KR20200029862A - Multi-layered filter element for air conditioner and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multi-layer filter member and a manufacturing method thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to a multi-layer filter member which comprises: a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) non-woven fabric layer; an adhesive layer provided in a partial region on at least one surface of the nonwoven fabric layer and comprising a low melting point polymer material having a melting point of 100 to 270°C; and a nano fiber layer provided on the nonwoven fabric layer having the adhesive layer and formed in a nonwoven fabric form consisting of nano fiber with the average diameter of 10-60 nm. The capture efficiency for particulates with a level of PM0.1 to PM0.3 is 99.9% or higher while being moldable in a bent form. The present invention also relates to a manufacturing method thereof.

Description

Multi-layer filter member for air conditioner and its manufacturing method {MULTI-LAYERED FILTER ELEMENT FOR AIR CONDITIONER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a multi-layer filter member and a method for manufacturing the same, and more specifically, by including a polyethylene terephthalate (polyethylene terephthalate, PET) non-woven fabric layer, an adhesive layer, and a nanofiber layer, it is possible to mold in a bending form while having excellent collection efficiency for fine particles. It relates to a multilayer filter member and a method for manufacturing the same.

In a social atmosphere where interest in health and the environment is growing, the problem of indoor air cleanliness, which directly affects human health, has become an important social issue. This is because as the modern social structure changes, the time spent living indoors becomes longer and the influence of the indoor environment on humans increases.

Therefore, air filters are installed in automobiles, air conditioners, air cleaners, cleaners, and air conditioners used at home and industrial sites, and after filtering foreign substances such as dust contained in the air through the air filters The air is supplied indoors.

A lot of non-woven fabrics have been used in such air filters, starting with a simple structure in the early stages and steadily diversifying in terms of layer structure, bonding method, and material, and technology is being developed. In the case of non-woven fabrics made of fibers of several tens to hundreds of micrometers, obtained through a traditional non-woven fabric manufacturing process such as melt brown, spun bonding, needle punching, etc., it has high air permeability, so the collection efficiency is low, but the resistance to air flow is low, so the differential pressure is different. Pressure loss due to can be minimized.

Accordingly, a method of including a porous material in the nonwoven fabric was considered to increase the collection efficiency.

As such a conventional technique, Patent Document 1 (Domestic Publication No. 10-2015-0021685) includes: iii) mixing a porous material and a low-melting fiber to make a mixture; Ii) scattering the mixture over a first bubble paper (nonwoven fabric); Iii) laminating a second bubble paper (non-woven fabric) over the scattered first bubble paper; Iii) A method of manufacturing an air filter comprising a step of heat-sealing a laminated first bubble paper and a second bubble paper is known.

According to the patent document 1, after the non-woven fabric (first bubble paper) and the non-woven fabric (second bubble paper) containing a porous material and a low-melt fiber, a heat-sealing process is performed, so that the porous material is firm between the non-woven fabrics. It is described that a seated air filter can be provided.

However, even if the air filter provided according to Patent Document 1 is used, particles of PM0.1 (particle meter 0.1, 0.1 µm) to PM0.3 (particle meter 0.3, 0.3 µm) still entering the room or automobile are filtered. It can't be done. When the particles are inhaled, they may not be filtered or discharged from the body and may adversely affect the human body.

In addition, when the air filter as described above is used for a narrow space use, such as a car air conditioner, there is a problem that the filtration area is insufficient. As a conventional method for solving such a problem, Patent Document 2 (Domestic Publication No. 10-2018-0022510) describes an automobile air conditioner filter including a filter element in which a plurality of zigzag valleys are formed. However, even in this case, the filter has an effect of increasing the filtration area as it is molded into a bent shape, and the fundamental problem of not being able to filter fine particles of PM0.1 to PM0.3 is still not solved.

KR 1020150021685 A KR 1020180022510 A

The present invention is to provide a multi-layer filter member that can be molded into a bent form having a large filtration area while having a collecting efficiency of 99.9% or more for particulates of PM0.1 to PM0.3 level.

In addition, the present invention is to provide an economical method of manufacturing the multilayer filter member.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a polyethylene terephthalate (polyethylene terephthalate, PET) non-woven layer; An adhesive layer provided on a portion of at least one surface of the PET nonwoven fabric layer and comprising a low melting polymer material having a melting point of 100 to 270 ° C; It is provided on one side of the PET non-woven fabric layer is provided with the adhesive layer, the average diameter of 10 ~ 60 ㎚ nano fiber layer of a non-woven fabric made of nano-fiber; provides a multi-layer filter member comprising a.

The PET nonwoven layer may further include at least one thermoplastic resin selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polyurethane, polypropylene, polyester, and polyvinylidene fluoride.

The pressure loss of the PET nonwoven layer is preferably 0.1 ~ 10.0 Pa.

The low-melting polymer material may be obtained from one or more selected from the group consisting of polyurethane-based polymers, polyethylene-based polymers, polypropylene-based polymers, polyester-based polymers, and polyvinylidene fluoride-based polymers.

The adhesive layer may be formed of a non-woven fabric layer comprising the fibrous, low-melting polymer material. In addition, the adhesive layer may be formed of a coating layer containing the low-melting polymer material.

The nanofiber layer may have a three-dimensional network structure, and the thickness of the nanofiber layer is preferably 0.1 to 300 nm.

The nanofiber layer may be a spunbond nonwoven fabric.

The nanofiber layer may be a freestanding film.

The nanofibers constituting the nanofiber layer are in the group consisting of polypropylene (PP), polyethersulfone (PES), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene and nylon. It can be obtained from more than one selected polymer.

A protective layer may be further provided on the nanofiber layer, and the protective layer may have a non-woven fabric or fabric shape, and the protective layer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene-based fibers, polypropylene-based fibers, and polyethylene terephthalate-based fibers. It may include the above.

On the other hand, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing the above-described multi-layer filter member, the manufacturing method comprising: (1) preparing a PET nonwoven layer; (2) forming a nanofiber layer having nanofibers having an average diameter of 10 to 60 nm in a nonwoven fabric on at least one surface of the PET nonwoven fabric layer; And (3) heat-pressing the laminate obtained in the step (2); including, but including, a low melting point polymer material having a melting point of 100 to 270 ° C in some regions between the PET nonwoven layer and the nanofiber layer. A step 1a in which the adhesive layer is formed is further included.

The step (1a) may include forming an adhesive layer on a portion of at least one surface of the PET nonwoven layer, and forming the nanofiber layer on one surface of the PET nonwoven layer on which the adhesive layer is formed; Or it may be selected from; forming an adhesive layer on some areas on one surface of the nanofiber layer, and laminating it to at least one surface of the PET nonwoven layer.

The step (2) is a step of spinning a polymer solution; And spraying compressed air in a direction perpendicular to the spinning direction to form the polymer solution as a non-woven nanofiber layer.

In the step (3), the temperature at the time of hot pressing is 70 to 350 ° C, and the pressure is preferably 50 to 100 Pa.

In step (3), a protective layer may be formed on the nanofiber layer of the laminate prior to heat pressing.

In addition, the present invention provides an air filter including the above-described multi-layer filter member, and provides an air conditioner or air conditioner for a vehicle including the air filter.

At this time, the multilayer filter member may be bent multiple times and have a wrinkled shape.

The PET nonwoven layer used as a substrate in the multi-layer filter member of the present invention has excellent rigidity and thus can well withstand the bending forming process, and furthermore, its shape is well maintained after bending forming. Therefore, the multi-layer filter member according to the present invention can be used as an air filter having a large filtration area even in a narrow space when it is manufactured to have a wrinkled shape by being bent multiple times.

In addition, the multi-layer filter member according to the present invention includes a nanofiber layer in the form of a non-woven fabric composed of nanofibers having an average diameter of 10 to 60 nm, so that the collection efficiency for particulates of PM0.1 to PM0.3 level is 99.9% or more. Can be improved.

Moreover, according to the present invention, by including an adhesive layer between the PET nonwoven layer and the nanofiber layer, water washing is possible, and in particular, it is possible to provide a multilayer filter member exhibiting excellent durability and collection efficiency even in repeated water washing.

In addition, the PET nonwoven fabric layer has a very low cost PET nonwoven fabric, and in the process of manufacturing the nanofiber layer, nanofibers having an average diameter of 10 to 60 nm are easily mass-produced by using compressed air spray, so that the multi-layer filter member Manufacturing costs can be reduced.

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a multilayer filter member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a multilayer filter member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a multilayer filter member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

When a member is referred to as being “on” another member in the present specification, this includes not only the case where one member abuts another member, but also another member between the two members.

In the present specification, when a part “includes” a certain component, this means that other components may be further included rather than excluding other components unless specifically stated to the contrary.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

The multi-layer filter member according to the present invention is an air filter member for filtering fine dust in the air, and is configured to have a stiffness that can be molded into a bending shape while having high collection efficiency for fine particles of the size of PM0.1 to PM0.3. However, the biggest feature of the configuration is that the structure is very simple and is configured to be very easy to manufacture.

Specifically, the multilayer filter member includes a PET nonwoven layer; An adhesive layer provided on a portion of at least one surface of the PET nonwoven fabric layer and comprising a low melting polymer material having a melting point of 100 to 270 ° C; And a non-woven nanofiber layer made of nanofibers having an average diameter of 10 to 60 nm, and provided on one surface of the nonwoven fabric layer provided with the adhesive layer. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a structure of a multilayer filter member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

First, the PET nonwoven layer is composed of a PET nonwoven fabric. The PET non-woven fabric is a polymer made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is manufactured in a non-woven form, and is excellent in stiffness and heat resistance as well as processability. Such PET nonwoven fabric can withstand the bending forming process well, and furthermore, its shape is well maintained after bending forming. Thus, as in the present invention, a multi-layer filter member using a PET nonwoven layer as a base layer is manufactured to have a wrinkled shape by being bent multiple times, and thus can be used for a long time as an air filter having a wide filtration area even in a narrow space due to excellent shape stability. have. Here, the term "non-woven fabric" refers to a fabric produced by mechanically, chemically, thermally melting, or using fibers or adhesives to bind or entangle fibers together.

The PET nonwoven fabric may be manufactured without limitation according to a conventional method such as a spun bond method by melt spinning, a melt blown method, a needle punching method, and may be preferably a spun bond nonwoven fabric.

The PET nonwoven layer may further include a thermoplastic resin capable of forming a nonwoven fabric in addition to PET, and further includes at least one thermoplastic resin selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polyurethane, polypropylene, polyester, and polyvinylidene fluoride. can do.

The pressure loss of the PET nonwoven layer may be 0.1 to 10.0 Pa. Here, the pressure drop (Pressure Drop) refers to a pressure difference generated between the front end and the rear end of the filter when air passes through the filter, and is required in the filtration process when a filter in which the filter member having a large pressure loss is stacked is used. The amount of energy to be increased may increase.

The PET nonwoven layer is made of fibers having a diameter of several to several hundreds of µm, and contains many pores of various sizes in the layer, and thus has a very high air permeability. The PET nonwoven layer serves to prevent the passage of relatively large particles (contaminants).

In addition, the adhesive layer is provided on a portion of at least one surface of the PET nonwoven layer, and includes a low melting point polymer material having a melting point of 100 to 270 ° C. The polymer material may be obtained from at least one selected from the group consisting of polyurethane-based polymers, polyethylene-based polymers, polypropylene-based polymers, polyester-based polymers, and polyvinylidene fluoride-based polymers, preferably obtained from polyethylene-based polymers. You can.

The adhesive layer may be formed of a non-woven fabric layer comprising the fibrous, low-melting polymer material. In addition, the adhesive layer may be formed of a coating layer containing the low-melting polymer material.

Looking at the adhesion principle of the adhesive layer, the low-melting polymer material in the adhesive layer, specifically, a polymer fiber or a polymer coating layer is melted by heat pressing to diffuse into the pore surface of the adjacent PET nonwoven layer and the nanofiber surface of the nanofiber layer. It is coated, and the PET nonwoven layer and the nanofiber layer are fixed to each other through the diffusion and coating process. That is, the adhesive layer may mean a layer formed through a heat-pressing process, and may mean an area in which a material constituting the adhesive layer is diffused and coated by the heat-pressing.

The multi-layer filter member having the nanofiber layer fixed to the PET nonwoven layer through the adhesive layer in the same manner as described above can be washed with water and provide a robust filter that does not separate the nanofiber layer from the PET nonwoven layer even after repeated washing.

In addition, the nanofiber layer is provided on one surface of the PET nonwoven fabric layer provided with the adhesive layer, and has a nonwoven fabric shape made of nanofibers having an average diameter of 10 to 60 nm. The nanofibers are obtained by spraying high-speed, high-temperature compressed air to a polymer solution spun through a nozzle in a spinning process, stretching of the polymer solution spun by the spraying is performed, and an average of 60 nm or less is obtained through this stretching process. Nanofibers having a diameter can be obtained. Then, a nanofiber layer having a three-dimensional network structure may be formed through the spinning process and the compressed air injection process.

In the case of a nanofiber layer made of nanofibers having an average diameter range as described above, even if it is composed of one layer, it may exhibit excellent trapping effect, but there is a fear that the pressure loss may increase. This can be solved by making the thickness of the nanofiber layer thin, and the thickness of the preferred nanofiber layer considering the pressure loss may be 0.1 to 300 nm.

The nanofiber layer may be a spunbond nonwoven fabric. The spunbond non-woven fabric is a kind of non-woven fabric made by bonding by applying heat after spinning, and has excellent strength and durability, and low manufacturing cost.

The nanofiber layer may be a freestanding film. Here, the self-supporting film refers to a film capable of maintaining its shape as a film itself even if no other support is present. For example, the nano-fiber layer according to the present invention can be made of a vacuum film having a thickness on the order of several μm by itself, and can exhibit a single sound and heat insulating effect.

The nanofiber is obtained from at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP), polyethersulfone (PES), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene and nylon. Can be obtained, preferably from polyethersulfone.

The multilayer filter member according to the present invention may further include a protective layer provided on the nanofiber layer. FIG. 2 schematically shows the structure of a multilayer filter member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention including the protective layer. In FIG. 3, the adhesive layer, the nanofiber layer, and the protective layer are both on the upper and lower surfaces of the PET nonwoven fabric layer. A cross-sectional view schematically showing a case provided is illustrated.

At this time, the protective layer may be attached on the nanofiber layer via an adhesive layer, and the adhesive layer may be obtained from a low-melting polymer material as described above.

The protective layer may be formed on the nanofiber layer to prevent the nanofiber layer from being damaged in a process in which the multilayer filter member is applied to a final use such as a vehicle air conditioner or an air conditioner. The protective layer may have a non-woven fabric or woven form, and may include one or more selected from the group consisting of polyethylene-based fibers, polypropylene-based fibers, and polyethylene terephthalate-based fibers, and preferably formed of polypropylene-based fibers. .

Meanwhile, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing the multilayer filter member. The manufacturing method includes (1) preparing a PET nonwoven layer; And (2) forming a nanofiber layer having nanofibers having an average diameter of 10 to 60 nm in a nonwoven fabric on at least one surface of the PET nonwoven fabric layer; And (3) heat-pressing the laminate obtained in the step (2); including, but including, a low melting point polymer material having a melting point of 100 to 270 ° C in some regions between the PET nonwoven layer and the nanofiber layer. A step 1a in which the adhesive layer is formed is further included.

The step (1a) of forming the adhesive layer may be exemplified by two methods, the first method being to form an adhesive layer on at least one area of at least one surface of the PET nonwoven fabric layer, and to form the nano on the PET nonwoven fabric layer formed with the adhesive layer. It may be to form a fiber layer. In addition, the second method may be to form an adhesive layer on some areas on one surface of the nanofiber layer, and to laminate it on at least one surface of the PET nonwoven layer. In addition to the two methods described above, any method that can fix the nanofiber layer on the PET nonwoven fabric layer using the low melting point polymer material may be used without limitation as a method of forming an adhesive layer according to the present invention.

Specifically, the method of manufacturing the multi-layer filter member comprises: (i) preparing a PET nonwoven layer; (Ii) forming an adhesive layer containing a low-melting polymer material having a melting point of 100 to 270 ° C in some regions on at least one surface of the PET nonwoven fabric layer; (Iii) forming a nanofiber layer having nanofibers having an average diameter of 10 to 60 nm in a nonwoven fabric form on the PET nonwoven fabric layer on which the adhesive layer is formed; And (iv) heat-pressing the laminate obtained in the step (iii).

In addition, the manufacturing method of the multi-layer filter member (i) preparing a PET nonwoven layer; (Ii) forming a nanofiber layer in the form of a nonwoven fabric composed of nanofibers having an average diameter of 10 to 60 nm; (Iii) forming an adhesive layer containing a low-melting polymer material having a melting point of 100 to 270 ° C in a partial region on one surface of the nanofiber layer; (I) laminating the nanofiber layer on which the adhesive layer is formed according to the step (i) on at least one surface of the PET nonwoven layer through the adhesive layer; And (iv) heat-pressing the laminate obtained according to the step (iii).

The step (2) of forming the nanofiber layer includes spinning a polymer solution; And spraying compressed air in a direction perpendicular to the spinning direction to form the polymer solution as a non-woven nanofiber layer.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the compressed air may be injected through an air filter nozzle and have a high-speed high-temperature air flow. The high-speed, high-temperature air serves to draw the polymer solution to be spun. The polymer solution subjected to the stretching process may be made of nanofibers having an average diameter of 10 to 60 nm. According to the present invention, it is possible to stably mass-produce nanofibers having a desired average diameter through the above-described process, and the process is very economical.

The nanofibers subjected to the stretching process may be stacked on a conveyor or the like and formed into a non-woven nanofiber layer.

And, by the heat pressing according to the step (3), as described above, the material constituting the adhesive layer is diffused in the PET nonwoven layer and the nanofiber layer, and the PET nonwoven layer and the nanofiber layer can be fixed to each other. have

The temperature at the time of the heat-pressing in the step (3) may be 70 to 350 ° C. In this case, since the PET nonwoven fabric layer and the nanofiber layer can be melted without melting the low melting point polymer material, the fixing effect can be maximized. It is desirable. Such a low-melting polymer material may be obtained from one or more selected from the group consisting of polyurethane-based polymers, polyethylene-based polymers, polypropylene-based polymers, polyester-based polymers, and polyvinylidene fluoride-based polymers.

The pressure during the heat pressing may be 50 to 100 Pa, in which case the low-melting polymer material is melted and diffused into the PET nonwoven layer and the nanofiber layer without damaging the PET nonwoven layer and the nanofiber layer. These can be attached to each other.

In step (3), a protective layer may be formed on the nanofiber layer of the laminate before the heat pressing step. At this time, the material of the protective layer is as described above. Then, the protective layer may be attached on the nanofiber layer via an adhesive layer, and the adhesive layer may be obtained from a low-melting polymer material as described above.

In addition, the present invention provides an air filter including the above-described multi-layer filter member, and provides an air conditioner or air conditioner for a vehicle including the air filter.

The air filter can exhibit a collection efficiency of 99.9% or more with respect to particulates of PM0.1 to PM0.3 level, and the manufacturing cost is not only low, but also has excellent collection efficiency and high durability without change even after repeated water washing. have.

The multilayer filter member may be bent multiple times and have a corrugated shape. In the case of the multi-layered filter member having a bent shape, the filtration area is increased compared to the occupied space, so it can be efficiently mounted in a limited space such as a vehicle.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and should be interpreted by the appended claims. In addition, those skilled in the art should understand that many modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (21)

A polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nonwoven layer;
An adhesive layer provided on a portion of at least one surface of the PET nonwoven fabric layer and comprising a low melting polymer material having a melting point of 100 to 270 ° C; And
Included on one side of the PET non-woven fabric layer provided with the adhesive layer, the average diameter of 10 ~ 60 ㎚ nano-fiber layer of a non-woven fabric made of nano-fiber; containing, multi-layer filter member. The method according to claim 1,
The PET nonwoven layer further comprises one or more thermoplastic resins selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polyurethane, polypropylene, polyester and polyvinylidene fluoride, multi-layer filter member. The method according to claim 1,
Multi-layer filter member, characterized in that the pressure loss of the PET nonwoven layer is 0.1 ~ 10.0 Pa. The method according to claim 1,
The low-melting-point polymer material is obtained from one or more selected from the group consisting of polyurethane-based polymers, polyethylene-based polymers, polypropylene-based polymers, polyester-based polymers, and polyvinylidene fluoride-based polymers, multi-layer filter member. The method according to claim 1,
The nano-fiber layer is characterized in that it has a three-dimensional network structure, a multi-layer filter member. The method according to claim 1,
The thickness of the nano-fiber layer is characterized in that 0.1 ~ 300 nm, multi-layer filter member. The method according to claim 1,
The nanofiber layer is a spun-bonded nonwoven fabric, characterized in that the multi-layer filter member. The method according to claim 1,
The nanofiber layer is a self-supporting film, characterized in that the multilayer filter member. The method according to claim 1,
The nanofiber is obtained from one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP), polyethersulfone (PES), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene and nylon. Multi-layer filter member, characterized in that. The method according to claim 1,
A multilayer filter member, characterized in that a protective layer is further provided on the nanofiber layer. The method according to claim 10,
The protective layer is characterized in that it has a non-woven or woven form, a multi-layer filter member. The method according to claim 9,
The protective layer is characterized in that it comprises at least one kind selected from the group consisting of polyethylene-based fibers, polypropylene-based fibers and polyethylene terephthalate-based fibers, multilayer filter member. A method for manufacturing a multilayer filter member according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
(1) preparing a PET nonwoven layer;
(2) forming a nanofiber layer having nanofibers having an average diameter of 10 to 60 nm in a nonwoven fabric on at least one surface of the PET nonwoven fabric layer; And
(3) heat-pressing the laminate obtained in the step (2);
Method of manufacturing a multi-layer filter member, characterized in that further comprising the step (1a) of forming an adhesive layer containing a low-melting polymer material having a melting point of 100 ~ 270 ℃ in some areas between the PET nonwoven layer and the nanofiber layer, . The method according to claim 13,
The step (1a) may include forming an adhesive layer on a portion of at least one surface of the PET nonwoven layer, and forming the nanofiber layer on one surface of the PET nonwoven layer on which the adhesive layer is formed; Or forming an adhesive layer on a portion of the surface of the nano-fiber layer, and laminating it on at least one surface of the PET non-woven layer; characterized in that selected from the method of manufacturing a multi-layer filter member. The method according to claim 13,
The step (2) is a step of spinning a polymer solution; And spraying compressed air in the radial direction and the vertical direction to form the polymer solution as a non-woven nanofiber layer. The method according to claim 13,
In the step (3), the temperature at the time of hot pressing is 70 to 350 ° C., and the pressure is 50 to 100 Pa. The method according to claim 13,
A method of manufacturing a multi-layer filter member, characterized in that a protective layer is formed on the nanofiber layer of the layered body before heat-pressing in the step (3). An air filter comprising a multilayer filter member according to any one of claims 1 to 12. The method according to claim 18,
The multi-layer filter member is characterized in that it has a wrinkled form bent multiple times, the air filter. A vehicle air conditioner comprising an air filter according to claim 18. An air conditioner comprising an air filter according to claim 18.

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