JP5355608B2 - Nanofiber manufacturing apparatus and nanofiber manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To maintain a high production amount of nanofiber per unit hour and per unit area and uniformize the quality of nanofibers. <P>SOLUTION: A device 100 for manufacturing nanofiber manufactures nanofiber by electrically stretching a raw liquid 300 in a space. An outflow body 115 having a plurality of outflow holes for flowing out the raw liquid 300 in a space comprises: first opening parts 119, being the tips of first outflow holes 118, disposed as aligned at predetermined intervals in a one-dimensional manner; second opening parts 219, being the tips of a plurality of second outflow holes 218, disposed at corresponding positions between the two adjacent first openings 119; and a tip part disposed so that the distance between a line connecting the centers of the first openings 119 and a line connecting the centers of the second openings 219 is 1 mm or less. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus and a nanofiber manufacturing method for manufacturing a fiber (nanofiber) having a fineness of submicron order or nano order by electrostatic stretching phenomenon.

  As a method for producing a filamentous (fibrous) material made of a resin and having a submicron scale or nanoscale diameter, a method using an electrostatic stretching phenomenon (electrospinning) is known.

  This electrostatic stretching phenomenon means that a raw material liquid in which a solute such as a resin is dispersed or dissolved in a solvent is discharged (injected) into the space by a nozzle or the like, and an electric charge is applied to the raw material liquid to charge the space. This is a method of obtaining nanofibers by electrically stretching a raw material liquid in flight.

  The electrostatic stretching phenomenon will be described more specifically as follows. That is, the raw material liquid that has been charged and discharged into the space gradually evaporates the solvent while flying through the space. As a result, the volume of the raw material liquid in flight gradually decreases, but the charge imparted to the raw material liquid remains in the raw material liquid. As a result, the charge density of the raw material liquid in flight through the space gradually increases. Since the solvent continues to evaporate, the charge density of the raw material liquid further increases, and when the repulsive Coulomb force generated in the raw material liquid exceeds the surface tension of the raw material liquid, the raw material liquid explodes. The phenomenon that the film is stretched linearly occurs. This is the electrostatic stretching phenomenon. The electrostatic stretching phenomenon occurs geometrically in succession in the space, and thereby nanofibers made of a resin having a diameter of submicron order or nano order are manufactured.

  Improvement of production efficiency can be cited as an exclusive problem of an apparatus for producing nanofibers using the electrostatic stretching phenomenon as described above. For example, it is conceivable to improve the production efficiency of nanofibers by arranging cylindrical nozzles that flow the raw material liquid into the space in a matrix, increasing the amount of nanofibers generated per unit area per unit time. In order to increase the amount of nanofiber generated per unit area, it is only necessary to narrow the nozzle arrangement interval. However, if the interval is narrowed, defects occur in the nanofibers that are generated due to electric field interference between adjacent nozzles. . Therefore, in order to solve the problem, the invention described in Patent Document 1 prevents the electric field interference by disposing a separator in a lattice shape between nozzles and applying an AC voltage to the separator.

  However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to provide a separator between the nozzles, the distance between the nozzles is increased correspondingly, leading to a reduction in production efficiency. Further, since the nozzle is surrounded by the separator, there is a concern that the charged vapor is likely to stagnate in the enclosed space and adversely affect the manufactured nanofiber. Moreover, it is difficult to make the pressure of the raw material liquid supplied to each nozzle uniform, and it is considered that unevenness occurs in the quality of the manufactured nanofibers.

  Furthermore, even if the separator is provided, ion wind may be generated from the outer peripheral wall of the nozzle, the separator plate, or the like, which may adversely affect the nanofibers from which the ion wind is produced.

  Here, the ion wind is considered to be generated by the following phenomenon. That is, when electric charges accumulate in a portion having an outer peripheral wall surface such as a nozzle, the air existing around the portion is ionized. The ionized air is repelled by the charge on the wall surface and jumps out, thereby generating an ion wind that is a flow of air containing ions. In particular, it has been found that ion wind is likely to be generated at a specific portion of the shape of the outer peripheral wall to which a high voltage is applied, such as the tip of a protrusion or the tip of a corner.

  In addition, if the ion wind intersects with the raw material liquid flying in the space, the flight path of the raw material liquid and the nanofiber being manufactured may be disturbed, or the charged state of the raw material liquid in flight may be adversely affected. The quality of the nanofiber produced in this way has been degraded. It also led to a decrease in nanofiber production efficiency.

  In view of this, the present applicant firstly manufactured a nanofiber by electrically stretching a raw material liquid in a space to produce a nanofiber, which is an effluent having a plurality of outflow holes through which the raw material liquid flows into the space. And an opening which is a tip of the outflow hole is arranged one-dimensionally at a predetermined interval, and is arranged so that a mutual interval is widened as the distance from the tip is increased. An outflow body having two side portions extending so as to sandwich the outflow hole, a charging electrode arranged at a predetermined interval from the outflow body, and a predetermined amount between the outflow body and the charging electrode Has filed an invention relating to a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus including a charging power source for applying a voltage of Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-174928.

  According to this, it is possible to improve the production efficiency of nanofibers and suppress the generation of ion wind, and to improve the quality of the manufactured nanofibers.

JP 2008-174867 A

  However, in order to further improve the production efficiency of the nanofiber, the pitch of the openings arranged one-dimensionally on the effluent of the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus is narrowed to increase the density at which the raw material liquid flows out. Although it is good, if the pitch of the openings is too narrow, the raw material liquids charged at the same potential interfere with each other and the path of the raw material liquid flowing out is not stable, resulting in unevenness in the quality of the manufactured nanofibers. On the other hand, it is conceivable to increase the amount of raw material liquid flowing out at a time by arranging a plurality of rows of openings arranged one-dimensionally, and to improve the production efficiency of nanofibers. Since it is necessary to separate the intervals between the columns to a distance that can avoid electric field interference, there may be slight unevenness in the charging state of each column of the opening, and each column of the aperture is in the same state accordingly. It is difficult to charge the battery. Therefore, the possibility of unevenness in the quality of the nanofibers produced for each row of openings increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus capable of improving production efficiency while minimizing unevenness in the quality of manufactured nanofibers. And

  In order to achieve the above object, a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus that manufactures nanofibers by electrically stretching a raw material liquid in a space. An outflow body having a plurality of outflow holes to be discharged, a charging electrode disposed at a predetermined interval from the outflow body, and a charging power source that applies a predetermined voltage between the outflow body and the charging electrode. The first outflow row in which the first opening portions, which are tips of the plurality of first outflow holes belonging to one group of the plurality of outflow holes, are arranged one-dimensionally at a predetermined interval, A second opening row in which second openings, which are tips of a plurality of second outflow holes belonging to the other group of the outflow holes, are arranged one-dimensionally along the first opening row at a predetermined interval. The second opening at a position corresponding to between the adjacent first openings Is arranged, and the first opening row and the second opening row are arranged such that the line connecting the centers of the first openings and the line connecting the centers of the second openings are within a range of 1 mm. A distal end portion to be disposed, two side portions that are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other as the distance from the distal end portion increases, and extends so as to sandwich the outflow hole, the first outflow hole, and the first It is characterized by comprising a storage tank that communicates with two outflow holes, and that stores the raw material liquid flowing out from the first opening and the second opening inside the outflow body.

  As described above, an arrangement in which one second opening is provided at a corresponding position between adjacent first openings, that is, the first opening and the second opening are arranged in a zigzag positional relationship. By doing so, the two adjacent first openings and the second openings arranged at the corresponding positions between them are respectively located at the vertices of the triangle. Therefore, the raw material liquid flowing out from the second opening ties the two first openings by the resultant electrostatic repulsion generated between the two liquids flowing out from the two first openings arranged in the vicinity. The force is generated in a stable state in the direction intersecting the line, and the flow path of the raw material liquid is stabilized. Since the raw material liquid flowing out from the other first opening and the second opening is in the same state, the raw material liquid flowing out from the outflowing body is alternately different in the direction intersecting the first opening row and the second opening row. It flows out in the direction and the trajectory is stable.

  Moreover, the distance between the first opening row and the second opening row is 1 mm or less at the distance between the centers of the openings, so that the charging state between the first opening row and the second opening row is substantially the same. Furthermore, since the raw material liquid once stored in the storage tank flows out, the state of the flowing out raw material liquid can be made almost the same, and the quality unevenness of the manufactured nanofibers is made as much as possible. Can be suppressed.

  In order to achieve the above object, a nanofiber manufacturing method according to the present invention is a nanofiber manufacturing method for manufacturing a nanofiber by electrically stretching a raw material liquid in a space, and a plurality of outflow holes. A first opening row in which the first openings, which are the tips of the plurality of first outflow holes belonging to one group, are arranged one-dimensionally at a predetermined interval, and a plurality of belonging to the other group of the outflow holes A second opening which is a tip of the second outflow hole is provided with a second opening row arranged one-dimensionally along the first opening row at a predetermined interval, and between the adjacent first openings. The second opening is disposed at a position corresponding to the first opening, and the line connecting the center of the first opening and the line connecting the center of the second opening are within a range of 1 mm. A distal end portion where the opening row and the second opening row are disposed, and a phase as the distance from the distal end portion increases. Are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other, and communicated with two side surfaces extending so as to sandwich the outflow hole, the first outflow hole, and the second outflow hole, the first opening, and An outflow step of causing the raw material liquid to flow out of the outflow body including a storage tank that stores the raw material liquid flowing out of the second opening inside the outflow body, and a predetermined interval from the outflow body. And a charging step of applying a predetermined voltage between the charging electrode and the outflow body.

  As described above, an arrangement in which one second opening is provided at a corresponding position between adjacent first openings, that is, the first opening and the second opening are arranged in a zigzag positional relationship. By doing so, the two adjacent first openings and the second openings arranged at the corresponding positions between them are respectively located at the vertices of the triangle. Therefore, the raw material liquid flowing out from the second opening ties the two first openings by the resultant electrostatic repulsion generated between the two liquids flowing out from the two first openings arranged in the vicinity. The force is generated in a stable state in the direction intersecting the line, and the flow path of the raw material liquid is stabilized. Since the raw material liquid flowing out from the other first opening and the second opening is in the same state, the raw material liquid flowing out from the outflowing body is alternately different in the direction intersecting the first opening row and the second opening row. It flows out in the direction and the trajectory is stable.

  Moreover, the distance between the first opening row and the second opening row is 1 mm or less at the distance between the centers of the openings, so that the charging state between the first opening row and the second opening row is substantially the same. Furthermore, since the raw material liquid once stored in the storage tank flows out, the state of the flowing out raw material liquid can be made almost the same, and the quality unevenness of the manufactured nanofibers is made as much as possible. Can be suppressed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the production efficiency of nanofibers and to suppress the occurrence of uneven quality of manufactured nanofibers.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outflow body cut along the XZ plane. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the tip from below. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a variation of the tip portion. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the outflow body from the front. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a force generation state. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the outflow locus of the raw material liquid. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing one variation of the effluent. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing one variation of the effluent.

  Next, embodiments of a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus and a nanofiber manufacturing method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus.

  As shown in the figure, the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 100 is an apparatus that manufactures nanofibers 301 by electrically stretching a raw material liquid 300 in a space, and includes an effluent body 115, a supply means 107, a charging device. An electrode 121 and a charging power source 122 are provided. In the case of the present embodiment, the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 100 further includes a collecting unit 128, an attracting unit 104, and a moving unit 129.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outflow body cut along the XZ plane.

  The outflow body 115 is a member for allowing the raw material liquid 300 to flow out into the space. The first outflow hole 118, the second outflow hole 218, which is an outflow hole, the tip portion 116, the side surface portion 117, and the reservoir And a tank 113.

  The outflow body 115 also functions as an electrode of a charging unit that supplies electric charge to the flowing out raw material liquid 300, and at least a part of the portion in contact with the raw material liquid 300 is formed of a conductive member. . In the case of the present embodiment, the entire outflow body 115 is made of metal, and the entire front end portion 116 can be charged uniformly. In addition, the kind of metal which comprises the outflow body 115 will not be specifically limited if it has electroconductivity, For example, arbitrary materials, such as brass, stainless steel, aluminum, and its alloy, can be selected.

  The first outflow holes 118 are a group of holes through which the raw material liquid 300 flows out into the space, and a plurality of outflow bodies 115 are provided. The first openings 119, which are the openings at the tip of the first outflow hole 118, are arranged one-dimensionally at a predetermined interval to form a first opening row. In the case of the present embodiment, the first outflow holes 118 are arranged such that the first openings 119 are arranged linearly (in the Y-axis direction in FIG. 2) in the same plane, and the first opening row (Y-axis) The first outflow hole 118 is arranged along the Z-axis direction so that the axis of the first outflow hole 118 intersects at right angles.

  Similar to the first outflow hole 118, the second outflow hole 218 is another group of holes through which the raw material liquid 300 flows out into the space, and a plurality of second outflow holes 218 are provided in the outflow body 115. In addition, the second openings 219 that are openings at the tips of the second outflow holes 218 are arranged one-dimensionally at a predetermined interval to form a second opening row. In the case of the present embodiment, the second outflow holes 218 are arranged such that the second openings 219 are arranged linearly (in the Y-axis direction in FIG. 2) in the same plane, and the second opening row (Y-axis) The second outflow hole 218 is arranged along the Z-axis direction so that the axis of the second outflow hole 218 intersects at a right angle.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the tip of the outflow body from below.

  As shown in the figure, the first opening 119 and the second opening 219 are arranged such that one second opening 219 is located at a position corresponding to between the adjacent first openings 119. . That is, the first opening 119 and the second opening 219 are arranged in a zigzag positional relationship. In the case of the present embodiment, the second opening 219 is arranged at a position corresponding to the center (intermediate) of the adjacent first openings 119. The distance d between the line connecting the centers of the first openings 119 and the line connecting the centers of the second openings 219 is 1 mm or less.

  The hole length and hole diameter of the outflow hole are not particularly limited, and a shape suitable for the viscosity of the raw material liquid 300 may be selected. Specifically, the hole length is preferably selected from a range of 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less. The hole diameter is preferably selected from a range of 0.1 mm or more and 2 mm or less. The shape of the outflow hole is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and an arbitrary shape can be selected. In particular, the shape of the opening is not limited to a circle, but may be a polygon such as a triangle or a quadrangle, or a shape having a protruding portion such as a star.

  In addition, the intervals p at which the first opening 119 and the second opening 219 are arranged may be equally spaced, and the interval at the end of the effluent 115 is greater than the interval at the center of the effluent 115. It can be arbitrarily determined such as wide (narrow). In the knowledge currently obtained, when the hole diameter of the opening is 0.3 mm, when the interval d between the first opening row and the second opening row is 0.5 mm, the opening interval p is less than 5 mm. Is possible.

  The front end portion 116 is a portion of the outflow body 115 in which the first opening 119 of the first outflow hole 118 and the second opening 219 of the second outflow hole 218 are arranged, and is arranged at a predetermined interval. This is a portion that connects the first opening 119 and the second opening 219 with a smooth surface. In the case of the present embodiment, the distal end portion 116 has an elongated rectangular plane on the surface, and the width thereof is such that the first opening row and the second opening row can be arranged at a predetermined interval d.

  In addition, the front-end | tip part 116 is not necessarily limited to what is provided with a rectangular plane. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the front end portion 116 may have a curved surface, and as shown in FIG. 4B, it may have two planes with end portions attached to each other. . As described above, the front end portion 116 connects the plurality of first openings 119 and second openings 219 with a plane (in FIG. 4B, the two planes are as described above. Therefore, there are few shape-specific parts and the generation of ion wind can be suppressed.

  The side surface portions 117 are two surfaces arranged so as to sandwich the tip end portion 116. In the case of the present embodiment, the side surface portion 117 extends from the distal end portion 116 and is arranged in an upright state. The side surface portions 117 are provided in a state extending in the arrangement direction (Y-axis direction) of the first outflow holes 118 and the second outflow holes 218 arranged side by side, and all the outflow holes are formed by the side surface portions 117. It is provided so that it may be pinched. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the side surface portions 117 are arranged such that the distance between the side surface portions 117 increases as the distance from the front end portion 116 increases.

  In addition, as shown to Fig.4 (a) and FIG.4 (b), the boundary of the front-end | tip part 116 and the side part 117 is ambiguous. Further, the shape of the side surface portion 117 may be not only a flat surface but also a curved surface.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the storage tank 113 is a tank that is formed inside the outflow body 115 and stores the raw material liquid 300 supplied from the supply means 107 (see FIG. 1). The storage tank 113 is connected to the plurality of first outflow holes 118 and the second outflow holes 218, and supplies the raw material liquid 300 to the first outflow holes 118 and the second outflow holes 218 at the same time. ing. In the case of the present embodiment, one outflow body 115 is provided, extends from one end portion of the outflow body 115 in the Y-axis direction to the other end portion, and all the first outflow holes 118 and second outflow holes are provided. 218 is connected in communication.

  The storage tank 113 is disposed so as to extend in the direction in which the openings of the outflow holes are arranged (Y-axis direction), and the cross-section (XZ plane) of the storage tank 113 orthogonal to the Y-axis direction is circular. In the case of the present embodiment, the outflow body 115 has a tubular shape (cylindrical shape), and the space for storing the raw material liquid 300 as the storage tank 113 has a cylindrical shape.

  As described above, the storage tank 113 temporarily stores the raw material liquid 300 in the vicinity of the first outflow hole 118 and the second outflow hole 218, and supplies the raw material liquid 300 to the plurality of outflow holes with an equal pressure. With this function, the raw material liquid 300 can flow out from each outflow hole in an even state. Therefore, it becomes possible to suppress spatial unevenness of quality in the Y-axis direction of the manufactured nanofiber 301.

  Further, since the inner wall surface of the storage tank 113 is a simple curved surface (cylindrical inner wall surface), the existence of a structurally unique portion is suppressed as much as possible, and the growth starts from the unique portion. It is possible to effectively suppress the solute solidification phenomenon.

  FIG. 5 is a view showing the effluent body from the front with the intermediate portion omitted.

  As shown in the figure, the outflow body 115 has a tubular main body 131 that is open at both ends and provided with outflow holes (not shown), and one of the openings of the main body 131 (the left side in the figure) can be attached and detached. A supply having a supply port for supplying the raw material liquid 300 to the lid 132 to be closed and the other of the openings of the main body 131 (the right side in the figure) detachably attached to the storage tank 113 formed inside the outflow body 115 And a body 133.

  The lid 132 is a disk-like flange for closing, and a sealing member such as an O-ring is disposed between the lid 132 and the main body 131 by attaching a fastening member such as a bolt to the main body 131 to open the opening of the main body 131. It can be sealed.

  The supply body 133 has substantially the same structure as the lid body 132, and is provided with a supply port penetrating in the thickness direction at the center of the disk. The supply port can be connected to a guide tube 114 for supplying the raw material liquid.

  As described above, the outflow body 115 has a straight tube shape with the main body 131 having both ends opened, and the both end openings are detachably closed with the lid body 132 and the supply body 133, respectively, so that the storage tank 113 is provided inside. Is to be formed. Therefore, it becomes easy to form the storage tank 113 inside the outflow body 115. For example, the internal space of the main body 131 can be easily cut by a drill, and polishing for removing singular points such as cutting marks can be easily performed. Furthermore, even if the main body 131 has a length that makes it difficult to form an internal space by cutting, the main body 131 can be easily obtained by drawing or the like. In particular, the main body 131 formed by the drawing process has a smooth inner surface forming the storage tank 113 (for example, a surface roughness (Ra) of 5 μm or less), so that the solidification phenomenon of the solute can be effectively suppressed. It becomes.

  Further, if the lid 132 and the supply body 133 are removed, the straight tubular storage tank 113 is exposed, and there is no unique portion on the inner surface of the storage tank 113, so that the cleaning operation of the storage tank 113 is facilitated, and the outflow body It is possible to improve the maintainability of 115.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the supply means 107 is a device that supplies the raw material liquid 300 to the effluent body 115, and includes a container 151 that stores a large amount of the raw material liquid 300, and a pump ( (Not shown) and a guide tube 114 for guiding the raw material liquid 300.

  The charging electrode 121 is disposed at a predetermined interval from the effluent body 115 and has a conductivity for inducing electric charge to the effluent body 115 when the charging electrode 121 is at a higher voltage or lower voltage than the effluent body 115. And is an element constituting the charging means. In the case of the present embodiment, the charging electrode 121 also functions as an attracting means 104 that attracts the nanofiber 301 manufactured in the space, and is disposed at a position facing the tip of the effluent body 115. Therefore, when the charging electrode 121 is grounded and a positive voltage is applied to the outflow body 115, a negative charge is induced in the charging electrode 121, and when a negative voltage is applied to the outflow body 115, the charging electrode In 121, a positive charge is induced.

  The charging power source 122 is a power source that can apply a high voltage to the outflow body 115. In general, the charging power source 122 is preferably a DC power source. In particular, when the charged polarity of the nanofiber 301 is not affected, the charged nanofiber 301 is used to attract the nanofiber 301 with an electrode to which a reverse polarity potential is applied. Is preferably a DC power supply. When the charging power source 122 is a direct current power source, the voltage applied by the charging power source 122 to the charging electrode 121 is preferably set from a value in the range of 5 KV or more and 100 KV or less.

  If one electrode of the charging power source 122 is set to the ground potential and the charging electrode 121 is grounded as in the present embodiment, the relatively large charging electrode 121 can be set to the ground state, and safety is ensured. It becomes possible to contribute to improvement.

  Alternatively, a power source may be connected to the charging electrode 121 to maintain the charging electrode 121 at a high voltage, and the effluent 115 may be grounded to apply a charge to the raw material liquid 300. Further, the charging electrode 121 and the outflow body 115 may be in a connection state in which neither is grounded.

  The collecting means 128 is a member that deposits and collects the nanofibers 301 manufactured by the electrostatic stretching phenomenon. In the case of the present embodiment, the collecting means 128 is supplied in a state of being wound around the roll 127.

  The collecting unit 128 is not limited to this. For example, the collecting means 128 may be made of a rigid plate-like member. Further, when only the deposit of the nanofiber 301 is used, the collection means 128 having a high releasability when the nanofiber 301 is peeled off, such as coating the surface of the collection means 128 with a fluororesin or silicon. There may be.

  The attracting means 104 is an apparatus for attracting the nanofiber 301 manufactured in the space to the collecting means 128. In the case of the present embodiment, the attracting means 104 is a metal plate that also functions as the charging electrode 121 and is disposed behind the collecting means 128. The attracting means 104 attracts the charged nanofiber 301 to the collecting means 128 by an electric field. That is, the attracting means 104 is an electrode for generating an electric field for attracting the charged nanofiber 301. The attracting means 104 may generate a gas flow toward the collecting means 128 by a suction device or the like.

  The moving unit 129 is a device that relatively moves the outflow body 115 and the collecting unit 128. In the case of the present embodiment, the outflow body 115 is fixed, and only the collecting means 128 is moved. Specifically, the transfer means is configured to pull out the long collection means 128 from the roll 127 while winding it, and convey the collection means 128 together with the nanofibers 301 to be deposited.

  The moving means 129 may not only move the collecting means 128 but also move the effluent 115 relative to the collecting means 128. The moving means 129 moves the collecting means 128 in a certain direction. Arbitrary operation states, such as reciprocating the outflow body 115, can be exemplified. Moreover, although the collection means 128 is moved in the direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the 1st opening part 119 (2nd opening part 219), it is not limited to it, The 1st opening part 119 (2nd opening part 219) The collecting means 128 may be moved in the arrangement direction of) to reciprocate the outflow body 115 in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the first openings 119 (second openings 219).

  Here, the resin constituting the nanofiber 301, and the solute dissolved or dispersed in the raw material liquid 300 is polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, polyethylene oxide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, poly- m-phenylene terephthalate, poly-p-phenylene isophthalate, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene copolymer, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride-acrylate copolymer, polyacrylonitrile, polyacrylonitrile-methacrylate copolymer Coalesce, polycarbonate, polyarylate, polyester carbonate, polyamide, aramid, polyimide, polycaprolactone, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid Collagen, polyhydroxybutyric acid, polyvinyl acetate, polypeptides and the like, and polymeric materials such as copolymers thereof can be exemplified. Moreover, the kind selected from the above may be used, and a plurality of kinds may be mixed. In addition, the above is an illustration and this invention is not limited to the said resin.

  Examples of the solvent used for the raw material liquid 300 include volatile organic solvents. Specific examples are methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, hexafluoroisopropanol, tetraethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, dibenzyl alcohol, 1,3-dioxolane, 1,4-dioxane, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl. Ketone, methyl-n-hexyl ketone, methyl-n-propyl ketone, diisopropyl ketone, diisobutyl ketone, acetone, hexafluoroacetone, phenol, formic acid, methyl formate, ethyl formate, propyl formate, methyl benzoate, ethyl benzoate, benzoate Propyl acid, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, propyl acetate, dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dipropyl phthalate, methyl chloride, ethyl chloride, methylene chloride, chloroform, o-chloroto Ene, p-chlorotoluene, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, trichloroethane, dichloropropane, dibromoethane, dibromopropane, methyl bromide, ethyl bromide, propyl bromide, acetic acid, Benzene, toluene, hexane, cyclohexane, cyclohexanone, cyclopentane, o-xylene, p-xylene, m-xylene, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, N, N-dimethylformamide, N, N-dimethylacetamide, dimethylsulfoxide, pyridine, water Etc. can be listed. Moreover, the kind selected from the above may be used, and a plurality of kinds may be mixed. In addition, the above is an illustration and the raw material liquid 300 used for this invention is not limited to employ | adopting the said solvent.

Furthermore, an inorganic solid material may be added to the raw material liquid 300. Examples of the inorganic solid material include oxides, carbides, nitrides, borides, silicides, fluorides, sulfides, and the like. From the viewpoint of heat resistance and workability of the nanofiber 301 to be manufactured. It is preferable to use an oxide. Examples of the oxide include Al ₂ O ₃ , SiO ₂ , TiO ₂ , Li ₂ O, Na ₂ O, MgO, CaO, SrO, BaO, B ₂ O ₃ , P ₂ O ₅ , SnO ₂ , ZrO ₂ , K. ₂ O, Cs ₂ O, ZnO, Sb ₂ O ₃ , As ₂ O ₃ , CeO ₂ , V ₂ O ₅ , Cr ₂ O ₃ , MnO, Fe ₂ O ₃ , CoO, NiO, Y ₂ O ₃ , Lu ₂ Examples thereof include O ₃ , Yb ₂ O ₃ , HfO ₂ , Nb ₂ O _{5 and the} like. Moreover, the kind selected from the above may be used, and a plurality of kinds may be mixed. In addition, the above is an illustration and the substance added to the raw material liquid 300 of this invention is not limited to the said additive.

  The mixing ratio of the solvent and the solute in the raw material liquid 300 varies depending on the type of solvent selected and the type of solute, but the amount of solvent is preferably between about 60 wt% and 98 wt%. Preferably the solute is 5-30%.

  Next, the manufacturing method of the nanofiber 301 using the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 100 of the said structure is demonstrated.

  First, the raw material liquid 300 is supplied to the effluent 115 by the supply means 107 (supply process). As described above, the raw material liquid 300 is filled in the storage tank 113 of the effluent 115.

  Next, the charging electrode 121 is set to a positive or negative high voltage by the charging power source 122. Charge concentrates on the tip 116 of the effluent 115 facing the charging electrode 121, and the charge passes through the first outflow hole 118 and the second outflow hole 218 and is transferred to the raw material liquid 300 that flows out into the space. The liquid 300 is charged (charging process).

  The charging step and the supplying step are performed at the same time, and the uniformly charged raw material liquid 300 flows out from the first opening 119 and the second opening 219 of the outflow body 115 (outflow step).

  Here, as shown in FIG. 6, when focusing on one second opening 219a, the raw material liquid 300 flowing out from the second opening 219a and two second openings arranged at positions sandwiching the second opening 219a. Since the raw material liquid 300 flowing out from the first openings 119a and 119b is charged with the same polarity, the raw material liquid 300 flowing out from the second opening 219a is repulsive fa between the first opening 119b. Force is received in the direction of the resultant force fc with the repulsive force fb between the first opening 119a and the first opening 119a. The resultant repulsive force is received not only by the raw material liquid 300 flowing out from the second opening 219 but also by the raw material liquid 300 flowing out from the first opening 119. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7, the raw material liquid 300 flowing out from the first opening 119 flows out away from the second outflow hole 218, and the raw material liquid 300 flowing out from the second opening 219 is discharged from the first outflow hole 218. It flows out away from 118. Thereby, the flight path of the raw material liquid 300 can be stabilized.

  Here, the raw material liquid 300 flowing out from the opening forms a liquid pool 303 that covers the opening and hangs down from the tip (see FIG. 7). The liquid pool 303 is formed for each of a plurality of openings, and the raw material liquid 300 hangs down from the tip of the liquid pool 303. By forming the liquid reservoir 303 in this way, it is possible to suppress the generation of ion wind and improve the quality of the manufactured nanofiber 301.

  Further, since the outer shape of the outflow body 115 is covered with a smooth curved surface except for the tip, it contributes to the suppression of the generation of ion wind.

  Next, the nanofiber 301 is manufactured by an electrostatic stretching phenomenon acting on the raw material liquid 300 that has flew in the space to some extent (a nanofiber manufacturing process). Here, the raw material liquid 300 flows out in a strong charged state (high charge density) without being influenced by the ion wind, and the raw material liquid 300 flying from the first opening 119 and the second opening 219 is gathered. It flows out in a thin state. Thereby, most of the raw material liquid 300 is changed to the nanofiber 301. In addition, since the raw material liquid 300 flows out in a strongly charged state (high charge density), electrostatic stretching occurs over many orders, and a large amount of nanofibers 301 with a small wire diameter are manufactured.

  In this state, the nanofiber 301 is attracted to the collecting means 128 by the electric field generated between the attracting means 104 and the outflow body 115 arranged behind the collecting means 128 (attraction process).

  Thus, the nanofiber 301 is deposited and collected on the collecting means 128 (collecting step). Since the collecting means 128 is slowly transferred by the moving means 129, the nanofiber 301 is also collected as a long belt-like member extending in the transfer direction.

  By using the nanofiber manufacturing apparatus 100 configured as described above and carrying out the above nanofiber manufacturing method, the raw material liquid 300 can be discharged at a high spatial density from the outflow holes arranged in the zigzag, and high production is achieved. It is possible to ensure efficiency. Furthermore, the trajectory of the raw material liquid 300 flowing out from each outflow hole is stable without being disturbed, and the raw material liquid 300 flowing out from all the outflow holes flows out from one storage tank and is charged by one outflow body. In particular, it is possible to manufacture the first outlet hole 118 and the second outlet hole 218 in a uniform manner without occurrence of unevenness in the Y-axis direction.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. For example, another embodiment realized by arbitrarily combining the components described in this specification and excluding some of the components may be used as an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the present invention includes modifications obtained by making various modifications conceivable by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention, that is, the meaning described in the claims. It is.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the outer shape of the outflow body 115 may be an arbitrary shape. In the case of the outflow body 115 shown in FIG. 9, the boundary between the front end portion 116 and the side surface portion 117 is ambiguous, but the peripheral wall portion in which the openings of the outflow holes are aligned corresponds to the front end portion 116, and the other is the side surface portion 117. Applicable.

  The present invention can be used for producing nanofibers, spinning using nanofibers, and producing nonwoven fabrics.

100 Nanofiber production apparatus 104 Attraction means 107 Supply means 113 Storage tank 114 Guide tube 115 Outflow body 116 Tip part 117 Side face part 118 First outflow hole 119 First opening part 121 Charging electrode 122 Charging power supply 127 Roll 128 Collection means 129 Moving means 131 Main body 132 Lid 133 Supply body 151 Container 218 Second outflow hole 219 Second opening 300 Raw material liquid 301 Nanofiber

Claims (3)

A nanofiber manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing nanofibers by electrically stretching a raw material liquid in a space,
An outflow body having a plurality of outflow holes for flowing out the raw material liquid into the space;
A charging electrode disposed at a predetermined interval from the effluent body;
A charging power source for applying a predetermined voltage between the effluent and the charging electrode;
The effluent is
A first opening row in which first openings which are tips of a plurality of first outflow holes belonging to one group of the plurality of outflow holes are arranged one-dimensionally at a predetermined interval; and the other of the outflow holes A second opening that is a front end of a plurality of second outflow holes belonging to the group of first openings arranged in a one-dimensional manner along the first opening row at a predetermined interval; One second opening is arranged at a position corresponding to one opening, and a line connecting the centers of the first openings and a line connecting the centers of the second openings is within a range of 1 mm. A tip portion where the first opening row and the second opening row are disposed,
Two side parts that are arranged so that the distance between them increases as they move away from the tip part, and extend so as to sandwich the outflow hole;
Nano comprising: the first outflow hole and the second outflow hole, the first opening, and a storage tank for storing the raw material liquid flowing out from the second opening inside the outflow body Fiber manufacturing equipment. A nanofiber manufacturing method for manufacturing a nanofiber by electrically stretching a raw material liquid in a space,
A first opening row in which first openings, which are tips of a plurality of first outflow holes belonging to one group of the plurality of outflow holes, are arranged one-dimensionally at a predetermined interval; and the other of the outflow holes A first opening adjacent to the first opening row, the second opening portion being a tip of a plurality of second outflow holes belonging to the group, and arranged in a one-dimensional manner along the first opening row at a predetermined interval; One of the second openings is arranged at a corresponding position between the openings so that a line connecting the centers of the first openings and a line connecting the centers of the second openings is within a range of 1 mm. The first opening row and the second opening row are arranged on the front end portion, and the distance between the front end portion is increased as the distance from the front end portion increases, and the two end portions extend so as to sandwich the outflow hole. A side surface, the first outflow hole, and the second outflow hole communicate with each other, the first opening, and the first An outflow step of the starting material liquid flowing out from the opening to flow out of the raw material solution from the outlet body and a reservoir tank for storing the inside of the outlet member,
A nanofiber manufacturing method, comprising: a charging electrode disposed at a predetermined interval from the effluent body; and a charging step of applying a predetermined voltage between the effluent body. further,
A collection step of collecting nanofibers produced in space by a collection means;
The nanofiber manufacturing method according to claim 2, further comprising an attracting step of attracting the nanofiber to the collecting means.

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