JP2003267747A - Electrically conductive hollow glass fiber, its manufacturing method and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrically conductive hollow glass fiber capable of simultaneously achieving conductivity improvement, mechanical strength improvement and weight saving when the fiber is filled and blended in a material such as a plastic. <P>SOLUTION: A hollow spinneret 1 and an electric furnace 17 for heating the spinneret are provided in a glass melting chamber 120. A film forming chamber 121 is provided directly under the glass melting chamber and also a sputtering device for an electrically conductive substance is provided in the film forming chamber. A winding chamber 122 is provided directly under the film forming chamber and a winding device 19 of the electrically conductive hollow glass fiber 50 is provided in the winding chamber. The glass melting chamber and the film forming chamber are partitioned from each other by the first partition wall 131 in which the first opening part 132 capable of increasing or decreasing an opening diameter is formed and the film forming chamber and the winding chamber are partitioned in the same way from each other by the second partition wall 141 in which the second opening part 142 capable of increasing or decreasing the opening diameter is formed. The electrically conductive hollow glass fiber 50 is obtained by performing the cooling and solidifying of the hollow glass fiber and the successive sputter film formation of the electrically conductive substance such as aluminum on the outer surface of the hollow glass fiber in the process of spinning out the hollow glass fiber from the hollow spinneret and winding the fiber by the winding device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a conductive hollow glass fiber, a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus capable of manufacturing the conductive hollow glass fiber in a series of steps. The conductive hollow glass fiber of the present invention can greatly contribute to the improvement of conductivity, strength, and weight reduction of a composite material, and for example, to achieve improvement of mechanical strength of a plastic molded product and imparting of conductivity at the same time. It is extremely effective as a filler for plastics that can

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional glass fibers used in the production of reinforced plastics have high strength, are inexpensive and are useful, but have a large specific gravity and are required to be lightweight. For this reason, hollow glass fibers are drawing attention and are expected to be put into practical use as raw materials for composite materials, heat insulating materials, functional materials, and the like. For example, the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 3,510,393 aims to provide a significant improvement in the strength-to-weight ratio for reinforcing fibers used to reinforce resin fiber composites. Moreover, in this patent specification, hollow glass fiber is used for radar dome,
It is described that it is effective when applied by filament winding to reinforce a resin material or to reinforce a resin material forming an automobile body, an outer wall of a storage tank, or the like.

On the other hand, various conductive fillers are known for increasing the conductivity of plastic moldings and the like. However, the conventional conductive filler has a problem that the strength of the obtained conductive material is remarkably lowered when the compounding amount is increased. In addition, in order to adjust the conductivity to an appropriate level while ensuring the physical properties of the conductive material as a composition, it is necessary to have a high level of skill in selecting the conductive filler and controlling the process during compounding. It was Therefore, it is desired to develop a filler having excellent reinforcing properties and a high conductivity improving effect.

In order to meet such a demand, a filler having a shape having conductivity and high continuity of the conductive region is suitable. However, in the prior art, only attempts have been made to achieve both conductivity and reinforcement when carbon fibers or metal fibers are used, and no attempts have been made to reduce the weight.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a conductive material without adding weight when compounded (filled) with a material such as plastic. It is to provide a filler capable of achieving improved properties and improved mechanical strength, that is, a filler that simultaneously satisfies improved conductivity, improved mechanical strength, and reduced weight, and a manufacturing technique therefor.

[0006]

The invention of claim 1 relates to the above-mentioned filler, which is characterized in that a coating made of a conductive substance is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the hollow glass fiber. It is a conductive hollow glass fiber. This hollow glass fiber is provided as a long fiber (filament) or a short fiber (suft).

In the electroconductive hollow glass fiber of the present invention, the electroconductivity is improved by the coating film made of the electroconductive substance, and the reinforcing effect is obtained by the hollow glass fiber on the core side. Also,
Even when a relatively large amount is blended so as to obtain a sufficient effect of improving conductivity and mechanical strength, the specific gravity of the raw material after blending does not become so high.

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the conductive hollow glass fiber according to claim 1, the conductive substance is a single metal, a conductive oxide or a conductive carbon-based material. Further, the invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in the conductive hollow glass fiber according to claim 2, the coating film made of a conductive substance is formed by sputtering film formation.

The invention according to claim 4 relates to a method for producing the conductive hollow glass fiber according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hollow glass fiber is spun from a hollow spinneret holding molten glass, In the process of winding the glass fiber with a winding device, the hollow glass fiber is cooled and solidified, and a conductive substance is sputter-deposited on the outer peripheral surface of the cooled and solidified hollow glass fiber. It is a manufacturing method of glass fiber.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for carrying out the method for producing a conductive hollow glass fiber according to the fourth aspect, which comprises a hollow spinneret for molten glass, and heating means therefor.
An apparatus for producing a conductive hollow glass fiber, characterized in that a conductive material sputtering apparatus is provided below the hollow spinneret, and a conductive hollow glass fiber winding apparatus is further provided below the apparatus.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the manufacturing apparatus according to the fifth aspect is provided with a hollow spinneret having a predetermined structure. This hollow spinneret is provided with an inner cavity portion for holding molten glass, the inner cavity portion having a bottom wall having a molten glass spinning hole formed therein and a gas suction hole having a predetermined distance above the bottom wall. And a lid plate having a top plate member provided apart from each other, and the gas suction hole is arranged concentrically with the molten glass spinning hole.

A seventh aspect of the present invention relates to an apparatus for producing an electrically conductive hollow glass fiber, which comprises a glass melting chamber and a film forming chamber directly below the glass melting chamber connected via a first partition wall. A winding chamber connected directly below the film forming chamber via a second partition is provided, and the glass melting chamber is a hollow spinneret.
A heating means and a first gas introduction port connected to a gas supply means for supplying an inert gas or clean air;
A first exhaust port connected to the first exhaust device; a film forming chamber provided with a sputtering device; a take-up chamber provided with a conductive hollow glass fiber take-up device; and a first partition wall provided with a glass melting device. A first opening is formed for maintaining the pressure difference between the chamber and the film forming chamber, and for allowing the hollow glass fiber spun from the hollow spinneret to pass therethrough. A second opening is formed for maintaining the pressure difference between the membrane chambers and for allowing the conductive hollow glass fibers to pass therethrough, and the sputtering apparatus irradiates the outer peripheral surface of the cooled and solidified hollow glass fibers with sputtered particles. The sputter cathode disposed in the film forming chamber, a supply means for supplying an inert gas for sputtering, which is connected through a second gas introduction port provided in the film forming chamber, and a second exhaust port provided in the film forming chamber. The second exhaust device connected via the Is that a power supply device for applying a voltage apparatus for manufacturing conductive hollow glass fiber according to claim 6, wherein.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the seventh aspect, the first and second partition walls are provided with diaphragm mechanisms capable of enlarging / reducing the opening diameters of the first and second openings, respectively. It is an apparatus for producing electrically conductive hollow glass fibers.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a conductive hollow glass fiber by the production method according to the fourth aspect using the production apparatus according to the seventh or eighth aspect, which is a hollow spinneret. A hollow glass fiber is formed by drawing a molten glass hanging down from a molten glass spinning hole by a winding device while allowing atmospheric gas to be naturally sucked through the gas suction hole at the central portion of the cross section.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a conductive hollow glass fiber 50 according to the present invention. This conductive hollow glass fiber is a hollow glass fiber 51 as a core material,
It is composed of a conductive coating 52 as a sheath material. The conductive coating 52 is made of a conductive substance and covers the surface of the hollow glass fiber 51. The diameter of the conductive hollow glass fiber 50 is usually set to 100 μm or less. Further, the thickness of the conductive coating film 52 is appropriately set in consideration of the type of conductive material used and the like. The coating film 52 can have a thickness of several tens of nm to several μm, but may have a thickness within a range in which it does not separate from the hollow glass fiber 51 even when an external force acts.

The hollow glass fibers 51 are roughly classified into alkali-free glass fibers and alkali-containing glass fibers depending on the composition of the raw materials thereof, but alkali-free glass is generally used for producing long fibers. Examples of the conductive material include simple metals (Al, Cu, Au, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, I
r, Pt, etc.), conductive oxides (indium oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, etc.), and carbon-based materials (graphite, etc.).

Next, a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method of the conductive hollow glass fiber 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing the overall structure of the manufacturing apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a molten glass holding container (a hollow glass fiber spinneret, that is, a hollow spinneret) which constitutes this manufacturing apparatus, and is a partially broken view. Figure 4
FIG. 4 is a central sectional view of FIG. 3, showing a state when molten glass is spun.

First, the main symbols shown in FIG. 2 will be described. 1 is a molten glass holding container, 17 is an electric furnace as a heating means of the holding container 1, and 18 is formed on the bottom wall of the electric furnace. A molten glass outflow hole, 19 a winding device (take-up device) for the conductive hollow glass fiber 50, 20a a package for the conductive hollow glass fiber, 111, 113
Are first and second exhaust devices, 115 is a sputtering cathode, 120 is a glass melting chamber, 121 is a film forming chamber, and 12
Reference numeral 2 is a conductive hollow glass fiber winding chamber.

The manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 has a glass melting chamber 120.
And the film forming chamber 121 therebelow, and the winding chamber 12 further below
It has a so-called 3-story structure consisting of 2 and so on. First partition wall 1 for partitioning the glass melting chamber 120 and the film forming chamber 121
A first opening 132 for maintaining the pressure difference between the two chambers and allowing the molten glass hanging from the outflow hole 18, that is, the hollow glass fiber to pass therethrough is formed in 31. The partition wall 131 is provided with a diaphragm mechanism (not shown) that can enlarge / reduce the diameter of the opening 132 by remote control. As a structure of the diaphragm mechanism, for example, a structure similar to a diaphragm ring of a camera can be cited. By reducing the diameter of the opening 132, a sufficient pressure difference (atmospheric pressure difference) is maintained between the glass melting chamber 120 and the film forming chamber 121, and the pressure inside the glass melting chamber 120 is changed to change the hollow portion 8. Even when the size in FIG. 4 is controlled, the pressure in the film forming chamber 121 does not change significantly, and stable sputtering conditions can be maintained.

In the second partition wall 141 for partitioning the film forming chamber 121 and the winding chamber 122, a pressure difference between these chambers is maintained,
And a second for passing the electrically conductive hollow glass fiber 50
The opening 142 is formed. The partition wall 141 is also provided with a diaphragm mechanism (not shown) capable of remotely increasing or decreasing the diameter of the opening 142. Opening 142
The diameter of the film is made as small as possible to allow the conductive hollow glass fibers 50 to travel downward, so that a sufficient pressure difference (pressure difference) is maintained between the film forming chamber 121 and the winding chamber 122. In addition, since the atmospheric pressure in the film forming chamber 121 does not change greatly, stable sputtering conditions can be maintained. Hereinafter, the glass melting chamber 12
0, the film forming chamber 121 and the winding chamber 122 will be described.

[Glass Melting Chamber 120 (See FIGS. 2 to 4)] As shown in FIG. 2, the molten glass outflow hole 18 is formed in the bottom wall.
The electric furnace 17 having the above structure is placed in the glass melting chamber 120. In this case, the electric furnace 17 is arranged so that the outflow hole 18 is concentric with the first opening 132. The molten glass holding container 1 is placed in the electric furnace, and the molten glass spinning hole 3
(FIG. 4) is arranged so as to be concentric with the outflow hole 18 and the opening 132. The first gas introduction port 100 is provided on one side wall of the glass melting chamber 120, and the first exhaust port 111a formed on the other side wall is connected to the first exhaust device 111. The gas introduction port 100 communicates with a supply source (not shown) of an inert gas such as nitrogen gas or clean air. As a result, the atmosphere in the glass melting chamber 120 is made to be an inert gas or clean air, and the atmospheric pressure can be maintained at atmospheric pressure or a negative pressure close thereto. In this way, the glass melting chamber 12
The atmospheric pressure within 0 can be controlled, and the differential pressure with the film forming chamber 121 can be adjusted. By controlling the atmospheric pressure in the glass melting chamber 120, the size of the hollow portion 8 (FIG. 4) described later can be adjusted. However, the atmospheric pressure in the glass melting chamber 120 is set to a range in which the hollow glass fibers are not broken due to an excessively large pressure difference between the inside and outside of the hollow glass fibers in the state where the solidification is not completed. .

When the glass is melted with the atmosphere in the glass melting chamber 120 as the atmosphere (air), foreign substances in the atmosphere may be mixed into the molten glass, but an inert gas or clean air is supplied to the glass melting chamber. In addition, by making the inside of the chamber have a negative pressure, there is an advantage that the above-mentioned problems can be prevented and, if foreign matter is mixed in the raw material glass, it can be diffused and removed. The structure of the molten glass holding container 1 and the method of manufacturing the conductive hollow glass fiber 50 by the apparatus of FIG. 2 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

[Film forming chamber 121 (see FIG. 2)] Film forming chamber 1
A second gas introduction port 101 is provided on one side wall of 21. In addition, the second exhaust port 113a formed on the other side wall
Is connected to the second exhaust device 113 so that the atmospheric pressure in the film forming chamber 121 can be maintained in a high vacuum state suitable for sputtering film formation. The gas introduction port 101 communicates with a sputter gas supply source (not shown). A pair of sputter cathodes 115 facing each other is provided in the film forming chamber 121. These sputter cathodes 115 are arranged so that the surface of the solidified hollow glass fibers can be irradiated with sputtered particles. These sputter cathodes can also be arranged in such a way that they surround the hollow glass fibers.
Further, a power supply device 116 for applying a sputtering voltage to each of the sputter cathodes is connected.
The voltage applied to the sputtering cathode 115 may be a voltage equal to or higher than the sputtering start voltage, and DC, AC, medium frequency, high frequency, or a voltage in which these are superimposed is applicable.

[Winding Chamber 122 (See FIG. 2)] In this winding chamber 122, a winding device 19 having a structure similar to that of a known synthetic fiber winding device is provided. This winding device is composed of a winding device body 19a, a traverse device 21, and the like. Figure 2
In the figure, reference numeral 20 is a cylindrical bobbin (also called a drum),
Reference numeral 20a is a cylindrical package obtained by winding the conductive hollow glass fiber 50 around the bobbin 20. The traverse device 21 is for forming the package 20a. The inside of the winding chamber 122 is connected to a clean air supply source (not shown) so that a clean air atmosphere at normal pressure can be maintained.

Next, the structure of the molten glass holding container 1 as the hollow spinneret will be described with reference to FIGS. This holding container 1 is, for example, a box furnace made of platinum alloy or a container made of refractory clay. In this holding container 1, an inner cavity 2 for holding the molten glass 7 is formed,
Molten glass spinning holes 3 are formed in the bottom wall 1 a of the container 1. A peripheral wall 5a extending into the inner cavity portion 2 is formed on the lid plate 4,
A bottom wall connected to this is provided as the top plate member 5. A space 9 having an appropriate size is formed between the top plate member 5 and the bottom wall 1a. A charging hole 11 for charging the marble for preparing the molten glass is formed in the cover plate 4. The top plate member 5 is arranged so as to cover the upper periphery of the above-mentioned spinning hole 3, and a gas suction hole 6 is formed substantially in the center of the top plate member 5. The gas suction hole 6 is positioned concentrically with the spinning hole 3. In order to perform such positioning accurately, it is preferable to form a fitting protrusion or provide an outer peripheral flange on the back surface side of the cover plate 4.

In the outflow spinning as shown in FIG. 4, it is preferable that the diameter of the gas suction hole 6 is smaller than that of the spinning hole 3, and the hollow glass fiber having a constant hollow ratio and hollow shape is formed.
It can be manufactured more stably. Further, the diameter ratio between the spinning hole 3 and the gas suction hole 6 and the relationship between these and the interval 9 are set to be appropriate depending on the viscosity of the molten glass 7 and the take-up speed of the winding device.

As the hollow spinneret, in addition to the one shown in FIG. 3, a spinning hole is formed at the bottom of the molten glass holding tank, and an inert gas (or clean air) introducing pipe is vertically and vertically provided in this spinning hole. It is also possible to use one that is inserted concentrically, and an inert gas is supplied from the above-mentioned introduction tube into the molten glass spun from this spinning hole.

Further, in the hollow spinneret shown in FIG. 3, one spinning hole is formed. A plurality of the hollow spinnerets are arranged in parallel in an electric furnace, or a hollow spinner having a plurality of spinning holes is formed. A large number of conductive hollow glass fiber packages can be manufactured at the same time by providing the die in the electric furnace and arranging a multi-pyramidal winding device. In this case, as a matter of course, the structure of the film forming chamber or the like is made to correspond to the multi-cone type. Further, instead of the electric furnace, a heating means having a function equivalent to this, which can heat the hollow spinneret to the melting point of glass or higher, may be provided.

Next, an example of a method of manufacturing the conductive hollow glass fiber 50 by the apparatus of FIG. 2 will be described together with the procedure. The inner cavity 2 of the container 1 for holding the raw material marble
Then, it is charged from the charging hole 11. This marble is prepared by melting and clarifying raw materials prepared in advance in a furnace (not shown) to form glass, and molding this.

As a preparatory step, the hollow glass fiber not formed by sputtering is spun and wound. First, the atmospheric gas in the glass melting chamber 120 is replaced with an inert gas (or clean air) to maintain the atmospheric pressure in the melting chamber 120 at about atmospheric pressure. The atmosphere and atmospheric pressure in the electric furnace 17 are kept the same as those in the glass melting chamber 120. It has
While operating the first exhaust device 111, the inert gas is continuously introduced from the first gas introduction port 100. The electric furnace 17 is operated to heat and melt the marble, and the first and second openings 13 are formed by the diaphragm mechanism.
Maximize the 2,142 opening diameter. The take-up device is operated to spin out the hollow glass fiber from the holding container 1, and the hollow glass fiber is dropped into the take-up chamber 122 through the openings 132 and 142, and the take-up device 19 takes up the bobbin 20. While continuing this process, the aperture 132 is opened by the diaphragm mechanism.
And 142 the aperture diameter is reduced to a minimum.

The second exhaust device 113 is operated and the atmosphere in the film forming chamber 121 is changed to argon gas by continuously introducing, for example, argon gas as the sputtering gas from the second gas introduction port 101. , Maintain a predetermined negative pressure state. Turn on power supply 116
Then, the sputter film formation is started. In this case, the film forming chamber 121
After the atmospheric pressure inside is set to 10 ⁻⁵ Torr (10 ⁻³ Pa) or less, argon gas is introduced from the gas introduction port 101 to a pressure of 1
0 ^-4 to 10 ^-3 Torr (10 ^-2 to 10 ^-1 Pa)
Introduced in. For example, Al (a material for forming a conductive film) is used as the target material, and a DC power supply is used as the power supply means 116. Note that krypton, xenon, or the like can be used as the sputtering gas.

By continuing the winding on the bobbin 20 for a while, the entire manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 2 is brought into a steady operation state. Then, the bobbin 20 is replaced with an empty bobbin, and the production of the conductive hollow glass fiber 50 is started there. The diameter of the opening 132 when the conductive hollow glass fiber 50 is manufactured is kept as small as possible within a range where molten glass can flow out, and the diameter of the opening 142 is usually several mm.
To maintain.

In the manufacturing process of this conductive hollow glass fiber, the hollow glass fiber is spun out from the molten glass holding container (hollow spinneret) 1 and is cooled and solidified while being taken up by the winding device 19 and is cooled and solidified. A conductive substance is sputter-deposited on the outer peripheral surface of the glass fiber 10, and then the conductive hollow glass fiber 50 is wound by the winding device 19. In this case, the molten glass hanging down from the molten glass spinning hole 3 of the hollow spinneret 1 is sucked by the winding device while naturally sucking the atmospheric gas from the gas suction hole 6 into the central portion of the cross section of the hollow glass fiber 10. Form. Less than,
This manufacturing process will be described in more detail (FIG. 4).

The molten glass 7 in the inner cavity portion 2 is spun out from the molten glass spinning hole 3 and hangs down to become hollow glass fibers 10 which are cooled and solidified while traveling in the film forming chamber 121. In this case, the molten glass 7 in the inner cavity 2 flows so as to fill the space 9 between the top plate member 5 and the bottom wall 1a. Molten glass 7a having a hollow portion 8 at the center of the cross-section flows out from the spinning hole 3 provided at the site where the space 9 is formed in the bottom wall 1a.

In the hollow spinneret 1 of FIG. 4, since the gas suction hole 6 is formed immediately above the spinning hole 3, a cooling and solidifying surface is formed on the top of the molten glass 7a flowing out, and the molten glass 7a is also formed. As a result of flowing out along the peripheral portion of the spinning hole 3, the hollow portion 8 is formed. Further, the molten glass 7a sucks the atmospheric gas from the gas suction hole 6 due to the depressurization of the hollow portion 8, and solidifies as the hollow portion 8 is stretched as it is to become the hollow glass fiber 10.

While the hollow glass fiber 10 descends and travels in the film forming chamber 121, the target material is sputtered, and the conductive metal is sputtered (Al) on the outer peripheral surface thereof.
A coating film is formed) to form the conductive hollow glass fiber 50.
The glass fiber 50 is wound around the bobbin 20 by the winding device 19 to form the package 20a.

[0037]

EXAMPLES An example of producing conductive hollow glass fibers, which was carried out using the apparatus shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, will be described. Example 1 The composition (% by weight) of the raw material glass is as follows. SiO2 62.5% B2O3 27.3% Al2O3 3.0% Na2O 7.2%

The holding container 1 has an inner diameter of 150 cm and a depth of 100.
The molten glass spinning hole 3 having a diameter of 10 mm was formed in the center of the bottom wall 1 a of the holding container 1. The top plate member 5 was provided by attaching the cover plate 4 so that the space 9 was 4 mm, and the diameter of the gas suction hole 6 was 7 mm.

Electric furnace 17 having a molten glass outflow hole 18
The holding container 1 was put in a furnace, and the temperature of the furnace was set to 1250 ° C., followed by firing for 2 hours. By controlling the atmospheric pressure in the glass melting chamber 120, the pressure difference between the glass melting chamber 120 and the film forming chamber 121 can be adjusted. As a result, the breakage of the hollow glass fiber 10 due to the excessive pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the hollow glass fiber 10 was prevented. Then, the temperature of the furnace was lowered to 1050 ° C., and the glass marble having the above composition was put into the inner cavity 2 of the container 1.

After a few minutes, the molten glass 7a spun out from the spouting hole 3 of the holding container 1 drooped down from the outflow hole 18 of the electric furnace 17, so that it was sputtered and wound up.
In this case, Al was used as a target in the film forming chamber 121, and an Al film having a film thickness of 100 nm was formed as a conductive substance. The winding of the conductive hollow glass fiber was performed while the winding speed (take-up speed) was 400 m / min while traversing a cylindrical bobbin having a circumferential length of 1 m. The conductive hollow glass fiber obtained had an outer diameter of 54 μm, and the inner diameter of the hollow portion was 20 μm.
was μm. The resistance value per 1 cm length is 20
It was Ω.

In this embodiment, the holding container 1 was manufactured by firing a refractory clay mold in an electric furnace. Instead of this, a ceramic holding container prepared in advance was set in the electric furnace. You may.

[0042]

As is apparent from the above description, the conductive hollow glass fiber according to the present invention is one in which a coating film made of a conductive substance is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the hollow glass fiber. Therefore, if this conductive hollow glass fiber is blended in an appropriate amount with a plastic material or the like as a filler, the conductivity is greatly improved by the above coating, and the mechanical strength is improved by the hollow glass fiber on the core side, In the case of a plastic material, it is glass fiber reinforced plastic. In addition, even if a relatively large amount is blended so as to obtain a sufficient effect of improving conductivity and mechanical strength, the specific gravity of the material after blending does not become so high, and it is a lightweight and excellent plastic. It is possible to provide materials and the like. As described above, the conductive hollow glass fiber of the present invention can be effectively used as a filler that simultaneously satisfies the requirements of improving conductivity, reinforcing effect and weight saving.

Further, in the apparatus and method for producing a conductive hollow glass fiber according to the present invention, the hollow glass fiber is spun from a hollow spinneret holding molten glass, and the hollow glass fiber is wound by a winding device. In the process, the hollow glass fiber is cooled and solidified, and the conductive material is sputter-deposited on the outer surface of the hollow solidified glass fiber. That is, rather than once winding the spun hollow glass fiber on a cylindrical bobbin or the like and then unwinding the hollow glass fiber from the bobbin to sputter-deposit the conductive material, the spinning step and sputter-deposition step are performed. The conductive hollow glass fiber can be manufactured at a low cost through simple steps and operations, because it is directly connected to the taking step and the sputtered film is formed in the step of winding the spun hollow glass fiber.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conductive hollow glass fiber according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an overall structure of an electroconductive hollow glass fiber manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a molten glass holding container (hollow spinneret) which constitutes the manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 2 and is a partially broken view.

FIG. 4 is a central sectional view of FIG. 3, showing a state when molten glass flows out.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Molten glass holding container (hollow spinneret) 1a bottom wall 2 Lumen 3 Molten glass spinning holes 4 lid plate 5 Top plate member 5a Perimeter wall 6 gas inlet 7 Molten glass 7a molten glass 8 hollow 9 intervals 10 hollow glass fiber 11 Input hole 17 Electric furnace 18 Molten glass outflow hole 19 Winding device 19a Winding device main body 20 Cylindrical bobbin 20a package 21 Traverse device 50 Conductive hollow glass fiber 51 hollow glass fiber 52 Conductive film 100 First gas introduction port 101 Second gas introduction port 111 First exhaust system 111a First exhaust port 113 Second exhaust system 113a Second exhaust port 115 Sputter cathode 116 power supply 120 glass melting chamber 121 deposition chamber 122 winding room 131 First partition 132 First opening 141 Second partition wall 142 Second opening

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A conductive hollow glass fiber, wherein a coating made of a conductive substance is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the hollow glass fiber. 2. The conductive hollow glass fiber according to claim 1, wherein the conductive substance is a simple metal, a conductive oxide, or a conductive carbon-based material. 3. The conductive hollow glass fiber according to claim 2, wherein the coating film made of a conductive material is formed by sputtering film formation. 4. The hollow glass fiber is spun from a hollow spinneret holding molten glass, and the hollow glass fiber is cooled and solidified in the process of winding the hollow glass fiber by a winding device. A method for producing a conductive hollow glass fiber, which comprises performing sputtering film formation of a conductive substance on the outer peripheral surface of the fiber. 5. An apparatus for carrying out the method for producing a conductive hollow glass fiber according to claim 4, comprising a hollow spinneret for molten glass, a heating means for the spinneret, and a conductive material under the hollow spinneret. An apparatus for producing a conductive hollow glass fiber, characterized in that a sputtering apparatus for the substance and a winding apparatus for the conductive hollow glass fiber are further provided therebelow. 6. The hollow spinneret is provided with an inner cavity portion for holding molten glass, and the inner cavity portion has a bottom wall formed with a molten glass spinning hole and a bottom wall formed with a gas suction hole. 6. A lid plate having a top plate member provided at a predetermined distance above and a gas suction hole is concentrically arranged with a molten glass spinning hole. Equipment for manufacturing conductive hollow glass fibers. 7. A glass melting chamber, a film forming chamber directly below the film melting chamber connected via a first partition, and a winding chamber directly below the film formation chamber connected via a second partition. The glass melting chamber comprises a hollow spinneret, a heating means for the hollow spinneret, a first gas introduction port connected to a gas supply means for supplying an inert gas or clean air, and a first gas discharge port connected to a first exhaust device. The film forming chamber is provided with a sputtering device, the winding chamber is provided with a conductive hollow glass fiber winding device, and the first partition is provided with a pressure difference between the glass melting chamber and the film forming chamber. A first opening for maintaining and passing hollow glass fibers spun from the hollow spinneret is formed, and a pressure difference between the winding chamber and the film forming chamber is maintained in the second partition wall,
A second opening is formed to allow the conductive hollow glass fiber to pass therethrough. The sputtering device is provided with a sputtering cathode arranged to irradiate the outer peripheral surface of the cooled and solidified hollow glass fiber with sputtered particles, and a film formation. Means for supplying an inert gas for sputtering, which is connected through a second gas introduction port provided in the chamber,
A second exhaust device connected through a second exhaust port provided in the film forming chamber, and a power supply device for applying a predetermined voltage to the sputtering cathode are provided. Item 6. The apparatus for producing a conductive hollow glass fiber according to Item 6. 8. The first and second partition walls have first and second partitions, respectively.
The apparatus for producing a conductive hollow glass fiber according to claim 7, further comprising a diaphragm mechanism capable of enlarging / reducing an opening diameter of the second opening. 9. A method for producing a conductive hollow glass fiber by the production method according to claim 4 using the production apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a molten glass spinning hole of a hollow spinneret is provided. A method for producing an electrically conductive hollow glass fiber, characterized in that the hollow glass fiber is formed by drawing the molten glass hanging from the hollow glass fiber in a central portion of the cross section thereof while naturally sucking the atmospheric gas from the gas suction hole.