Melt-blown, non-woven fabric of polyarylene sulfide and method for producing same

Abstract

A melt-blown, non-woven fabric constituted by extremely fine polyarylene sulfide fibers having an average fiber diameter of 10 μm or less is stably produced from branched and/or cross-linked polyarylene sulfide having a non-Newtonian coefficient of 1.05-1.20.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A melt-blown, non-woven fabric produced from polyarylene sulfide having a non-Newtonian coefficient of 1.05-1.20.  
     
     
         2 . The melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein said polyarylene sulfide has a branched structure.  
     
     
         3 . The melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein said polyarylene sulfide is cross-linked.  
     
     
         4 . The melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 2 , wherein said polyarylene sulfide is cross-linked.  
     
     
         5 . The melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein polyarylene sulfide fibers constituting said melt-blown, non-woven fabric have an average fiber diameter of 10 μm or less.  
     
     
         6 . The melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 2 , wherein said polyarylene sulfide is a reaction product of an alkaline metal sulfide, a dihaloaromatic compound and a polyhaloaromatic compound having 3 or more halogen substituents in one molecule.  
     
     
         7 . The melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 6 , wherein 0.001-0.6 mol %, based on 100 mol % of said alkaline metal sulfide, of said polyhaloaromatic compound is added in the reaction.  
     
     
         8 . The melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 3 , wherein said polyarylene sulfide is subjected to a thermal oxidation cross-linking treatment.  
     
     
         9 . The melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 4 , wherein said polyarylene sulfide is subjected to a thermal oxidation cross-linking treatment.  
     
     
         10 . The melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 8 , wherein said thermal oxidation cross-linking treatment is carried out at 160-260° C. for 1-120 hours.  
     
     
         11 . A method for producing a melt-blown, non-woven fabric constituted by polyarylene sulfide fibers, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) melt-kneading polyarylene sulfide having a non-Newtonian coefficient of 1.05-1.20;    (b) extruding the melt-kneaded polyarylene sulfide through nozzles at 300-360° C. and drawing the resultant polyarylene sulfide extrudate with a hot gas stream at 300-360° C. to form extremely fine polyarylene sulfide fibers having an average fiber diameter of 10 μm or less; and    (c) depositing said extremely fine polyarylene sulfide fibers on a collector.    
     
     
         12 . The method for producing a melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 11 , wherein said polyarylene sulfide is synthesized by a reaction of an alkaline metal sulfide, a dihaloaromatic compound and a polyhaloaromatic compound having 3 or more halogen substituents in one molecule.  
     
     
         13 . The method for producing a melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 12 , wherein 0.001-0.6 mol %, based on 100 mol % of said alkaline metal sulfide, of said polyhaloaromatic compound is added in said reaction.  
     
     
         14 . The method for producing a melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 11 , wherein said polyarylene sulfide is subjected to a thermal oxidation cross-linking treatment before melt-kneading.  
     
     
         15 . The method for producing a melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 12 , wherein said polyarylene sulfide is subjected to a thermal oxidation cross-linking treatment before melt-kneading.  
     
     
         16 . The method for producing a melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 14 , wherein said thermal oxidation cross-linking treatment is carried out at 160-260° C. for 1-120 hours.  
     
     
         17 . The method for producing a melt-blown, non-woven fabric according to  claim 15 , wherein said thermal oxidation cross-linking treatment is carried out at 160-260° C. for 1-120 hours.