Apparatus and Method for Elevated Temperature Electrospinning
AssigneeCornell University
InventorsYong Lak JOO, Huajun ZHOU
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Abstract
Elevated temperature electrospinning apparatus comprises a pump upstream of or containing a resistance heater, means to shield applied electrostatic field from the resistance heater, and a temperature modulator for modulating temperature in the spinning region.
Claims15
Apparatus for elevated temperature production of non-woven fabric from thermoplastic polymer or thermoplastic polymer nanoclay nanocomposite, neat or in solution and requiring elevated temperature for dissolving in an acceptable solvent, said apparatus comprising a resistance heater for melting the polymer or nanocomposite or maintaining the polymer or nanocomposite in solution in acceptable solvent;
- a pump upstream of or containing the resistance heater for causing dispensing of said melted polymer or nanocomposite or elevated temperature solution;
- a droplet forming passageway for receiving said polymer or nanocomposite melt or elevated temperature solution and having one or more outlet orifices for providing one or more droplets of melted polymer or nanocomposite or elevated temperature solution at the one or more outlet orifices;
- a guiding chamber having an inlet side in fluid communication with the outlet orifice(s);
- a collection surface at a rear side of the guiding chamber for receiving elongated fibers of polymer or nanocomposite and collecting them as a non-woven fabric;
- and a high voltage source in electrical communication with the droplet forming passageway to provide an electric charge in the droplet(s) emitting therefrom to overcome the surface tension of a droplet to produce a jet of melted polymer or nanocomposite or elevated temperature solution in the guiding chamber giving rise to unstable flow through the guiding chamber to the collection surface manifested by a series of electrically induced bending instabilities and flashing off of any solvent during passage of polymer or nanocomposite to the collection surface and production of elongated fibers of polymer or nanocomposite and deposit of these on the collection surface so as to form the non-woven fabric.
A method for melt electrospinning production of non-woven fabric from meltable thermoplastic polymer or meltable thermoplastic polymer nanoclay nanocomposite, said method comprising the steps of
- (a) melting thermoplastic polymer or nanocomposite in a melting zone,
- (b) moving the thermoplastic polymer or nanocomposite through the melting zone by a force supplier upstream of or in the melting zone,
- (c) forming droplets from the melted polymer or nanocomposite,
- (d) providing an electric charge on the droplets to overcome the surface tension of a droplet to produce a jet of melted polymer or nanocomposite and provide unstable flow involving a plurality of electrically induced bending instabilities/whipping motions and elongation of and production of polymer or nanocomposite fibers,
- (e) collecting of the elongated fibers to form a non-woven fabric.
A method for high temperature solution electrospinning of non-woven fabric from thermoplastic polymer or thermoplastic polymer nanoclay nanocomposite that is not dissolvable at room temperature in an acceptable solvent, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) homogenizing the polymer or nanocomposite in solvent in an elevated temperature zone to form a solution of the polymer or nanocomposite in the solvent;
- (b) maintaining the solution at a temperature sufficient for maintaining dissolution in a second elevated temperature zone;
- (c) moving the solution through the second elevated temperature zone by a force supplier upstream of or at the second elevated temperature zone;
- (d) forming droplets of the solution moved through the second elevated temperature zone;
- (e) providing an electric charge on the droplets to overcome the surface tension of a droplet to produce a jet of polymer on-nanocomposite solution and provide unstable flow involving a plurality of electrically induced bending instabilities/whipping motions and flashing off of solvent and elongation of and production of polymer or nanocomposite fibers;
- (f) collecting the fibers to form a non-woven fabric.
A fiber formed from a polymer, wherein a temperature in a droplet forming passageway that the polymer passes through to form droplets is above 215° C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.