JP2017226933A - Ultrafine fiber manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrafine fiber manufacturing equipment capable of preventing a molten resin material from decreasing in temperature near a metal nozzle and capable of stably manufacturing ultra fine fiber.SOLUTION: An ultrafine fiber manufacturing equipment 1 comprises: an extrusion device 10, which extrudes molten resin material; a spinning part 30, which has multiple metal nozzles that discharges molten resin material to manufacture the ultrafine fiber and an air flow channel formed around the metal nozzle; a nozzle heater 48, which heats multiple metal nozzles from vertical side relative to a first direction D1 in which the molten resin material is discharged; a collector electrode 60 located on the first direction D1 side of the spinning part 30; a power supply device 62, which applies voltage between multiple metal nozzles and the collector electrode 60; an air flow feeder 50, which feeds air to the air flow channel; and a recovery system 80, which recovers the manufactured ultrafine fiber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus.

A solution electrostatic spinning method using a resin raw material solution in which a resin raw material is dissolved in a solvent as a method for producing ultrafine fibers (for example, nanofibers) using an electrostatic spinning method (also referred to as an electrospinning method or an electrospinning method) And a melt electrostatic spinning method using a molten resin raw material obtained by heating and melting a resin raw material. Among these, according to the melt electrospinning method, an ultrafine fiber can be produced without using a solvent, so that the load on the environment can be reduced.
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus capable of performing a melt electrospinning method is known. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 900. As shown in FIG. 14, a conventional ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 900 includes a melting tank 910 for melting a resin material, an extrusion apparatus 920 for extruding a molten resin material supplied from the melting tank 910, an extrusion apparatus 920, and a spinning unit 930. A molten resin raw material flow path 928, a plurality of metal nozzles and airflow flow paths, a spinning section 930 for spinning ultrafine fibers from the molten resin raw material, and a molten resin raw material discharged from the spinning section 930 A collector electrode 960 that is positioned in the direction to be applied, a power supply device 962 that applies a voltage between the plurality of metal nozzles and the collector electrode 960, an airflow supply device 950 that supplies a high-temperature airflow to the airflow passage, An airflow suction unit 970 for sucking and a recovery device 980 for recovering the manufactured ultrafine fibers are provided.

  According to the conventional ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 900, it is possible to flow a high-temperature air current around each of the plurality of metal nozzles 942, and thus the rate at which the molten resin material discharged from the metal nozzles is cooled is decreased. It becomes possible. As a result, it is possible to slow down the rate at which the viscosity of the molten resin raw material increases, and it is possible to produce fine ultrafine fibers by the melt electrospinning method.

JP 2011-89240 A

  However, in the conventional ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 900, the temperature of the molten resin raw material may be reduced in the vicinity of the metal nozzle. When the temperature of the molten resin raw material is reduced near the metal nozzle, the viscosity of the molten resin raw material varies, and the movement of the molten resin raw material becomes unstable. Various problems such as clogging may occur. For this reason, in the conventional ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 900, there exists a problem that it becomes difficult to manufacture an ultrafine fiber stably depending on the case.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and it is possible to prevent the temperature of the molten resin raw material from being lowered in the vicinity of the metal nozzle. It is another object of the present invention to provide an ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus that can stably manufacture ultrafine fibers.

[1] An ultrafine fiber production apparatus of the present invention includes an extrusion apparatus for extruding a molten resin raw material, a plurality of metal nozzles for producing the ultrafine fiber by discharging the molten resin raw material extruded from the extrusion apparatus, and A spinning section having an air flow channel formed around each of the plurality of metal nozzles, and the plurality of metal nozzles from a side perpendicular to a first direction in which the molten resin material is discharged. A heater for the nozzle that heats the collector, a collector electrode positioned on the first direction side when viewed from the spinning section, a power supply device that applies a voltage between the plurality of metal nozzles and the collector electrode, and An airflow supply device that supplies an airflow to the airflow passage and a recovery device that recovers the manufactured ultrafine fibers are provided.

[2] In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first direction, the base end of the nozzle heater is more than the first end of the plurality of metal nozzles. It is preferable that the tip of the nozzle heater is on the opposite side in the direction, and the tip of the nozzle heater is on the forward side in the first direction with respect to the tips of the metal nozzles.

[3] In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the nozzle heater is disposed so as to surround the plurality of metal nozzles.

[4] In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the spinning section includes a metal proximal end block formed with a first introduction path that distributes the molten resin raw material and guides it to the plurality of metal nozzles. , Located on the distal end side of the proximal end block, the distal block on which the air flow channel is formed around each of the plurality of metal nozzles, and located on the proximal end side of the proximal block, An insulating block formed with a second introduction path that guides the molten resin material to the base end side block, and the plurality of metal nozzles are in contact with the base end side block in the first introduction path. An air flow introduction path arranged at the end, to which the power supply line from the power supply device is connected to the base end side block, and to guide the high-temperature air flow from the air flow supply device to the air flow channel Is preferred to be formed There.

[5] In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the nozzle heater heats the proximal end side block, the distal end side block, and the insulating block.

[6] In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the nozzle heater is disposed so as to surround the proximal end side block, the distal end side block, and the insulating block.

[7] The ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention preferably further includes a heater for an insulating block that contacts the insulating block and heats the insulating block.

[8] In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the insulating block is formed such that a heater recess corresponding to the shape of the insulating block heater is exposed on an outer surface, and the insulating block heater is It is preferable to be inserted in the heater recess.

[9] In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the temperature of the high temperature airflow at the position of the airflow channel is preferably in the range of 120 ° C to 500 ° C.

[10] In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the extrusion apparatus and the spinning section are covered with a heat insulation jacket.

[11] In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of discharge holes are formed at the tip of the metal nozzle.

[12] In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable to further include a tip side heater that is disposed on the tip side of the nozzle heater and that heats the molten resin material discharged from the plurality of metal nozzles. .

  According to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to flow a high-temperature air current around each of the plurality of metal nozzles. Therefore, as with the conventional ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 900, the molten resin discharged from the nozzles The rate at which the raw material is cooled can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to slow down the rate at which the viscosity of the molten resin raw material increases, and it is possible to produce fine ultrafine fibers by the melt electrospinning method.

  Moreover, according to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, since the nozzle heater for heating a plurality of metal nozzles from the side perpendicular to the first direction is provided, the metal nozzles can be heated preferentially. Thus, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the molten resin material from being lowered in the vicinity of the metal nozzle. For this reason, the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of this invention turns into an ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus which can manufacture an ultrafine fiber more stably than the conventional ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 900. FIG.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the spinning part 30 in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the front end side block 44 in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the heater 48 for nozzles in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 2 which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the spinning part 30A in Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 3 which concerns on the modification 1. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the extrusion apparatus 90 in the modification 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 4 which concerns on the modification 2. It is a figure which shows the structure of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 5 which concerns on the modification 3. It is a figure which shows the structure of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 6 which concerns on the modification 4. It is an expansion schematic diagram which shows the front-end | tip of the metal nozzle 40 in Embodiment 1, and the metal nozzles 40a and 40b in the modification 5. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the front end side heater 120 in the modification 6. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conventional ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 900. FIG.

  Hereinafter, the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. Each drawing is a schematic diagram, and does not necessarily reflect the actual dimensions and positional relationship of the components.

1. Configuration of Ultrafine Fiber Manufacturing Apparatus 1 According to Embodiment 1 First, the configuration of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment will be described.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. In addition, about the spinning part 30, it displays as sectional drawing corresponded in FIG.2 (b) mentioned later.
FIG. 2 is a view for explaining the spinning unit 30 according to the first embodiment. 2A is a longitudinal sectional view when the spinning portion 30 is cut along a plane along the longitudinal direction, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane A1-A1 in FIG. 2A. It is sectional drawing when doing.

  FIG. 3 is a view for explaining the distal end side block 44 in the first embodiment. 3A is a top view of the front end side block 44, FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the front end side block 44 taken along a plane along the longitudinal direction, and FIG. 3C is a front end view. FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view of the side block 44 taken along a plane along line A2-A2 in FIG. 3B, and FIG. 3D is a plane along the front side block 44 along A3-A3 in FIG. It is sectional drawing when cut | disconnecting by.

  FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the nozzle heater 48 in the first embodiment. 4A is a longitudinal sectional view of the nozzle heater 48 cut along a plane along the longitudinal direction, and FIG. 4B is a top view of the nozzle heater 48. FIG. In FIG. 4, the spinning unit 30 and the metal nozzle 40 are indicated by broken lines so that the positional relationship among the spinning unit 30 and the metal nozzle 40 and the nozzle heater 48 can be easily understood. In FIG. 4A, the nozzle heater 48 located on the rear side of the spinning section 30 is not shown for easy understanding of the drawing.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 includes a melting tank 10, an extrusion device 20, a spinning unit 30, a nozzle heater 48, an air flow supply device 50, a collector electrode 60, A power supply device 62, an airflow suction unit 70, a recovery device 80, and a heat insulation jacket J are provided. Hereinafter, each component will be described.

  The melting tank 10 melts the resin raw material and supplies the molten resin raw material to the extrusion apparatus. The melting tank 10 can be heated by a heater 11. Further, a vacuum pump 12 and a nitrogen line 13 are connected to the melting tank 10, and air that may be contained in the molten resin material can be degassed and replaced with nitrogen. The melting tank 10 has a kneading mechanism 14 for kneading the molten resin raw material.

  The extrusion apparatus 20 is an apparatus that extrudes the molten resin material, and extrudes the molten resin material supplied from the melting tank 10. The extrusion apparatus 20 is a piston cylinder type extrusion apparatus, and can extrude a molten resin raw material by the piston extrusion part 26. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 22 denotes an extrusion apparatus main body, and reference numeral 24 denotes a piston driving part.

The extrusion device 20 and the spinning unit 30 are connected by a molten resin material flow path 28.
Between the extrusion device 20 and the spinning unit 30, a metering pump that feeds the molten resin material extruded from the extrusion device 20 to the spinning unit 30 at a predetermined speed, a mesh filter, and the like are disposed. Also good. For example, a gear pump can be suitably used as the metering pump.

  The spinning unit 30 includes a plurality of metal nozzles 40 and an airflow channel 47. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the spinning unit 30 includes, in addition to the plurality of metal nozzles 40, a distal side block 44 in which an insulating block 32, a proximal side block 36, and an airflow channel 47 are formed. And have. Hereinafter, components of the spinning unit 30 will be described.

The insulating block 32 is positioned on the base end side of the base end side block 36, and a second introduction path 34 that guides the molten resin material to the base end side block 36 is formed. In addition, the code | symbol 37 of FIG.
In the insulating block 32, the thickness along the direction in which the molten resin raw material is sent is 10 mm or more, preferably 30 mm or more, and more preferably 50 mm or more.
The insulating block 32 is made of insulating ceramics or insulating resin.

  Suitable insulating ceramics include alumina (aluminum oxide), zircon (zirconium oxide), steatite, spinel, aluminum nitride, boron nitride, beryllia (beryllium oxide), magnesia (magnesium oxide), mullite, forsterite, and porcelain. Can be used. Alumina (aluminum oxide) can be used particularly preferably.

  As the insulating resin, a heat-resistant resin can be used. PBI resin (polybenzimidazole resin), PI resin (polyimide resin), aromatic polyamide, PBO resin (polybenzoxazole resin), phenol resin, urea resin Melamine resin, unsaturated polyester resin, and epoxy resin can be preferably used. Moreover, PBI resin (polybenzimidazole resin) can be used particularly suitably.

The base end side block 36 is formed with a first introduction path 38 that distributes the molten resin raw material and guides it to the plurality of metal nozzles 40. The proximal end block 36 is made of metal. As shown in FIG. 2A, the first introduction path 38 has a structure that branches in the proximal block 36 in order to supply the molten resin raw material to each metal nozzle 40.
A power supply line from the power supply device 62 is connected to the base end side block 36 via a power supply line connection terminal 42.
Although there is no restriction | limiting in particular in the material which comprises the base end side block 36, Stainless steel (as a specific example, SUS304 and SUS316) can be used suitably.

The plurality of metal nozzles 40 are for producing ultrafine fibers by discharging the molten resin material extruded from the extrusion device 20. The plurality of metal nozzles 40 are arranged at the end of the first introduction path 38 in a state where they are in contact with the base end side block 36.
In the present specification, “the state in which the plurality of metal nozzles are in contact with the base end side block” is a state in which the plurality of metal nozzles and the base end side block are in electrical contact (a state in which energization is possible). Say something. The metal nozzle 40 according to the first embodiment has a shape in which the proximal end side is thick and the distal end side is thin, and the thick proximal end side is in contact with the proximal end side block 36.
Only one discharge hole 41 is formed at the tip of the metal nozzle 40 (see FIG. 12A described later). The diameter (inner diameter) of the discharge hole can be set to 0.4 to 0.8 mm, for example.
The metal nozzle 40 can be made of the same material as that of the base end side block 36, for example.

The distal end side block 44 is positioned on the distal end side of the proximal end side block 36, and an air flow channel 47 is formed around each of the plurality of metal nozzles 40 as shown in FIG. The airflow channel 47 is a channel for flowing a high-temperature airflow in a direction along the discharge direction of the molten resin material.
The leading end block 44 is also formed with an airflow introduction path 46 that guides the airflow from the airflow supply device 50 to the airflow path 47. Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the airflow introduction path 46 has a structure that branches in the front end side block 44 in order to supply the high temperature airflow from the airflow supply device 50 to each airflow path 47.

  As a material constituting the distal end side block 44, a metal such as stainless steel (specific examples: SUS304 and SUS316), a heat resistant ceramic such as alumina, and a heat resistant resin such as PBI resin can be suitably used.

The nozzle heater 48 heats the plurality of metal nozzles 40 from the side perpendicular to the first direction D1 (the side surface side of the metal nozzle 40). Furthermore, the nozzle heater 48 heats not only the metal nozzle 40 but also the base end side block 36, the base end side block 36, the front end side block 44, and the insulating block 32.
When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first direction D1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4A, the proximal end of the nozzle heater 48 is in the first direction than the proximal ends of the plurality of metal nozzles 40. D1 is on the opposite side. Further, the tip of the nozzle heater 48 is on the forward direction side in the first direction D1 with respect to the tips of the plurality of metal nozzles 40.

  In the present specification, the “forward direction” refers to a direction along the first direction. For this reason, when the metal nozzle is used as a reference, the forward direction side is the side where the collector electrode exists. The “reverse direction” means a direction opposite to the forward direction. For this reason, when the metal nozzle is taken as a reference, the reverse direction side is the side opposite to the side where the collector electrode is present (the side where the extrusion device 20 is present in the first embodiment).

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the nozzle heater 48 has a shape that looks like a rectangular frame when viewed from above, and is arranged so as to surround the plurality of metal nozzles 40. More specifically, the nozzle heater 48 is disposed so as to surround not only the plurality of metal nozzles 40 but also the proximal end side block 36, the proximal end side block 36, the distal end side block 44, and the insulating block 32.

In addition, in this specification, when showing the positional relationship between the heater including the nozzle heater and other components, the description is made focusing on the positional relationship between the heating unit in the heater and the other components. . The heating unit is a part for heating a component to be heated by the heater, and is a part made of a member that generates heat, such as a heating wire or a member containing a heating wire, a metal member, or a heat. It refers to a portion made of a member having high heat conductivity connected to a member that generates heat, such as a pipe.
Moreover, in each drawing, the position of the heating unit described above is displayed as the position of the heater.

  In the present specification, “the nozzle heater surrounds the plurality of metal nozzles” means that the nozzle heater surrounds the plurality of metal nozzles when viewed from above (when viewed along the first direction). It does not simply mean that a plurality of metal nozzles are surrounded by nozzle heaters arranged without gaps. The nozzle heater only needs to surround the metal nozzle when viewed from above, and for example, the plurality of metal nozzles may be surrounded by a plurality of nozzle heaters arranged at regular intervals or at arbitrary intervals. The same applies to the case where the nozzle heater heats the proximal block, the distal block, and the insulating block.

The airflow supply device 50 is a device that supplies an airflow to the airflow passage 47. As shown in FIG. 1, the airflow supply device 50 includes a blower 52 that generates an airflow, a heating unit 54 that heats the airflow from the blower 52, and a heater 56 that is disposed around the heating unit 54.
The high temperature airflow from the airflow supply device 50 is introduced into the airflow introduction path 46 of the front end side block 44 of the spinning unit 30. The airflow supply device 50 can adjust the output of the heater 56 so that the temperature of the high-temperature airflow at the position of the airflow channel 47 becomes a temperature within the range of 120 ° C to 500 ° C.

  The collector electrode 60 is located on the first direction D1 side as viewed from the spinning unit 30. One terminal of a power supply device 62 is connected to the collector electrode 60.

  The power supply device 62 is a device that applies a voltage (for example, 5 to 100 kV) between the plurality of metal nozzles 40 and the collector electrode 60.

  The airflow suction part 70 is disposed at a position on the opposite side of the spinning electrode 30 in the collector electrode 60 and sucks the airflow. The airflow suction unit 70 is connected to an airflow suction device 74 (for example, a pump or a fan).

The collection device 80 is a device that collects the manufactured ultrafine fibers. The collection device 80 is disposed at the position of the spinning unit 30 in the collector electrode 60 and has a conveyor mechanism in which a large number of holes for airflow passage are formed.
The collection device 80 is located on the spinning unit 30 side of the collector electrode 60 and is provided with a feeding roller 81 for feeding a substrate such as a nonwoven fabric, a feed roller 82 for feeding the substrate, a take-up roller 83 for winding the substrate, and an air flow And a conveyor mesh 84 in which a large number of holes for passage are formed.

  The heat insulation jacket J is disposed so as to cover the extrusion device 20 and the spinning unit 30.

2. Next, an ultrafine fiber manufacturing method using the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment will be briefly described.

  First, an appropriate amount of resin raw material (for example, pellet-shaped polypropylene) is charged into the melting tank 10. Then, after decompressing the inside of the melting tank 10 with the vacuum pump 12, nitrogen gas is introduce | transduced and the space in the melting tank 10 is substituted with nitrogen gas. Thereafter, the resin raw material is melted by heating the melting tank 10 to a predetermined temperature (for example, 150 ° C. to 290 ° C.) while the resin raw material is kneaded by the kneading mechanism 14. At this time, the extrusion device 20 and the nozzle heater 48 are heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 150 ° C. to 290 ° C.), and a high temperature air flow (for example, 120 ° C. to 500 ° C.) is caused to flow from the air flow supply device 50 to the air flow channel 47. As a result, the spinning section 30, particularly the vicinity of the metal nozzle 40, is sufficiently heated.

Next, the opening / closing valve 18 is opened, and the molten resin material is supplied to the extrusion device 20.
Next, the molten resin raw material sent out by the extrusion device 20 is sent toward the spinning unit 30 through the molten resin raw material flow path 28 at a predetermined speed.

  Next, the molten resin raw material is sent to the plurality of metal nozzles 40 via the inlet 33 and the second inlet 34 of the insulating block 32 and the inlet 37 and the first inlet 38 of the base end side block 36. At this time, the air flow channel 47 formed around each of the plurality of metal nozzles 40 is in a state in which a high-temperature air flow is flown from the air flow supply device 50, and the base end side block 36 and the collector electrode 60 Since a predetermined voltage (for example, 5 to 100 kV) is applied between them, the molten resin raw material is vigorously discharged from the plurality of metal nozzles 40 and branches toward the collector electrode 60 while becoming branched into ultrafine fibers. .

  At this time, since the base material 110 is in a state of being sent on the mesh on the spinning unit 30 side in the collector electrode 60, the ultrafine fibers are deposited on the base material 110, whereby the ultrafine fibers are deposited on the base material 110. It will be collected.

3. Advantages of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment According to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, it is possible to flow a high-temperature airflow around each of the plurality of metal nozzles 40, so that the conventional ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 Similar to the fiber manufacturing apparatus 900, the rate at which the molten resin material discharged from the nozzle is cooled can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to slow down the rate at which the viscosity of the molten resin raw material increases, and it is possible to produce fine ultrafine fibers by the melt electrospinning method.

  In addition, according to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, since the nozzle heater 48 for heating the plurality of metal nozzles 40 from the side perpendicular to the first direction D1 is provided, the metal nozzles are focused. Thus, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the molten resin material from being lowered in the vicinity of the metal nozzle. For this reason, the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 which concerns on Embodiment 1 becomes an ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus which can manufacture an ultrafine fiber more stably than the conventional ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 900. FIG.

  In addition, according to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, since the airflow flows in the direction along the discharge direction of the molten resin raw material, the molten resin raw material can be smoothly discharged from the metal nozzle. Become.

  Moreover, according to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the base end of the nozzle heater 48 is more than the base ends of the plurality of metal nozzles 40 when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the first direction D1. Since it is on the opposite side in the first direction D1, it becomes possible to heat the base end side of the metal nozzle, which is difficult to heat by the high-temperature air flow, and suppress clogging of the molten resin material on the base end side of the metal nozzle It becomes possible to do.

  Further, according to the microfiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first direction D1, the tip of the nozzle heater 48 is in the first direction than the tips of the plurality of metal nozzles 40. Since it is on the D1 forward direction side, it is possible to heat the tip of the metal nozzle, and it is also possible to heat the space near the tip of the metal nozzle. For this reason, it is possible to further reduce the rate at which the molten resin material discharged from the nozzle is cooled.

  Moreover, according to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the nozzle heater 48 is disposed so as to surround the plurality of metal nozzles 40, so that the metal nozzles can be heated relatively evenly. This makes it possible to prevent the molten resin material from partially lowering the temperature in the vicinity of the metal nozzle.

  By the way, in the location where the molten resin raw material is distributed and led to a plurality of metal nozzles, that is, in the first introduction path 38 of the base end side block 36, the flow of the molten resin raw material is likely to partially stagnate. The temperature of the raw material tends to decrease. According to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, since the base end side block 36 is made of metal, it becomes easy to transfer heat from the outside to the first introduction path where the temperature of the molten resin raw material is likely to decrease. As a result, it becomes possible to suppress the clogging of the resin raw material and the deterioration of the quality of the ultrafine fiber to be produced accompanying the temperature drop of the molten resin raw material.

  Further, according to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the spinning unit 30 has the distal end side block 44 in which the air flow channel 47 is formed, and therefore, in the direction along the discharge direction of the molten resin material. It becomes possible to flow an air current.

  Moreover, according to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, since the spinning unit 30 includes the insulating block 32, even when a voltage is applied to manufacture ultrafine fibers, the spinning unit 30 is between the spinning unit and the extrusion device. It is possible to obtain sufficient insulation.

  Moreover, according to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, since the power supply line from the power supply device 62 is connected to the proximal end side block 36 in contact with the plurality of metal nozzles 40, a plurality of metal fibers A voltage can be applied between the nozzle and the collector electrode.

  Moreover, according to the microfiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, since the insulating block 32 is disposed on the proximal end side of the proximal end block 36, the insulating block is disposed on the distal end side of the proximal end block. Compared with the case where it exists, the base end side block which has a location where the temperature of a molten resin raw material tends to fall can be arrange | positioned in the position near a metal nozzle. For this reason, by heating the base end block together with the metal nozzle using a nozzle heater, it is possible to suppress clogging of the resin raw material and the deterioration of the quality of the ultrafine fiber to be manufactured with a low temperature of the molten resin raw material with high accuracy. It becomes possible.

  By the way, since the flow rate per one flow of the molten resin raw material after the distribution is reduced as compared with that before the distribution, the molten resin raw material is easily affected by the external temperature. According to the microfiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, since the insulating block 32 is disposed on the proximal end side of the proximal end side block 36, the insulating block is disposed on the distal end side of the proximal end side block. As compared with, the portion that is easily affected by the external temperature can be shortened. Also from this viewpoint, it is possible to suppress with high accuracy the clogging of the resin raw material and the deterioration of the quality of the ultrafine fiber to be produced accompanying the temperature drop of the molten resin raw material.

  Further, according to the microfiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the nozzle heater 48 heats the proximal end side block 36, the distal end side block 44, and the insulating block 32. The element can also be heated sufficiently, and as a result, it becomes possible to produce ultrafine fibers more stably.

  Further, according to the microfiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the nozzle heater 48 is disposed so as to surround the proximal end side block 36, the distal end side block 44, and the insulating block 32, so that only the metal nozzle is used. In addition, the surrounding components can be heated relatively uniformly, and as a result, it is possible to prevent the molten resin material from partially lowering the temperature of the entire spinning section.

  Moreover, according to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the temperature of the air flow at the position of the air flow channel 47 is in the range of 120 ° C. to 500 ° C., so that the molten resin material discharged from the nozzle is cooled. It is possible to sufficiently slow down the speed that is performed.

  Moreover, according to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, since the extrusion device 20 and the spinning unit 30 are covered with the heat insulation jacket J, the molten resin material is formed in the region reaching the extrusion device 20 and the spinning unit 30. It is possible to suppress a decrease in temperature.

  Moreover, according to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, since the airflow suction unit 70 is provided, it is possible to stabilize the flow of the high-temperature airflow flowing out from the spinning unit.

  Moreover, according to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the recovery device 80 is disposed at a position on the spinning unit 30 side of the collector electrode 60 and has a conveyor mechanism in which a large number of holes for airflow passage are formed. Therefore, it is possible to collect ultrafine fibers without hindering the function of the airflow suction unit.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a view for explaining the spinning unit 30A according to the second embodiment. 6A is a longitudinal sectional view when the spinning portion 30A is cut along a plane along the longitudinal direction, and FIG. 6B is a sectional view taken along the plane A1-A1 of FIG. 6A. It is sectional drawing when doing. In addition, in FIG.6 (b), the position of the heater 49 for insulation blocks is displayed with the broken line.

The ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment has basically the same configuration as the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, but the configuration of the spinning unit is that of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. Not the case. That is, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the microfiber manufacturing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment includes an insulating block heater 49 that contacts the insulating block 32A and heats the insulating block 32A in the spinning unit 30A.
The insulating block 32A is formed with a heater recess 35 corresponding to the shape of the insulating block heater 49 (in the second embodiment, a rod-like shape) exposed on the outer surface. The insulating block heater 49 is inserted into the heater recess 35.

  As described above, the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment is different from the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment in the configuration of the spinning unit. Since the nozzle heater 48 for heating the metal nozzle 40 is provided, the metal nozzle can be preferentially heated and melted in the vicinity of the metal nozzle, similarly to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. It becomes possible to prevent the resin raw material from causing a temperature drop. For this reason, the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 2 which concerns on Embodiment 2 also becomes an ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus which can manufacture an ultrafine fiber more stably than the conventional ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 900. FIG.

  In addition, according to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment, since the insulating block heater 49 is provided, the insulating block that often has low thermal conductivity due to the properties of the material is intensively heated and melted in the insulating block. It becomes possible to suppress that the temperature of a molding material falls.

  Further, according to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment, the heater block 35 is formed on the insulating block 32A so as to be exposed on the outer surface, and the heater 49 for the insulating block is inserted into the heater recess 35. Therefore, it is possible to easily transfer the heat from the insulating block heater 49 to the second introduction path by bringing the insulation block heater and the second introduction path close to each other.

  In addition, since the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 2 which concerns on Embodiment 2 has the structure similar to the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 1 which concerns on Embodiment 1 about points other than the structure of a spinning part, the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 1 has the corresponding effect.

  As mentioned above, although the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus and ultrafine fiber manufacturing method of this invention were demonstrated based on said each embodiment, this invention is not limited to this, It implements in the range which does not deviate from the summary. For example, the following modifications are possible.

(1) In each of the above embodiments, the piston-cylinder type extrusion device 20 is used as the extrusion device, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 3 according to the first modification. FIG. 8 is a view for explaining the extrusion device 90 in the first modification. FIG. 8A is a transverse sectional view of the extrusion apparatus 90, and FIG. 8B is a longitudinal sectional view of the extrusion apparatus 90. The ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 3 according to the modified example 1 includes hoppers 100 and 102 instead of the melting tank 10, and includes a biaxial extrusion apparatus 90 instead of the piston cylinder type extrusion apparatus 20. In the extrusion device 90, two screws 95 are disposed in the internal space 93. In FIG. 8, reference numerals 101 and 103 denote open / close valves, reference numeral 92 denotes an introduction part, reference numeral 94 denotes a lead-out part, reference numeral 96 denotes a motor, and reference numeral 98 denotes a heater. The hopper 100 is a hopper that supplies a main raw material (main resin raw material), and the hopper 102 is a hopper that supplies an auxiliary raw material (for example, an additive). In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an extrusion apparatus other than the piston cylinder type may be used.

(2) In each of the above embodiments, the description has been made by adopting the collection device such as the collection device 80, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 4 according to the second modification. The collection device 80A of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 4 according to Modification 2 includes a rotary conveyor drum 85 that rotates in synchronization with the feed speed of the nonwoven fabric. The conveyor drum 85 has a large number of holes for airflow passage. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 5 according to the third modification. The recovery device 80B of the microfiber manufacturing apparatus 5 according to the modified example 3 has a large number of airflow passage holes formed only in the region 86 facing the spinning unit 30 and the airflow passage in the region 87 not facing the spinning unit 30. The fixed conveyor drum 88 is not formed. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus 6 according to the fourth modification. The collection device 80 </ b> C of the ultrafine fiber manufacturing device 6 according to Modification 5 includes a circulation type conveyor belt 89 that circulates in synchronization with the winding speed of the winding roller 83. The conveyor belt 89 has a large number of holes for airflow passage. In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, for example, a collecting apparatus as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 may be employed.

(3) In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the air flow introduction path has a direction vector in which the high temperature air flow is discharged from the metal nozzle and the hot air flow channel from both sides across the metal nozzle. It may be configured to be introduced.

(4) In each of the above embodiments, the nonwoven fabric made of ultrafine fibers is collected in a form in which the nonwoven fabric is deposited on the substrate 110, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is good also as collect | recovering in the form which peeled off the nonwoven fabric which consists of an ultrafine fiber from a base material. Moreover, it is good also as collect | recovering the nonwoven fabric which consists of an ultrafine fiber in the form partially integrated with the base material.

(5) In each of the above embodiments, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a so-called vertical configuration in which the molten resin material is discharged from the spinning unit 30 toward the collector electrode 60 positioned vertically downward from the spinning unit 30. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, you may have what is called a horizontal type | mold which discharges a molten resin raw material from a spinning part toward the collector electrode located in a horizontal horizontal direction from a spinning part.

(6) In each of the above embodiments, only one discharge hole 41 is formed at the tip of the metal nozzle 40, but the present invention is not limited to this.
FIG. 12 is an enlarged schematic diagram illustrating the tips of the metal nozzle 40 according to the first embodiment and the metal nozzles 40a and 40b according to the fifth modification. 12A is a diagram showing the tip of the metal nozzle 40, FIG. 12B is a diagram showing the tip of the metal nozzle 40a, and FIG. 12C is a diagram showing the tip of the metal nozzle 40b. FIG. In addition, FIG. 12 is the figure which looked at the front-end | tip of each metal nozzle toward the 1st direction D1 reverse direction side along the discharge axis | shaft of a molten resin raw material. Reference numerals 41, 41a and 41b in FIG. 12 denote discharge holes for discharging the molten resin material. In FIG. 12, only the most advanced part of each metal nozzle is displayed.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 12B and 12C, a plurality of discharge holes may be formed at the tip of the metal nozzle. By adopting such a configuration, it becomes possible to subdivide the flow of the molten resin raw material to be discharged at the tip of the metal nozzle, and as a result, the molten resin raw material can be discharged more uniformly, and The molten resin material can be discharged more finely.
In addition, if it is set as the above structures, it is possible that a molten resin raw material stays in the front-end | tip of metal nozzles, and temperature falls easily. However, since the apparatus for producing ultrafine fibers of the present invention includes a nozzle heater for heating the metal nozzle, even if a plurality of discharge holes are formed at the tip of the metal nozzle, the tip of the metal nozzle It is possible to prevent the molten resin material from staying and the temperature from decreasing.

  The number and shape of the plurality of discharge holes are not limited to those shown in FIGS. The plurality of discharge holes can be formed, for example, by closing the tip of a metal nozzle once and performing perforation. The plurality of discharge holes can also be formed, for example, by attaching a net-like component to the tip of a metal nozzle in which only one discharge hole is formed.

(7) The ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention may further include a tip-side heater that is disposed on the tip side of the nozzle heater and that heats the molten resin material discharged from a plurality of metal nozzles. FIG. 13 is a view for explaining the front end side heater 120 in the sixth modification. FIG. 13A is a longitudinal sectional view of the tip side heater 120 and the nozzle heater 48 taken along a plane along the longitudinal direction, and FIG. 13B shows the tip side heater 120 and the nozzle heater 48 in FIG. FIG. 13A is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane corresponding to A1-A1 in FIG. 13A, and FIG. 13C is a top view of the tip side heater 120 and the nozzle heater 48. FIG. In FIG. 13, the spinning unit 30 and the metal nozzle 40 are indicated by broken lines in order to facilitate understanding of the positional relationship between the spinning unit 30 and the metal nozzle 40 and the tip side heater 120 and the nozzle heater 48. Further, in FIGS. 13A and 13B, the tip side heater 120 and the nozzle heater 48 located on the rear side of the spinning section 30 are not shown for easy understanding of the drawings.

The tip side heater 120 is disposed on the tip side of the nozzle heater 48 as shown in FIG. The configuration of the tip side heater 120 as a heater is the same as that of the nozzle heater 48. The tip side heater 120 may be disposed so as to be in direct contact with the nozzle heater 48, may be disposed via a spacer, or may be disposed completely apart from the nozzle. The gap between the tip of the heater 48 and the tip side heater 120 (the portion that is not the heating portion) should be small. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the tip side heater 120 is disposed so as to be in direct contact with the nozzle heater 48 at at least one point.
With this configuration, the discharged molten resin material can be directly heated, and as a result, the rate at which the molten resin material discharged from the nozzle is cooled can be further reduced.

The nozzle heater 120 is preferably arranged so as to surround the molten resin material discharged from the plurality of metal nozzles 40.
By setting it as such a structure, it becomes possible to heat the molten resin raw material discharged from several metal nozzles comparatively equally.

Moreover, it is preferable that the front end side heater 120 is disposed at an angle so as not to interfere with a range in which the molten resin material diffuses when the molten resin material is discharged from the plurality of metal nozzles 40.
By adopting such a configuration, it becomes possible to bring the tip side heater close to the molten resin material to be discharged as a whole, and as a result, the rate at which the molten resin material discharged from the nozzle is cooled is further reduced. It becomes possible.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ... fine fiber manufacturing apparatus, 10 ... melting tank, 11, 56 ... heater, 12 ... vacuum pump, 13 ... nitrogen line, 14 ... kneading mechanism, 18 ... open / close valve, 20, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 90 ... Extrusion apparatus, 26 ... Piston extrusion part, 28 ... Molten resin raw material flow path, 30, 30A ... Spinning part, 32, 32A ... Insulation block, 33, 37 ... Inlet port, 34 ... 2nd introduction path, 35 ... Heater Recessed part, 36: proximal block, 38: first introduction path, 40, 40a, 40b: metal nozzle, 41, 41a, 41b: discharge hole, 42: power line connection terminal, 44: distal block, 46 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Airflow introduction path, 47 ... Airflow flow path, 48 ... Nozzle heater, 49 ... Insulation block heater, 50 ... Airflow supply device, 52 ... Blower, 54 ... Heating part, 60 ... Collector electrode, 62 ... Power supply device, 70 ... Airflow absorption , 74 ... Airflow suction device, 80, 80A, 80B, 80C ... Recovery device, 81 ... Feeding roller, 82 ... Feeding roller, 83 ... Winding roller, 84 ... Conveyor mesh, 85 ... Conveyor drum, 86 ... Spinning part Opposite area, 87 ... Area not facing the spinning section, 88 ... Conveyor drum, 89 ... Conveyor belt, 93 ... Internal space, 95 ... Screw, 100, 102 ... Hopper, 110 ... Base material, 120 ... Tip side heater, D1 ... 1st direction, J ... Thermal insulation jacket

Claims (12)

An extrusion device for extruding a molten resin raw material;
A spinning section having a plurality of metal nozzles for producing ultrafine fibers by discharging the molten resin raw material extruded from the extrusion device, and an air flow channel formed around each of the plurality of metal nozzles When,
A nozzle heater for heating the plurality of metal nozzles from a side perpendicular to a first direction in which the molten resin material is discharged;
A collector electrode located on the first direction side as seen from the spinning section;
A power supply device for applying a voltage between the plurality of metal nozzles and the collector electrode;
An air flow supply device for supplying an air flow to the air flow path;
An ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a recovery device that recovers the manufactured ultrafine fiber. In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1,
When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first direction,
The proximal end of the nozzle heater is on the opposite side in the first direction than the proximal ends of the plurality of metal nozzles,
The tip of the heater for nozzles is located in the forward direction side of the 1st direction rather than the tip of a plurality of metal nozzles. In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The nozzle heater is disposed so as to surround the plurality of metal nozzles. In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3,
The spinning section is
A metal base end block formed with a first introduction path for distributing the molten resin raw material and guiding it to the plurality of metal nozzles;
Located on the distal end side of the proximal end block, the distal block in which the air flow channel is formed around each of the plurality of metal nozzles,
An insulating block that is located on the base end side of the base end side block and has a second introduction path that guides the molten resin raw material to the base end side block;
The plurality of metal nozzles are arranged at the end of the first introduction path in contact with the base end side block,
A power supply line from the power supply device is connected to the base end side block,
The ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus, wherein an air flow introduction path for guiding the high temperature air flow from the air flow supply apparatus to the air flow path is formed in the tip side block. In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4,
The nozzle heater heats the proximal end side block, the distal end side block, and the insulating block. In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5,
The nozzle heater is disposed so as to surround the base end side block, the tip end side block, and the insulating block. In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus in any one of Claims 4-6,
An ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus, further comprising an insulating block heater that contacts the insulating block and heats the insulating block. In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7,
The insulating block is formed such that a heater recess corresponding to the shape of the heater for the insulating block is exposed on the outer surface,
The ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus, wherein the insulating block heater is inserted into the heater recess. In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus in any one of Claims 1-8,
The apparatus for producing ultrafine fibers, wherein the temperature of the high-temperature airflow at the position of the airflow channel is in a range of 120 ° C to 500 ° C. In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus in any one of Claims 1-9,
The extrusion apparatus and the spinning section are covered with a heat insulation jacket. In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus in any one of Claims 1-10,
An ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus, wherein a plurality of discharge holes are formed at a tip of the metal nozzle. In the ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus in any one of Claims 1-11,
An ultrafine fiber manufacturing apparatus, further comprising a tip side heater that is disposed on a tip side of the nozzle heater and heats the molten resin material discharged from the plurality of metal nozzles.

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