration liquid tank 102 is further dehydrated and solidified in the second dehydration liquid tank 103. The second dehydration liquid tank 103 is of a so-called flat plate shape that is wide in the lateral direction, the pins 11 are provided substantially horizontally in the vicinity of the ends in the longitudinal direction, and the collagen single yarn T travels in the second dehydration liquid. It is like this. Similarly to the first dehydration liquid, a hydrophilic organic solvent such as alcohols and ketones can be used for the second dehydration liquid, and the water content thereof is preferably about 10% by volume or less, more preferably about 2% by volume. It is the following.

Next, the drying section 100B and the method for drying the collagen single yarn will be described in detail. The wind tunnel 104 is
As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, a metal cylindrical body,
The upper and lower parts that are axially divided into two parts are pivotally attached by a hinge so that they can be opened and closed. The reason why the wind tunnel 104 is divided is that the inside of the wind tunnel can be exposed to facilitate the preparatory work as described above.
It is not limited to division. The end of the wind tunnel 104 on the side where the collagen single yarn T is fed is opened with a diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the tubular body, and the opening 40 serves as the inlet of the collagen single yarn T and the airflow vent. Also serves as. On the other hand, the end portion on the side where the collagen single thread T is taken out has an opening 41 smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular body, and the opening 41 is the opening 41.
It is an outlet for The opening 41 is a collagen single thread T
The outer diameter is about several times to about ten times. Further, the opening 41
A ring-shaped member 42 made of polytetrafluoroethylene, the inner peripheral surface of which is smoothly processed, is provided at the periphery of the collagen monofilament T when the periphery of the opening 41 comes into contact with the collagen monofilament T. It prevents the yarn T from being damaged. In addition, the through hole 4 is provided near the opening 41 of the wind tunnel 104.
3 is formed in two places. The through holes 43 are for attaching the air blowing nozzles 61 of the air blowing mechanism 106, and are at opposite positions with the axis of the wind tunnel 104 interposed therebetween.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an intermediate support member 44 for supporting the collagen single yarn T is disposed near the center of the wind tunnel 104 in the longitudinal direction. The intermediate support member 44 is a rod-shaped member having a reduced diameter portion 44a in the vicinity of the center, and two intermediate support members 44 are installed in the radial direction of each of the vertically divided wind tunnels 104 to form the wind tunnel 104.
In the inside, an insertion passage of the collagen single yarn T is formed so that each reduced diameter portion 44a sandwiches the axis of the wind tunnel 104. By the insertion passage, the two intermediate support members 44 support the collagen single yarn T so that it can be delivered. The width of the diameter-reduced portion 44a is about several times to several tens of times the outer diameter of the collagen single yarn T, and is preferably about the same as the inner diameter of the opening 41. The material of the intermediate support member 44 is also not particularly limited, but a material that is easy to process and does not damage the collagen single yarn T due to contact, friction or the like, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene is suitable. Of course, the number and positions of the intermediate support members 44 are not limited to those in the present embodiment, and may be appropriately set in consideration of the length of the wind tunnel 104, the strength of the filamentous material to be dried, and the like.

The take-up mechanism 105 includes a guide roller (guide member) 50 for guiding the collagen single yarn T to the delivery position P1 and the take-out position P2, and a take-up for winding the collagen single yarn T passing through the wind tunnel 104. And a bobbin 51.

The guide roller 50, as shown in FIG.
It is a pulley in which a concave groove for restricting the position of the collagen single yarn T is formed on the peripheral surface, and the pulley 4 has an opening 4
They are rotatably provided on the outer sides of 0 and 41, respectively. The collagen single yarn T is stretched between the guide rollers 50 with an appropriate degree of slack so that the collagen single yarn T is not ruptured.
The collagen single yarn T spun at 00A is guided to the feed-in position P1 and the take-out position P2. Here, the feeding position P1
Is a substantially central position of the opening 40 of the wind tunnel 104, and the take-out position P2 is a substantially central position of the opening 41. Therefore, the straight line L connecting the feed-in position P1 and the take-out position P2 overlaps the axis of the wind tunnel 104.

The winding bobbin 51, as shown in FIG.
It is of a columnar shape, and the collagen single yarn T that has passed through the wind tunnel 104 is wound around the peripheral surface by rotating. The size and axial length of the take-up bobbin 51 are not particularly limited. However, it is possible to take up all the collagen single yarns T that can be continuously spun by the collagen aqueous solution filled in the syringe 101 of the spinning section 100A. The size and the length are preferable. As shown in FIG. 3, the winding bobbin 51 is located near the opening 41 of the wind tunnel 104 so that its axial direction is orthogonal to the axial direction of the wind tunnel 104, and is driven by a drive source (not shown) such as an electric motor. While being rotated, the winding bobbin 51 itself reciprocates in the axial direction at a constant speed, so that the collagen single yarn T is evenly wound around the winding bobbin 51.
In addition to reciprocating the winding bobbin 51 itself in the axial direction, a collagen single yarn T is slidably engaged between the guide roller 50 and the winding bobbin 51 in the axial direction of the winding bobbin 51. A reciprocating hook or the like may be provided.

As shown in FIG. 3, the blower mechanism 106 is provided with a blower 60 which sends out compressed air and a blower nozzle 61 which blows out the gas. The blower 60 is a well-known air compressor, while the blower nozzle 61 is a cylindrical body having an air flow passage, and the side peripheral surface thereof is provided with fine pores, which finely compress compressed air. It is a blower port 610 (not shown) that blows out. Two blower nozzles 61 are attached to the through hole 43 of the wind tunnel 104 so that the blower opening 610 is located inside the wind tunnel 104, and the blower 60 and the blower nozzle 61 are connected to the tube 6
It is connected by 2. As a result, the compressed air from the blower 60 flows through the tube 62 and the blower nozzle 61
The air is blown out into the wind tunnel 104 from the air outlet 610.

6 and 7 are a plan view and a side view showing the direction of the blower port 610 of the blower nozzle 61 attached to the wind tunnel 104. As shown in the figure, the blower nozzles 61 are provided at vertically opposed positions with the axis of the wind tunnel 104 interposed therebetween.
In the side view (FIG. 6), the blower opening 610 is directed in a direction parallel to the straight line L connecting the inlet position P1 and the take-out position P2. It is fixed so that it faces in the direction of 45 °. In addition,
In FIG. 7, the direction of the blower port 610 of the blower nozzle 61 mounted on the upper side of the wind tunnel 104 is shown by a solid arrow, and the direction of the blower port 610 of the blower nozzle 61 mounted on the lower side of the wind tunnel 104. Are indicated by dashed arrows. Further, as shown in the drawing, the air blowing port 610 of each air blowing nozzle 61 faces the direction opposite to the advancing direction of the collagen single yarn T, that is, the direction of the inflow position P1.

The operation of the drying section 100B will be described below. The collagen single yarn T continuously spun in the spinning unit 100A is in a wet state. Related Collagen Single Thread T
Through the wind tunnel 104 along the guide roller 50,
The end portion is fixed to the winding bobbin 51. This preparatory work is easy if the wind tunnel 104 is opened, as described above. After completing the preparatory work, the wind tunnel 104 is closed in a tubular shape, and the air blowing mechanism 106 starts blowing air into the wind tunnel 104, and the winding mechanism 105 is operated.

FIG. 8 shows the rotating airflow generated in the wind tunnel 104,
FIG. 9 is a perspective view for explaining a state in which the collagen single yarn rotates in the wind tunnel 104 by the rotating air flow.
For convenience of description, the divided upper half of the wind tunnel 104 is omitted in FIG. The air blown into the wind tunnel 104 by the blower mechanism 106 is ejected from the blower nozzle 61, collides with the inner wall of the wind tunnel 104, and travels along the wind tunnel 104 while spirally turning. As a result, a spiral rotating airflow as shown in FIG. 8 is generated in the wind tunnel 104. On the other hand, although not shown in the figure, the winding bobbin 51 of the winding mechanism 105 rotates while reciprocating in the axial direction to wind the collagen single yarn T. As a result, the collagen single yarn T passes through the wind tunnel 104 in the direction of the winding bobbin 51 at a predetermined speed. The collagen single yarn T is a wind tunnel 10.
When passing through the inside of the roller 4, the rotary airflow is received, and as shown in FIG. 9, between the guide roller 50 and the intermediate support member 44, the rotary motion is performed in a jump rope shape. Collagen single thread T
Is contacted with the rotating airflow while buffering the wind pressure from the rotating airflow by rotating the rope in a jump rope shape, whereby it is efficiently dried without causing a tear, and the sufficiently dried collagen single yarn T is It is evenly wound around the winding bobbin 51.

In this way, the collagen single yarn T is continuously spun by the spinning portion A of the collagen single yarn spinning apparatus 100, and the wet collagen single yarn T is continuously dried by the drying portion 100B. Becomes According to the method for drying collagen single yarn, a spiral rotating airflow is generated in the wind tunnel 104, and the collagen single yarn T is generated in the wind tunnel 104.
Since the collagen single thread T is dried while rotating in a jump rope shape by passing through, the collagen single thread T
It is possible to dry efficiently without causing rupture. Further, according to the method for producing a collagen single yarn adopting the present drying method, the collagen single yarn T can be continuously and efficiently spun.

In the above-described embodiment, the blower nozzles 61 are provided at two upper and lower positions which are opposed to each other with the axis of the wind tunnel 104 interposed therebetween, but the position and number of the blower nozzles 61 are limited to this. It is natural that the wind tunnel 1 is not provided, for example, in addition to or instead of the blower nozzle 61 disposed in the opening 41 of the wind tunnel 104.
It may be arranged near the center of 04 in the longitudinal direction.

Further, the drying unit 10 in the above-mentioned embodiment
0B is an example of a configuration for generating an air flow that causes the collagen single yarn to rotate in a jump rope shape, and the air flow can be generated by another configuration. Hereinafter, examples of other configurations will be described. FIG. 10 shows a modified example of the wind tunnel 104, in which a rotating airflow is generated by a spiral groove formed on the inner wall of the wind tunnel. More specifically, as shown in the figure, in the wind tunnel 107 according to the present modification, a metal tubular body, which is axially divided into upper and lower parts, is pivotally attached by a hinge, similarly to the wind tunnel 104. At the end thereof, the side into which the collagen single thread T is fed is an opening 70 having substantially the same diameter as the inner diameter of the tubular body, and the side from which the collagen single thread T is taken out is of the tubular body. Aperture 71 smaller than inner diameter
Is. Further, in the vicinity of the opening 71 of the wind tunnel 107, through holes 72 for attaching the blower nozzle 61 are formed at two upper and lower positions which are opposed to each other with the axis interposed therebetween. further,
Similar to the wind tunnel 104, an intermediate support member 44 is arranged near the center of the wind tunnel 107 in the longitudinal direction.

A spiral groove 73 is formed on the inner wall of the wind tunnel 107, as shown in FIG. The groove 73 is a concave groove, and a plurality of grooves 73 are formed in parallel at predetermined intervals. Although not shown in the figure, the air blown from the blower nozzle 61 attached to the through hole 72 is
7 collides with the groove 73 on the inner wall, and a spiral rotating air flow similar to that shown in FIG. 8 is formed along the shape of the groove 73. As a result, a spiral rotating airflow can be generated in the wind tunnel 107 more efficiently. Further, since the direction of the rotating airflow in the wind tunnel 107 can be regulated by the groove 73, it is not necessary to regulate the direction of the blower opening 610 of the blower nozzle 61 as described above, and the air blown out from the blower nozzle 61 can be used in the wind tunnel. When the air is blown so as to collide with the inner wall of 107, a spiral rotating air flow defined by the groove 73 is generated. As described above, according to the wind tunnel 107, the rotating airflow can be generated without restricting the direction of the blower port 610 in consideration of the directionality of the rotating airflow to be generated. By using the main wind tunnel 107, the wind tunnel 107
It is possible to more efficiently generate the spiral rotating airflow therein.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the air blow nozzle 61 blows air linearly from the air blow port 610, but the air flow passage to the air blow port 610 is formed spirally or is blown. If the air blower 610 is provided with a blade having a shape that spirally rotates the air, the air ejected from the air blower 610 becomes a spiral rotating air flow.
With such a wind tunnel nozzle 61 as well, regardless of the relationship between the shape of the wind tunnel 104 and the direction of the blower opening 610, the wind air that causes the collagen single yarn T to rotate in a jump rope shape is generated in the wind tunnel 1.
It is possible to generate within 04.

[0039]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described below. Example 1 Pig-derived type I and type III mixed collagen powder (manufactured by Nippon Ham Co., Ltd., SOFD type, Lot. No. 0102226)
Was dissolved in distilled water for injection (manufactured by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) to prepare 7% by weight. Relative humidity is about 38 during the entire process including the drying process.
%, The temperature was controlled to room temperature (about 25 ° C.), and the collagen single yarn T was spun using the same device as the collagen single yarn spinning device 100 shown in FIG. 7
Syringe 101 (E
A needle (EFD Ult manufactured by FD) equipped with a syringe by applying air pressure to Disposable Barrels / Pistons (55cc) manufactured by FD
From the ra Dispensing Tips; 27G, ID: 0.21 mm, the collagen aqueous solution was discharged into 3 L of dehydration liquid of 99.5% ethanol (Wako Pure Chemical Industries, special grade). The collagen single yarn T, which was dehydrated and solidified with a dehydration solution and formed into a thread shape, was dried by a drying device 100B. Wind tunnel 104 is about 45 cm long
The collagen single yarn T is about 9.0 m / in the wind tunnel 104.
It was passed at a speed of min. At this time, collagen single thread T
It took about 3 seconds to pass through the wind tunnel 104. The air having a relative humidity of 38% or less and room temperature sent from a blower (air compressor) 60 to the wind tunnel 104 has an initial blow pressure of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 MPa (megapascal).
Then, each air was blown from the blowing nozzle 61 via the blowing tube 61, and the collagen single yarn T in a wet state was dried. The collagen single yarn T after drying has a winding speed of about 9.0 m / min., A diameter of 78 mm and a total length of 200 mm.
Cylindrical stainless steel (hereinafter SUS) take-up bobbin 5
Rolled up to 1. At the time of winding, the collagen single yarn T is evenly wound around a predetermined portion of the winding bobbin 51.
Rotate the winding bobbin 51 at a constant speed in the axial direction (1.5 mm /
Seconds). In this way, the winding bobbin 51
A collagen single yarn T wound around was prepared.

Next, the collagen single yarn T is taken out from the winding bobbin 51 wound with the collagen single yarn T at a take-out speed of about 7.0 m / sec, and so-called thread breakage occurs in the collagen single yarn T at the time of taking-out. Tested whether or not. Table 1 shows the initial blow pressure (MPa) of the blower 60 and the total blow rate (Nl (normal liter) / min), and the presence or absence of yarn breakage during the drying process and yarn breakage during take-out.

[0041]

[Table 1]

As is clear from Table 1, the blast pressure is 0.1-0.1.
Under all conditions of 0.4 MPa, the filament breakage of the collagen single yarn T in the drying step did not occur. Further, under all conditions of a blowing pressure of 0.1 to 0.4 MPa, the filament breakage of the collagen single yarn T at the time of taking out did not occur. Since no breakage of the collagen single yarn T occurs in the drying step, it can be seen that the main drying has less stress on the collagen single yarn T. Further, since the collagen single yarn T does not break when taken out, the collagen single yarn T wound on the winding bobbin 51 does not cause adhesion between adjacent collagen single yarns T, which is sufficient. It can be seen that the collagen single yarn T having a sufficient strength was obtained, that is, the collagen single yarn T could be sufficiently and efficiently dried by this drying method.

Comparative Example 1 A collagen single yarn T was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the drying step by the wind tunnel 104 was not performed, and the collagen single yarn T was wound up on the winding bobbin 51. That is, the collagen aqueous solution is dehydrated and coagulated with a dehydrating solution to form a filament-like collagen single yarn T, and then the wet collagen single yarn T is wound onto a winding bobbin 51 to obtain a collagen single yarn T.
Was produced.

Next, the winding bobbin 51 wound with the collagen single yarn T is naturally dried at room temperature, and then about 7.0.
The collagen single yarn T taken up at the take-out speed of m / sec was taken out, and it was tested whether or not a thread breakage occurred in the collagen single yarn T at the time of taking out. As a result, the wound collagen single yarns T were firmly adhered to each other, and a yarn breakage occurred at the adhering portion during take-out. Further, since the collagen single yarn T wound around the take-up bobbin 51 was firmly adhered, the end of the collagen single yarn T could not be found after the yarn breakage, and the collagen single yarn after that could not be found. It was impossible to take out T. The adhesion of the collagen single yarn T occurred because the collagen single yarn T was wound on the winding bobbin 51 in a wet state and then naturally dried while the collagen single yarn T was adjacent to and stacked on itself. It is considered to be a thing.
Therefore, it is necessary to sufficiently dry the collagen single yarn T before winding it on the winding bobbin 51. If the drying is insufficient, it can be used, that is, without causing thread breakage from the winding bobbin 51. It can be seen that it is not possible to obtain a detachable collagen single yarn T.

Comparative Example 2 A collagen aqueous solution was formed into a filament-like collagen single yarn T by the same method as in Example 1, and then, as shown in FIG. The air was blown toward and dried. Blower mechanism 60 (not shown)
The blower nozzle 61 is the same as that in the first embodiment, two blower nozzles 61 are installed at an interval of 45 cm above the collagen single yarn T, and an initial blower pressure of the blower 60 is 0.1.
At 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 MPa, air is blown from the air blowing nozzle 61 to the wet collagen single yarn T, respectively,
The collagen single yarn T was wound on the winding bobbin 51 at a winding speed of about 9.0 m / min. Initial blast pressure 0.1, 0.2M
Under the condition of Pa, the filament breakage of the collagen single yarn T did not occur in the drying process, but the initial blowing pressure was 0.3, 0.4.
Under the condition of MPa, the collagen single yarn T was broken, so that the collagen single yarn T could not be wound on the winding bobbin 51.

Then, the wound bobbin 51 wound with the collagen single yarn T dried under the conditions of initial blowing pressure of 0.1 and 0.2 MPa was naturally dried at room temperature, and then the wound collagen single yarn was wound. T is taken out at an extraction speed of about 7.0 m / s,
It was tested whether or not thread breakage occurred in the collagen single thread T at the time of removal. Table 2 shows the initial blow pressure (MPa) of the blower 60, the total blow rate (Nl / min), and the presence or absence of yarn breakage during the drying process and yarn breakage during removal.

[0047]

[Table 2]

As is clear from Table 2, the blow pressure is 0.1 to 0.1.
At 0.2 MPa, as in Comparative Example 1, the winding bobbin 51
Since the adhesion between the collagen single threads T occurred in
When the collagen single thread T was broken at the adhesion portion at the time of removal, the end of the collagen single thread T could not be found, and it was impossible to continue the removal of the collagen single thread T. Therefore, it can be seen that the collagen single yarn T was not sufficiently dried at the blowing pressures of 0.1 and 0.2 MPa. Also, when the blowing pressure was 0.3 and 0.4 MPa, the collagen single yarn T was broken during the drying process, so that the collagen single yarn T could not be wound up, and the collagen single yarn T was broken during removal. Could not be tested for.

Comparing Example 1 and Comparative Example 2, when the air is blown from the vertical direction to the collagen single yarn T as in Comparative Example 2, the blowing pressure is 0.3 and 0.4 MPa. At the high blowing pressure, the collagen single yarn T was broken due to the wind pressure, and it was not possible to continuously dry the collagen single yarn T while winding the collagen single yarn on the winding bobbin 51. In the drying method of Example 1, the collagen single yarn T was not broken even under the same high blowing pressure condition, and the collagen single yarn T could be continuously dried. In addition, in a low air pressure such as 0.1 and 0.2 MPa, in Comparative Example 2, the collagen single thread can be continuously dried while winding the collagen single thread on the winding bobbin 51. Although it was possible, a thread breakage occurred when the collagen single yarn T was taken out from the winding bobbin 51 after that, and the collagen single yarn T was not sufficiently dried. However, in Example 1, under the same low blowing pressure condition. Since no yarn breakage occurred when the dried collagen single yarn T was taken out from the winding bobbin 51, the drying method of Example 1 achieved the drying of the collagen single yarn T more than the method of Comparative Example 2. It can be seen that this is a highly efficient and efficient drying method.

[0050]

As described above, according to the method for drying a filamentous material according to the present invention, the filamentous material to be dried is allowed to pass through the wind tunnel in the axial direction, and the filamentous material enters the wind tunnel and the feeding position and the filamentous shape. In the plane orthogonal to the straight line connecting the take-out position where the object comes out of the wind tunnel, it was decided to give the air current so that the thread-like object would make a substantially circular motion around the straight line, so the wind pressure acting on the thread-like object was a skipping rope. While being relaxed by the circular motion, the area where a certain amount of gas contacts the filamentous material is increased,
For a filamentous material to which temperature energy cannot be applied due to heat denaturation temperature, heat resistance, or the like, it is possible to suppress stress on the filamentous material and improve drying efficiency by blowing air.

Further, according to the present invention, in the wind tunnel,
Parallel to a straight line connecting the feeding position and the unloading position, and
Since the airflow is generated by blowing the air in a direction different from the straight line, it is possible to easily and efficiently cause the filamentous material to make a rope jumping circular motion. Furthermore, by making the advancing direction of the air flow opposite to the advancing direction of the filamentous material, it is possible to enhance the movement efficiency of the filamentous material with respect to the wind pressure and to efficiently bring the gas and the filamentous material into contact with each other. The effect can be efficiently exerted.

Further, the method for producing a hydrophilic polymer single yarn according to the present invention includes a step of drying the wet hydrophilic polymer single yarn spun by the wet spinning method by the drying method. Thus, the hydrophilic polymer single yarn in a wet state can be efficiently dried without causing thermal denaturation and tearing. As a result, continuous spinning of the hydrophilic polymer single yarn is possible, and a hydrophilic polymer single yarn that is sufficiently dried and has high strength can be obtained.

Further, according to the filamentous material drying apparatus of the present invention, it has a wind tunnel and guide members for guiding the filamentous material to the feeding position and the take-out position, respectively, and the filamentous material to be dried in the axial direction in the wind tunnel. A filamentous-material feeding mechanism that allows the filamentous material to pass therethrough, and a blowing mechanism that generates an air flow in the wind tunnel such that the filamentous material makes a substantially circular motion about the straight line in a plane orthogonal to the straight line connecting the feeding position and the take-out position. Since it has been provided, it is possible to carry out the drying method with a simple structure.

Further, the blower mechanism is provided in the blower for blowing out the gas and in the wind tunnel, and guides the gas in a direction parallel to the straight line connecting the feeding position and the taking-out position and in a direction different from the straight line. By providing the air-blowing nozzle, the airflow that causes the thread-like object to make a rope jump circular motion can be generated easily and efficiently. Further, the blower nozzle guides the gas in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the filamentous material, thereby enhancing the movement efficiency of the filamentous material with respect to the wind pressure and efficiently bringing the gas and the filamentous material into contact with each other. You can

Further, according to the present invention, since the intermediate supporting member for supporting the filamentous material so that the filamentous material can be sent out is arranged at the predetermined position of the wind tunnel, the filamentous material stretched between the guide members is appropriately supported. It is possible to prevent tearing of the filamentous material due to its own weight. This makes it possible to increase the length between the guide members, that is, the length in the longitudinal direction of the wind tunnel, regardless of the brittleness of the filamentous material to be dried, and it is possible to realize desired drying conditions such as drying time. Becomes

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a substantially circular movement performed by a thread.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a blowing direction in a wind tunnel.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a collagen single yarn spinning device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an external configuration in the vicinity of the wind tunnel 104.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the wind tunnel 104 in an opened state.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a direction of a blower port 610 of a blower nozzle 61 attached to a wind tunnel 104.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a direction of a blow port 610 of a blow nozzle 61 attached to a wind tunnel 104.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a rotating airflow generated in a wind tunnel 104.

[Fig. 9] Collagen single yarn T is blown by the rotating air flow into the wind tunnel 104
FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining a state of rotating motion inside.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the wind tunnel 107 in an opened state.

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view for explaining a method for drying a collagen single yarn T in Comparative Example 2.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 Collagen single yarn spinning device 100B Drying part (filamentary material drying device) 104, 107 wind tunnel 105 Winding mechanism (thread feeding mechanism) 106 Blower mechanism 44 Intermediate support member 50 Guide roller (guide member) 60 blower 61 Blower nozzle

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Toshifumi Hotta             3-9-3 Honjo-nishi, Kita-ku, Osaka Nipro             Within the corporation (72) Inventor Koji Shimizu             3-9-3 Honjo-nishi, Kita-ku, Osaka Nipro             Within the corporation F term (reference) 3B154 AA01 AB02 BA19 BB33 BB42                       BB47 BB76 BC06 BE03 DA21                 3L113 AA03 AB02 AC31 AC47 BA01                       CA10 DA01 DA24                 4L035 BB03 CC02

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A method for drying a filamentous material in a wet state, wherein the filamentous material to be dried is passed through the wind tunnel in the axial direction, and the feeding position of the filamentous material enters the wind tunnel and the takeout of the filamentous material from the wind tunnel. A method for drying a filamentous material, which comprises applying an airflow so that the filamentous material makes a substantially circular motion about the straight line in a plane orthogonal to a straight line connecting the position. 2. The filamentous material according to claim 1, wherein the air current is generated by blowing air in a wind tunnel in a direction parallel to a straight line connecting the inlet position and the outlet position and in a direction different from the straight line. How to dry. 3. The method for drying a filamentous material according to claim 1, wherein the traveling direction of the air flow is opposite to the traveling direction of the filamentous material. 4. The method for drying a filamentous material according to claim 1, wherein the filamentous material is a hydrophilic polymer substance. 5. The method for drying a filamentous material according to claim 4, wherein the hydrophilic polymer substance is collagen. 6. A method of drying a wet hydrophilic polymer single yarn spun by a wet spinning method by the method for drying a filamentous material according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Method for producing hydrophilic polymer single yarn. 7. The method for producing a hydrophilic polymer single yarn according to claim 6, wherein the hydrophilic polymer single yarn is a collagen single yarn. 8. A filamentous-material feeding mechanism having (a) a wind tunnel and (b) a guide member for guiding the filamentous material to a feeding position and a take-out position, respectively, and allowing the filamentous material to be dried to pass through the wind tunnel in an axial direction. And (c) a blower mechanism for generating an air flow in the wind tunnel such that the filamentous material makes a substantially circular motion about the straight line in a plane orthogonal to the straight line connecting the inlet position and the take-out position. A filamentous material drying apparatus characterized by being a thing. 9. The blower mechanism is provided in an air blower for blowing out gas, and guides the gas in a direction parallel to a straight line connecting the inlet position and the outlet position and in a direction different from the straight line. 9. The filamentous material drying apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a blower nozzle. 10. The filamentous material drying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the blower nozzle guides the gas in a direction opposite to a traveling direction of the filamentous material. 11. The filamentous material drying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein an intermediate support member that supports the filamentous material so that it can be delivered is disposed at a predetermined position of the wind tunnel.