Fiber manufacturing apparatus and method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fiber manufacturing apparatus and, more specifically, comprises: a polymerization reactor for forming a polymer by polymerizing monomers; a modification reactor for forming a modified polymer by modifying the polymer formed in the polymerization reactor; a spinning dope reactor for preparing a polymer solution by dissolving the polymer or the modified polymer in a solvent; a centrifugal spinning disc for spinning the polymer solution prepared in the spinning dope reactor; and a collector for collecting a fiber manufactured by being spun from the centrifugal spinning disc.

Description

Fiber manufacturing apparatus and method

[0001] The present invention relates to a fiber manufacturing apparatus and method, and more specifically, to a fiber manufacturing apparatus and method in which polymer synthesis, modification, preparation of a spinning solution, and production of nanofibers by ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning can be performed in a continuous sequence, and the orientation of the nanofibers produced can be easily controlled during collection as the centrifugal spinning disk or collector is transported or rotated.

[0002] Nanofibers are ultrafine fibers with a thickness of 1㎛ or less, thinner than microfibers, and simultaneous increases in demand are expected across a wide range of fields, from traditional industries to high-tech industries. Currently, the most widely used industrial method is melt blowing, but electrospinning and centrifugal spinning, which are still being actively researched for industrial application, are representative methods for manufacturing polymer nanofibers. For example, Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1466288 (December 1, 2014) discloses a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus.

[0003] However, the conventional melt blowing process described above, which manufactures polymer fibers by stretching a molten polymer using high temperature and high-speed wind, is a method suitable for mass production; however, it has the problem that the types of polymers are limited because only meltable thermoplastic polymers can be used, and the base equipment costs are not low. Furthermore, in the case of electrospinning, which manufactures polymer nanofibers with a diameter of several hundred nanometers by applying a high-voltage electric field to a polymer solution or molten polymer, uniform nanofibers can be easily produced; however, the production rate is significantly low, and there are safety issues due to the high process risk associated with the application of high voltage; and industrial application is limited because it is difficult to equip large-scale high-voltage facilities. Additionally, while the extruded nanofibers from electrospinning are non-oriented and those from centrifugal spinning are unioriented, the diameter and composition of the fibers produced are similar to those of many existing spinning methods. Consequently, when manufacturing nanofilters, the filter is inevitably composed only of nanofibers with a small thickness, leading to a problem where the filter's strength is reduced. In addition, conventional centrifugal spinning cannot be used for the purpose of manufacturing nanofilters, nanocomposite filters, or nanofibers with controlled orientation because it is difficult to control the orientation of the extruded nanofibers. Furthermore, conventional centrifugal spinning uses a cylindrical or cage-shaped fiber collector to collect fibers from a rotating structure; however, the nanofibers formed in the collector are re-dissolved and destroyed by solvents that have not been completely evaporated, resulting in a significantly lower fiber yield. Moreover, since nanofibers are still manufactured in a separated space in a 2-step or 3-step process, although centrifugal spinning itself has the characteristic of increasing mass production efficiency, a continuity issue is being raised.

[0004] The present invention has been devised to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and aims to provide a fiber manufacturing apparatus and method in which polymer synthesis, modification, preparation of a spinning solution, and manufacturing of nanofibers by ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning can be performed in a continuous sequence, and the orientation of the nanofibers produced can be easily controlled during collection as the centrifugal spinning disk or collector is transported or rotated.

[0005] The problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems that the present invention aims to solve that are not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0006] A fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises: a polymerization reactor for polymerizing monomers to form a polymer; a modification reactor for modifying the polymer polymerized in the polymerization reactor to form a modified polymer; a spinning dope reactor for dissolving the polymer or the modified polymer in a solvent to produce a polymer solution; a centrifugal spinning disk for spinning the polymer solution produced in the spinning dope reactor; and a collector for collecting fibers produced by spinning from the centrifugal spinning disk.

[0007] In addition, a fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is characterized by further including a disk motion unit for transporting or rotating the centrifugal spinning disk and a collector motion unit for transporting or rotating the collector.

[0008] In addition, a fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention further comprises: a polymerization supply unit that supplies the monomer, solvent, additive, and initiator to the polymerization reactor; an inert gas control unit that injects an inert gas into the polymerization reactor according to the type of monomer polymerized in the polymerization reactor; a modification supply unit that supplies a solvent, catalyst, and modifying agent to the modification reactor; a solvent supply unit that supplies a solvent to the spinning dope reactor; and a polymer injection unit that supplies the polymer solution produced in the spinning dope reactor to the centrifugal spinning disk.

[0009] In addition, a fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is characterized by further comprising a filtration unit for degassing the polymer solution produced in the spinning dope reactor or removing unreacted monomers in the polymerization reactor, a transport unit for transporting the polymer or modified polymer or polymer solution, and a control unit for controlling the temperature or speed of the spinning dope reactor.

[0010] In addition, a method for manufacturing fibers using a fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises: a polymerization step in which a polymerization reactor polymerizes a monomer to form a polymer; a modification step in which, after the polymerization step, a modification reactor modifies the polymer to form a modified polymer; a solution preparation step in which, after the modification step, a spinning dope reactor dissolves the polymer or the modified polymer in a solvent to prepare a polymer solution; a spinning step in which, after the solution preparation step, a centrifugal spinning disk spins the polymer solution; and a collection step in which, after the spinning step, a collector collects fibers produced as the centrifugal spinning disk spins the polymer solution.

[0011] By means of the solution to the above problem, the fiber manufacturing apparatus and method of the present invention can continuously perform polymer synthesis, modification, preparation of a spinning solution, and the production of nanofibers by ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning, and is effective in providing a fiber manufacturing apparatus and method that can easily control the orientation of nanofibers during collection as the centrifugal spinning disk or collector is transported or rotated.

[0012] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and effects of the present invention not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a spinning dope reactor, a centrifugal spinning disk, and a collector of a fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a centrifugal spinning disk of a fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing a method for manufacturing fibers according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] The terms used in this specification will be briefly explained, and the invention will be described in detail.

[0018] The terms used in this invention have been selected based on currently widely used general terms while considering their functions within the invention; however, these terms may vary depending on the intent of those skilled in the art, case law, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Therefore, the terms used in this invention should be defined not merely by their names, but based on their meanings and the overall context of the invention.

[0019] When a part of a specification is described as “comprising” a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. However, the present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0021] Specific details regarding the problem to be solved by the present invention, the means for solving the problem, and the effects of the invention are included in the embodiments and drawings described below. The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0023] A fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises: a polymerization reactor (10) for polymerizing monomers to form a polymer; a modification reactor (20) for modifying the polymer polymerized in the polymerization reactor (10) to form a modified polymer; a spinning dope reactor (110) for dissolving the polymer or the modified polymer in a solvent to produce a polymer solution; a centrifugal spinning disk (120) for spinning the polymer solution produced in the spinning dope reactor (110); and a collector (150) for collecting fibers produced by spinning from the centrifugal spinning disk (120). Additionally, the fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention further comprises a disk motion unit (130) for transporting or rotating the centrifugal spinning disk (120) and a collector motion unit (160) for transporting or rotating the collector (150). And, a fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention further comprises a polymerization supply unit (11) that supplies the monomer, solvent, additive, and initiator to the polymerization reactor (10); an inert gas control unit (12) that injects an inert gas into the polymerization reactor (10) according to the type of monomer polymerized in the polymerization reactor (10); a modification supply unit (21) that supplies a solvent, catalyst, and modification agent to the modification reactor (20); a solvent supply unit (112) that supplies a solvent to the spinning dope reactor (110); and a polymer injection unit (140) that supplies the polymer solution produced in the spinning dope reactor (110) to the centrifugal spinning disk (120). Additionally, a fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention further comprises a filtration unit (not shown in the drawing) for degassing the polymer solution produced in the spinning dope reactor (110) or for removing unreacted monomers in the polymerization reactor (10), a transport unit (not shown in the drawing) for transporting the polymer or modified polymer or polymer solution, and a control unit (not shown in the drawing) for controlling the temperature or speed of the spinning dope reactor (110).

[0024] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. First, the polymerization reactor (10) receives the monomer, solvent, additive, and modifier from the polymerization supply unit (11). Then, the polymerization reactor (10) receives an inert gas suitable for the monomer through the inert gas control unit (12) according to the type of monomer supplied from the polymerization supply unit (11). Here, the inert gas control unit (12) is provided to control the amount of the inert gas supplied. In this way, the polymerization reactor (10) plays the role of polymerizing the monomer to form the polymer.

[0025] Next, the modification reactor (20) receives the solvent, catalyst, and modification agent from the modification supply unit (21). Additionally, the modification reactor (20) receives the polymer formed through the polymerization reactor (10) by the transport unit. In this way, the modification reactor (20) serves to modify the polymer to form the modified polymer.

[0026] Next, the radiation dope reactor (110) receives a solvent for preparing a polymer solution from the solvent supply unit (112). Additionally, the radiation dope reactor (110) receives the modified polymer formed through the modification reactor (20) by the transport unit. In this way, the radiation dope reactor (110) serves to prepare a polymer solution by dissolving the polymer or the modified polymer in the solvent.

[0027] Here, the filtration unit serves to degas the polymer solution produced in the radiation dope reactor (110) or to remove unreacted monomers from the polymerization reactor (10), and the transport unit serves to transport the polymer or modified polymer or polymer solution formed in the polymerization reactor (10), the modification reactor (20), and the radiation dope reactor (110). Additionally, the control unit is provided to control the temperature or manufacturing speed of the radiation dope reactor (10). For example, the filtration unit is provided to be connected to the polymerization reactor (10) and the radiation dope reactor (110) to degas the polymer solution transported through the transport unit and to remove unreacted monomers. Additionally, the transport unit includes a pump, a transport pipe, and a valve that are connected to the polymerization reactor (10), the modification reactor (20), and the radiation dope reactor (110) to provide driving force to transport the polymer or modified polymer or polymer solution. Finally, the control unit is provided spaced apart from the radiation dope reactor (110) so that an operator can control the temperature or speed of the radiation dope reactor (110).

[0028] Next, referring to FIG. 2, the polymer solution produced in the above-mentioned radiation dope reactor (110) is transferred to the polymer injection unit (140) through the transport pipe (111), and the polymer injection unit (140) temporarily stores the polymer solution and supplies the polymer solution to the centrifugal spinning disk (120) at a preset flow rate.

[0029] For example, the polymer injection unit (140) can inject a predetermined amount of polymer solution or molten liquid into the centrifugal spinning disk (120) by means of an automated system and a computer control device program. Specifically, the polymer injection unit (140) may include a pump that injects the polymer solution or molten liquid at a constant injection rate within the range of 1 to 50,000 mL / min, and a transport pipe that transports the polymer solution or molten liquid to the centrifugal spinning disk (120).

[0030] Next, the centrifugal spinning disk (120) serves to spin a polymer solution or molten liquid supplied through the polymer injection unit (140) into a fiber (121). For example, the centrifugal spinning disk (120) is provided in a disc shape and includes a hole (120-1) provided on the side of the centrifugal spinning disk (120) so that the polymer solution can be sprayed, thereby serving to manufacture a fiber (121) by spraying the polymer solution. And, the collector (150) serves to collect the fiber (121) sprayed through the centrifugal spinning disk (120). For example, the collector (150) is formed in a disc shape corresponding to the centrifugal spinning disk (120), and the centrifugal spinning disk (120) is provided inside the collector (150) so as to collect the sprayed fiber (121).

[0031] At this time, the centrifugal spinning disk (120) can perform heave, pitch, roll, sway, yaw, surge, or rotational motion by the disk motion unit (130) when spinning the polymer solution. Additionally, the collector (150) can perform heave, pitch, roll, sway, yaw, surge, or rotational motion by the collector motion unit (160) when spinning the centrifugal spinning disk (120).

[0032]

[0033] Here, the disk motion unit (130) is for rotating the centrifugal radiation disk (120), and, for example, can rotate the centrifugal radiation disk (120) through a rotary motor. The disk motion unit (130) can rotate the centrifugal radiation disk (120) while connected to the centrifugal radiation disk (120). At this time, the rotational speed can be 1 to 100,000 rpm. In addition, the disk motion unit (130) can move the centrifugal radiation disk (120) in a reciprocating linear motion in the left-right or up-down direction through a reciprocating linear transport motor, or move it in a pitched motion in an inclined shape by including a rack and pinion gear.

[0034] Likewise, the collector motion unit (160) is also intended to rotate the collector (150), and, for example, can rotate the collector (150) through a rotary motor. The collector motion unit (160) can rotate the collector (150) while connected to the collector (150). At this time, the rotational speed can be 1 to 100,000 rpm. In addition, the collector motion unit (160) can move the collector (150) in a reciprocating linear motion in the left-right or up-down direction through a reciprocating linear motion motor, or move it in a pitched motion in an inclined shape by including a rack and pinion gear.

[0035] In this way, the collector (150) is configured as a fluid collector (150) that rotates or is transported at various angles by adjusting the angle by the collector motion unit (160), thereby easily adjusting the orientation of the fiber (121) discharged from the centrifugal spinning disk (120) to manufacture a nano filter, a nano composite filter, or a nano fabric (122). For example, the collector (150) can be adjusted to various angles (0° to 360°) at a speed within the range of 0.001 to 1,000 m / s, and this can be controlled through a hydraulic pump type collector motion unit (160) capable of rotating or transporting the collector (150).

[0036] When the collector (150) is rotated and collected at an angle of 0° to 60° by the collector motion unit (160), a nanofiber or patterned nanofiber structure with an orientation degree of 0 to 180 degrees is manufactured, and when applied to a scaffold in a biological application field, it is possible to have structural arrangement characteristics similar to actual tissue, and in addition, when applied as a filter, it has potential for other application fields, such as the effect of pores controlled according to the orientation degree.

[0037] On the other hand, a plurality of holes (120-1) into which the polymer solution is sprayed may be arranged on the side surface of the centrifugal spinning disk (120). At this time, the holes (120-1) may be formed in a polygonal shape including a rectangle or in a curved shape including a circle and an ellipse.

[0038] For example, referring to FIG. 3(a), the plurality of holes (120-1) may be arranged in a line on the side of the centrifugal radiation disk (120), and may be arranged more densely as they approach the center of the centrifugal radiation disk (120). Also, referring to FIG. 3(b), the plurality of holes (120-1) may be arranged alternately with one another. In other words, holes (120-1) adjacent to each other are arranged to intersect in a zigzag pattern.

[0039] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing fibers using a fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 4, in a method for manufacturing fibers according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the polymerization reactor (10) polymerizes the monomer to form the polymer in a polymerization step (S100); after the polymerization step (S100), the modification reactor (20) modifies the polymer to form the modified polymer in a modification step (S200); after the modification step (S200), the spinning dope reactor (110) dissolves the polymer or the modified polymer in a solvent to produce a polymer solution in a solution preparation step (S300); after the solution preparation step (S300), the centrifugal spinning disk (120) spins the polymer solution in a spinning step (S400); and after the spinning step (S400), the collector (150) collects the fibers produced as the centrifugal spinning disk (120) spins the polymer solution. It includes a collection step (S500).

[0041] First, in the polymerization step (S100) and modification step (S200) above, monomers are polymerized into polymers by a polymerization reactor system and undergo filtration and degassing processes. Through a transport unit connected to a subsequent process, a polymer modification step can be performed to facilitate processability and polymer mixing according to the characteristics of the material for the application field.

[0042] Next, in the solution preparation step (S300), a spinning solution is prepared through a spinning dope reactor (110), and the spinning solution is supplied to an automated system polymer injection unit (140) through a transport pipe (111). Here, the solvent of the polymer supplied to the above-mentioned radiation dope reactor (110) is formic acid, acetic acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, m-cresol, difluoroacetandhydride / dichloromethane, distilled water (DI water), N-methylmorpholine N-oxide, chloroform, tetrahydrofuran and aliphatic ketone group methyl isobutyl ketone, methyl ethyl ketone, aliphatic hydroxyl group m-butyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), methyl alcohol (MeOH), ethanol (EtOH), aliphatic compounds hexane, tetrachloroethylene, acetone, glycol group propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol, halogen compound group trichloroethylene, dichloromethane, aromatic compound group toluene, xylene, aliphatic ring compound group cyclohexanone, The solvent may be one or more selected from the group consisting of cyclohexane, n-butyl acetate and ethyl acetate as ester groups, butyl cellosalve as aliphatic ethers, 2-ethoxyethanol acetic acid, 2-ethoxyethanol, amide dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, and mixtures thereof. Additionally, the fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention can produce carbon nanofibers, and the type of polymer solution (precursor polymer) produced in the spinning dope reactor (110) may be one or more selected from the group consisting of polyacrylonitrile (PAN), acrylic, pitch, cellulose derivatives, phenol, etc.In addition, in the step of manufacturing the above-mentioned spinning dope, in addition to the carbon precursor polymer, it is composed of one or more of a blend of PAN polymer and another type of polymer or a copolymer of PAN polymer and another type of polymer, and in the blend and copolymer polymers, the PAN polymer is characterized by having a range of 10 to 99 weight%, and the other type of polymer may be composed of one or more of polyamide-based polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyaniline (PANI), polypropylene (PP), polyimide, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), acrylic-based polyacrylamide (PAA), polybutyl acrylate (PBA), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), in a ratio of 1 to 45 weight%.

[0043] Next, in the above spinning step (S400), a polymer solution or molten liquid can be injected into an ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning disk (120) through an automated system polymer injection unit (140), and the ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning disk (120) can be rotated through a disk motion unit (130) to spin the polymer solution or molten liquid into a fiber (121). Here, the ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning disk (120) can spin the polymer solution or molten liquid into a fiber (121). For example, a hole may be formed on the side of the ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning disk (120).

[0044] Next, in the collection step (S500), a nano filter and a nano composite filter (122) or a nano fabric (123) having multi-angle orientation can be manufactured by means of a collector (150) and a collector motion unit (160) using a fiber (121) discharged from an ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning disk (120). The collector (150) may include at least one of a mesh, a flat plate, and a structure (151), and may include a hydraulic pump or a mechanical pump capable of adjusting the angles at a constant speed.

[0045] Hereinafter, an example of a nanofiber produced by a fiber manufacturing method using a fiber manufacturing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0046] To manufacture a polymer, vinyl acetate (Vac) is washed and purified in an aqueous NaHS04 solution, then PVA with a saponification degree of 88% is dissolved in water, the purified Vac is added, oxygen is removed by passing nitrogen through it, ADMVN (initiator) is added at a specific polymerization temperature and polymerized for a predetermined time, after which the reaction solution is washed several times with cold water to produce PVAc. A solution of the prepared PVAc dissolved in acetone at 10 wt.% is prepared, and to clearly observe the orientation, a micron polypropylene (PP) nonwoven fabric is attached to a collector and spun.

[0047] In this embodiment, a spinning disc with a diameter of 15 cm is fabricated and used, and a PVA solution is injected into the disc by a polymer automated injection system, with the injection speed maintained at a constant 1 mL / min. The centrifugal spinning disc was rotated at 8,000 rpm by a disc rotating part. In this embodiment, a rotary collector with the function of a hydraulic pump and a rotating part that rotates the collector were used to control the orientation of the fibers discharged from the holes of the spinning disc. The gap between the collector and the spinning disc was set to 15 cm.

[0048] The embodiments can be used for air purification and water quality improvement filters due to their high efficiency and enhanced strength, and it is predicted that they can be further developed into filters with various functionalities, such as antibacterial properties and electromagnetic shielding. Furthermore, through the manufacture of functional fiber fabrics, they can be applied to smart clothing using superhydrophobic and conductive fabrics, as well as various medical fields. In particular, given the significant attention being paid to fine and ultrafine dust issues caused by environmental pollution, they are expected to be applied as a next-generation mass spinning technology for the mass production of mask filters or air purification filters. For example, the embodiments facilitate the control of the orientation of various types of polymer fibers and nanofibers, enabling the manufacture of nanofilters, composite nanofilters, or nanofibers. Related fields include various manufacturing sectors utilizing fibers or filters, tissue engineering, electronics, environmental engineering, and medicine.

[0049] In addition, through the embodiments, it is possible to manufacture nanofilters, nanocomposite filters, or nanofabrics with enhanced functionality, such as mechanical properties resulting from the orientation setting and polymer selection, as well as nanofilters, nanocomposite filters, or nanofabrics with controlled orientation. These filters can be applied to various filter products, such as mask filters for blocking fine and ultrafine dust, air purification filters, water purification filters, and filters for blocking dust generated in manufacturing.

[0050] It can also be applied to various products such as separators in lithium-ion batteries, scaffolds for rapid wound healing, bulletproof vests, diapers, and various household goods.

[0051] Consequently, the fiber manufacturing apparatus and method of the present invention have the advantage that polymer synthesis, modification, preparation of a spinning solution, and the production of nanofibers by ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning can be performed in a continuous sequence, and the orientation of the nanofibers produced can be easily controlled during collection as the centrifugal spinning disk or collector is transported or rotated.

[0052] As such, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the technical configuration of the present invention described above can be implemented in other specific forms without altering the technical concept or essential features of the present invention.

[0053] Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the claims set forth below rather than by the detailed description above, and all modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts thereof should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the invention.

[0054] The embodiments provide a continuous ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning system for the mass production of nanofibers with easily controllable orientation, which enables the manufacture of nanofilters, nanocomposite filters, or nanofiber fabrics having multi-angle orientation depending on angle and rotation, and facilitates the control of the orientation of the nanofibers. Specifically, the embodiments consist of a polymerization reactor system for polymerizing monomers into polymers, a modification reactor system, a spinning dope reactor system, an ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning disk, means for continuously injecting a polymer solution and a molten liquid onto the spinning disk, a hydraulic pump-type rotary collector for collecting the generated fibers with multi-angle orientation, and a collector rotating part that enhances the orientation of the fibers discharged from the disk.

[0055] The polymer solution or molten liquid exiting the disc forms a polymer jet, and the formed jet is stretched by the centrifugal force of the disc itself to form nanofibers, and nanofilters, nanocomposite filters, or nanofabrics are manufactured on the collector by controlling the angle and rotation direction by the collector and the collector rotating part. The hydraulic pump-type rotary collector enables the manufacture of nanofilters, nanocomposite filters, or nanofabrics oriented at various angles by controlling the angle at a constant speed through a hydraulic pump and rotating.

[0056] The spinning dope reactor, transport pipe, centrifugal spinning disk, disk motion unit, automated polymer injection system for injecting polymer solution or molten liquid, hydraulic pump-type collector capable of adjusting various angles, and collector motion unit constituting the continuous ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning system for mass production of nanofibers with easy orientation control described above can be configured not only in a downward direction but also in upward, horizontal, and diagonal directions as needed. That is, the detailed configuration and arrangement can be varied for fiber manufacturing in upward, horizontal, and diagonal directions, in addition to the downward direction as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0057] Unlike conventional ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning, the continuous system for mass production of nanofibers with easy orientation control provided in this embodiment enables the manufacture of nanofilters, nanocomposite filters, or nanofabrics by means of a rotating collector and a collector motion unit that move fibers extruded from a centrifugal spinning disk at various angles. Through this, functional nanofilters, nanocomposite filters, or nanofabrics with improved physical properties can be efficiently mass-produced by making orientation control easier compared to conventional centrifugal spinning.

[0058] Therefore, the continuous ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning system for mass production of nanofibers with easily controllable orientation according to the embodiments enables the mass production of nanofibers with easily controllable orientation, improves the tensile strength of the nanofilter to be produced, and allows the stacking of different polymer nanofibers for manufacturing functional nanofilters to be integrated into a single structure by an angle, thereby enabling application in various fiber industry fields and allowing for the development of diverse products such as functional filters and smart fiber materials.

[0059] Furthermore, conventional centrifugal spinning utilizes cylindrical or cage-shaped collectors to collect fibers from a rotating structure; however, since the extruded fibers form a ring shape, it is difficult to continuously collect fiber bundles with such collectors, and controlling the degree of orientation other than unidirectional orientation is not easy. The continuous ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning system for the mass production of nanofibers with easy degree of orientation control according to the embodiments allows for easy adjustment of the angle and rotation direction by means of the collector and collector motion unit to control the degree of orientation of the extruded fibers. Consequently, it is possible to manufacture multi-angle unidirectional nano-nonwovens or nano-fabrics instead of unidirectional nano-nonwovens, thereby resolving commercial issues by proceeding in a single step.

[0060] As described above, the embodiments provide a continuous system (100) for ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning for mass production of nanofibers with easily controllable orientation, capable of manufacturing nanofilters, nanocomposite filters, or nanofiber fabrics with an orientation controlled by a rotating collector that can adjust the angle of nanofibers by spinning nanofibers. The spinning disk may be characterized by introducing holes on the disk so that the amount of fiber discharged is significantly improved compared to centrifugal spinning using a conventional nozzle.

[0061] Meanwhile, a fiber manufacturing apparatus and a fiber manufacturing method using a continuous ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning system for mass production of nanofibers with easy orientation control according to one embodiment have been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. However, this is for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the explanation, and the present invention is not limited to the structure shown in the drawings. The continuous ultra-high-speed centrifugal spinning system for mass production of nanofibers with easy orientation control may include a spinning dope reactor, a transport pipe, each rotating part, a polymer solution or melt supply part, a centrifugal spinning disk, a change in the position of the collector (change in the position of each detailed structure for changing the fiber manufacturing direction, such as upward, horizontal, etc.) or a different structure.

[0062] The manufacture of a nano filter and a nano composite filter (122) or a nano fabric (123) can form a nano filter and a nano composite filter (122) or a nano fabric (123) by stacking unidirectional nanofibers at multiple angles when nanofibers discharged through the rotation of a spinning disk reach the collector (150) by controlling the angle and rotation direction by the collector (150) and the collector motion part (160).

[0063] [Explanation of the symbol]

[0064] 10: Polymerization reactor

[0065] 11: Polymerization supply unit

[0066] 12: Inert gas control unit

[0067] 20: Reforming reactor

[0068] 21: Modification supply unit

[0069] 110 : Radiation-doff reactor

[0070] 111 : Transport Officer

[0071] 112: Solvent supply unit

[0072] 120 : Centrifugal radiation disc

[0073] 120-1 : Hall

[0074] 121 : Fiber

[0075] 122 : Nano filter

[0076] 123 : Nanotextiles

[0077] 130 : Disk motion unit

[0078] 140: Polymer injection part

[0079] 150 : Collector

[0080] 160 : Collector Motion Section

[0081] S100: Polymerization step

[0082] S200: Modification stage

[0083] S300: Solution preparation step

[0084] S400: Radiation stage

[0085] S500: Collection stage

Claims

1. A polymerization reactor that polymerizes monomers to form a polymer; A modification reactor that modifies the polymer polymerized in the above polymerization reactor to form a modified polymer; A radiation dope reactor for preparing a polymer solution by dissolving the above polymer or modified polymer in a solvent; A centrifugal spinning disk for spinning the polymer solution prepared in the above-mentioned radiation dope reactor; and A fiber manufacturing apparatus characterized by including a collector for collecting fibers manufactured by being spun from the above centrifugal spinning disk.

2. In Paragraph 1, A disk motion unit for transporting or rotating the above centrifugal radiation disk; and A fiber manufacturing apparatus characterized by further including a collector motion unit for transporting or rotating the above-mentioned collector.

3. In Paragraph 1, A polymerization supply unit that supplies the monomer, solvent, additive, and initiator to the polymerization reactor; An inert gas control unit that injects an inert gas into the polymerization reactor according to the type of monomer polymerized in the polymerization reactor; A reforming supply unit that supplies a solvent, a catalyst, and a reforming agent to the above-mentioned reforming reactor; A solvent supply unit for supplying a solvent to the above-mentioned radiation dope reactor; and A fiber manufacturing apparatus further comprising a polymer injection unit that supplies the polymer solution produced in the above-mentioned spinning dope reactor to the above-mentioned centrifugal spinning disk.

4. In Paragraph 1, A filtration unit for degassing the polymer solution produced in the above-mentioned radiation dope reactor or for removing unreacted monomers from the above-mentioned polymerization reactor; A transport unit for transporting the above polymer or modified polymer or polymer solution; and A fiber manufacturing apparatus characterized by further including a control unit for controlling the temperature or speed of the above-mentioned radiation dope reactor.

5. Using the fiber manufacturing device of paragraph 1, A polymerization step in which the polymerization reactor polymerizes the monomer to form the polymer; After the polymerization step above, a modification step in which the modification reactor modifies the polymer to form the modified polymer; After the above modification step, a solution preparation step in which the above radiation dope reactor dissolves the polymer or modified polymer in a solvent to prepare a polymer solution; After the above solution preparation step, a spinning step in which the centrifugal spinning disk spins the polymer solution; and A method for manufacturing fibers characterized by including, after the above-mentioned spinning step, a collection step in which the collector collects fibers produced as the centrifugal spinning disk spins the polymer solution.

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