Sheet material processing device and method for producing allotrope

Abstract

This sheet material processing device comprises: a conveyance roller that is for conveying a long sheet material along a defined conveyance path; a first processing chamber that is for performing a first process on the sheet material conveyed along the conveyance path, where the first process is executed in an environment in which the pressure in the first processing chamber is a first pressure; a second processing chamber that is for performing a second process on the sheet material at the side of the conveyance path that is downstream of the first processing chamber, where the second process is executed in an environment in which the pressure in the second processing chamber is a second pressure different from the first pressure; and a pressure adjustment chamber that is disposed between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber in the conveyance path, where the pressure adjustment chamber is configured such that the pressure in the pressure adjustment chamber is kept between the first pressure and the second pressure.

Description

Sheet material processing apparatus and method for manufacturing allotrope

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sheet material processing apparatus and a method for manufacturing an allotrope using the sheet material processing apparatus. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-103488, filed with the Japan Patent Office on June 27, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing carbon nanotubes by subjecting a stainless steel plate to a predetermined treatment. Carbon nanotubes are an example of an allotrope.

[0003] JP 2011-174097 A

[0004] High efficiency in processing sheet material is desirable.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a sheet material processing apparatus and an allotrope manufacturing method that increase the efficiency of processing sheet material.

[0006] A sheet material processing apparatus according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a conveying roller for conveying a long sheet material along a specified conveying path; a first processing chamber for performing a first processing on the sheet material being conveyed along the conveying path, wherein the first processing is performed in an environment where the pressure in the first processing chamber is a first pressure; a second processing chamber downstream of the first processing chamber on the conveying path for performing a second processing on the sheet material, wherein the pressure in the second processing chamber is a second pressure different from the first pressure; and a pressure adjustment chamber disposed between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber on the conveying path, wherein the pressure in the pressure adjustment chamber is configured to maintain the pressure in the pressure adjustment chamber between the first pressure and the second pressure.

[0007] A method for manufacturing an allotrope according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing an allotrope using the sheet material processing apparatus described above, and includes a first processing step for forming the catalyst layer on the surface of the sheet material in the first processing chamber, and a second processing step for forming the allotrope on the catalyst layer in the second processing chamber.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a sheet material processing apparatus and a method for manufacturing an allotrope that improve the efficiency of processing a sheet material.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a sheet material processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an upstream end wall according to an embodiment; FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a pressure adjustment chamber according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a partition wall according to an embodiment; FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a specific sheet material processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a recovery mechanism according to an embodiment; FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a CNT manufacturing method according to an embodiment; FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an upstream end wall according to a modified example; FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a partition wall according to a modified example; FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing an upstream shut position and a downstream shut position in a sheet material processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a flow of replacement conveyance according to an embodiment; FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a CNT formation and recovery process according to an embodiment; FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a recovery mechanism according to a modified example; FIG. 14 is a schematic view of a removal device according to an embodiment; FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a part of a CNT manufacturing method according to a modified example; FIG. 16 is a schematic view of a sheet material processing apparatus according to a modified example; FIG. 17 is another schematic view of a sheet material processing apparatus according to a modified example; FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a part of a CNT manufacturing method according to a modified example.

[0010] Several embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of components described as embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure and are merely illustrative examples. For example, expressions expressing relative or absolute arrangements, such as "in a certain direction," "along a certain direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," or "coaxial," not only strictly express such arrangements, but also express relative displacements with a tolerance or angle or distance to the extent that the same function is achieved. For example, expressions expressing the equality of things, such as "same," "equal," and "homogeneous," not only express strict equality, but also express tolerance or differences to the extent that the same function is achieved. For example, expressions expressing shapes such as a square or cylindrical shape not only express shapes such as a square or cylindrical shape in the strict geometric sense, but also express shapes including concave and convex portions, chamfered portions, etc., to the extent that the same effect is achieved. On the other hand, the expressions "comprise," "include," or "have" one component are not exclusive expressions that exclude the existence of other components. Note that similar components may be assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof may be omitted.

[0011] <Overview of Sheet Material Processing Apparatus 1> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a sheet material processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The sheet material processing apparatus 1 is configured to generate allotropes on a long sheet material 5 formed of a metal material such as stainless steel. Examples of allotropes include carbon allotropes, sulfur allotropes, and phosphorus allotropes. In the embodiment illustrated below, carbon nanotubes 4 (hereinafter referred to as "CNT4") are generated as an example of a carbon allotrope. The CNT4 may be either a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) or a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT). Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) include double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNT), and examples of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) include carbon nanotubes with two or more walls, for example, 2 to 20 walls or 2 to 10 walls. Note that the object generated on the sheet material 5 by the sheet material processing apparatus 1 is not limited to allotropes (details will be described later).

[0012] The sheet material processing apparatus 1 includes a transport roller 7 for transporting the sheet material 5 along a specified transport path C, a first treatment chamber 10 for performing a first treatment on the sheet material 5 transported along the transport path C, and a second treatment chamber 20 disposed downstream of the first treatment chamber 10 on the transport path C. The transport path C is an area through which the sheet material 5 passes, and is predetermined in the design of the sheet material processing apparatus 1. Hereinafter, the upstream side and downstream side of the transport path C may be simply referred to as the "upstream side" and the "downstream side", respectively.

[0013] The transport rollers 7 include a payout roller 8 that holds the payout roll 2 around which the sheet material 5 is wound, located upstream of the first treatment chamber 10, and a winding roller 9 that holds the winding roll 3 around which the sheet material 5 is wound, located downstream of the second treatment chamber 20. The payout roller 8 and the winding roller 9 are housed in a payout roller housing chamber 18 and a winding roller housing chamber 19, respectively, and are connected to two roller motors (not shown). The payout roller 8 and the winding roller 9 rotate independently of each other.

[0014] 1 , the first process performed in the first process chamber 10 and the second process performed in the second process chamber are both coating processes that apply a predetermined substance to the surface of the sheet material 5. The first pressure in the environment in which the first process is performed in the first process chamber 10 is lower than the second pressure in the environment in which the second process is performed in the second process chamber 20.

[0015] The coating process may be a film formation process, a painting process, or a lamination process, and in this example, a film formation process is used. As a more specific example, the first process is a film formation process using physical vapor deposition, more specifically, a sputtering process. The second process is a film formation process using chemical vapor deposition, i.e., a CVD process. In the example of FIG. 1, the sputtering process and the CVD process realize the generation of CNTs 4 through a catalyst support reaction method. The sputtering process is a process for forming a catalyst layer 14 on the surface of the sheet material 5, and the CVD process is a process for forming CNTs 4 on the catalyst layer 14 by a thermal decomposition reaction of a second gas (described below).

[0016] The first processing chamber 10 is provided with a first exhaust device (not shown) for creating a substantial vacuum within the first processing chamber 10, a first gas supply pipe 11 for supplying a first gas into the first processing chamber 10, and a first processing device 13 for performing a sputtering process on the surface of the sheet material 5 in an atmosphere filled with the first gas. The first gas is an inert gas such as argon gas. The first processing device 13 includes a target material and an application device for applying a voltage to cause ions such as argon ions to collide with the target material. In the example of FIG. 1 , the sputtering process is performed on one side of the sheet material 5.

[0017] The second processing chamber 20 is provided with a second exhaust device (not shown) for creating a substantial vacuum inside the second processing chamber 20, and a second gas supply pipe 22 for supplying a second gas into the second processing chamber 20. The second gas includes carbon dioxide gas. In this example, the carbon dioxide gas is a hydrocarbon such as acetylene gas or methane, and other examples of the carbon dioxide gas include carbon monoxide or alcohol. The second processing chamber 20 is further provided with a heater 29 for increasing the temperature inside the second processing chamber 20. The heater 29 may be located either outside or inside the second processing chamber 20.

[0018] The sheet material processing apparatus 1 further includes a pressure adjustment chamber 30 disposed between the first processing chamber 10 and the second processing chamber 20 on the conveying path C. The pressure adjustment chamber 30 functions to suppress the flow of gas within the sheet material processing apparatus 1 caused by the pressure difference between the first processing chamber 10 and the second processing chamber 20. The gas includes a first gas and a second gas.

[0019] The operation of the sheet material processing apparatus 1 is outlined as follows: The first processing chamber 10 is substantially evacuated by the operation of the first exhaust device, and then a first gas is supplied to the first processing chamber 10 from the first gas supply pipe 11. The pressure inside the first processing chamber 10 filled with the first gas is much lower than atmospheric pressure.

[0020] Thereafter, the roller motor is driven to rotate the payout roller 8 in a first direction (arrow A1) in which the payout roll 2 pays out the sheet material 5, and the take-up roller 9 in a second direction (arrow A2) in which the take-up roll 3 takes up the sheet material 5. While the sheet material 5 passes through the first treatment chamber 10, the first treatment device 13 is activated. As a result, a sputtering treatment is performed on the surface of the sheet material 5 in an atmosphere filled with the first gas. As a result, a catalyst layer 14 is formed on the sheet material 5.

[0021] The sheet material 5 on which the catalyst layer 14 has been formed passes through the pressure adjustment chamber 30 and is carried into the second treatment chamber 20. No treatment is performed on the sheet material 5 within the pressure adjustment chamber 30, and the chemical properties of the sheet material 5 and the catalyst layer 14 are substantially maintained.

[0022] After the sheet material 5 is loaded into the second processing chamber 20, a CVD process is performed as the second process. Specifically, the second processing chamber 20 is substantially evacuated by the operation of the second exhaust device, and the second processing chamber 20 is filled with a second gas supplied from the second gas supply pipe 22. Thereafter, the temperature within the second processing chamber 20 reaches a specified temperature by the operation of the heater 29, and the pressure within the second processing chamber 20 reaches a second pressure, which is, for example, approximately equal to atmospheric pressure. Note that the second gas supplied from the second gas supply pipe 22 may be filled into the second processing chamber 20 after the temperature within the second processing chamber 20 reaches the specified temperature by the operation of the heater 29. The second gas undergoes a thermal decomposition reaction, and carbon atoms produced from the second gas sequentially migrate to the catalyst layer 14 and gradually grow into CNTs 4. At this time, the catalyst layer 14 promotes the growth of CNTs 4. The CNTs 4 may be collected by a collecting mechanism 150 (described later) before the sheet material 5 is wound around the winding roller 9 (see FIG. 6).

[0023] The technical advantages of the sheet material processing apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1 will be described. Because the transport path C of the sheet material 5 extends from the first processing chamber 10 to the second processing chamber 20, gas can flow within the sheet material processing apparatus 1 so as to reduce the pressure difference between the first processing chamber 10 and the second processing chamber 20. As a more specific example, because the first pressure is lower than the second pressure, gas can flow from the second processing chamber 20 toward the first processing chamber 10.

[0024] In this regard, in the configuration in which the pressure adjustment chamber 30 is provided, the space S within the pressure adjustment chamber 30 functions as a space that restricts the flow of gas between the first processing chamber 10 and the second processing chamber 20. Therefore, the pressure within the first processing chamber 10 is easily maintained at the first pressure, and the pressure within the second processing chamber 20 is easily maintained at the second pressure. This makes it possible to shorten the time required to adjust the pressure within the first processing chamber 10 and the pressure within the second processing chamber 20 to the desired pressures while the sheet material processing apparatus 1 is in operation.

[0025] More specifically, pressure fluctuations within the first processing chamber 10 after the first processing can be suppressed, and the pressure within the chamber can be made equal to the first pressure. This allows the operating time of the first exhaust device to be shortened. Similarly, pressure fluctuations within the second processing chamber 20 after the second processing can be suppressed, and the pressure within the chamber can be made equal to the second pressure. This allows the operating time of the second exhaust device to be shortened. Therefore, a sheet material processing device 1 is realized that improves the productivity of processing the sheet material 5, and also improves the production efficiency of CNT4 as an allotrope.

[0026] Furthermore, according to a configuration in which the conveying roller 7 includes the payout roller 8 and the winding roller 9, the sheet material 5 sequentially paid out from the payout roll 2 is subjected to the first and second treatments, and the sheet material 5 that has been subjected to the second treatment is sequentially wound up by the winding roller 9. This allows the sheet material processing apparatus 1 to continuously apply the first and second treatments to the sheet material 5, thereby improving the production efficiency of CNT4.

[0027] Continuing with the overview of the sheet material processing device 1, referring to FIG. 1 , the pressure adjustment chamber 30 includes an upstream end wall 31, which is an upstream end wall, and a downstream end wall 32, which is a downstream end wall. An upstream end wall slit 33 is formed in the upstream end wall 31, and a downstream end wall slit 34 is formed in the downstream end wall 32. Both slits are spaces through which the sheet material 5 can pass. In this example, the upstream end wall slit 33 and the downstream end wall slit 34 have the same shape. Furthermore, both the upstream end wall slit 33 and the downstream end wall slit 34 correspond to end wall slits 35, which are within a predetermined size. In other words, in this example, the downstream end wall 32 has the same configuration as the upstream end wall 31.

[0028] In the following, the upstream end wall slit 33 (end wall slit 35) of the upstream end wall 31 will be described, and the downstream end wall slit 34 (end wall slit 35) of the downstream end wall 32 will not be described.

[0029] 2 is a schematic diagram of an upstream end wall 31 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The upstream end wall 31 has an end wall opening 17 that opens in the conveying direction of the conveying path C. The pressure adjustment chamber 30 includes a first end wall nipping roller 101 and a second end wall nipping roller 102 that face each other in the thickness direction of the sheet material 5 inside the end wall opening 17. The first end wall nipping roller 101 is disposed on a first side (upper side in FIG. 2 ) of the conveying path C, and the second end wall nipping roller 102 is disposed on the opposite side from the first side (lower side in FIG. 2 ) of the conveying path C.

[0030] The first end wall clamping roller 101 and the second end wall clamping roller 102 are rotatably arranged and extend in the short direction of the sheet material 5. The first end wall clamping roller 101 and the second end wall clamping roller 102 are spaced apart from the end wall opening 17, and can rotate together with the sheet material 5 being conveyed while sandwiching the sheet material 5 therebetween.

[0031] In some embodiments, both ends of the first end wall clamping roller 101 are positioned outward from both ends of the end wall opening 17 in the short-side direction of the sheet material 5. Similarly, both ends of the second end wall clamping roller 102 are positioned outward from both ends of the end wall opening 17 in the short-side direction of the sheet material 5.

[0032] 2, the end wall slit 35 is defined by the outer peripheral surfaces of the first end wall clamping roller 101 and the second end wall clamping roller 102. Therefore, in the thickness direction of the sheet material 5, the end wall slit 35 is shorter than the end wall opening 17.

[0033] Furthermore, the thickness of the sheet material 5 is defined as D, and the dimension of the end wall slit 35 in the thickness direction of the sheet material 5 is defined as L. The end wall slit 35 is configured so that D≦L≦5×D holds. Here, the value of D is 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less, more specifically 20 μm or more and 150 μm or less, and even more specifically 30 μm or more and 90 μm or less. The "5×D" in the above inequality may be 1200 μm, more specifically 600 μm, or even more specifically 300 μm. In the example of FIG. 2, D=L holds.

[0034] According to the above configuration, the size of the end wall slit 35 can be reduced, and the flow of gas through the end wall slit 35 can be restricted. This allows the pressure in the pressure adjustment chamber 30 to be maintained between the first pressure and the second pressure. As a result, the pressure in the first processing chamber 10 is likely to be maintained at the first pressure, and the pressure in the second processing chamber 20 is likely to be maintained at the second pressure. Note that either the upstream end wall slit 33 or the downstream end wall slit 34 does not have to be an end wall slit 35 that satisfies the above relationship. Even in this case, the above technical advantages can be obtained.

[0035] Furthermore, with the configuration in which the end wall slit 35 is defined by the first end wall clamping roller 101 and the second end wall clamping roller 102, even if the sheet material 5 passing through the end wall slit 35 comes into contact with the first end wall clamping roller 101 or the second end wall clamping roller 102, both rollers are rotatably arranged, so that the frictional force acting on the sheet material 5 due to the contact can be reduced. This makes it possible to transport the sheet material 5 downstream without damaging it.

[0036] 2 , a first end wall gap G1 is formed between the first end wall clamping roller 101 and the end wall opening 17, and a second end wall gap G2 is formed between the second end wall clamping roller 102 and the end wall opening 17. The pressure adjustment chamber 30 includes a first end wall contact member 103 that closes the first end wall gap G1 in the conveying direction, and a second end wall contact member 104 that closes the second end wall gap G2 in the conveying direction. The first end wall contact member 103 is a leaf spring that presses against the first end wall clamping roller 101. Similarly, the second end wall contact member 104 is a leaf spring that presses against the second end wall clamping roller 102.

[0037] The first end wall contact member 103 contacts the end wall opening 17 and the first end wall clamping roller 101 over the entire length of the end wall opening 17 in the short direction of the sheet material 5. In this example, a pair of first end wall contact members 103 are provided, one of which blocks the first end wall gap G1 from the upstream side and the other of which blocks the first end wall gap G1 from the downstream side. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and only one of the pair of first end wall contact members 103 may be provided.

[0038] Similarly, the second end wall contact member 104 contacts the end wall opening 17 and the second end wall nipping roller 102 over the entire length of the end wall opening 17 in the short direction of the sheet material 5. In this example, a pair of second end wall contact members 104 are provided, one of which blocks the second end wall gap G2 from the upstream side and the other of which blocks the second end wall gap G2 from the downstream side. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and only one of the pair of second end wall contact members 104 may be provided.

[0039] According to the above configuration, the first end wall gap G1 and the second end wall gap G2 are closed, so that two adjacent spaces that are adjacent to each other in the transport direction across the upstream end wall 31 communicate only through the end wall slits 35 in the upstream end wall 31. This further restricts the flow of gas passing through the upstream end wall 31. Therefore, the pressure in the first processing chamber 10 is likely to be maintained at the first pressure, and the pressure in the second processing chamber 20 is likely to be maintained at the second pressure. As described above, the downstream end wall 32 has the same configuration as the upstream end wall 31. Therefore, the two adjacent spaces that are adjacent to each other in the transport direction across the downstream end wall 32 also communicate only through the end wall slits 35 in the downstream end wall 32.

[0040] 3 is a schematic diagram showing details of the pressure adjustment chamber 30 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The pressure adjustment chamber 30 includes a partition wall 36 arranged to divide the space S within the pressure adjustment chamber 30. The partition wall 36 is connected to an end wall 38 of the pressure adjustment chamber 30 on a first side (the upper side in this example) with respect to the conveying path C, and an end wall 39 on the opposite side from the first side (the lower side in this example). Furthermore, the partition wall 36 is connected to both end walls of the pressure adjustment chamber 30 in the short-side direction of the sheet material 5.

[0041] In this example, a plurality of partition walls 36 are arranged in a line along the conveying direction of the conveying path C, and the number of partition walls 36 is, for example, three. As a result, the space S within the pressure adjustment chamber 30 is divided into an upstream space Su, two intermediate spaces Sm, and a downstream space Sd, which are arranged in this order from the upstream side along the conveying direction. Each partition wall 36 is formed with a partition slit hole 37, which is a space through which the sheet material 5 can pass.

[0042] 4 is a schematic diagram of a partition wall 36 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The partition wall 36 has a partition opening 95 that opens in the conveying direction of the conveying path C. The pressure adjustment chamber 30 includes a first partition nipping roller 91 and a second partition nipping roller 92 that face each other in the thickness direction of the sheet material 5 inside the partition opening 95. The first partition nipping roller 91 is disposed on a first side (upper side in FIG. 4 ) of the conveying path C, and the second partition nipping roller 92 is disposed on the opposite side from the first side (lower side in FIG. 4 ) of the conveying path C.

[0043] The first partition clamping roller 91 and the second partition clamping roller 92 extend in the short direction of the sheet material 5 and are arranged to be freely rotatable. The first partition clamping roller 91 and the second partition clamping roller 92 are spaced apart from the partition opening hole 95 and can rotate together with the sheet material 5 being conveyed while sandwiching the sheet material 5 therebetween.

[0044] In some embodiments, both ends of the first partition clamping roller 91 are positioned outside both ends of the partition opening hole 95 in the short-side direction of the sheet material 5. Similarly, both ends of the second end wall clamping roller 102 are positioned outside both ends of the partition opening hole 95 in the short-side direction of the sheet material 5.

[0045] In the example of Fig. 4, the partition slit 37 is defined by the outer peripheral surfaces of the first partition clamping roller 91 and the second partition clamping roller 92. Therefore, the partition slit 37 is shorter than the partition opening 95 in the thickness direction of the sheet material 5. Furthermore, the dimension of the partition slit 37 in the thickness direction of the sheet material 5 is defined as M, and the partition slit 37 is configured so that D≦M≦5×D holds. Note that in the example of Fig. 2, D=M holds.

[0046] According to the above configuration, the space S within the pressure adjustment chamber 30 can be partitioned into the upstream space Su, the intermediate space Sm, and the downstream space Sd, and the size of the partition slit 37 can be reduced. Because the flow of gas through the partition slit 37 can be restricted, the pressure difference between the upstream space Su, the intermediate space Sm, and the downstream space Sd is easily maintained. Because the upstream space Su, the intermediate space Sm, and the downstream space Sd function to restrict the flow of gas between the first processing chamber 10 and the second processing chamber 20, the pressure within the first processing chamber 10 is easily maintained at the first pressure, and the pressure within the second processing chamber 20 is easily maintained at the second pressure.

[0047] 3 may have one or two partition walls 36. When only one partition wall 36 is provided, the space S within the pressure adjustment chamber 30 is divided into an upstream space Su and a downstream space Sd. Even in this case, the above-described technical advantages can be obtained.

[0048] Furthermore, with the configuration in which the partition slit hole 37 is defined by the first partition clamping roller 91 and the second partition clamping roller 92, even if the sheet material 5 passing through the partition slit hole 37 comes into contact with the first partition clamping roller 91 or the second partition clamping roller 92, both rollers are arranged to be rotatable, so that it is possible to reduce the frictional force acting on the sheet material 5 due to the contact. Therefore, it is possible to transport the sheet material 5 downstream without damaging it.

[0049] 2 , a first partition gap P1 is formed between the first partition clamping roller 91 and the partition opening hole 95, and a second partition gap P2 is formed between the second partition clamping roller 92 and the partition opening hole 95. The pressure adjustment chamber 30 includes a first partition contact member 93 that closes the first partition gap P1 in the conveying direction, and a second partition contact member 94 that closes the second partition gap P2 in the conveying direction. The first partition contact member 93 is a leaf spring that presses against the first partition clamping roller 91. Similarly, the second partition contact member 94 is a leaf spring that presses against the second partition clamping roller 92.

[0050] The first partition contact member 93 contacts the partition opening hole 95 and the first partition clamping roller 91 over the entire length of the partition opening hole 95 in the short direction of the sheet material 5. In this example, a pair of first partition contact members 93 are provided, one of which blocks the first partition gap P1 from the upstream side and the other of which blocks the first partition gap P1 from the downstream side. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and only one of the pair of first partition contact members 93 may be provided.

[0051] Similarly, the second partition contact member 94 contacts the partition opening hole 95 and the second partition clamping roller 92 over the entire length of the partition opening hole 95 in the short direction of the sheet material 5. In this example, a pair of second partition contact members 94 are provided, one of which blocks the second partition gap P2 from the upstream side and the other of which blocks the second partition gap P2 from the downstream side. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if only one of the pair of second partition contact members 94 is provided.

[0052] According to the above configuration, the first partition gap P1 and the second partition gap P2 are closed, so that two adjacent spaces sandwiching the partition wall 36 communicate only through the partition slit hole 37. This further restricts the flow of gas passing through the partition wall 36. This makes it easier to maintain the pressure in the first processing chamber 10 at the first pressure, and easier to maintain the pressure in the second processing chamber 20 at the second pressure.

[0053] 3, the sheet material processing apparatus 1 further includes an exhaust pipe 40 for exhausting gas from the pressure adjustment chamber 30 to the outside. The exhaust pipe 40 in this example includes an upstream exhaust pipe 41, two intermediate exhaust pipes 43, a downstream exhaust pipe 42, and a junction exhaust pipe 48. The upstream exhaust pipe 41 is configured to exhaust gas from the upstream space Su, the intermediate exhaust pipes 43 are configured to exhaust gas from the intermediate spaces Sm, and the downstream exhaust pipe 42 is configured to exhaust gas from the downstream space Sd. The gas in the upstream exhaust pipe 41, the gas in the intermediate exhaust pipes 43, and the gas in the downstream exhaust pipe 42 are configured to merge and flow at the junction exhaust pipe 48.

[0054] The sheet material processing apparatus 1 further includes an exhaust pump 49 disposed in the confluent exhaust pipe 48 of the exhaust pipe 40. By operating the exhaust pump 49, gas in the space S of the pressure adjustment chamber 30 is discharged to the outside from the confluent exhaust pipe 48 via the upstream exhaust pipe 41, the intermediate exhaust pipe 43, or the downstream exhaust pipe 42.

[0055] The sheet material processing apparatus 1 further includes an upstream opening / closing valve 51 arranged in the upstream discharge pipe 41, two intermediate opening / closing valves 53 arranged in each of the two intermediate discharge pipes 43, a downstream opening / closing valve 52 arranged in the downstream discharge pipe 42, an upstream pressure sensor 55 that measures the upstream pressure, which is the pressure in the upstream space Su, two intermediate pressure sensors 57 that measure the intermediate pressure, which is the pressure in the intermediate space Sm, a downstream pressure sensor 56 that measures the downstream pressure, which is the pressure in the downstream space Sd, and a controller 6.

[0056] The controller 6 is configured to control the upstream on-off valve 51, the two intermediate on-off valves 53, and the downstream on-off valve 52 based on the measured values ​​of the upstream pressure sensor 55, the two intermediate pressure sensors 57, and the downstream pressure sensor 56. Valve control by the controller 6 keeps the upstream pressure within a predetermined upstream pressure range, the intermediate pressure within a predetermined intermediate pressure range, and the downstream pressure within a predetermined downstream pressure range. The physical structure of the controller 6 will be described later.

[0057] The technical advantages obtained by providing the exhaust pipe 40 and the exhaust pump 49 will now be described. Because the first pressure is lower than the second pressure, gas may flow into the first processing chamber 10 from the pressure adjustment chamber 30. This may cause an excessive increase in pressure within the first processing chamber 10. In this regard, with the above-described configuration, gas within the upstream space Su, the intermediate space Sm, and the downstream space Sd is exhausted to the outside as the exhaust pump 49 is operated. This makes it possible to suppress the inflow of gas into the first processing chamber 10, thereby optimizing the pressure within the first processing chamber 10.

[0058] The sheet material processing apparatus 1 does not necessarily have to include two intermediate exhaust pipes 43, and furthermore, it is not necessary to include either the upstream exhaust pipe 41 or the downstream exhaust pipe 42. Even in this case, the gas in the pressure adjustment chamber 30 is exhausted to the exhaust pipe 40, so that the inflow of gas into the first processing chamber 10 is suppressed and the pressure in the first processing chamber 10 can be optimized. Also, in the above embodiment, the first pressure is smaller than the second pressure, but in other embodiments, the magnitude relationship of the pressures may be reversed. In this case, by providing the exhaust pipe 40 and the exhaust pump 49, the inflow of gas into the second processing chamber 20 is suppressed and the pressure in the second processing chamber 20 can be optimized.

[0059] Furthermore, with a configuration including the upstream exhaust pipe 41, the intermediate exhaust pipe 43, and the downstream exhaust pipe 42, gases in the upstream space Su, the intermediate space Sm, and the downstream space Sd can be discharged to the outside, allowing for appropriate pressure management in each of the upstream space Su, the intermediate space Sm, and the downstream space Sd. Furthermore, with a configuration including an exhaust pump 49 in the confluence exhaust pipe 48, the configuration of the sheet material processing apparatus 1 can be simplified compared to a configuration in which an exhaust pump 49 is provided in each of the upstream exhaust pipe 41, the intermediate exhaust pipe 43, and the downstream exhaust pipe 42. Furthermore, with a configuration in which valve control is performed by the controller 6, the upstream pressure, the intermediate pressure, and the downstream pressure can be managed to be each at a desired pressure. The intermediate exhaust pipe 43 does not necessarily have to be provided, and the above-mentioned technical advantages can still be obtained in this case.

[0060] <Supply Pipe 60> As illustrated in Figure 3, the sheet material processing apparatus 1 further includes a supply pipe 60 for supplying a pressure adjustment gas into the pressure adjustment chamber 30. The supply pipe 60 supplies the pressure adjustment gas from a supply source such as a gas cylinder that stores the pressure adjustment gas. The supply of the pressure adjustment gas adjusts the upstream pressure so that it does not fall below the upstream pressure range, the intermediate pressure so that it does not fall below the intermediate pressure range, and the downstream pressure so that it does not fall below the downstream pressure range. The gas in the pressure adjustment chamber 30, including the pressure adjustment gas, may be appropriately discharged from the discharge pipe 40.

[0061] The supply pipe 60 includes an upstream supply pipe 61, two intermediate supply pipes 63, and a downstream supply pipe 62. The upstream supply pipe 61, the two intermediate supply pipes 63, and the downstream supply pipe 62 are configured to supply a pressure regulating gas to the upstream space Su, the two intermediate spaces Sm, and the downstream space Sd, respectively. The type of pressure regulating gas may be any gas, and the first gas used in the first process may be adopted.

[0062] An upstream supply valve 71 is disposed in the upstream supply pipe 61, an intermediate supply valve 73 is disposed in each intermediate supply pipe 63, and a downstream supply valve 72 is disposed in the downstream supply pipe 62. These supply valves make it possible to adjust the flow rate of the pressure adjustment gas supplied to the pressure adjustment chamber 30. The upstream supply valve 71, the intermediate supply valve 73, and the downstream supply valve 72 may be needle valves, and the opening degree of each needle valve may be set manually.

[0063] In another example, the above supply valves may be open / close valves controllable by the controller 6. In this case, the controller 6 controls the opening and closing of the upstream supply valve 71, the intermediate supply valve 73, and the downstream supply valve 72 based on the measurement results of the upstream pressure sensor 55, the intermediate pressure sensor 57, and the downstream pressure sensor 56, respectively. Alternatively, a gas mass flow controller may be further provided in each of the upstream supply pipe 61, the intermediate supply pipe 63, and the downstream supply pipe 62. The gas mass flow controller has a structure in which a flow control valve, a flow sensor for measuring the flow rate of the pressure adjustment gas, and a drive circuit for adjusting the aperture of the flow control valve based on the measurement result of the flow sensor are integrated. The aperture of the flow control valve is automatically changed in accordance with the measurement result of the flow sensor.

[0064] The configuration in which the supply pipe 60 is provided can prevent the upstream pressure, intermediate pressure, and downstream pressure from decreasing excessively due to the operation of the exhaust pump 49, and can maintain these pressures between the first pressure and the second pressure. Note that the supply pipe 60 does not need to include either the upstream supply pipe 61 or the downstream supply pipe 62, and further does not need to include the intermediate supply pipe 63. Even in this case, the above-mentioned technical advantages can be obtained.

[0065] Furthermore, since the first pressure is lower than the second pressure, gas may flow from the downstream space Sd to the upstream space Su, causing an excessive drop in the downstream pressure. In this regard, according to the configuration in which the supply pipe 60 includes the downstream supply pipe 62, the pressure adjusting gas is supplied to the downstream space Sd, so that the downstream pressure can be appropriately maintained between the first pressure and the second pressure.

[0066] Furthermore, if the pressure adjusting gas supplied by the upstream supply pipe 61 is the first gas, the first gas in the first processing chamber 10 is not diluted even when the pressure adjusting gas flows from the upstream space Su into the first processing chamber 10. Therefore, the first processing in the first processing chamber 10 can be carried out smoothly, and the efficiency of performing the first processing on the sheet material 5 can be improved.

[0067] <Specific Example of Sheet Material Processing Apparatus 1> A preferred embodiment of the sheet material processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0068] Before describing the specific configuration, an overview of the sheet material processing apparatus 1 in Fig. 5 will be given. In the sheet material processing apparatus 1 in the figure, CNTs 4 are produced on both sides of a sheet material 5. Therefore, in the first processing, a catalyst layer 14 is formed on both sides of the sheet material 5. Furthermore, a buffer layer 12 is formed between the catalyst layer 14 and the sheet material 5 during the first processing. The buffer layer 12 has the function of suppressing interdiffusion between the catalyst layer 14 and the sheet material 5.

[0069] Furthermore, in the second processing chamber 20, the plurality of extending portions 5E constituting the sheet material 5 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction, thereby making it possible to increase the cumulative length in the longitudinal direction of the sheet material 5 that is the target of one second processing.

[0070] Furthermore, the CNTs 4 produced by the second process are collected by a collection mechanism 150 (see FIG. 6 ) while the take-up roller 9 is winding up the sheet material 5. Therefore, almost no CNTs 4 remain on the sheet material 5 collected by the take-up roller 9. On the other hand, the buffer layer 12 and the catalyst layer 14 usually remain on the sheet material 5 being wound up.

[0071] 5, the first processing apparatus 13 in the first processing chamber 10 includes a first sputtering device 15 for forming a buffer layer 12 on each of both surfaces of the sheet material 5, and a second sputtering device 16 for forming a catalyst layer 14 on the buffer layer 12.

[0072] The first sputtering device 15 bombards a first target material with argon ions to form buffer layers 12 on both sides of the sheet material 5. The second sputtering device 16 bombards a second target material with argon ions to form catalyst layers 14 on each buffer layer 12.

[0073] The buffer layer 12 is made of silica (SiO ２ ), alumina (Al ２ O ３ ), silicon nitride (SiN), zinc oxide (ZnO), copper oxide (Cu ２ The first target material is made of the same material or a precursor thereof. The catalyst layer 14 is made of a metal such as iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), molybdenum (Mo), gold (Au), or an alloy of two or more of these. The second target material is made of the same material. The catalyst layer 14 may also be a metal precursor such as a metal oxide or a metal compound.

[0074] The second treatment chamber 20 includes a first end wall 23 which is an upstream end wall and a second end wall 24 which is a downstream end wall. A plurality of first passage openings 25 for the sheet material 5 are formed in the first end wall 23, and a plurality of second passage openings 26 for the sheet material 5 are formed in the second end wall 24. Each of the plurality of extension portions 5E extends horizontally between any of the first passage openings 25 and any of the second passage openings 26.

[0075] According to the configuration in which the catalyst layer 14 is formed on both sides of the sheet material 5 in the first process, CNT4 is generated on both sides of the sheet material 5 in the second process. This increases the amount of CNT4 generated per unit time, and improves the CNT4 production efficiency. Furthermore, since multiple extension portions 5E are arranged in the second process chamber 20, it is possible to increase the amount of sheet material 5 that can be subjected to one second process. This further improves the CNT4 production efficiency. Note that the above technical advantages can be obtained even if the buffer layer 12 is not formed on the sheet material 5.

[0076] A description will be given of a configuration for holding the plurality of extension portions 5E in the second processing chamber 20. As shown in Fig. 5, the sheet material processing apparatus 1 further includes an upstream holding chamber 110 that houses a plurality of upstream holding rollers 115, and a downstream holding chamber 120 that houses a plurality of downstream holding rollers 125.

[0077] The upstream holding chamber 110 is disposed between the pressure adjustment chamber 30 and the second processing chamber 20 on the conveying path C. A plurality of upstream holding rollers 115 are disposed at intervals in the vertical direction. Each upstream holding roller 115 is rotatably supported by an upstream fixed shaft (not shown) that is fixed in the upstream holding chamber 110. The sheet material 5 is held by each upstream holding roller 115 in a curved, folded-back position.

[0078] The downstream holding chamber 120 is disposed between the second processing chamber 20 and the winding roller accommodating chamber 19 on the transport path C. A plurality of downstream holding rollers 125 are disposed at intervals in the vertical direction. Each downstream holding roller 125 is rotatably supported by a downstream fixed shaft (not shown) that is fixed in the downstream holding chamber 120. The sheet material 5 is held by each downstream holding roller 125 in a curved, folded-back position.

[0079] The sheet material 5 is stretched over a plurality of upstream holding rollers 115 and a plurality of downstream holding rollers 125. When the sheet material 5 is conveyed by the rotation of the payout roller 8 and the winding roller 9, the upstream holding rollers 115 and downstream holding rollers 125 rotate together to assist the conveyance of the sheet material 5.

[0080] 5 further includes a shutter means for defining a processing space within the second processing chamber 20. The shutter means according to some embodiments includes an entrance opening / closing member (not shown) for opening and closing the entrance 111 of the upstream holding chamber 110, and an exit opening / closing member (not shown) for opening and closing the exit 122 of the downstream holding chamber 120.

[0081] The entrance opening / closing member may be a pair of slidable entrance shutter members. The pair of entrance shutter members slide toward each other and sandwich the sheet material 5 inside the entrance 111. This closes the entrance 111. Similarly, the exit opening / closing member may be a slidable exit shutter member. The pair of exit shutter members slide toward each other and sandwich the sheet material 5 inside the exit 122. This closes the exit 122. By closing the entrance 111 and the exit 122 before the second process is performed, the shutter means can define the processing space inside the second processing chamber 20.

[0082] Thereafter, while the conveyance of the sheet material 5 is stopped, the second gas fills the second processing chamber 20, and the temperature inside the second processing chamber 20 reaches a specified temperature by the heater 29. The thermal decomposition reaction of the second gas produces CNTs 4 on the catalyst layers 14 on both surfaces of the plurality of extension portions 5E.

[0083] According to the above configuration, by providing a plurality of upstream holding rollers 115 and a plurality of downstream holding rollers 125, a plurality of extending portions 5E of the sheet material 5 can be aligned at intervals in the vertical direction within the second processing chamber 20. This allows the amount of sheet material 5 to be processed in the second processing to be increased, thereby improving the production efficiency of CNTs 4.

[0084] Returning to FIG. 5 , the second process in this example is performed on the sheet material 5 in a stopped state. Therefore, after the shutter means is activated, the take-up roller 9 must be stopped, and the transport of the sheet material 5 from the upstream support roller 115 to the take-up roller 9 must be stopped. On the other hand, the pay-out roller 8 does not need to be stopped while the second process is being performed. Specifically, if an intermediate storage chamber 80 (described later) is provided, the sheet material 5 can be transported from the pay-out roller 8 to the intermediate storage chamber 80 even while the second process is being performed. This makes it possible to continuously perform the first process.

[0085] 5, the time required for the first process is shorter than the time required for the second process. The inventors of the present application considered that the interval time between the end of the second process and the start of the next second process could be shortened by making the succeeding sheet material 5 that has been subjected to the first process wait between the first process chamber 10 and the upstream holding chamber 110 while the second process is being performed on the sheet material 5.

[0086] Based on the above idea, the sheet material processing apparatus 1 further includes an intermediate storage chamber 80 disposed on the transport path C (see FIG. 1 ) between the first processing chamber 10 and the second processing chamber 20. The intermediate storage chamber 80 includes a variable mechanism 88 configured to vary the length of the sheet material 5 in the longitudinal direction within the intermediate storage chamber 80 depending on the execution state of the second processing.

[0087] The variable mechanism 88 includes two guide rollers 87 rotatably arranged at predetermined positions, and a first holding roller 81 and a second holding roller 82 located between the two guide rollers 87 on the conveying path C. The axis of each guide roller 87 is substantially stationary. The first holding roller 81 and the second holding roller 82 are rotatably arranged. In this example, the first holding roller 81 is arranged on one side of an imaginary plane K that passes through the axis of each of the two guide rollers 87, and the second holding roller 82 is arranged on the other side. The number of each of the first holding roller 81 and the second holding roller 82 may be multiple as shown in the figure, or may be one.

[0088] The variable mechanism 88 further includes a support unit 85 that supports the plurality of first holding rollers 81 and the plurality of second holding rollers 82. The support unit 85 has a first support member 83 that rotatably supports each of the first holding rollers 81, and a second support member 84 that rotatably supports each of the second holding rollers 82. The first support member 83 and the second support member 84 are configured to move relative to each other, and in this example, a first motor and a second motor are configured to move the first support member 83 and the second support member 84, respectively.

[0089] The operation of the variable mechanism 88 illustrated in Figure 5 is outlined as follows. During the second process, the take-up roller 9 stops rotating, while the feed roller 8 continues to rotate in the first direction (arrow A1). As the sheet material 5 that has undergone the first process is transported from the first process chamber 10 to the intermediate storage chamber 80, the first support member 83 and the second support member 84 move away from each other. This increases the center distance between the first holding roller 81 and the second holding roller 82, and the subsequent sheet material 5 to be subjected to the second process gradually accumulates in the intermediate storage chamber 80.

[0090] Thereafter, when the second process is completed and the shutter means opens the entrance 111 and the exit 122, the rotation of the take-up roller 9 in the second direction (arrow A2) resumes. As the sheet material 5 in the intermediate storage chamber 80 is conveyed toward the second process chamber 20, the first support member 83 and the second support member 84 move toward each other, and the distance between the axes of the first holding roller 81 and the second holding roller 82 decreases.

[0091] According to the configuration in which the intermediate storage chamber 80 is provided, the sheet material 5 carried out from the first processing chamber 10 can be temporarily stored in the intermediate storage chamber 80. This makes it possible to store the sheet material 5 in the intermediate storage chamber 80 while the second processing is being performed in the second processing chamber 20, or while the operation of the second processing chamber 20 is temporarily stopped due to reasons such as maintenance and inspection. Since the interval time between the end of the second processing and the start of the next second processing can be shortened, the sheet material processing apparatus 1 can efficiently perform the second processing on the sheet material 5, thereby improving the production efficiency of CNT4.

[0092] Furthermore, with the configuration including the first holding roller 81, the second holding roller 82, and the support unit 85, the support unit 85 increases the inter-axial distance as the sheet material 5 is carried into the intermediate storage chamber 80, thereby increasing the amount of sheet material 5 stored in the intermediate storage chamber 80. Since the amount of sheet material 5 stored can be adjusted simply by adjusting the inter-axial distance, the internal structure of the intermediate storage chamber 80 can be simplified.

[0093] <Recovery mechanism 150> A recovery mechanism 150 for recovering CNTs 4 from the sheet material 5 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The recovery mechanisms 150 are arranged corresponding to each of the multiple upstream holding rollers 115 and multiple downstream holding rollers 125 illustrated in FIG. 5. Furthermore, one recovery mechanism 150 is arranged below the lowest downstream holding roller 125. In other words, the number of recovery mechanisms 150 is equal to the total number of upstream holding rollers 115 and downstream holding rollers 125 plus one. Below, the configuration of the recovery mechanism 150 corresponding to the uppermost downstream holding roller 125 will be described as a representative example. Note that the buffer layer 12 and catalyst layer 14 are not shown in FIG. 6.

[0094] Before describing the recovery mechanism 150 in detail, a supplementary note will be provided regarding both surfaces of the sheet material 5 and the roller outer circumferential surface 119 of the downstream holding roller 125. Hereinafter, the area of ​​the conveying path C where the sheet material 5 comes into contact with the upstream holding roller 115 will be referred to as the "contact area Rc." The contact area Rc extends along the roller outer circumferential surface 119. The two surfaces of the sheet material 5 are the first surface 5a and the second surface 5b. In the contact area Rc, the first surface 5a is located between the roller outer circumferential surface 119 and the second surface 5b. In other words, in the contact area Rc, the first surface 5a is located inside the second surface 5b.

[0095] The recovery mechanism 150 includes a first recovery unit 151 that recovers the CNTs 4 on the first surface 5a, and a second recovery unit 152 that recovers the CNTs 4 on the second surface 5b.

[0096] The first collection unit 151 has a first abutting member 161 located upstream of the abutment region Rc, and a first collection container 163 located below the first abutting member 161. The first abutting member 161 is fixed so as to abut against the CNTs 4 on the first surface 5a. The first abutting member 161 includes a first curved surface 165 that is spaced apart from the sheet material 5. The first collection container 163 is a container that opens upward. The first abutting member 161 and the first collection container 163 extend in the short direction of the sheet material 5 within the downstream holding chamber 120.

[0097] The second collection unit 152 has a second abutting member 162 located downstream of the abutment region Rc, and a second collection container 164 located below the second abutting member 162. The second abutting member 162 is fixed so as to abut against the CNTs 4 on the second surface 5b. The second abutting member 162 includes a second curved surface 166 that is spaced apart from the sheet material 5. The second collection container 164 is a container that opens upward. The second abutting member 162 and the second collection container 164 extend in the short direction of the sheet material 5 within the downstream holding chamber 120.

[0098] When the conveyance of the sheet material 5 is resumed after the second process is performed, the CNTs 4 on the first surface 5a come into contact with the first curved surface 165 of the first contact member 161, are peeled off, and drop into the first collection container 163. At the same time, the CNTs 4 on the second surface 5b come into contact with the second curved surface 166 of the second contact member 162, are peeled off, and drop into the second collection container 164. In this way, the CNTs 4 are collected by the collection mechanism 150.

[0099] According to the above configuration, the conveyance of the sheet material 5 that has undergone the second processing and the collection of the CNTs 4 can be performed simultaneously, thereby improving the production efficiency of the CNTs 4. The collection mechanism 150 may peel the CNTs 4 from the sheet material 5 by blowing gas onto the sheet material 5. Alternatively, the collection mechanism 150 may suck the CNTs 4 together with the gas in the second processing chamber 20. These embodiments also provide the above technical advantages.

[0100] Furthermore, when the recovery mechanism 150 recovers the CNTs 4, the conveyance direction of the sheet material 5 may be downstream (see FIG. 6) or upstream (not shown). In either case, the above-mentioned technical advantages can be obtained. However, it is preferable that the CNTs 4 are recovered while the sheet material 5 is being conveyed downstream. This allows the take-up of the sheet material 5 by the take-up roller 9 and the recovery of the CNTs 4 to be performed simultaneously, thereby shortening the time required from the start of recovery of the CNTs 4 to the completion of winding the sheet material 5.

[0101] Furthermore, by configuring the collection mechanism 150 to include the first contact member 161 and the second contact member 162, pressure fluctuations within the second processing chamber 20 can be suppressed compared to when CNTs4 are collected by blowing or suctioning gas. This makes it possible to suppress the flow of gas between the first processing chamber 10 and the second processing chamber 20, and to optimize the pressure in each of the first processing chamber 10 and the second processing chamber 20. Note that, when CNTs4 are formed on only one of the first surface 5a or the second surface 5b of the sheet material 5, the collection mechanism 150 only needs to include either the first collection unit 151 or the second collection unit 152. Even in this case, the above-mentioned technical advantages can be obtained.

[0102] <Pay-out Roller 2 and Winding Roller 9> Returning to Fig. 5, a large amount of sheet material 5 is wound around the pay-out roll 2. This allows the sheet material 5 to be subjected to the first treatment to be sequentially paid out from the pay-out roll 2. Then, every time the second treatment is performed, the sheet material 5 that has undergone the second treatment is wound up by the winding roller 9.

[0103] After all of the sheet material 5 that can be supplied has been unwound from the unwinding roller 8 and the processed sheet material 5 has been wound around the winding roller 9, the unwinding roller 8 and the winding roller 9 rotate in reverse. That is, the unwinding roller 8 rotates in the direction opposite to the first direction, and the winding roller 9 rotates in the direction opposite to the second direction. The sheet material 5 returned to the unwinding roller 2 is used again to generate CNTs 4. In this embodiment, one end of the sheet material 5 is fixed to the unwinding roller 2, and the other end is fixed to the winding roller 3. This allows the sheet material 5 to be easily transported both when the unwinding roller 8 and the winding roller 9 rotate to feed the sheet material 5 forward toward the winding roller 3, and when the unwinding roller 8 and the winding roller 9 rotate in reverse to feed the sheet material 5 back toward the unwinding roller 2.

[0104] The payout roll 2 and the winding roller 9 are an example of a sheet material support portion that holds the sheet material 5. The sheet material support portion is a component of the sheet material processing apparatus 1. In other words, the sheet material processing apparatus 1 includes the sheet material 5 and a sheet material support portion that supports the sheet material 5. Instead of the payout roll 2 and the winding roller 9, the sheet material support portion may be, for example, a mounting table on which the sheet material 5 is placed.

[0105] <Method for Manufacturing CNTs 4> A method for manufacturing CNTs 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing CNTs 4 according to one embodiment, and hereinafter, "step" may be abbreviated as "S".

[0106] First, a supply start step (S11) is executed to start supplying the sheet material 5 wound around the payout roll 2. Specifically, by driving the two roller motors, the payout roller 8 starts rotating in a first direction, and the take-up roller 9 starts rotating in a second direction. As a result, the sheet material 5 is transported from the payout roller 8 into the first processing chamber 10.

[0107] Next, a first processing step (S13) is performed in which a first processing is performed on both sides of the sheet material 5 in the first processing chamber 10 to form a catalyst layer 14 on the sheet material 5. In the first processing chamber 10, a sputtering process as the first processing is performed on the sheet material 5 while it is being transported, and the catalyst layer 14 is formed.

[0108] After the sheet material 5 on which the catalyst layer 14 is to be formed is carried into the second treatment chamber 20 via the pressure adjustment chamber 30, the intermediate storage chamber 80, etc., a winding stop step (S15) is executed to stop the winding of the sheet material 5 by the winding roller 9. At this time, the shutter means is operated to define the treatment space in the second treatment chamber 20.

[0109] After S15 is executed, the feed roller 8 continues to rotate in the first direction, the next sheet material 5 is transported into the first processing chamber 10, and the first processing step (S13) is continuously executed.

[0110] After S15 is performed, a second processing step (S17) is performed to form CNTs 4 on the catalyst layer 14 by performing a second processing on the sheet material 5 in the second processing chamber 20. Even during the second processing, the subsequent sheet material 5 that has been subjected to the first processing is carried into the intermediate storage chamber 80. The variable mechanism 88 of the intermediate storage chamber 80 increases the axial distance between the first holding roller 81 and the second holding roller 82, so that the subsequent sheet material 5 gradually accumulates in the intermediate storage chamber 80.

[0111] After the second process is completed, the shutter means opens the inlet 111 and the outlet 122, and the second process step (S17) ends.

[0112] Thereafter, a rewinding restart step (S19) is executed in which the rewinding of the sheet material 5 by the rewind roller 9 is restarted. In S19, the rotation of the rewind roller 9 in the second direction is restarted. As a result, the subsequent sheet material 5 stored in the intermediate storage chamber 80 is transported into the second processing chamber 20. The variable mechanism 88 reduces the axial distance between the first holding roller 81 and the second holding roller 82 (not shown). At this time, the rotation of the payout roller 8 continues, and the subsequent sheet material 5 is transported from the intermediate storage chamber 80 into the second processing chamber 20.

[0113] When S19 is executed, a recovery step (S21) is executed to recover the CNTs 4 from the conveyed sheet material 5. The recovery of the CNTs 4 is executed by recovery mechanisms 150 arranged corresponding to the upstream holding roller 115 and the downstream holding roller 125 (see FIG. 6).

[0114] After S21 is executed, a step (S23) of feeding the sheet material 5 is executed. The step of feeding includes a step of winding the sheet material 5 from which CNTs 4 have been collected by the winding roll 3, a step of transporting the subsequent sheet material 5 from the intermediate storage chamber 80 into the second processing chamber 20, and a step of transporting a further subsequent sheet material 5 into the first processing chamber 10. S23 is executed by continuing the rotation of the payout roller 8 and the winding roller 9.

[0115] Thereafter, it is determined whether additional sheet material 5 can be supplied from the feed roller 8 (S25). The controller 6 may determine whether there is any sheet material 5 remaining that can be supplied based on the number of times the first process or the second process has been executed. Alternatively, the controller 6 may determine whether the remaining amount of sheet material 5 on the feed roller 8 is equal to or less than a certain amount based on the detection result of a sensor. The sensor may be a sensor that detects the cumulative number of rotations or weight of the feed roller 8, or may be an optical sensor that irradiates light toward a predetermined radial position relative to the feed roller 8. If there is sheet material 5 remaining at the predetermined radial position, the light irradiated from the optical sensor is reflected by the sheet material 5 to the optical sensor; otherwise, no light is reflected.

[0116] If it is determined that additional sheet material 5 can be supplied (S25: YES), the process returns to step S13. Steps S13 to S25 are repeated until all of the available sheet material 5 has been supplied (S25: YES).

[0117] If it is determined that additional sheet material 5 cannot be supplied (S25: NO), a reverse feeding step (S27) of the sheet material 5 is executed. In S27, the payout roller 8 rotates in the direction opposite to the first direction, and the take-up roller 9 rotates in the direction opposite to the second direction. As a result, all of the sheet material 5 that has been taken up by the take-up roller 9 through the repetition of S13 to S23 is returned to the payout roller 8. After S27 is executed, the manufacturing method of the CNT4 is completed. Thereafter, the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 7 is started again from S11 by operation of the operator of the sheet material processing apparatus 1.

[0118] According to the above configuration, the forwarding step (S23) is executed each time the second processing step (S17) and the recovery step (S21) are executed, so that the sheet material 5 from which the CNTs 4 have been recovered can be sequentially wound onto the winding roll 3, and the subsequent sheet material 5 can be sequentially paid out from the payout roll 2. After the available sheet material 5 has been paid out from the payout roll 2, the reverse running step (S27) is executed, so that the sheet material 5 wound around the winding roll 3 can be returned to the payout roll 2 and subjected to the first and second processing again in sequence. This eliminates the need to replace the payout roll 2 and the winding roll 3 after the second processing is completed, and reduces the number of times the sheet material 5 is crammed along the conveying path C. This reduces the downtime of the sheet material processing apparatus 1, thereby improving the production efficiency of CNTs 4.

[0119] 5 does not have to be aligned horizontally with the first processing chamber 10. For example, the pressure adjustment chamber 30 may be located above the first processing chamber 10. Furthermore, another chamber may be disposed between the first processing chamber 10 and the pressure adjustment chamber 30 to separate the two chambers. Furthermore, the intermediate storage chamber 80 may be disposed downstream of the first processing chamber 10 and upstream of the pressure adjustment chamber 30, instead of being disposed downstream of the pressure adjustment chamber 30.

[0120] The recovery step (S21) of the CNTs 4 may be performed while the sheet material 5 that has been subjected to the second process is being transported upstream. In this case, after the recovery of the CNTs 4, the transport direction of the sheet material 5 is switched to the downstream side, and the sheet material 5 is taken up by the take-up roller 9.

[0121] 7 is not an essential component of the present disclosure. After all of the sheet material 5 that can be supplied from the payout roller 8 has been supplied (S25: NO), the winding roll 3 removed from the winding roller 9 may be attached to the payout roller 8 as a new payout roll 2. This attachment operation may be performed by an operator or by a robot arm or the like. Even in this case, the used sheet material 5 from which the CNTs 4 have been recovered can be reused.

[0122] Further components may be added to the sheet material processing apparatus 1 illustrated in Fig. 5. For example, a cleaning chamber for cleaning both surfaces of the sheet material 5 may be added between the downstream holding chamber 120 and the winding roller accommodating chamber 19.

[0123] The winding roller 9 and the recovery mechanism 150 are not essential components of the sheet material processing apparatus 1. For example, the sheet material 5 on which the CNTs 4 are formed may be cut after being carried out from the second processing chamber 20. The cut sheet material 5 may be transported to a location away from the sheet material processing apparatus 1, and the CNTs 4 may be recovered from the sheet material 5.

[0124] The shutter means of the present disclosure is not limited to the above configuration. The shutter means may be configured to sandwich the sheet material 5 between the upstream shutter chamber 133 and the downstream shutter chamber 134 (see FIG. 5 ). Here, the upstream shutter chamber 133 is disposed between the upstream holding chamber 110 and the second processing chamber 20, and the downstream shutter chamber 134 is disposed between the second processing chamber 20 and the downstream holding chamber 120. If the sheet materials 5 disposed at intervals between the two shutter chambers are sandwiched, it is possible to define the processing space within the second processing chamber 20.

[0125] In FIG. 2 , the end wall slit 35 is defined by the first end wall clamping roller 101 and the second end wall clamping roller 102, which are arranged inside the end wall opening 17. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , the end wall slit 35A according to a modified example may be defined by the end wall opening 17A of the upstream end wall 31A. In this case, the end wall slit 35A and the end wall opening 17A have the same dimensions in the thickness direction of the sheet material 5. In the thickness direction of the sheet material 5, the end wall opening 17A is smaller than the end wall opening 17 (see FIG. 2 ). The end wall slit 35A may be configured so that D≦L≦5×D is satisfied. Preferably, the sheet material 5 does not contact the end wall slit 35A. Specifically, it is preferably configured so that D<L≦5×D is satisfied. The configuration according to the above modification simplifies the structure of the upstream end wall 31A compared to when the first end wall clamping roller 101 and the second end wall clamping roller 102 are provided, and also makes it possible to maintain the pressure in the first treatment chamber 10 at the first pressure and the pressure in the second treatment chamber 20 at the second pressure. The above modification may also be applied to the downstream end wall 32. That is, an end wall slit 35A may be formed in the downstream end wall 32 (detailed illustration omitted).

[0126] In FIG. 4 , the partition slit 37 is defined by the first partition clamping roller 91 and the second partition clamping roller 92 arranged inside the partition opening 95, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 9 , the partition slit 37A according to a modified example may be defined by a partition opening 95A of the partition wall 36A. In this case, the partition slit 37A and the partition opening 95A have the same dimensions in the thickness direction of the sheet material 5. In the thickness direction of the sheet material 5, the partition opening 95A is smaller than the partition opening 95 (see FIG. 4 ). The partition slit 37A may be configured so that D≦M≦5×D is satisfied. Preferably, the sheet material 5 does not contact the partition slit 37A. Specifically, it is preferably configured so that D<M≦5×D is satisfied. According to the configuration of the above modified example, the structure of the partition wall 36A can be simplified compared to when the first partition clamping roller 91 and the second partition clamping roller 92 are arranged, and the pressure in the first processing chamber 10 can be maintained at the first pressure and the pressure in the second processing chamber 20 can be maintained at the second pressure.

[0127] The controller 6 described above is configured by a computer and includes a processor, a memory (storage medium), and an external communication interface. The processor may be a CPU, a GPU, an MPU, a DSP, or a combination thereof. The processor according to other embodiments may be implemented by an integrated circuit such as a PLD, an ASIC, an FPGA, or an MCU. The memory is configured to temporarily or non-temporarily store various data and may be implemented by at least one of a RAM, a ROM, or a flash memory, for example. The processor executes various control processes according to instructions from a program loaded into the memory.

[0128] As described above, the shutter means may be configured to sandwich the sheet material 5 in each of the upstream shutter chamber 133 and the downstream shutter chamber 134. In FIG. 10 , the upstream shutter position is indicated by a two-dot chain line M1, and the downstream shutter position is indicated by a two-dot chain line M2. The upstream shutter position is a left-right position where the shutter means sandwiches each of the multiple sheet materials 5 lined up in the vertical direction in the upstream shutter chamber 133. In the upstream shutter chamber 133, multiple upstream shutter positions exist spaced apart in the vertical direction. The downstream shutter position is a left-right position where the shutter means sandwiches each of the multiple sheet materials 5 lined up in the vertical direction in the downstream shutter chamber 134. In the downstream shutter chamber 134, multiple downstream shutter positions exist spaced apart in the vertical direction. The two-dot chain lines M1 and M2 extend in the vertical direction. That is, the left-right position at which the shutter means sandwiches each sheet material 5 between the multiple sheet materials 5 in the upstream shutter chamber 133 is the same, and the left-right position at which the shutter means sandwiches each sheet material 5 between the multiple sheet materials 5 in the downstream shutter chamber 134 is the same. The left-right direction is a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and is the direction in which the first processing chamber 10 and the second processing chamber 20 are lined up. The left-right direction is a horizontal direction perpendicular to the width direction of the sheet material 5.

[0129] The multiple upstream shut positions include a first upstream shut position and a second upstream shut position that are adjacent in the vertical direction. These two positions correspond to, for example, symbols U1 and U2 in FIG. 10 . The first upstream shut position and the second upstream shut position are aligned in the conveying direction with one upstream holding roller 115 between them. The shortest distance in the conveying direction between the first upstream shut position and the second upstream shut position is defined as the upstream shut distance (dimension L1).

[0130] The multiple downstream shut positions include a first downstream shut position and a second downstream shut position that are adjacent in the vertical direction. These two positions correspond to, for example, symbols D1 and D2 in Fig. 10. The first downstream shut position and the second downstream shut position are aligned in the conveying direction with one downstream holding roller 125 between them. The shortest distance in the conveying direction between the first downstream shut position and the second downstream shut position is defined as the downstream shut distance (dimension L2).

[0131] The plurality of sheet materials 5 lined up vertically on the upstream side of the two-dot chain line M1 near the holding roller 115 are non-processing areas that will not be subjected to the second processing. The plurality of sheet materials 5 lined up vertically on the downstream side of the two-dot chain line M2 near the holding roller 125 are also non-processing areas that will not be subjected to the second processing. The plurality of sheet materials 5 lined up vertically between the two-dot chain lines M1 and M2 are processing areas that will be subjected to the second processing. The processing areas and the non-processing areas are arranged alternately in the conveying direction.

[0132] The shortest distance in the conveying direction between the two-dot chain lines M1 and M2 is defined as the processing target distance (dimension L3). Dimension L3 is the length in the conveying direction of the processing target portion of the sheet material 5. In the example of Fig. 10, the upstream shut distance (dimension L1) and the downstream shut distance (dimension L2) are each equal to or greater than the processing target distance (dimension L3). Dimension L1 and dimension L2 may be the same.

[0133] With reference to Figure 11, the flow of the second process executed by the sheet material processing apparatus 1 when the above relationship is established will be described. First, as shown in the upper part of Figure 11, the second process is performed on the processing target portion of the sheet material 5. The processing target portion of the sheet material 5 at this time is shown by a thick line. Thereafter, as shown in the lower part of Figure 11, the sheet material processing apparatus 1 transports the sheet material 5. The transport of the sheet material 5 at this time is referred to as "replacement transport."

[0134] The conveying distance of the sheet material 5 during the replacement conveyance is equal to or greater than dimension L3 and equal to or less than dimension L1, or equal to or greater than dimension L3 and equal to or less than dimension L2. CNTs 4 formed in the processing target area are collected by the collection mechanism 150 during the replacement conveyance of the sheet material 5. As shown in the lower part of Figure 11, the positional relationship between the processing target area and the area outside the processing target area is swapped. That is, the area outside the processing target area is positioned between the two-dot chain lines M1 and M2, and the processing target area is positioned on the upstream holding roller 115 side of the two-dot chain line M1 or on the downstream holding roller 125 side of the two-dot chain line M2.

[0135] The sheet material processing apparatus 1 again executes the second process and transports the sheet material 5. The transport distance of the sheet material 5 at this time is longer than the transport distance of the replacement transport, and specifically, the sheet material processing apparatus 1 transports the sheet material 5 until at least a part of the uppermost sheet material 5 on which CNTs 4 are formed is transported out of the downstream shutter chamber 134. During the transport process, the CNTs 4 on the sheet material 5 are collected by the collection mechanism 150.

[0136] According to the above configuration, when the sheet processing apparatus 1 executes the replacement transport, the processing target portion subjected to the second process moves closer to the upstream holding roller 115 than the multiple upstream shut positions, or closer to the downstream holding roller 125 than the multiple downstream shut positions. At the same time, multiple non-processing target portions are positioned between the two-dot chain lines M1 and M2 and become processing target portions for the second process. Compared to a case where the sheet material 5 is transported so that the top processing target portion passes all of the downstream holding rollers 125 and all of the upstream holding rollers 115 after the first execution of the second process, the non-processing target portions of the sheet material 5 can be efficiently utilized to execute the second process. Furthermore, the time required for the replacement transport is significantly shorter than the time required for the top processing target portion to pass all of the downstream holding rollers 125 and all of the upstream holding rollers 115. This significantly increases the production volume of CNTs per unit time.

[0137] Fig. 12 is a flowchart of the CNT formation and recovery process executed by the sheet material processing apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 11. The CNT formation and recovery process replaces S17 to S21 of the flowchart showing the CNT 4 manufacturing method shown in Fig. 7. That is, the CNT formation and recovery process starts after S15 in Fig. 7, and S23 in Fig. 7 is executed after the CNT formation and recovery process is completed.

[0138] 12, first, a second processing step (S31) is executed. S31 is the same as S17. Next, a replacement conveyance step (S33) is executed to replace and convey the sheet material 5, and when S33 is executed, a recovery step (S35) is executed to recover CNTs 4 from the sheet material 5 being replaced and conveyed. S33 is the same as the rewinding resumption step (S19) of the sheet material 5, and S35 is the same as S21.

[0139] Thereafter, it is determined whether the positional relationship between the processing target portion and the non-processing target portion has been reversed (S37). As a specific example, the controller 6 determines whether the conveyance distance of the sheet material 5 has exceeded the processing target distance (dimension L3 in FIG. 10). This determination can be made by monitoring the amount of rotation of the roller motor that drives the winding roller 9. S33 and S35 are repeated until the conveyance distance exceeds the processing target distance (S37: NO). When the conveyance distance eventually exceeds the processing target distance (S37: YES), a winding stop step (S39) is executed to stop the winding of the sheet material 5 by the winding roller 9. S39 is the same as S15.

[0140] Thereafter, the second processing step (S41) and the winding resumption step (S43) are executed in order, and when S43 is executed, the recovery step (S45) is further executed. Thereafter, the CNT formation and recovery process ends. S41 is the same as S17, S43 is the same as S19, and S45 is the same as S21.

[0141] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a recovery mechanism 150A according to a modified example. The recovery mechanism 150A includes the first contact member 161 described above and a second contact member 162A according to a modified example. The first contact member 161 and the second contact member 162A overlap in the conveying direction. In other words, at least a portion of the conveying direction range of the first contact member 161 is included in the conveying direction range of the second contact member 162A. The second contact member 162A is fixed so as to contact the CNTs 4 on the second surface 5b. A single sheet material 5 is interposed between the first contact member 161 and the second contact member 162A.

[0142] 13 , CNTs 4 that come off the sheet material 5 by coming into contact with the first contact member 161 fall into the first recovery container 163. Furthermore, CNTs 4 that come off the sheet material 5 by coming into contact with the second contact member 162A remain on the second surface 5b. The CNTs 4 are dropped from the widthwise end of the sheet material 5 by some means. The falling CNTs 4 may fall into the first recovery container 163, or may be recovered in a lower recovery container (not shown) disposed at the bottom of the second processing chamber 20. Furthermore, the CNTs 4 that have fallen into the first recovery container 163 may also be collected in a lower recovery container.

[0143] 13, when the first contact member 161 contacts the CNTs 4, an upward force acts on the sheet material 5, and when the second contact member 162A contacts the CNTs 4, a downward force acts on the sheet material 5. These forces, which are close to each other in the conveyance direction, cancel each other out, preventing the sheet material 5 from bending upward or downward. Because the first contact member 161 and the second contact member 162A can each reliably contact the CNTs 4 while the sheet material 5 is being conveyed, the recovery mechanism 150A can more reliably recover the CNTs 4 from the sheet material 5.

[0144] 14, the sheet material processing apparatus 1 may further include a removal device 140. The removal device 140 is configured to remove the catalyst layer 14 of the sheet material 5. The removal device 140 is, for example, an etching device. The etching device may be any of a plasma etching device, an ion etching device, and an ion beam etching device.

[0145] The removing device 140 may be disposed at any position on the transport path C. In the example of Fig. 14, the removing device 140 is disposed on the transport path C between the feed roller 8 and the first processing device 13, and more specifically, is disposed in the feed roller housing chamber 18.

[0146] The operation of the removal device 140 is outlined as follows. When the sheet material processing apparatus 1 returns the sheet material 5 taken up by the take-up roller 9 (see FIG. 5 ) to the feed roller 8, the sheet material 5 on which the buffer layer 12 and catalyst layer 14 have been formed travels in the reverse direction toward the feed roller 8. The removal device 140 operates while the sheet material 5 is traveling in the reverse direction, and the catalyst layers 14 on both sides of the sheet material 5 are removed. Note that the buffer layers 12 on both sides of the sheet material 5 remain. Thereafter, when the sheet material 5 is again fed from the feed roller 8, the first sputtering device 15 does not operate, but the second sputtering device 16 does. As a result, a new catalyst layer 14 is formed on the existing buffer layer 12.

[0147] Fig. 15 illustrates steps added to the flowchart of the CNT4 manufacturing method shown in Fig. 7. Specifically, following the already-described S25, S26, and S28 to S30 are executed as additional steps, and S27 in Fig. 7 is replaced with S26 and S30.

[0148] 15, if it is determined that the sheet material 5 cannot be supplied (S25: NO), the sheet material processing apparatus 1 starts the reverse running of the sheet material 5 (S26). Specifically, the feed roller 8 and the take-up roller 9 each start to rotate in the reverse direction. S26 is executed by the controller 6 (see FIG. 3) controlling the two roller motors.

[0149] Thereafter, the controller 6 executes a removal necessity determination step (S28) in which it is determined whether removal of the catalyst layer 14 on the sheet material 5 is necessary. For example, the controller 6 may determine whether removal of the catalyst layer 14 is necessary based on the cumulative number of times CNTs 4 have been formed on the same catalyst layer 14. If it is determined that removal of the catalyst layer 14 is necessary (S28: YES), a catalyst layer removal step (S29) is executed in which at least a portion of the catalyst layer 14 is removed while the sheet material 5 is moving backward. S29 is executed by the controller 6 controlling the removal device 140. Then, the backward movement of the sheet material 5 ends (S30). Note that if it is determined that removal of the catalyst layer 14 is not necessary (S28: NO), S29 is skipped and S30 is executed. After S30, this flowchart ends.

[0150] According to the above configuration, when the sheet material 5 rewound on the payout roller 8 is reused, a new buffer layer 12 and catalyst layer 14 are not formed on the catalyst layer 14 already formed on the sheet material 5. This makes it possible to keep the thickness of the sheet material 5 within a certain range. Furthermore, if CNTs 4 are formed multiple times on the same catalyst layer 14, the processing environment for the second process will change due to changes in the state of the catalyst layer 14. In this regard, according to the above configuration, the removal device 140 removes the catalyst layer 14 and a new catalyst layer 14 is formed on the existing buffer layer 12, making it possible to stabilize the quality of the CNTs 4 formed on the catalyst layer 14.

[0151] The removal device 140 may be operated each time the sheet material 5 is rewound onto the feed roller 8. In this case, the removal necessity determination step (S28) is unnecessary. The removal device 140 may also be operated when the sheet material 5 rewound onto the feed roller 8 is again supplied toward the first processing chamber 10. In this case, the catalyst layer removal step (S29) may be performed after S11 (see FIG. 7) and before S13 (see FIG. 7) in the flowchart of FIG. 7, which is resumed after S30. Alternatively, the catalyst layer removal step (S29) may be performed twice, once while the sheet material 5 is traveling in the reverse direction and once while the sheet material 5 is being fed forward. In this case, the energy required for the operation of the removal device 140 in each catalyst layer removal step can be reduced. Furthermore, the amount of catalyst layer 14 to be removed in each catalyst layer removal step is reduced, and the conveying speed of the sheet material 5 can be increased. This improves the productivity of CNTs 4.

[0152] The removal device 140 may be configured to remove the buffer layer 12 in addition to the catalyst layer 14. In this case, the removal device 140 may be configured with multiple types of etching devices. Furthermore, the removal device 140 may selectively perform an operation to remove only the catalyst layer 14, or an operation to remove both the catalyst layer 14 and the buffer layer 12. The buffer layer 12, the catalyst layer 14, and the CNTs 4 may be formed on only one side of the first surface 5 a or the second surface 5 b of the sheet material 5.

[0153] 16 and 17 are schematic diagrams of a sheet material processing apparatus 1A according to a modified example. In the sheet material processing apparatus 1A, the payout roll 2 and the take-up roll 3 are configured to be replaceable. In Fig. 16, when the amount of sheet material 5 wound around the payout roll 2 falls below a first predetermined amount, the sheet material 5 is cut at a first predetermined position T1 on the conveying path C, and then the payout roll 2 is replaced with another payout roll 2. Fig. 16 schematically illustrates a state in which another payout roll 2 is attached to a payout roller 8.

[0154] The first predetermined position T1 is located on the conveying path C between the payout roller 8 and the second processing chamber 20 (see FIG. 5), more preferably between the payout roller 8 and the first processing chamber 10, and even more preferably inside the payout roller housing chamber 18. The sheet material 5 may be cut by an operator using a predetermined tool, or may be cut by a cutting device installed in the sheet processing apparatus 1A. In either case, the sheet material 5 is cut across its width.

[0155] 16 , after another payout roll 2 is attached to the payout roller 8, an end 501 of the sheet material 5 paid out from the payout roller 8 and an end 502 of the sheet material 5 remaining in the sheet material processing apparatus 1 after cutting are joined together, for example, by welding. The end 501 is the downstream end of the sheet material 5 paid out from the payout roll 2, and the end 502 is the upstream end of the sheet material 5 remaining in the sheet material processing apparatus 1. Since the ends 501 and 502 are joined together by welding, the sheet material 5 paid out from the payout roll 2 can be transported integrally with the existing sheet material 5.

[0156] On the other hand, if the amount of sheet material 5 wound around the take-up roll 3 (see FIG. 17) exceeds the second predetermined amount, the sheet material 5 is cut across its width at a second predetermined position T2 on the conveying path C (the details of cutting the sheet material 5 are as described above). Thereafter, the take-up roll 3 attached to the take-up roller 9 is replaced with another take-up roll 3 on which no sheet material 5 is wound. FIG. 17 schematically illustrates the state in which another take-up roll 3 is attached.

[0157] The second predetermined position T2 is located on the transport path C between the first processing chamber 10 (see Figure 5) and the winding roll 3, more preferably between the second processing chamber 20 and the winding roll 3, and even more preferably inside the winding roller storage chamber 19.

[0158] 17 , after another winding roll 3 is attached to the winding roller 9, an end 503 of the sheet material 5 remaining in the sheet material processing device 1 after cutting is fixed to the winding roll 3. The end 503 may be fixed by welding or by using an adhesive. This enables the winding roll 3 to wind up the sheet material 5. The end 503 is the downstream end of the sheet material 5.

[0159] 18 is a flowchart showing a part of the method for manufacturing CNTs 4 using the sheet material processing apparatus 1 A. FIG. 18 shows the steps following S27 in FIG.

[0160] After S27, a first cutting step (S51) of cutting the sheet material 5 at a first predetermined position T1 and a payout roll replacement step (S53) of replacing the payout roll 2 held by the payout roller 8 with another payout roll 2 are executed in this order. In S53, before removing the payout roll 2 from the payout roller 8, the controller 6 may reverse the payout roller 8, thereby completely winding up the cut sheet material 5 onto the payout roll 2. Note that the operator may manually wind up the payout roll 2.

[0161] Next, a first joining step (S55) is performed to join the end 501 of the sheet material 5 unwound from the replaced unwind roll 2 with the end 502 of the sheet material 5 remaining in the sheet material processing device 1 after S51.

[0162] Next, a second cutting step (S57) of cutting the sheet material 5 at a second predetermined position T2 and a winding roll replacement step (S59) of replacing the winding roll 3 held by the winding roller 9 with another winding roll 3 are executed in this order. In S59, before removing the winding roll 3 from the winding roller 9, the controller 6 may rotate the winding roller 9 in the second direction, thereby completely winding the cut sheet material 5 onto the winding roll 3. Note that the winding onto the winding roll 3 may also be performed manually by an operator.

[0163] Next, after S57, a second joining step (S61) is executed in which the end portion 503 of the sheet material 5 remaining in the sheet material processing apparatus 1 is joined to the replaced winding roll 3, and then this flowchart ends.

[0164] According to the above configuration, even when replacing the winding roll 3 and the payout roller 8, the amount of work required to feed the sheet material 5 along the conveying path C can be reduced. Therefore, the time that the sheet material processing apparatus 1 is shut down due to replacement of the winding roll 3 and the payout roller 8 can be reduced, and the allotrope can be mass-produced efficiently. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the reverse running step (S27) of returning the sheet material 5 wound around the winding roll 3 to the payout roll 2 is not required, and therefore there is no need to repeatedly feed the sheet material 5 forward and reverse. This makes it possible to prevent the sheet material 5 from being folded or damaged due to the sheet material 5 accidentally hitting a component constituting the sheet material processing apparatus 1 during reverse running.

[0165] In an embodiment in which the second process is a CVD process, the temperature of the second process chamber 20 reaches 400°C or higher during the second process. To transfer the sheet material 5 between the upstream holding chamber 110 and the downstream holding chamber 120, an operator must wait until the temperature in the second process chamber 20 drops to a temperature suitable for the transfer operation after the sheet material processing apparatus 1 stops operating. This increases the time required for the sheet material 5 transfer operation, reducing the productivity of the CNTs 4. In this regard, an embodiment in which the sheet material 5 transfer operation between the upstream holding chamber 110 and the downstream holding chamber 120 is not required can reduce the operator's waiting time and improve the productivity of the CNTs 4.

[0166] <Other Embodiments> The sputtering process as the first process may be a process for forming a transparent conductive film instead of the catalyst layer 14. The transparent conductive film may be ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) containing indium oxide and tin oxide, and the sheet material 5 may be formed of a polyester-based resin. The transparent conductive film may be applied to liquid crystal displays, solar cells, heaters 29 (see FIG. 5), or the like. Note that the transparent conductive film can also be formed by employing a vacuum deposition process as the first process instead of the sputtering process.

[0167] The sputtering process as the first process may form an electrode film or a wiring film used in the semiconductor manufacturing process instead of the catalyst layer 14. In this case, a thin film made of aluminum, copper, or the like may be formed on the sheet material 5 made of an insulator.

[0168] The sheet material processing apparatus 1 may form a multi-layer optical thin film on the sheet material 5 instead of an allotrope such as CNT4. In this case, both the first and second processes may be sputtering processes. In the first process, for example, silica (SiO ２ ) or magnesium fluoride (MgF ２ In the second treatment, a first optical thin film having a relatively low refractive index is formed, which is made of titanium oxide (TiO ２ A second optical thin film having a relatively high refractive index, such as a fluorine-containing thin film, is formed on the first optical thin film. In this case, a third processing chamber for forming a third optical thin film having a relatively low refractive index on the second optical thin film may be further provided downstream of the second processing chamber 20. The sheet material 5 on which the optical thin film is formed is made of, for example, a glass material.

[0169] The sheet material processing apparatus 1 may form a composite thin-film photocatalytic layer having antifouling, antifogging, or antibacterial properties instead of an allotrope such as CNT4. In this case, both the first and second processes may be sputtering processes. In the first process, a first photocatalytic layer such as titanium oxide may be formed on the sheet material 5, and in the second process, a second photocatalytic layer such as silica may be formed. In this case, the sheet material 5 is formed from a metal material, a glass material, or a resin material.

[0170] The sheet material processing apparatus 1 may form a light-emitting layer constituting an organic electroluminescence (EL) on the sheet material 5 instead of an allotrope such as CNT4. For example, the first process and the second process may be vapor deposition processes. More specifically, a third process chamber is provided downstream of the second process chamber 20, and the sheet material 5 is subjected to a vapor deposition process in each of the first process chamber 10, the second process chamber 20, and the third process chamber. A red light-emitting layer, a green light-emitting layer, and a blue light-emitting layer are laminated on the sheet material 5 between when the sheet material 5 is carried into the first process chamber 10 and when it is carried out of the third process chamber.

[0171] The first process may be a painting process. The painting process is a process of applying paint to the sheet material 5. In this case, the second process may be a drying process of drying the sheet material 5. The first process and the second process may be a lamination process. The lamination process is a process of attaching a transparent film or the like to the sheet material 5.

[0172] <Summary> The contents described in the above-described embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0173] 1) A sheet material processing apparatus (1) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a conveying roller (7) for conveying a long sheet material (5) along a specified conveying path (C); a first treatment chamber (10) for performing a first treatment on the sheet material conveyed along the conveying path, the first treatment being performed in an environment where the pressure in the first treatment chamber is a first pressure; a second treatment chamber (20) for performing a second treatment on the sheet material downstream of the first treatment chamber on the conveying path, the second treatment being performed in an environment where the pressure in the second treatment chamber is a second pressure different from the first pressure; and a pressure adjustment chamber (30) arranged between the first treatment chamber and the second treatment chamber on the conveying path, the pressure adjustment chamber being configured to maintain the pressure in the pressure adjustment chamber between the first pressure and the second pressure.

[0174] A transport path for the sheet material transported by the transport roller extends from the first treatment chamber to the second treatment chamber, so that gas can flow within the sheet material processing chamber so as to reduce the pressure difference between the first treatment chamber and the second treatment chamber.

[0175] In this regard, according to the above-mentioned configuration 1), by providing the pressure adjustment chamber, the pressure in the first processing chamber is easily maintained at the first pressure, and the pressure in the second processing chamber is easily maintained at the second pressure. This reduces the time required to adjust the pressure in the first processing chamber and the pressure in the second processing chamber to the desired pressure while the sheet material processing apparatus is in operation. Therefore, a sheet material processing apparatus with improved sheet material processing efficiency is realized.

[0176] 2) In some embodiments, in the sheet material processing device described in 1) above, the pressure adjustment chamber includes an upstream end wall (31, 31A) that is the upstream end wall in the conveying path, and a downstream end wall (32) that is the downstream end wall in the conveying path, at least one of the upstream end wall or the downstream end wall has an end wall slit hole (35) that is a space through which the sheet material can pass, the thickness of the sheet material is 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less, and the dimension of the end wall slit hole in the thickness direction of the sheet material is defined as L and the thickness of the sheet material is defined as D, and D≦L≦5×D holds.

[0177] According to the configuration 2), the size of the end wall slits can be reduced, and the flow of gas through the end wall slits can be restricted. This allows the pressure in the pressure adjustment chamber to be maintained between the first pressure and the second pressure. As a result, the pressure in the first treatment chamber is easily maintained at the first pressure, and the pressure in the second treatment chamber is easily maintained at the second pressure.

[0178] 3) In some embodiments, in the sheet material processing device described in 2) above, at least one of the upstream end wall or the downstream end wall has an end wall opening hole portion (17) that opens in the conveying direction of the conveying path, the pressure adjustment chamber further includes a first end wall clamping roller (101) and a second end wall clamping roller (102) that face each other in the thickness direction of the sheet material inside the end wall opening hole portion, and the end wall slit hole is defined by the first end wall clamping roller and the second end wall clamping roller.

[0179] According to the configuration 3) above, even when the sheet material passing through the end wall slits 35 comes into contact with the first end wall clamping roller or the second end wall clamping roller, the frictional force acting on the sheet material due to the contact can be reduced, making it possible to transport the sheet material downstream without damaging it.

[0180] 4) In some embodiments, in the sheet material processing apparatus described in 3) above, the pressure adjustment chamber includes: a first end wall contact member (103) that contacts the end wall opening hole and the first end wall clamping roller over the entire length of the end wall opening hole in the short direction of the sheet material, and separates a first end wall gap (G1) between the first end wall clamping roller and the end wall opening hole from the space within the pressure chamber; and a second end wall contact member (104) that contacts the end wall opening hole and the second end wall clamping roller over the entire length of the end wall opening hole in the short direction of the sheet material, and separates a second end wall gap (G2) between the second end wall clamping roller and the end wall opening hole from the space within the pressure chamber.

[0181] According to the configuration of 4), the first end wall gap and the second end wall gap are closed, so that two adjacent spaces on either side of the upstream end wall in the conveying direction communicate only through the end wall slits in the upstream end wall. This further restricts the flow of gas passing through the upstream end wall. Therefore, the pressure in the first treatment chamber is easily maintained at the first pressure, and the pressure in the second treatment chamber is easily maintained at the second pressure.

[0182] 5) In some embodiments, in the sheet material processing device described in 2) above, at least one of the upstream end wall or the downstream end wall has an end wall opening hole portion (17A) that opens in the conveying direction of the conveying path, and the end wall slit hole is defined by the end wall opening hole portion.

[0183] According to the configuration of 5) above, the structure of the upstream end wall can be simplified compared to when a first end wall clamping roller and a second end wall clamping roller are arranged, and the pressure in the first processing chamber can be maintained at the first pressure and the pressure in the second processing chamber can be maintained at the second pressure.

[0184] 6) In some embodiments, in the sheet material processing device described in any one of 1) to 5) above, the pressure adjustment chamber includes a partition wall (36, 36A) arranged to separate the space (S) within the pressure adjustment chamber into an upstream space (Su) and a downstream space (Sd) aligned along the conveying direction of the conveying path, the thickness of the sheet material is 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less, the partition wall is formed with a partition slit hole (37, 37A) which is a space through which the sheet material can pass, and the dimension of the partition slit hole in the thickness direction of the sheet material is defined as M and the thickness of the sheet material is defined as D, and D≦M≦5×D holds.

[0185] According to the configuration of 6) above, the space within the pressure adjustment chamber can be divided into an upstream space and a downstream space, and the size of the partition slit hole can be reduced. Because the flow of gas through the partition slit hole can be restricted, the pressure difference between the upstream space and the downstream space is easily maintained. As a result, the upstream space and the downstream space can serve as spaces that restrict the flow of gas between the first treatment chamber and the second treatment chamber, so the pressure within the first treatment chamber is easily maintained at the first pressure, and the pressure within the second treatment chamber is easily maintained at the second pressure.

[0186] 7) In some embodiments, the sheet material processing device described in 6) above further comprises: an exhaust pipe (40) for exhausting gas in at least one of the upstream space or the downstream space; and an exhaust pump (49) arranged in the exhaust pipe.

[0187] A pressure difference between the first and second processing chambers can cause gas to flow into either the first or second processing chamber. This can lead to an excessive increase in pressure in the first or second processing chamber. In this regard, according to the configuration of 7) above, gas in at least one of the upstream and downstream spaces is discharged from the pressure adjustment chamber to the exhaust pipe as the exhaust pump operates. This allows the pressure in the first or second processing chamber to be optimized.

[0188] 8) In some embodiments, in the sheet material processing apparatus described in 7) above, the exhaust pipe includes: an upstream exhaust pipe (41) for exhausting the gas in the upstream space; a downstream exhaust pipe (42) for exhausting the gas in the downstream space; and a confluence exhaust pipe (48) through which the gas in the upstream exhaust pipe and the gas in the downstream exhaust pipe join and flow, and the exhaust pump is arranged in the confluence exhaust pipe.

[0189] According to the configuration of 8), the gas in the upstream space and the gas in the downstream space can be discharged to the outside, so that appropriate pressure management can be performed in each of the upstream space and the downstream space. Furthermore, since an exhaust pump is provided in the confluent exhaust pipe, the configuration of the sheet material processing apparatus can be simplified compared to when an exhaust pump is provided in each of the upstream exhaust pipe and the downstream exhaust pipe.

[0190] 9) In some embodiments, the sheet material processing apparatus described in 8) above further includes an upstream opening / closing valve (51) arranged in the upstream discharge pipe, a downstream opening / closing valve (52) arranged in the downstream discharge pipe, an upstream pressure sensor (55) for measuring the upstream pressure which is the pressure in the upstream space, a downstream pressure sensor (56) for measuring the downstream pressure which is the pressure in the downstream space, and a controller (6) configured to control the upstream opening / closing valve so that the measured upstream pressure falls within a predetermined upstream pressure range when the exhaust pump is operating, and to control the downstream opening / closing valve so that the measured downstream pressure falls within a predetermined downstream pressure range.

[0191] According to the configuration 9) above, the upstream pressure and the downstream pressure can be managed to be the desired pressures by the controller controlling the upstream opening / closing valve and the downstream opening / closing valve when the exhaust pump is operating.

[0192] 10) In some embodiments, the sheet material processing apparatus described in 8) or 9) above further comprises at least one of an upstream supply pipe (61) for supplying a pressure-regulating gas to the upstream space, or a downstream supply pipe (62) for supplying the pressure-regulating gas to the downstream space.

[0193] According to the configuration of 10), the pressure in at least one of the upstream space and the downstream space can be prevented from excessively decreasing due to the operation of the exhaust pump, thereby maintaining the pressure in the pressure adjustment chamber between the first pressure and the second pressure.

[0194] 11) In some embodiments, the sheet material processing apparatus according to 10) above, wherein the first pressure is lower than the second pressure, and the sheet material processing apparatus includes the downstream supply pipe.

[0195] Because the first pressure is lower than the second pressure, gas may flow from the downstream space to the upstream space in the pressure adjustment chamber. This may result in an excessive drop in downstream pressure. In this regard, according to the configuration of 11), the downstream supply pipe supplies pressure adjustment gas to the downstream space, thereby optimizing the downstream pressure. This allows the pressure in the pressure adjustment chamber to be maintained between the first pressure and the second pressure.

[0196] 12) In some embodiments, the sheet material processing apparatus is as described in 10) or 11) above, wherein the first pressure is lower than the second pressure, the sheet material processing apparatus is provided with the upstream supply pipe, the first process is a process performed in an atmosphere in which the first process chamber is filled with a first gas, and the pressure adjusting gas supplied by the upstream supply pipe is the first gas.

[0197] Because the first pressure is lower than the second pressure, gas may flow from the pressure adjustment chamber into the first treatment chamber. In this regard, according to the configuration of 12), even if the pressure adjustment gas supplied to the upstream space by the upstream supply pipe flows into the first treatment chamber, the first gas in the first treatment chamber is not diluted. Therefore, the first treatment in the first treatment chamber can be carried out smoothly, and the efficiency of applying the first treatment to the sheet material can be improved.

[0198] 13) In some embodiments, in the sheet material processing apparatus described in any one of 1) to 12) above, the transport rollers include: a feed roller (8) for holding a feed roll (2) around which the sheet material is wound, located upstream of the first processing chamber on the transport path, and configured to rotate in the direction in which the feed roll unwinds the sheet material; and a take-up roller (9) for holding a take-up roll (3) around which the sheet material is wound, located downstream of the second processing chamber on the transport path, and configured to rotate in the direction in which the take-up roll winds the sheet material.

[0199] According to the configuration of 13) above, the first and second treatments are performed on the sheet material sequentially fed from the feed roll, and the sheet material that has been subjected to the second treatment is sequentially wound up by the winding roller, thereby enabling the sheet material processing device to efficiently process the sheet material.

[0200] 14) In some embodiments, the sheet material processing device described in any of 1) to 13) above further comprises an intermediate storage chamber (80) disposed between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber on the transport path, the intermediate storage chamber including a variable mechanism (88) configured to vary the length of the sheet material in the intermediate storage chamber depending on the execution state of the second processing.

[0201] According to the configuration of 14) above, the sheet material discharged from the first processing chamber can be temporarily stored in the intermediate storage chamber. This eliminates the need to simultaneously perform processing in the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber. It is possible to store the sheet material in the intermediate storage chamber while the second processing is being performed on the sheet material in the second processing chamber, or while processing in the second processing chamber is stopped. Since the interval time between the end of the second processing and the start of the next second processing can be shortened, the sheet material processing apparatus can efficiently perform the second processing on the sheet material.

[0202] 15) In some embodiments, in the sheet material processing device described in 14) above, the variable mechanism includes a first holding roller (81) and a second holding roller (82) for holding the sheet material, and a support unit (85) that supports the first holding roller and the second holding roller and is configured to be able to adjust the axial distance between the first holding roller and the second holding roller.

[0203] According to the configuration of 15), the support unit increases the distance between the axes as the sheet material is conveyed out of the first processing chamber, thereby increasing the amount of sheet material stored in the intermediate storage chamber. Because the amount of sheet material stored can be adjusted simply by adjusting the distance between the axes, the internal structure of the intermediate storage chamber can be simplified.

[0204] 16) In some embodiments, in the sheet material processing apparatus described in any one of 1) to 15) above, the first process is a process for forming a catalyst layer (14) on the surface of the sheet material, and the second process is a process for forming an allotrope obtained by a chemical reaction (e.g., a thermal decomposition reaction) of the second gas on the catalyst layer in an atmosphere filled with the second gas.

[0205] According to the configuration of 16) above, a sheet material processing apparatus capable of mass-producing allotropes is realized.

[0206] 17) In some embodiments, in the sheet material processing apparatus according to 16), the first processing is processing for forming the catalyst layer on both sides of the sheet material.

[0207] According to the above feature 17), the production efficiency of the allotrope can be increased.

[0208] 18) In some embodiments, the sheet material processing apparatus according to 16) or 17) above further comprises a recovery mechanism (150) for recovering the allotrope while the sheet material is being transported.

[0209] According to the above configuration 18), the conveyance of the sheet material and the recovery of the allotrope can be carried out simultaneously, thereby improving the production efficiency of the allotrope.

[0210] 19) A method for producing an allotrope according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for producing an allotrope using a sheet material processing apparatus described in any one of 16) to 18) above, comprising: a first processing step (S13) for forming the catalyst layer on the surface of the sheet material in the first processing chamber; and a second processing step (S17) for forming the allotrope on the catalyst layer in an atmosphere filled with a second gas in the second processing chamber.

[0211] According to the above-mentioned configuration 19), the same technical advantages as those of the above-mentioned 1) and 16) can be obtained, and the production efficiency of the allotrope can be improved.

[0212] 20) In some embodiments, the method for producing an allotrope according to 19) above further comprises, after the second processing step, a recovery step (S21) of recovering the allotrope from the sheet material while transporting the sheet material.

[0213] The configuration 20) above provides the same technical advantages as the configuration 18) above.

[0214] 21) In some embodiments, in the method for producing an allotrope described in 20), the conveying rollers of the sheet material processing device include: a payout roller (8) for holding a payout roll (2) around which the sheet material is wound, upstream of the first processing chamber on the conveying path; and a winding roller (9) for holding a winding roll (3) around which the sheet material is wound, downstream of the second processing chamber on the conveying path; and the method for producing the allotrope includes: a forwarding step (S23) after the recovery step, in which the payout roller is rotated in a first direction (arrow A1) in which the payout roll pays out the sheet material, and the winding roller is rotated in a second direction (arrow A2) in which the winding roll winds up the sheet material; and a reverse running step (S27) in which the second processing step, the recovery step, and the forwarding step are performed multiple times in order, in which the payout roller is rotated in a direction opposite to the first direction, and the winding roller is rotated in a direction opposite to the second direction. Further provided are:

[0215] According to the configuration of 21) above, the forwarding step is performed each time the second processing step and the recovery step are performed, so that the sheet material from which the allotrope has been recovered can be sequentially wound onto the winding roll, and the subsequent sheet material can be sequentially paid out from the payout roll. After the available sheet material is paid out from the payout roll, the reverse step is performed, so that the sheet material wound around the winding roll can be returned to the payout roll and subjected to the first and second processing again in sequence. This eliminates the need to replace the payout roll and the winding roll after the second processing is completed, and reduces the number of times the sheet material is crammed along the conveying path. This reduces the downtime of the sheet material processing apparatus and enables efficient mass production of the allotrope.

[0216] 22) In some embodiments, in the method for producing an allotrope according to 20), the sheet material processing device further comprises a removal device (140) arranged on the transport path and configured to remove the catalyst layer of the sheet material, and the transport rollers of the sheet material processing device include a payout roller (8) for holding a payout roll (2) around which the sheet material is wound, upstream of the transport path from the first processing chamber, and a take-up roller (9) for holding a take-up roll (3) around which the sheet material is wound, downstream of the transport path from the second processing chamber, and the method for producing the allotrope includes, after the recovery step, a forwarding step (S23) of rotating the payout roller in a first direction in which the payout roll pays out the sheet material, and rotating the take-up roller in a second direction in which the take-up roll takes up the sheet material from which the allotrope has been recovered; After the second processing step, the recovery step, and the forwarding step have been performed multiple times in sequence, the method further includes a reverse running step (S26, S30) of rotating the payout roller in a direction opposite to the first direction and rotating the take-up roller in a direction opposite to the second direction; a sheet material supply step (S11) of rotating the payout roller in the first direction and rotating the take-up roller in the second direction after the reverse running step; and a catalyst layer removal step (S29) of removing at least a part of the catalyst layer on the sheet material being transported during the execution of at least one of the reverse running step and the sheet material supply step.

[0217] According to the configuration of 22) above, when the reverse running step or the sheet material supply step is performed, the removal device removes the catalyst layer, and a new catalyst layer is formed on the sheet material. When the sheet material rewound onto the feed roller in the reverse running step is reused, a new catalyst layer is not formed on the catalyst layer already formed on the sheet material. This allows the thickness of the sheet material to be kept within a certain range. Furthermore, if CNTs are formed multiple times on the same catalyst layer, there is a risk that the processing environment for the second process will change due to changes in the state of the catalyst layer. In this regard, according to the configuration of 22) above, the removal device removes the catalyst layer, and a new catalyst layer is formed on the sheet material, thereby stabilizing the quality of the CNTs formed on the catalyst layer.

[0218] 23) In some embodiments, in the method for producing an allotrope described in 20), the conveying roller of the sheet material processing device includes: a payout roller (8) for holding a payout roll (2) around which the sheet material is wound, located upstream of the first processing chamber on the conveying path; and a take-up roller (9) for holding a take-up roll (3) around which the sheet material is wound, located downstream of the second processing chamber on the conveying path; and the method for producing the allotrope includes: a determination step (S25) for determining whether the sheet material that can be supplied remains on the payout roll; a first cutting step (S51) for cutting the sheet material at a first predetermined position (T1) on the conveying path between the payout roller and the second processing chamber when it is determined that the sheet material does not remain on the payout roll; and a pay-out roll replacement step (S53) for replacing the pay-out roll held by the pay-out roller with another pay-out roll after the first cutting step. and a first joining step (S55) of joining an end (501) of the sheet material fed from the other feed roll and an end (502) of the sheet material remaining in the sheet material processing device.

[0219] According to the configuration of 23) above, even when replacing the payout roll, the work of laying the sheet material along the conveying path can be reduced, thereby reducing the time during which the sheet material processing apparatus is shut down due to the payout roll replacement, and enabling efficient mass production of the allotrope.

[0220] 24) In some embodiments, the method for producing an allotrope described in 23) above further comprises: a second cutting step (S57) of cutting the sheet material at a second predetermined position (T2) on the transport path between the first processing chamber and the winding roller when it is determined that the sheet material does not remain on the unwinding roll; a winding roll replacement step (S59) of replacing the winding roll held by the winding roller with another winding roll after the second cutting step; and a second joining step (S61) of joining an end (503) of the sheet material remaining in the sheet material processing device to the winding roll after the winding roll replacement step.

[0221] According to the configuration of 24) above, even when the winding roll is replaced, the work of laying the sheet material along the conveying path can be reduced, thereby reducing the time during which the sheet material processing apparatus is shut down due to the replacement of the winding roll, and enabling efficient mass production of the allotrope.

[0222] LIST OF SYMBOLS 1: Sheet material processing apparatus 2: Pay-out roll 3: Wind-up roll 4: Carbon nanotubes 5: Sheet material 5E: Extension portion 5a: First surface 5b: Second surface 6: Controller 7: Conveying roller 8: Pay-out roller 9: Wind-up roller 10: First processing chamber 11: First gas supply pipe 12: Buffer layer 13: First processing apparatus 14: Catalyst layer 15: First sputtering device 16: Second sputtering device 17, 17A: End wall opening 18: Pay-out roller accommodating chamber 19: Wind-up roller accommodating chamber 20: Second processing chamber 22: Second gas supply pipe 23: First end wall 24: Second end wall 25: First passage port 26: Second passage port 29: Heater 30 : Pressure adjustment chamber 31, 31A : Upstream end wall 32 : Downstream end wall 33, 33A : Upstream end wall slit 34 : Downstream end wall slit 35 : End wall slit 36, 36A : Partition wall 37, 37A : Partition slit 38 : End wall 39 : End wall 40 : Discharge pipe 41 : Upstream discharge pipe 42 : Downstream discharge pipe 43 : Intermediate discharge pipe 48 : Merged discharge pipe 49 : Exhaust pump 51 : Upstream opening / closing valve 52 : Downstream opening / closing valve 53 : Intermediate opening / closing valve 55 : Upstream pressure sensor 56 : Downstream pressure sensor 57 : Intermediate pressure sensor 60 : Supply pipe 61 : Upstream supply pipe 62 : Downstream supply pipe 63 : Intermediate supply pipe 71 : Upstream supply valve 72: Downstream supply valve 73: Intermediate supply valve 80: Intermediate storage chamber 81: First holding roller 82: Second holding roller 83: First support member 84: Second support member 85: Support unit 87: Guide roller 88: Variable mechanism 91: First partition clamping roller 92: Second partition clamping roller 93: First partition contact member 94: Second partition contact member 95,95A: Partition opening hole portion 101: First end wall clamping roller 102: Second end wall clamping roller 103: First end wall contact member 104: Second end wall contact member 110: Upstream holding chamber 115: Upstream holding roller 119: Roller outer circumferential surface 120: Downstream holding chamber 125: Downstream holding roller 131: Upstream rotating member 132: Downstream rotating member 133D: Lower wall portion 133U: Upper wall portion 141: Upstream support shaft 150: Collection mechanism 151: First collection unit 152: Second collection unit 161: First contact member 162: Second contact member 163: First collection container 164: Second collection container 165: First curved surface 166 : Second curved surface 140: Removal device 501-503: Ends A1, A2: Arrows C: Conveying path G1: First end wall gap G2: Second end wall gap K: Virtual plane L1, L2, L3: Dimensions M1, M2: Two-dot chain lines P1: First partition gap P2: Second partition gap Rc: Contact area S: Space Sd: Downstream space Sm: Intermediate space Su: Upstream space T1: First predetermined position T2: Second predetermined position

Claims

1. A sheet material processing apparatus comprising: a transport roller for transporting a long sheet material along a specified transport path; a first treatment chamber for performing a first treatment on the sheet material transported along the transport path, wherein the first treatment is performed in an environment where the pressure in the first treatment chamber is a first pressure; a second treatment chamber downstream of the first treatment chamber on the transport path for performing a second treatment on the sheet material, wherein the pressure in the second treatment chamber is a second pressure different from the first pressure; and a pressure adjustment chamber located between the first treatment chamber and the second treatment chamber on the transport path, wherein the pressure in the pressure adjustment chamber is configured to maintain the pressure between the first pressure and the second pressure.

2. The sheet material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure adjustment chamber includes an upstream end wall that is the upstream end wall of the conveying path, and a downstream end wall that is the downstream end wall of the conveying path, and an end wall slit hole that is a space through which the sheet material can pass is formed in at least one of the upstream end wall or the downstream end wall, and the thickness of the sheet material is 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less, and the dimension of the end wall slit hole in the thickness direction of the sheet material is defined as L and the thickness of the sheet material is defined as D, so that D≦L≦5×D holds.

3. A sheet material processing device as described in claim 2, wherein at least one of the upstream end wall or the downstream end wall has an end wall opening hole portion that opens in the conveying direction of the conveying path, the pressure adjustment chamber further includes a first end wall clamping roller and a second end wall clamping roller that face each other in the thickness direction of the sheet material inside the end wall opening hole portion, and the end wall slit hole is defined by the first end wall clamping roller and the second end wall clamping roller.

4. A sheet material processing apparatus as described in claim 3, wherein the pressure adjustment chamber includes: a first end wall contact member that contacts the end wall opening hole portion and the first end wall clamping roller over the entire length of the end wall opening hole portion in the short direction of the sheet material, the first end wall contact member separating a first end wall gap between the first end wall clamping roller and the end wall opening hole portion from the space within the pressure chamber; and a second end wall contact member that contacts the end wall opening hole portion and the second end wall clamping roller over the entire length of the end wall opening hole portion in the short direction of the sheet material, the second end wall contact member separating a second end wall gap between the second end wall clamping roller and the end wall opening hole portion from the space within the pressure chamber.

5. A sheet material processing device as described in claim 2, wherein at least one of the upstream end wall and the downstream end wall has an end wall opening hole portion that opens in the conveying direction of the conveying path, and the end wall slit hole is defined by the end wall opening hole portion.

6. The sheet material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure adjustment chamber includes a partition wall arranged to separate the space within the pressure adjustment chamber into an upstream space and a downstream space aligned along the conveying direction of the conveying path, the thickness of the sheet material is 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less, the partition wall is formed with a partition slit hole which is a space through which the sheet material can pass, and the dimension of the partition slit hole in the thickness direction of the sheet material is defined as M and the thickness of the sheet material is defined as D, and D≦M≦5×D holds.

7. The sheet material processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: an exhaust pipe for exhausting gas in at least one of the upstream space and the downstream space; and an exhaust pump disposed in the exhaust pipe.

8. The sheet material processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the exhaust pipe includes an upstream exhaust pipe for exhausting the gas in the upstream space, a downstream exhaust pipe for exhausting the gas in the downstream space, and a confluence exhaust pipe through which the gas in the upstream exhaust pipe and the gas in the downstream exhaust pipe join together and flow, and the exhaust pump is disposed in the confluence exhaust pipe.

9. The sheet material processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: an upstream opening / closing valve arranged in the upstream exhaust pipe; a downstream opening / closing valve arranged in the downstream exhaust pipe; an upstream pressure sensor for measuring the upstream pressure which is the pressure in the upstream space; a downstream pressure sensor for measuring the downstream pressure which is the pressure in the downstream space; and a controller configured to control the upstream opening / closing valve so that the measured upstream pressure falls within a predetermined upstream pressure range when the exhaust pump is operating, and to control the downstream opening / closing valve so that the measured downstream pressure falls within a predetermined downstream pressure range.

10. The sheet material processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising at least one of an upstream supply pipe for supplying a pressure regulating gas to the upstream space and a downstream supply pipe for supplying the pressure regulating gas to the downstream space.

11. The sheet material processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first pressure is lower than the second pressure, and the sheet material processing apparatus includes the downstream supply pipe.

12. The sheet material processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first pressure is lower than the second pressure, the sheet material processing apparatus is provided with the upstream supply pipe, the first processing is performed in an atmosphere in which the first processing chamber is filled with a first gas, and the pressure adjusting gas supplied by the upstream supply pipe is the first gas.

13. The sheet material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport rollers include: a payout roller for holding a payout roll around which the sheet material is wound, located upstream of the first processing chamber on the transport path, the payout roller configured to rotate in the direction in which the payout roll pays out the sheet material; and a take-up roller for holding a take-up roll around which the sheet material is wound, located downstream of the second processing chamber on the transport path, the take-up roller configured to rotate in the direction in which the take-up roll winds up the sheet material.

14. A sheet material processing apparatus as described in claim 1, further comprising an intermediate storage chamber disposed between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber on the transport path, the intermediate storage chamber including a variable mechanism configured to vary the length of the sheet material in the intermediate storage chamber depending on the execution state of the second processing.

15. The sheet material processing device according to claim 14, wherein the variable mechanism includes a first holding roller and a second holding roller for holding the sheet material, and a support unit configured to support the first holding roller and the second holding roller and to be able to adjust the axial distance between the first holding roller and the second holding roller.

16. The sheet material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first process is a process for forming a catalyst layer on the sheet material, and the second process is a process for forming an allotrope obtained by a chemical reaction of the second gas on the catalyst layer in an atmosphere filled with the second gas.

17. The sheet material processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first processing is processing for forming the catalyst layer on both sides of the sheet material.

18. The sheet material processing apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a recovery mechanism for recovering the allotrope while the sheet material is being transported.

19. A method for manufacturing an allotrope using the sheet material processing apparatus described in claim 16, comprising: a first processing step for forming the catalyst layer on the surface of the sheet material in the first processing chamber; and a second processing step for forming the allotrope on the catalyst layer in the second processing chamber.

20. The method for producing an allotrope according to claim 19, further comprising, after the second treatment step, a recovery step of recovering the allotrope from the sheet material while transporting the sheet material.

21. The method for producing an allotrope according to claim 20, wherein the transport rollers of the sheet material processing device include: a payout roller for holding a payout roll around which the sheet material is wound, upstream of the first processing chamber on the transport path; and a take-up roller for holding a take-up roll around which the sheet material is wound, downstream of the second processing chamber on the transport path; and the method for producing an allotrope further comprises: after the recovery step, a progressive step in which the payout roller is rotated in a first direction in which the payout roll pays out the sheet material, and the take-up roller is rotated in a second direction in which the take-up roll takes up the sheet material from which the allotrope has been recovered; and a reverse step in which, after the second processing step, the recovery step, and the progressive step have been performed in order a plurality of times, the payout roller is rotated in a direction opposite to the first direction, and the take-up roller is rotated in a direction opposite to the second direction.

22. The sheet material processing device further comprises a removal device disposed on the transport path and configured to remove the catalyst layer from the sheet material, and the transport rollers of the sheet material processing device include: a payout roller for holding a payout roll around which the sheet material is wound, located upstream of the first processing chamber on the transport path; and a take-up roller for holding a take-up roll around which the sheet material is wound, located downstream of the second processing chamber on the transport path; and the method for producing the allotrope includes, after the recovery step, a forward step in which the payout roller is rotated in a first direction in which the payout roll pays out the sheet material, and the take-up roller is rotated in a second direction in which the take-up roll takes up the sheet material from which the allotrope has been recovered; and a reverse step in which, after the second processing step, the recovery step, and the forward step are performed multiple times in sequence, the payout roller is rotated in a direction opposite to the first direction, and the take-up roller is rotated in a direction opposite to the second direction.

21. The method for producing an allotrope according to claim 20, further comprising: a sheet material supplying step of rotating the payout roller in the first direction and rotating the take-up roller in the second direction after the reverse traveling step; and a catalyst layer removing step of removing at least a portion of the catalyst layer on the sheet material being transported during execution of at least one of the reverse traveling step and the sheet material supplying step.

23. The method for producing an allotrope according to claim 20, wherein the transport rollers of the sheet material processing device include: a payout roller for holding a payout roll around which the sheet material is wound, located upstream of the first processing chamber on the transport path; and a take-up roller for holding a take-up roll around which the sheet material is wound, located downstream of the second processing chamber on the transport path; and the method for producing an allotrope comprises: a determination step for determining whether the sheet material that can be supplied remains on the payout roll; a first cutting step for cutting the sheet material at a first predetermined position on the transport path between the payout roller and the second processing chamber when it is determined that the sheet material does not remain on the payout roll; a payout roll replacement step for replacing the payout roll held by the payout roller with another payout roll after the first cutting step; and a first joining step for joining an end of the sheet material paid out from the other payout roll to an end of the sheet material remaining in the sheet material processing device.

24. A method for producing an allotrope as described in claim 23, further comprising: a second cutting step of cutting the sheet material at a second predetermined position on the transport path between the first processing chamber and the winding roller when it is determined that the sheet material does not remain on the payout roll; a winding roll replacement step of replacing the winding roll held by the winding roller with another winding roll after the second cutting step; and a second joining step of joining an end of the sheet material remaining in the sheet material processing device to the winding roll after the winding roll replacement step.

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