JP2011214170A - Method for producing yarn comprising polymer nanofiber - Google Patents

Abstract

[PROBLEMS] To provide a method for producing a "yarn made of polymer nanofiber" capable of producing a "yarn made of polymer nanofiber" having higher strength than the conventional method of producing "yarn made of polymer nanofiber". provide.
SOLUTION: A first step of manufacturing a strip-shaped nonwoven fabric composed of polymer nanofibers, and a second step of manufacturing a “thread 18 composed of polymer nanofibers” from the strip-shaped nonwoven fabric by passing the strip-shaped nonwoven fabric through a twisting yarn device. , By stretching the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” and heating the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” to partially bond the polymer nanofibers 12 to each other, The manufacturing method of the "thread consisting of polymer nanofibers" including the third step of increasing the strength of the thread 18 consisting of molecular nanofibers in this order.
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for producing “yarns composed of polymer nanofibers”. In the present invention, the nanofiber means a fiber having an average diameter of about 1000 nm or less.

  “Threads made of polymer nanofibers” are nanofibers gathered into a thread shape, and have a very large specific surface area and high strength. Therefore, the “thread made of polymer nanofibers” can be used for air cleaning filters, various industrial filters, wiping cloths, diapers, artificial leather, artificial dialysis filters, artificial blood vessels, artificial bones, and the like.

  Conventionally, as a method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”, the following method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” described in Patent Document 1. That is, as shown in FIG. 17, a conventional method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofibers” is a method of cutting polymer nanofibers produced by electrospinning (sometimes referred to as electrospinning) into strips. Thus, a belt-shaped nonwoven fabric made of polymer nanofibers is manufactured. The strip-shaped non-woven fabric is passed through a twisted yarn device and stretched to produce a “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” (continuous filament).

  According to the conventional manufacturing method of “yarns made of polymer nanofibers”, a high-strength non-woven fabric made of polymer nanofibers produced by electrospinning can be used without a separate spinning step. “Threads made of polymer nanofibers” can be produced.

Special Table 2007-518891

  However, in the industrial world, there is a demand for a production method capable of producing a higher-strength “yarn made of polymer nanofibers”.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” that can produce a “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” having higher strength than the conventional method of producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”. An object is to provide a manufacturing method.

  As a result of intensive efforts to achieve the above object, the inventors of the present invention heated the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” while twisting and stretching the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”. If a partial bonding process that partially bonds molecular nanofibers is performed, in the “thread made of polymer nanofibers” after the partial bonding process, even if tensile stress is applied to the polymer nanofibers, As a result, it has been found that a high-strength “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” can be produced compared to the conventional method of producing a “yarn made of polymer nanofibers”. (Claim 1) has been completed. In addition, while twisting and stretching the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”, the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to perform the crosslinking treatment of the polymer constituting the polymer nanofiber. Then, in the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” after the crosslinking treatment, the tensile strength of the polymer nanofiber itself is high even when tensile stress is applied. It has been found that it is possible to produce “yarns made of polymer nanofibers” with higher strength than in the production method of “yarns made of polymer nanofibers”, and the present invention (claim 11) has been completed. .

[1] That is, the manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” of the present invention includes a first step of producing a belt-like nonwoven fabric made of polymer nanofiber, and passing the belt-like nonwoven fabric through a twisted yarn device, A second step of producing “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” from a strip-shaped nonwoven fabric, and heating the “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” while twisting and stretching the “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” And a third step of increasing the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” by performing a partial bonding process for partially bonding the polymer nanofibers in this order.

  For this reason, according to the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” of the present invention, “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is heated while twisting and stretching “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”. The polymer nanofibers are partially bonded to each other in the “thread made of polymer nanofibers” after the partial bonding process. It will be in the state. For this reason, even when tensile stress is applied, it is difficult for the polymer nanofibers to slip, and as a result, the “polymer nanofibers” having higher strength than the conventional method of producing “threads made of polymer nanofibers”. It becomes possible to manufacture “a yarn made of”.

  Further, according to the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” of the present invention, the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is heated while twisting and stretching the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”. Since the polymer nanofibers are partly bonded to each other, the entire polymer nanofiber melts into a single fiber yarn, or high All the parts where the molecular nanofibers are in contact with each other are not bonded, and the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” does not become rigid. Therefore, in the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” It is possible to increase the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” while maintaining the extremely large specific surface area due to the existing nano-level uneven structure and the flexibility of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber”.

  In the method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofibers” according to the present invention, “partially binding polymer nanofibers” means that all of the portions where the polymer nanofibers are in contact with each other. It means to combine a part without. For example, by partially heating a “thread made of polymer nanofibers”, a part of the portions where the polymer nanofibers are in contact with each other may be bonded. It is good also as combining a part about the location where polymer nanofibers are contacting by heating a "composed yarn" on comparatively weak conditions.

  In the method for producing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” of the present invention, the condition for heating the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is such that the temperature of the polymer nanofiber is at least equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature. It is preferable to adopt various conditions.

[2] In the method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofiber” according to the present invention, the partial binding treatment is performed by a laser irradiation process for irradiating the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” with a laser beam. It is preferable.

  By appropriately controlling the irradiation intensity, irradiation range, irradiation position, and other irradiation conditions of the laser irradiation by using such a method, the degree to which the polymer nanofibers are partially bonded to each other, the density of the bonding points, By adjusting the degree of dispersion of the bonding points, etc., it is possible to increase the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” under appropriate conditions.

[3] In the method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofiber” according to the present invention, the laser irradiation treatment is performed with a beam spot having a diameter that is not more than twice the average diameter of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber”. It is preferable to use a laser beam focused on.

  By adopting such a method, it is possible to efficiently increase the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber”.

[4] In the method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofiber” according to the present invention, the laser irradiation treatment is preferably performed while scanning laser light according to a predetermined procedure.

  By adopting such a method, it is possible to increase the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” under appropriate conditions while scanning the irradiation position of laser irradiation.

  For example, if a laser beam is scanned in a direction along the stretching axis of “polymer nanofiber”, partial bonding treatment can be performed in a direction along the stretching axis of “polymer nanofiber”. It becomes possible.

  Further, if two or more “threads made of polymer nanofibers” are arranged in parallel and the laser beam is scanned so as to cross all the “threads made of polymer nanofibers”, two laser beams can be obtained by one laser beam. It becomes possible to perform partial bonding treatment on more than “high-molecular nanofibers”.

[5] In the method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofiber” of the present invention, the laser irradiation treatment is preferably performed intermittently using pulsed laser light having a predetermined period or duty ratio. .

  By adopting such a method, if the laser irradiation treatment is intermittently performed, it is possible to increase the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” under appropriate conditions.

  By adjusting the pulse period or duty ratio, in particular, the density of partial bonds formed in the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” can be adjusted.

  By performing laser irradiation by shortening the period of the pulsed light or increasing the duty ratio, partial coupling can be formed at high density. On the contrary, partial coupling can be formed at low density by increasing the period of the pulsed light and performing laser irradiation with a reduced duty ratio.

[6] In the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” of the present invention, the laser irradiation treatment is preferably performed using two or more laser beams.

  By adopting such a method, it becomes possible to irradiate more surfaces of the “polymer nanofibers” with laser light, so the strength of the “polymer nanofibers” can be increased more uniformly. It becomes possible to do.

[7] In the method for producing “yarns composed of polymer nanofibers” of the present invention, the partial binding treatment is performed by hot air irradiation treatment in which hot air is irradiated to the “threads composed of polymer nanofibers”. Is preferred.

  By adopting such a method, the irradiation intensity, irradiation range, irradiation position, and other irradiation conditions of hot air irradiation are the same as in the case of the method for producing the “polymer nanofiber yarn” described in [2] above. By appropriately controlling the degree to which the polymer nanofibers are partially bonded to each other, adjusting the density of the bonding points, the degree of dispersion of the bonding points, etc. It is possible to increase the strength.

  In addition, as a means to perform a hot air irradiation process, the heat processing by a hot gun can be illustrated preferably.

[8] In the method for producing a “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the present invention, the partial bonding treatment is preferably performed by passing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” through a ring heater. .

  By adopting such a method as well, by appropriately controlling the temperature of the ring heater, the length of the heating region, the passing speed of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” and other heating conditions, It is possible to increase the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofibers” under appropriate conditions by adjusting the degree of partial bonding, the density of bonding points, the degree of dispersion of bonding points, and the like.

  The ring-shaped heater includes an electric furnace in which a heater is disposed at a position surrounding a region through which a “polymer nanofiber yarn” passes, and an infrared ray source at a position surrounding a region through which a “polymer nanofiber yarn” passes. A diffusion furnace used for manufacturing an infrared furnace, a semiconductor, etc. can be preferably exemplified.

  The time for the "thread made of polymer nanofiber" to pass through the heating area of the ring heater can also adjust the passing speed of the "thread made of polymer nanofiber" by adjusting the length of the heating area. Or by adjusting both.

[9] In the method for producing a “polymer nanofiber yarn” according to the present invention, the partial binding treatment is performed by collecting light or infrared rays on the “polymer nanofiber yarn”. It is preferable to perform the heat treatment.

  Even by adopting such a method, the degree to which the polymer nanofibers are partially bonded, the density of bonding points, the degree of dispersion of bonding points, and the like are adjusted by appropriately controlling the conditions of the rapid heat treatment. Thus, it is possible to increase the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” under appropriate conditions.

[10] In the method for producing a “thread composed of polymer nanofibers” according to the present invention, in the first step, as the band-shaped nonwoven fabric, the high-strength polymer nanofibers that can promote the partial bonding treatment are formed. It is preferable to produce a strip-shaped nonwoven fabric to which an additive salt that lowers the glass transition temperature of the molecular material is added.

  By adopting such a method, the polymer nanofibers can be easily bonded to each other, so that the partial bonding process can be performed more easily, and a higher-strength “thread made of polymer nanofibers” is produced. It becomes possible.

As the addition salts, it can be preferably exemplified, for example, FeSO ₄ · 7H ₂ O.

[11] In the method for producing a “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the present invention, a first step of producing a belt-like nonwoven fabric made of polymer nanofiber, and passing the belt-like nonwoven fabric through a twisting yarn device, the belt-like nonwoven fabric. The second step of producing “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” from nonwoven fabric, and irradiating the “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” with ultraviolet rays while twisting and stretching the “thread made of polymer nanofibers” And a third step of increasing the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” by performing a crosslinking treatment of the polymer constituting the polymer nanofiber in this order.

  For this reason, according to the manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” of the present invention, ultraviolet rays are applied to the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” while twisting and stretching the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”. Since the polymer constituting the polymer nanofibers is subjected to a crosslinking treatment upon irradiation, the “nanofibers made of polymer nanofibers” after the partial binding treatment have high tensile strength. It has become. For this reason, in the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” after the crosslinking treatment, the tensile strength of the polymer nanofiber itself is high even when tensile stress is applied. As in the case of the production method of “thread made of molecular nanofiber”, it becomes possible to produce “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” with higher strength than the conventional production method of “thread made of polymer nanofiber”. .

  In addition, in the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of a polymer nanofiber" of this invention, you may perform both the partial joint process as described in said [1], and the bridge | crosslinking process as described in said [11]. By setting it as such a method, compared with the case where a partial bond process or a bridge | crosslinking process is each performed independently, it becomes possible to manufacture "strength which consists of polymer nanofiber" of much higher intensity | strength.

[12] In the method for producing a “yarn comprising polymer nanofibers” according to the present invention, the first step is performed by performing electrospinning in a state where a high voltage is applied between the collector and the nozzle. It is preferable to include a step of producing a sheet-like nonwoven fabric from a material solution or a molten polymer material and a step of producing the strip-like nonwoven fabric by cutting the sheet-like nonwoven fabric in this order.

  By setting it as such a method, it becomes possible to manufacture efficiently the strip-shaped nonwoven fabric which consists of a polymer nanofiber with a nano level diameter with high productivity.

[13] In the method for producing a “yarn comprising polymer nanofibers” of the present invention, the first step is a “drum-shaped collector” in which a belt-shaped collector extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the drum outer peripheral surface. By performing electrospinning in a state where a high voltage is applied between the collector and the nozzle, the polymer nanofiber is deposited on the collector from a polymer material solution or a molten polymer material, and the polymer nanofiber is deposited. It is preferable to be a step of producing the belt-shaped nonwoven fabric made of fibers.

  By adopting such a method, it becomes possible to efficiently produce a strip-shaped nonwoven fabric made of polymer nanofibers having a nano-level diameter with high productivity. Moreover, the process of cut | disconnecting a nonwoven fabric becomes unnecessary.

[14] In the method for producing “yarns composed of polymer nanofibers” of the present invention, in the first step, a polymer material solution or a molten polymer material containing two or more kinds of polymer materials is used. It is preferable to produce the belt-shaped nonwoven fabric composed of polymer nanofibers in which two or more kinds of polymer materials are blended inside by electrospinning.

  By adopting such a method, two or more types of polymer materials are blended inside, and the high-performance and high-strength “thread made of polymer nanofibers” that complement each other's properties of the polymer materials. Can be manufactured.

[15] In the method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofiber” of the present invention, in the first step, two or more kinds of polymer material solutions or molten polymer materials each containing different polymer materials are used. It is preferable to produce the belt-shaped nonwoven fabric containing two or more kinds of polymer nanofibers by simultaneously performing electrospinning.

  By adopting such a method, a high-functional and high-strength “thread made of polymer nanofibers” that contains two or more types of polymer nanofibers and complements the properties of each other. Can be manufactured.

  For example, a “string made of polymer nanofibers” is made using a band-shaped nonwoven fabric in which nanofibers of polymer materials that are difficult to partially bond by heating and nanofibers of polymer materials that can be easily partially bonded are mixed. It can be manufactured and partially combined. By doing so, it is possible to bond nanofibers that are difficult to partially bond using a polymer material that can be easily partially bonded as an adhesive, and to increase the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofibers” It becomes possible.

[16] In the method for producing a “thread comprising polymer nanofibers” of the present invention, in the first step, two or more kinds of polymer material solutions or molten polymer materials each containing different polymer materials are used. It is preferable to produce the belt-shaped nonwoven fabric having a structure in which different polymer nanofibers are laminated by performing electrospinning in order.

  Even with such a method, “high-function and high-strength yarn composed of polymer nanofibers” containing two or more types of polymer nanofibers and complementing each other's properties of polymer nanofibers. Can be manufactured.

  For example, using a band-shaped nonwoven fabric in which a band-shaped nonwoven fabric composed of nanofibers of a polymer material that can be easily partially bonded is laminated on a band-shaped nonwoven fabric composed of nanofibers of a polymer material that is difficult to be partially bonded by heating. A “thread made of fibers” can be produced and subjected to a partial bonding treatment. By doing this, it is possible to bond nanofibers that are difficult to partially bond using a polymer that can be easily partially bonded as an adhesive, and to increase the strength of the yarn made of polymer nanofibers. It becomes.

[17] In the method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofiber” of the present invention, in the first step, two or more kinds of polymer material solutions or molten polymer materials each containing different polymer materials are used. Electrospinning is separately performed to produce two or more types of the strip-shaped nonwoven fabric, and in the second step, the two or more types of the strip-shaped nonwoven fabric are passed through a twisting device to form the two or more types of the strip-shaped nonwoven fabric. It is preferable to produce the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” from a nonwoven fabric.

  Even with such a method, “high-function and high-strength yarn composed of polymer nanofibers” containing two or more types of polymer nanofibers and complementing each other's properties of polymer nanofibers. Can be manufactured.

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining each step in the method for producing “a thread made of polymer nanofibers” according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a view for explaining each step in the method for producing “a thread made of polymer nanofibers” according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a view for explaining each step in the method for producing “a thread made of polymer nanofibers” according to the first embodiment. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the partial combination process in the modification 1. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the partial joint process in the modification 2. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the partial joint process in the modification 3. FIG. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the partial joint process in the modification 4. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a partial combining process in the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a partial combining process in the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a partial combining process in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 9 is a view for explaining a third step in the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 11 is a view for explaining a third step in the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the sixth embodiment. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the 1st process in modification 5. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the 1st process in modification 6. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the 1st process in modification 7. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the 1st process in modification 8. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the manufacturing apparatus of "the thread | yarn consisting of a polymer nanofiber" described in patent document 1. FIG.

  Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” of the present invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.

[Embodiment 1]
1-3 is a figure shown in order to demonstrate each process in the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn which consists of polymer nanofibers" concerning Embodiment 1. FIG. Among these, FIG. 1 is a figure shown in order to demonstrate the 1st process in the manufacturing method of the "thread consisting of polymer nanofiber" concerning Embodiment 1, and Drawing 2 is a figure shown in order to explain the 2nd process FIG. 3 is a view for explaining the third step. FIG. 1A is a view showing a state in which a sheet-like nonwoven fabric 14 made of polymer nanofibers 12 is manufactured using an electrospinning apparatus 100, and FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 (a) is a diagram showing a state in which the band-shaped non-woven fabric 16 is passed through the twisting device 200 to produce “yarn 16 made of polymer nanofibers”, and FIG. 2 (b) is a symbol in FIG. 2 (a). It is a figure which expands and shows the area | region shown by R2, FIG.2 (c) is a figure which shows the said area | region by the higher expansion rate than FIG.2 (b). FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a state in which a partial bonding process is performed by irradiating a laser beam to the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber”, and FIG. 3B is a top view of FIG. FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the manufacturing method of “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” according to Embodiment 1 includes a first step of manufacturing a belt-like nonwoven fabric 16 made of polymer nanofibers 12, and a belt-like nonwoven fabric 16. Is passed through the twisting device 200 to produce the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofibers” from the belt-shaped nonwoven fabric 16, and the “high yarns 18 made of polymer nanofibers” are twisted and stretched while “high A third step of increasing the strength of the “thread 18 composed of polymer nanofibers” by performing a partial binding treatment for partially binding the polymer nanofibers 12 by heating the thread 18 composed of molecular nanofibers; In this order. Hereinafter, according to a manufacturing process, the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn which consists of polymer nanofibers" concerning Embodiment 1 is demonstrated in detail.

(1) First Step The first step is a step of manufacturing the sheet-like nonwoven fabric 14 from the polymer material solution by performing electrospinning in a state where a high voltage is applied between the collector 108 and the nozzle 106, And a step of manufacturing the strip-shaped nonwoven fabric 16 by cutting the strip-shaped nonwoven fabric 14 in this order.

  First, the process of manufacturing the sheet-like nonwoven fabric 14 is performed as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 1A, a raw material tank 102 provided in the electrospinning apparatus 100 can be filled with a polymer material solution that is a raw material for the polymer nanofiber 12, and the valve 104 can be opened to supply the raw material to the nozzle 106. State. By applying a high voltage between the nozzle 106 and the collector 108 using the high-voltage power supply 110, the polymer nanofibers 12 are spun into the space between the nozzle 106 and the collector 108, and the space between the nozzle 106 and the collector 108 is reached. The polymer nanofibers 12 are deposited on the collector 108 by the electric field generated in the above, and the sheet-like nonwoven fabric 14 made of the polymer nanofibers 12 is manufactured.

  The thickness of the sheet-like nonwoven fabric 14 is, for example, 5 μm to 50 μm. The average diameter of the polymer nanofiber is, for example, 300 nm to 800 nm.

  Polymer materials used as raw materials include polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyamide (PA), polyurethane (PUR) Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyetherimide (PEI), polycaprolactone (PCL), polylactic acid (PLA), polylactic glycolic acid (PLGA), and the like can be used. What is necessary is just to select an optimal thing according to a use.

  When a sheet-like nonwoven fabric is manufactured using the electrospinning apparatus 100, the voltage applied between the nozzle 106 and the collector 108 varies depending on the distance between the nozzle 106 and the collector 108, the raw material used, etc., but is several kV to several tens kV. is there. What is necessary is just to select an optimal value suitably according to the polymer raw material and the structure of the electrospinning apparatus 100.

  Next, the process of manufacturing the strip-shaped nonwoven fabric 16 is performed as follows. That is, as shown in FIG.1 (b), the sheet-like nonwoven fabric 14 is cut | disconnected to the width | variety of about 1-100 mm, and the strip | belt-shaped nonwoven fabric 16 which can be twisted is manufactured.

(2) Second Step The second step is a step of manufacturing the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofibers” from the strip-shaped nonwoven fabric 16 by passing the strip-shaped nonwoven fabric 16 through the twisted yarn device 200. That is, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), the belt-shaped nonwoven fabric 16 produced in the first step is twisted using the main twisting device 202 to form “polymer nanofibers” as shown in FIG. 2 (b). The yarn 18 "can be manufactured, and the yarn feeding device 204, 206 is used to strongly twist the yarn by feeding the yarn 18 while twisting the polymer nanofiber yarn 18 from the left to the right in FIG. 2 (a). The produced “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” can be continuously produced.

  If the yarn feed speed V1 of the yarn feed device 206 is faster than the yarn feed speed V2 of the yarn feed device 204 when feeding the yarn using the yarn feed devices 204 and 206, the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” Can also be stretched.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (c), the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” manufactured in the second step is arranged such that the polymer nanofiber 12 is on the stretching axis of the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber”. It is oriented at an angle of about 30 degrees with respect to it.

  The diameter of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” manufactured in the second step is, for example, 10 μm to 2000 μm.

(3) Third Step The third step is to heat the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” while twisting and stretching the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” to form the polymer nanofibers 12 together. This is a step of increasing the strength of the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofibers” by performing a partial bonding process for partially bonding the. Specifically, while twisting and stretching the “yarn 18 made of polymer nanofiber”, the laser beam irradiation device 300 made up of the laser generator 302 and the lens 304 is used to change the laser beam to “made of polymer nanofiber. When a predetermined position of the “thread 18” is irradiated, the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” is heated in the portion R3 irradiated with the laser beam, and the temperature of the polymer nanofiber 12 existing in the R3 region is increased to the polymer. The temperature becomes equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature of the nanofibers 12, and the polymer nanofibers 12 are melted to form a bonding point 20.

  On the other hand, in the portion R4 where the laser beam is not irradiated, the “thread 18 made of the polymer nanofiber” is not heated, so that the polymer nanofibers 12 are not bonded to each other.

  In addition, when performing partial bonding treatment using laser light, the intensity of the irradiated laser light is used so that all of the polymer nanofibers present in the part irradiated with the laser light are not combined into a single fiber. Adjust.

  As the laser generator, a semiconductor laser, a gas laser such as a carbon dioxide gas laser or a helium neon laser can be used. What is necessary is just to select according to the wavelength, output, etc. of a laser required for a heating.

  Further, the drawing of the “polymer nanofiber yarn 18” is performed by making the yarn feed speed V3 of the yarn feed device 308 faster than the yarn feed speed V4 of the yarn feed device 306.

  In addition, the feeding speed of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” is, for example, 1 m / min to 30 m / min. The power of the laser beam is 20W to 600W. The temperature of the polymer nanofibers at the site irradiated with the laser light is, for example, 100 ° C to 300 ° C.

  Through the above steps, “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” can be manufactured.

  According to the manufacturing method of “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment, “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is subjected to laser irradiation while twisting and stretching “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”. Since heating is performed to partially bond the polymer nanofibers, the polymer nanofibers constituting the “thread made of the polymer nanofibers” are partially bonded to each other. For this reason, even if tensile stress is applied to the “polymer nanofiber”, it becomes difficult for the polymer nanofibers to slip, making it possible to produce a “strength polymer nanofiber” with higher strength than before. Become.

  In addition, while twisting and stretching the “polymer nanofibers”, the “polymer nanofibers” are heated to perform a partial bonding process to partially bond the polymer nanofibers. Therefore, the entire polymer nanofiber melts into a single fiber yarn, or all the parts where the polymer nanofibers are in contact with each other “Threads made of molecular nanofibers” do not become stiff, and therefore, a very large specific surface area and “polymer nanofibers” due to nano level uneven structure present in “threads made of polymer nanofibers”. It is possible to increase the strength of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” while maintaining the flexibility of the “yarn made of”.

  Moreover, according to the manufacturing method of “the polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment, the partial bonding treatment is performed by irradiating the “polymer nanofiber” with a laser beam. Therefore, by appropriately controlling the irradiation intensity, irradiation range, irradiation position and other irradiation conditions of the laser irradiation, the degree to which the polymer nanofibers are partially bonded to each other, the density of bonding points, the degree of dispersion of bonding points, etc. By adjusting the above, it is possible to increase the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” under appropriate conditions.

  Furthermore, according to the manufacturing method of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment, a high voltage is applied between the nozzle and the planar collector to perform the electrospinning, so that the polymer material solution or Since a sheet-like nonwoven fabric is manufactured from a molten polymer material and the sheet-like nonwoven fabric is cut to produce the belt-like nonwoven fabric, a belt-like nonwoven fabric made of polymer nanofibers having a nano-level diameter can be produced with high productivity. Therefore, it becomes possible to manufacture efficiently.

[Modification 1]
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the partial combining process in the first modification. FIG. 4A is a diagram showing that the laser beam irradiation apparatus 300a is moved perpendicularly to the drawing axis of “the polymer nanofiber yarn 18”, and FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating FIG. Is a view as seen along the drawing axis of “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber”.

  In the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Modification 1, as shown in FIG. 4, the laser irradiation treatment is performed with a diameter not more than twice the average diameter of “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”. The laser beam is focused on a beam spot having

  In the second embodiment, the temperature of the polymer nanofiber in the portion irradiated with the laser light is, for example, 100 ° C. to 300 ° C.

  With reference to FIG. 4, a laser beam irradiation method in the first modification will be described. The beam spot diameter d of the laser beam is determined by moving the laser beam irradiation device 300a in a direction perpendicular to the drawing axis of the “polymer nanofiber yarn 18” and the lens 304 and “polymer nanofiber yarn 18”. This is performed by adjusting the distance D.

  The beam spot diameter d decreases as the distance D between the lens 304 and the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” approaches the focal length of the lens 304. On the other hand, as the difference between the distance D and the focal length of the lens 304 (including the case where the distance D becomes larger or smaller than the focal length of the lens 304) increases, the beam spot diameter d increases.

  According to the manufacturing method of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first modification, the partial bonding process is performed on the beam spot having a diameter that is not more than twice the average diameter of the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber”. Since it is performed using the narrowed laser beam, it is possible to efficiently increase the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber”.

[Modification 2]
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the partial combining process in the second modification. FIG. 5A is a diagram showing that laser irradiation is performed by scanning the laser beam irradiation apparatus 300b along the stretching axis of “polymer nanofiber yarn 18”, and FIG. It is a figure which shows that it scans in the direction perpendicular | vertical and parallel to the extending | stretching axis | shaft with respect to the extending | stretching axis | shaft of several "polymer nanofiber 18" using the light irradiation apparatus 300b.

  In the manufacturing method of “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the second modification, as shown in FIG. 5, the laser irradiation process is performed while scanning the laser beam according to a predetermined procedure.

  With reference to FIG. 5, the partial combining process in the second modification will be described. As shown in FIG. 5 (a), when the laser beam irradiation device 300b is scanned along the stretching axis of “the polymer nanofiber yarn 18”, the “polymer nanofiber yarn 18” along the stretching axis. Can be partially combined.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, if the laser light irradiation device 300b is scanned so as to cross a plurality of “threads 18 made of polymer nanofibers”, a plurality of “ Partial bonding can be performed on the yarn 18 "made of polymer nanofibers.

  According to the manufacturing method of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” according to the second modification, the partial bonding process is performed while scanning the laser beam on the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” according to a predetermined procedure. Therefore, it is possible to increase the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” under appropriate conditions while scanning the irradiation position of the laser irradiation.

[Modification 3]
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the partial combining process in the third modification. 6 (a) to 6 (c) are diagrams showing a state in which pulsed laser irradiation is performed and laser light irradiation is intermittently performed, and FIG. 6 (d) shows execution and stop of pulsed laser irradiation on a time axis. FIG. 6E is a diagram showing “threads made of polymer nanofibers” after partial bonding treatment with the laser irradiation pattern shown in FIG. 6D.

  In the method of manufacturing “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” according to Modification 3, as shown in FIG. 6, laser irradiation treatment is intermittently performed using pulsed laser light having a predetermined period or duty ratio. To do.

  With reference to FIG. 6, the partial combining process in the third modification will be described. As shown in FIG. 6A, a pulsed laser beam is generated from the laser beam irradiation apparatus 300c at time T1, and the partial coupling process 22 is formed. Next, pulse laser beam irradiation is not performed at time T2 (FIG. 6B), and pulse laser beam is generated again at time T3 to form a partial coupling process 22 (FIG. 6C). When the laser irradiation treatment is intermittently performed in a pattern as shown in FIG. 6 (d), the “polymer nanofibers” in which the partial bonding treatment is applied only to the portion irradiated with the pulsed laser light as shown in FIG. 6 (e). A yarn 18 "is produced.

  According to the manufacturing method of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” according to Modification 3, the partial coupling process is intermittently performed using pulsed laser light having a predetermined period or duty ratio. Therefore, it is possible to increase the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” under appropriate conditions.

[Modification 4]
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the partial combining process in the fourth modification. FIG. 7 (a) is a diagram showing that laser irradiation is performed with two lasers, FIG. 7 (b) is a diagram of FIG. 7 (a) viewed along the stretching axis, and FIG. FIG. 7C is a diagram showing that laser irradiation is performed by arranging three lasers at an angle of 120 °, and FIG. 7D is a diagram showing that laser irradiation is performed by arranging four lasers at an angle of 90 °. FIG.

  In the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Modification 4, as shown in FIG. 7, laser irradiation treatment is performed using two or more laser beams.

  With reference to FIG. 7, the partial combining process in the modification 4 will be described. As shown in FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B, the two laser light irradiation devices 300 are arranged on an axis perpendicular to the stretching axis of the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofibers”, thereby “polymer nanofibers”. A laser beam can be irradiated to both sides of the yarn 18 "made of fiber.

  As shown in FIG. 7C, when the three laser light irradiation devices 300 are arranged at an angle of 120 ° on a plane perpendicular to the drawing axis of “the polymer nanofiber yarn 18”, “polymer nanofiber” Laser light can be irradiated from three directions of the yarn 18 ”made of fiber.

  As shown in FIG. 7D, when the four laser light irradiation devices 300 are arranged at an angle of 90 ° on a plane perpendicular to the drawing axis of “the polymer nanofiber yarn 18”, “polymer nanofiber” Laser light can be irradiated from the top, bottom, left and right of the drawing axis of the yarn 18 ”made of fiber.

  According to the manufacturing method of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” according to the modification example 4, since the partial bonding process is performed by performing the laser irradiation process using two or more laser beams, the polymer nanofiber It is possible to irradiate more portions of the “yarn made of” with laser light, and to increase the strength of the “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” more uniformly.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the partial combining process in the second embodiment.
The method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 2 basically includes the same steps as the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 1, but partially bonded. The content of the treatment is different from that in the case of the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment. That is, in the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the partial bonding process is performed using the hot gun device 310 to “yarn 18 made of polymer nanofiber”. The hot air is irradiated with hot air.

  The partial combining process in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. While twisting and stretching the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” by the yarn feeders 306 and 308, the hot air 314 discharged from the hot gun 312 is irradiated to the “yarn 18 made of polymer nanofiber” to irradiate the hot air. Then, a partial bonding process of “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” is performed.

  The hot gun device 310 further includes an airflow suction device 316 and an airflow suction pump 318, and the hot air irradiation process is performed while sucking the airflow with the airflow suction device 316. The temperature of the hot air 314 is preferably such that the temperature of the polymer nanofiber 12 is at least equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature when the hot air 314 is irradiated on the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber”. .

  As described above, the method for producing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the second embodiment is different from the method for producing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment in the content of the partial bonding process. However, by twisting and stretching the “polymer nanofibers”, the “polymer nanofibers” are heated to perform a partial bonding process that partially bonds the polymer nanofibers. Since the third step of increasing the strength of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is included, as in the case of the method for producing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment, It becomes possible to produce “yarns made of polymer nanofibers” with higher strength than in the production method of “yarns made of fibers”.

  In addition, according to the method for producing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the second embodiment, the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is twisted and stretched while the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is twisted and stretched. Since it is supposed to perform a partial bonding process in which the polymer nanofibers are partially bonded by heating, as in the case of the method of manufacturing “the yarn comprising the polymer nanofibers” according to the first embodiment, While maintaining the extremely large specific surface area due to the nano-level uneven structure present in “nanofiber yarn” and the suppleness of “polymer nanofiber yarn”, “polymer nanofiber yarn” has high strength. Can be realized.

  In addition, also by the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of a polymer nanofiber" concerning Embodiment 2, similarly to the manufacturing method of the "the thread | yarn consisting of polymer nanofiber" concerning Embodiment 1, the irradiation intensity | strength of hot air irradiation By appropriately controlling irradiation conditions such as irradiation range, irradiation position, and other conditions, the degree to which polymer nanofibers are partially bonded to each other, the density of bonding points, the degree of dispersion of bonding points, and the like are adjusted. Thus, it is possible to increase the strength of “threads made of polymer nanofibers”.

  The manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the second embodiment is the same as the manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment, except for the content of the partial bonding treatment. For this reason, the manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment has a corresponding effect.

[Embodiment 3]
FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the partial combining process in the third embodiment.
The method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 3 basically includes the same steps as the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 1, but partially bonded. The content of the treatment is different from that in the case of the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment. That is, in the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” according to the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” is passed through the ring-shaped heater 320 in the partial bonding process. We are going to do it.

  A partial combining process according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. By passing the “yarn 18 made of polymer nanofiber” through the ring heater 320 while twisting and stretching the “yarn 18 made of polymer nanofiber” by the yarn feeding devices 306 and 308, The “thread 18 made of molecular nanofiber” is heated, and the partial binding treatment of the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” is performed.

  In addition, the surface temperature of the polymer nanofiber passing through the ring heater is, for example, 100 ° C to 300 ° C.

  As the ring-shaped heater 320, an electric furnace in which a heater 322 is disposed at a position surrounding a region through which the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofibers” passes is used. In addition, it is also possible to use an infrared furnace in which an infrared source is arranged at a position surrounding a region through which the “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” passes, or a diffusion furnace used in semiconductor manufacturing or the like. It can select suitably according to a use.

  The time for the "thread made of polymer nanofiber" to pass through the heating area of the ring heater can also adjust the passing speed of the "thread made of polymer nanofiber" by adjusting the length of the heating area. Or by adjusting both.

  As described above, the method for producing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the third embodiment is different from the method for producing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment in the content of the partial bonding process. However, by twisting and stretching the “polymer nanofibers”, the “polymer nanofibers” are heated to perform a partial bonding process that partially bonds the polymer nanofibers. Since the third step of increasing the strength of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is included, as in the case of the method for producing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment, It becomes possible to produce “yarns made of polymer nanofibers” with higher strength than in the production method of “yarns made of fibers”.

  In addition, according to the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 3, “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is twisted and stretched while “thread made of polymer nanofiber” is twisted and stretched. Since it is supposed to perform a partial bonding process in which the polymer nanofibers are partially bonded by heating, as in the case of the method of manufacturing “the yarn comprising the polymer nanofibers” according to the first embodiment, While maintaining the extremely large specific surface area due to the nano-level uneven structure present in “nanofiber yarn” and the suppleness of “polymer nanofiber yarn”, “polymer nanofiber yarn” has high strength. Can be realized.

  Note that the temperature of the ring heater is the same as in the method of manufacturing the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment, according to the method for manufacturing the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” according to the third embodiment. , By appropriately controlling the length of the heating region, the passing speed of the “thread made of polymer nanofibers” and other heating conditions, the degree to which the polymer nanofibers are partially bonded to each other, the density of bonding points, the bonding By adjusting the degree of dispersion of the dots, etc., it becomes possible to increase the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” under appropriate conditions.

  The manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the third embodiment is the same as the manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment, except for the content of the partial bonding treatment. For this reason, the manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment has a corresponding effect.

[Embodiment 4]
FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the partial combining process in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 10A is a diagram illustrating a state in which the partial heat treatment is performed using the rapid heat treatment apparatus 330, and FIG. 10B is a diagram illustrating an internal structure of the rapid heat treatment apparatus 330.

  The method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 4 basically includes the same steps as the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 1, but partially bonded. The content of the treatment is different from that in the case of the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 1. That is, in the method for producing “yarns made of polymer nanofibers” according to the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. ”Is performed by a rapid heating process that collects and irradiates light or infrared rays.

  The partial combining process in the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” passes through the rapid heating apparatus 330 to heat the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber”, and the partial bond of the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” Processing is performed.

  In addition, the surface temperature of the polymer nanofiber in the middle of being subjected to the rapid heat treatment is, for example, 100 ° C to 300 ° C.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, the rapid heating apparatus 330 is a light or infrared ray generator while twisting and stretching the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofibers” using the yarn feeders 306 and 308. Light or infrared rays generated from the light beam 332 is collected by the light collecting mirror 334, and the heating energy is concentrated on the “thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber” to perform rapid heating.

  As described above, the method for producing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the fourth embodiment is different from the method for producing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment in the content of the partial bonding process. However, by twisting and stretching the “polymer nanofibers”, the “polymer nanofibers” are heated to perform a partial bonding process that partially bonds the polymer nanofibers. Since the third step of increasing the strength of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is included, as in the case of the method for producing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment, It becomes possible to produce “yarns made of polymer nanofibers” with higher strength than in the production method of “yarns made of fibers”.

  In addition, according to the method for producing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the fourth embodiment, the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is twisted and stretched while the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is twisted and stretched. Since it is supposed to perform a partial bonding process in which the polymer nanofibers are partially bonded by heating, as in the case of the method of manufacturing “the yarn comprising the polymer nanofibers” according to the first embodiment, While maintaining the extremely large specific surface area due to the nano-level uneven structure present in “nanofiber yarn” and the suppleness of “polymer nanofiber yarn”, “polymer nanofiber yarn” has high strength. Can be realized.

  Note that the method for producing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the fourth embodiment also uses the rapid heating treatment conditions as in the case of the method for producing the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment. By appropriately controlling the degree to which the polymer nanofibers are partially bonded to each other, adjusting the density of the bonding points, the degree of dispersion of the bonding points, etc. It is possible to increase the strength.

  The manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the fourth embodiment is the same as the manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment, except for the content of the partial bonding treatment. For this reason, the manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment has a corresponding effect.

[Embodiment 5]
FIG. 11 is a view for explaining a third step in the manufacturing method of “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the fifth embodiment.

  The manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the fifth embodiment basically includes the same steps as the manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment. The content of the process is different from the case of the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment. That is, in the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 5, as shown in FIG. 11, the third step is performed while twisting and stretching “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”. The “thread made of polymer nanofiber” is made to have high strength by irradiating ultraviolet rays to the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” to crosslink the polymer constituting the polymer nanofiber.

  The cross-linking process in the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. While twisting and stretching the “yarn 18 made of polymer nanofiber” by the yarn feeders 306 and 308, the ultraviolet ray 342 is irradiated to the “yarn 18 made of polymer nanofiber” using the ultraviolet ray generator 340. In this way, UV irradiation is performed to carry out a crosslinking treatment.

  As the ultraviolet ray generator 340, an ultraviolet lamp, a UV laser, or the like can be used, and can be appropriately selected and used.

  As the polymer material, a polymer material having a cinnamoyl group can be suitably used.

  As described above, the manufacturing method of “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” according to the fifth embodiment is the same as the method for manufacturing “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” according to the first embodiment. Although it is different, the “polymer nanofiber” is irradiated with ultraviolet rays while twisting and stretching the “polymer nanofiber”, and the polymer constituting the polymer nanofiber is crosslinked. Therefore, in the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” after the partial bonding treatment, the tensile strength of the polymer nanofiber itself is high. For this reason, in the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” after the crosslinking treatment, the tensile strength of the polymer nanofiber itself is high even when tensile stress is applied. As in the case of the manufacturing method of “thread made of fiber”, it is possible to manufacture “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” having higher strength than the conventional manufacturing method of “thread made of polymer nanofiber”.

  In the method for producing “yarns composed of polymer nanofibers” of the present invention, partial binding treatment in the method for producing “yarns composed of polymer nanofibers” according to Embodiment 1 and “polymers according to Embodiment 5” are described. You may perform both the crosslinking processes in the manufacturing method of the thread | yarn consisting of nanofibers. By setting it as such a method, compared with the case where a partial bond process or a bridge | crosslinking process is each performed independently, it becomes possible to manufacture "strength which consists of polymer nanofiber" of much higher intensity | strength.

  The manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 5 is the same as the manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 1 except for the contents of the third step. For this reason, the manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment has a corresponding effect.

[Embodiment 6]
FIG. 12 is a view for explaining a third step in the manufacturing method of “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the sixth embodiment.

  The manufacturing method of “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the sixth embodiment basically includes the same steps as the manufacturing method of “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment. This method is different from the method for producing the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment in that the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” is manufactured using the belt-shaped nonwoven fabric. That is, in the manufacturing method of “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 6, in the first step, two kinds of polymer material solutions or molten polymer materials each containing different polymer materials are used. Electrospinning individually to produce two or more types of strip-shaped nonwoven fabric, and in the second step, as shown in FIG. 12, the two or more types of strip-shaped nonwoven fabrics are passed through a twisting device to produce two or more types of strip-shaped nonwoven fabrics. “Threads made of polymer nanofibers” are manufactured from a strip-shaped nonwoven fabric. In FIG. 12, for simplicity of explanation, “threads made of polymer nanofibers” are manufactured using two types of band-shaped nonwoven fabrics as two or more types of band-shaped nonwoven fabrics.

  As described above, the manufacturing method of “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 6 is the same as that of Embodiment 1 in that “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is manufactured using two or more kinds of belt-shaped nonwoven fabrics. This is different from the manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”, but the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is heated while twisting and stretching the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”. Since the third step of increasing the strength of the “thread made of the polymer nanofiber” by performing a partial bonding process for partially bonding the polymer nanofibers, the “from the polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment is included. As in the case of the method for producing “yarn”, it is possible to produce “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” having higher strength than the conventional method of producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”.

  In addition, according to the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 6, “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is twisted and stretched while “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” is twisted and stretched. Since it is supposed to perform a partial bonding process in which the polymer nanofibers are partially bonded by heating, as in the case of the method of manufacturing “the yarn comprising the polymer nanofibers” according to the first embodiment, While maintaining the extremely large specific surface area due to the nano-level uneven structure present in “nanofiber yarn” and the suppleness of “polymer nanofiber yarn”, “polymer nanofiber yarn” has high strength. Can be realized.

  In addition, according to the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Embodiment 6, the partial binding treatment is performed by irradiating the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” with laser light. Therefore, by appropriately controlling the irradiation intensity, irradiation range, irradiation position and other irradiation conditions of the laser irradiation, the degree to which the polymer nanofibers are partially bonded to each other, the density of bonding points, the degree of dispersion of bonding points, etc. By adjusting the above, it is possible to increase the strength of the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” under appropriate conditions.

  Furthermore, according to the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” according to Embodiment 6, two or more types of “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” are produced using two or more types of belt-shaped nonwoven fabrics. It is possible to produce a high-functional and high-strength “thread made of polymer nanofibers” that contains the polymer nanofibers and complement each other's properties.

  The manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the sixth embodiment is the same as the manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment, except for the contents of the partial bonding treatment. For this reason, the manufacturing method of the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to the first embodiment has a corresponding effect.

  As mentioned above, although the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of polymer nanofiber" of this invention was demonstrated based on said embodiment, this invention is not limited to this, It implements in the range which does not deviate from the summary. For example, the following modifications are possible.

(1) In Embodiment 6 described above, two or more types of belt-shaped nonwoven fabrics are passed through a twisting yarn device to produce a “thread made of polymer nanofibers” from two or more types of belt-shaped nonwoven fabrics. Is not limited to this. FIG. 13 is a view for explaining the first step in the modified example 5, FIG. 14 is a view for explaining the first step in the modified example 6, and FIG. 15 is a first step in the modified example 7. It is a figure shown in order to demonstrate. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, electrospinning is performed using a polymer material solution or a molten polymer material containing two or more kinds of polymer materials, and two or more kinds of polymer materials are blended inside. A band-shaped non-woven fabric made of molecular nanofibers may be manufactured, and a “thread made of polymer nanofibers” may be manufactured using the band-shaped non-woven fabric. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, electrospinning is performed simultaneously using two or more kinds of polymer material solutions or molten polymer materials each containing different polymer materials, and two or more kinds of polymer nanofibers are contained. It is good also as manufacturing a strip | belt-shaped nonwoven fabric and manufacturing "the thread | yarn which consists of polymer nanofiber" using the said strip | belt-shaped nonwoven fabric. In addition, as shown in FIG. 15, electrospinning was sequentially performed using two or more kinds of polymer material solutions or molten polymer materials each containing different polymer materials, and different polymer nanofibers were laminated respectively. A band-shaped nonwoven fabric having a structure may be manufactured, and a “thread made of polymer nanofibers” may be manufactured using the band-shaped nonwoven fabric.

(2) In the first to sixth embodiments, the sheet-like nonwoven fabric 14 is once manufactured by the electrospinning method, and the belt-like nonwoven fabric 16 is manufactured by cutting the sheet-like nonwoven fabric 14. It is not limited to this. For example, the strip-shaped nonwoven fabric 16 may be directly manufactured by an electrospinning method. FIG. 16 is a view for explaining the first step in the modification 8. 16 (a) and 16 (b) are views when the state of manufacturing the belt-shaped nonwoven fabric 16 using the drum-shaped collector 400 is viewed from different angles, and FIG. 16 (c) is a diagram of the drum-shaped collector 400. It is a figure which shows the manufactured strip | belt-shaped nonwoven fabric 16. FIG.

  In the first step of the method for producing “yarns composed of polymer nanofibers” according to Embodiment 6, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, as a collector, circumferentially around the drum outer peripheral surface. By using the drum-shaped collector 400 in which the extending strip-shaped collector 402 is formed and performing electrospinning in a state where a high voltage is applied between the collector 402 in the drum-shaped collector 400 and the nozzle 106, The polymer nanofibers 12 are deposited on a strip-shaped collector 402 from a polymer material solution or a molten polymer material, and the strip-shaped nonwoven fabric 16 composed of the polymer nanofibers 12 is directly manufactured as shown in FIG. It is said.

  The first step in the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the “drum-shaped collector 400” shown in FIG. 16A, a plurality of conductive disks 406 are passed through a conductive shaft 404 through non-conductive disks 408, and these disks 406 and 408 are stacked. Can be manufactured. A shaft 404 extends from the center of the drum-shaped collector 400, and one of the shafts 404 is connected to the motor 412 through a bearing 410. The other side of the shaft 404 is connected to the high voltage power source 110. The bearing 410 is configured so that the motor 412 and the shaft 404 can be electrically insulated.

  When electrospinning is performed by applying a high voltage between the collector 402 of the drum-shaped collector 400 and the nozzle 106 using the high-voltage power supply 110, the polymer nanofibers 12 are deposited on the collector 402. At this time, as shown in FIG. 16B, electrospinning is performed while rotating the drum-shaped collector 400 at a low speed in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. Polymer nanofibers 12 are continuously deposited in the circumferential direction. The belt-shaped nonwoven fabric 16 can be continuously collected by winding the nonwoven fabric composed of the polymer nanofibers deposited on the winding drum 418 via the conveying rollers 414 and 416 while performing the electrospinning.

  According to the method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber” according to Modification 8, it is possible to efficiently produce a strip-shaped nonwoven fabric made of polymer nanofiber having a nano-level diameter with high productivity. Become. Moreover, the process of cut | disconnecting a nonwoven fabric becomes unnecessary.

(3) In each of the above embodiments, the band-shaped nonwoven fabric was manufactured without adding an additive salt other than the polymer material in the first step, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an additive salt (for example, FeSO ₄ · 7H ₂ O) is added to the polymer material in the first step to produce a strip-shaped nonwoven fabric, and the partial bonding treatment in the third step can be promoted.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,10a ... Polymer raw material solution, 12, 12a, 12b ... Polymer nanofiber, 14, 14a, 14b ... Sheet-like nonwoven fabric, 16, 16a, 16b ... Strip-like nonwoven fabric, 18 ... "Thread made of polymer nanofiber" , 20 ... Joining point, 22 ... Partial joining treatment, 100, 100a, 100b ... Electrospinning apparatus, 102, 102a, 102b ... Raw material tank, 104, 104a, 104b ... Valve, 106, 106a, 106b ... Nozzle, 108 ... Collector 110, 110a, 110b ... high-voltage power supply, 200, 200a ... twisting device, 202, 202a ... main twisting device, 204, 206, 204a, 206a, 306, 308 ... yarn feeding device, 300, 300a, 300b, 300c ... laser Light irradiation device, 302 ... laser generator, 304 ... lens, 310 ... hot gun 312 ... Hot gun, 314 ... Hot air, 316 ... Airflow suction device, 318 ... Airflow suction pump, 320 ... Ring heater, 322 ... Heater, 324 ... Power source, 330 ... Rapid heat treatment device, 332 ... Light or infrared ray generator 334 ... Condensing mirror, 340 ... UV generator, 342 ... UV, 400 ... Drum collector, 402 ... Collector, 404 ... Conductor shaft, 406 ... Conductor disk, 408 ... Non-conductor disk, 410 ... Bearing 412: Motor, 414, 416 ... Conveyor roller, 418 ... Winding drum, d ... Beam spot diameter of laser light, D ... Distance between lens 304 and "thread 18 made of polymer nanofiber", R1 ... Band shape Enlarged portion of nonwoven fabric 16, R2... Enlarged portion of “polymer nanofiber yarn 18”, R3. Part, R4: Enlarged portion of non-partial coupling processing point, V1: Yarn feeding speed of yarn feeding device 206, V2: Yarn feeding speed of yarn feeding device 208, V3: Yarn feeding speed of yarn feeding device 308, V4: Yarn feeding Yarn feeding speed of the device 306, V5 ... Rotational speed of the yarn feeding device 308, V6 ... Rotational speed of the yarn feeding device 306

Claims (17)

A first step of producing a strip-shaped nonwoven fabric composed of polymer nanofibers;
A second step of producing a "yarn made of polymer nanofibers" from the band-shaped nonwoven fabric by passing the band-shaped nonwoven fabric through a twisted yarn device;
While performing twisting and stretching of the “yarn made of polymer nanofibers”, the “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” is heated to perform a partial bonding process for partially bonding the polymer nanofibers. And a third step of increasing the strength of the “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” in this order. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of a polymer nanofiber" of Claim 1,
The method for producing “yarns made of polymer nanofibers”, wherein the partial bonding treatment is performed by laser irradiation treatment of irradiating the “yarns made of polymer nanofibers” with laser light. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of a polymer nanofiber" of Claim 2,
The laser irradiation treatment is performed using a laser beam focused on a beam spot having a diameter that is not more than twice the average diameter of the “polymer nanofiber yarn”. Yarn "manufacturing method. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn which consists of polymer nanofiber" of Claim 2 or 3,
The method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofiber”, wherein the laser irradiation treatment is performed while scanning with laser light according to a predetermined procedure. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of a polymer nanofiber" in any one of Claims 2-4,
A method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofibers”, characterized in that the laser irradiation treatment is intermittently performed using pulsed laser light having a predetermined period or duty ratio. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of a polymer nanofiber" in any one of Claims 2-5,
The method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofiber”, wherein the laser irradiation treatment is performed using two or more laser beams. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of a polymer nanofiber" of Claim 1,
The method for producing “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”, wherein the partial bonding treatment is performed by hot air irradiation treatment in which hot air is irradiated to the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of a polymer nanofiber" of Claim 1,
The method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofiber”, wherein the partial bonding treatment is performed by passing the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” through a ring heater. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of a polymer nanofiber" of Claim 1,
Production of “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”, wherein the partial binding treatment is performed by rapid heating treatment that collects and irradiates light or infrared rays on the “yarn made of polymer nanofiber”. Method. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of a polymer nanofiber" in any one of Claims 1-9,
In the first step, as the band-shaped nonwoven fabric, a band-shaped nonwoven fabric to which an additive capable of promoting the partial bonding treatment is added is manufactured. A first step of producing a strip-shaped nonwoven fabric composed of polymer nanofibers;
A second step of producing a "yarn made of polymer nanofibers" from the band-shaped nonwoven fabric by passing the band-shaped nonwoven fabric through a twisted yarn device;
Performing a cross-linking treatment of the polymer constituting the polymer nanofiber by irradiating the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” with ultraviolet rays while twisting and stretching the “thread made of polymer nanofiber” And a third step of increasing the strength of the “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” in this order. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of a polymer nanofiber" in any one of Claims 1-11,
The first step includes a step of producing a sheet-like nonwoven fabric from a polymer material solution or a molten polymer material by performing electrospinning in a state where a high voltage is applied between the collector and the nozzle, and the sheet-like nonwoven fabric. And a step of producing the belt-shaped nonwoven fabric by cutting the yarn in this order. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of a polymer nanofiber" in any one of Claims 1-11,
In the first step, electrospinning is performed in a state where a high voltage is applied between the collector and the nozzle in a “drum-like collector” in which a belt-like collector extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drum. The polymer nanofiber is deposited on the collector from a polymer material solution or a molten polymer material to produce the band-shaped nonwoven fabric composed of the polymer nanofiber. A manufacturing method of “a yarn made of fibers”. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of polymer nanofiber" of Claim 12 or 13,
In the first step, electrospinning is performed using a polymer material solution or a molten polymer material containing two or more types of polymer materials, and polymer nano particles in which two or more types of polymer materials are blended internally. A method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofibers”, wherein the belt-shaped nonwoven fabric made of fibers is produced. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of polymer nanofiber" of Claim 12 or 13,
In the first step, the belt-like shape containing two or more kinds of polymer nanofibers by simultaneously performing electrospinning using two or more kinds of polymer material solutions or molten polymer materials each containing different polymer materials. A method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofibers”, which comprises producing a nonwoven fabric. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of polymer nanofiber" of Claim 12 or 13,
In the first step, electrospinning is performed in order using two or more kinds of polymer material solutions or molten polymer materials each containing different polymer materials, and each has a structure in which different polymer nanofibers are laminated. A method for producing a “thread made of polymer nanofibers”, which comprises producing the belt-shaped nonwoven fabric. In the manufacturing method of "the thread | yarn consisting of a polymer nanofiber" of Claims 1-11,
In the first step, two or more kinds of polymer material solutions or melted polymer materials each containing different polymer materials are individually electrospun to produce two or more kinds of the strip-shaped nonwoven fabric,
In the second step, the two or more types of the strip-shaped non-woven fabric are passed through a twisting yarn device to produce the “yarn made of polymer nanofibers” from the two or more types of the strip-shaped non-woven fabric. A method for producing “thread made of polymer nanofiber”.