Electrospinning apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrospinning apparatus Capable of: reusing and recycling VOC, which is generated when a spinning solution jetted from the nozzle of a nozzle block in the electrospinning apparatus is laminating on an elongated sheet, and spinning solution which has overflowed without being nanofiberized by condensing and liquefying same and then adding the resulting products to the spinning solution. The electrospinning apparatus's case lower side forms an electric conductor material and the upper side forms an electric insulator material, the case upper side insulating member for attaching a collector can be deleted, and thereby simplifying the overall configuration of the electrospinning apparatus. Producing complementary and advanced nanofiber products by performing bottom-up and top-down electrospinning in one process; expanding the filtering area of a filter medium when fabricating same with nanofiber by forming corrugation on the produced filter medium; and consequently ensuring the improved filtering area of the filter medium and thereby improving the performance of the filter medium and simultaneously prolonging the lifespan thereof.

1 . An electrospinning apparatus for production of nanofibers, comprising:
 a VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) recycling system for reusing and recycling by condensing and distilling VOC which occurs from spinning solution jetting through nozzle installed in each unit of the electrospinning apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the VOC recycling system comprises a condenser for condensing and liquefying VOC, a distiller for distilling and liquefying VOC which is condensed and liquefied through the condenser, and a solvent storage device for storing liquefied solvent from the distiller. 
     
     
         3 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein a pipe for flowing an evaporated VOC occurred in the unit of the electrospinning apparatus to the condenser, a pipe for flowing a liquefied VOC occurred in the condenser to the distiller, and a pipe for carrying a liquefied VOC occurred in the distiller to the solvent storage device are provided with connected each other. 
     
     
         4 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein VOC distilled in the distiller and liquefying by the evaporation temperature difference is classified by each solvent types and is stored in a storage tank in which each solvent is reused and recycled as a spinning solution of the electrospinning apparatus. 
     
     
         5 . An electrospinning apparatus for production of nanofibers, comprising:
 an overflow system which retrieves spinning solution which is not nanofiberized from spinning solution spun through a nozzle installed in each unit of the electrospinning apparatus and reuses and recycles the spinning solution as a raw material of nanofibers; and   a VOC recycling system which reuses and recycles VOC occurred in electrospinning process by condensation and distillation,   wherein the overflow system and the VOC recycling system are connected and simultaneously operated.   
     
     
         6 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein tip of the nozzle is formed in divergent form. 
     
     
         7 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the overflow system comprises a spinning solution return path for retrieving nanofiber that is not nanofiberized, a storage tank for storing spinning solution which becomes raw material of the nanofiber, a recycling tank for recycling and storaging spinning solution carried through first feed pipe and is provided with at least one or more, a middle tank for storing spinning solution carried through second feed pipe from the storage tank or the recycling tank,
 wherein the VOC recycling tank comprises a condenser for condensing and liquefying VOC and a solvent storage device for storing VOC condensed through the condenser.   
     
     
         8 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the VOC recycling system further comprises a distiller is located between the condenser and the solvent storage device and is for supplying liquefied VOC to the solvent storage device after distilling and liquefying VOC condensed through the condenser. 
     
     
         9 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the recycling tank has first sensor for measuring level of the retrieved spinning solution, and first feed control device which controls carrying movement of the first feed pipe according to level measured by the first sensor,   the middle tank has second sensor for measuring level of the spinning solution, and second feed control device which controls carrying movement of the second feed pipe according to level measured by the second sensor.   
     
     
         10 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the recycling tank of the overflow system retrieves spinning solution and simultaneously measures solvent contents of the retrieved spinning solution, and according to the result of measurement, after distillation in the distiller of the VOC recycling system after distillation by the evaporation temperature difference, retrieves VOC solvent liquefied by the evaporation temperature difference, and adds the required amount of VOC solvent to the recycling tank so that the VOC solvent is reused and recycled. 
     
     
         11 . An electrospinning apparatus comprising a case with conductivity, a collector attached to the case through an insulating member, a nozzle block with a plurality of nozzles which discharge polymer spinning solution and is opposed to the collector, a power supply device applying voltage between the nozzle block and the collector, of which one of plus terminal and minus terminal of the power supply device is connected to the collector, and the other is connected to the nozzle block and the case, so that product nanofibers through electrospinning, comprising:
 lower side of the case is formed with an electric conduction material, the upper side thereof is formed with an electric insulation material, and the upper inner side of the case is directly engaged with the collector, in which the thickness of the case and the distance between the inner side of the case and the outer side of the collector satisfy the below conditions (1) and (2).   (1) a≧6 mm,  a  is the thickness of the case formed with an electric insulation material,   (2) a+b≧50 mm,  b  is distance between inner side of the case formed with the electric insulation material and the outer side of the collector.   
     
     
         12 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein  a  satisfies a 8 mm.   
     
     
         13 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein  a  and  b  satisfy a+b≧280 mm.   
     
     
         14 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the electric insulation material forming the case is any one or more selected from the group comprising polyamide, polyacetal, polycarbonate, modified polyphenylene ether, polybutyleneterephtalate, polyethyleneterephthalate, amorphous polyallylate, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyetheretherketone, polyimide, polyetherimide, fluoride resin, liquid crystal polymer, polypropylene, high density polyethylene, and polyethylene. 
     
     
         15 . An hybrid electrospinning apparatus for production of nanofibers, comprising:
 a bottom-up electrospinning apparatus of which a collector occurring high voltage is located on upper side of nozzle; and a top-down electrospinning apparatus of which a collector occurring high voltage is located on lower side of nozzle,   wherein the bottom-up electrospinning apparatus and the top-down electrospinning apparatus are installed alternatively and consecutively in horizontal direction.   
     
     
         16 . The hybrid electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein after the nanofibers are laminated on the lower side of elongated sheet on the collector by polymer spinning solution jetting from nozzle of the bottom-up electrospinning apparatus, the nanofibers are carried to the collector of the top-down electrospinning apparatus, and then the nanofibers are laminated on the upper side of elongated sheet by polymer spinning solution jetting from nozzle of the top-down electrospinning apparatus, and the process stated above is consecutively and repeatedly performed.   
     
     
         17 . The hybrid electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the nanofibers with thin diameter formed by polymer solution jetting from the bottom-up electrospinning apparatus and the nanofibers with thick diameter formed by polymer solution jetting from the top-down electrospinning apparatus are consecutively and repeatedly laminated on both lower and upper sides of the elongated sheet.   
     
     
         18 . The hybrid electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the polymer spinning solution jetting from nozzle of the bottom-up electrospinning apparatus and the polymer spinning solution jetting from nozzle of the top-down electrospinning apparatus are the same kinds or two or more different kinds.   
     
     
         19 . An electrospinning apparatus for production of nanofibers, comprising:
 a filter medium manufacture device is located in the rear side of the electrospinning apparatus and produces a filter medium by forming of corrugation on nanofiber produced by electro spinning.   
     
     
         20 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 19 ,
 wherein the filter medium manufacture device is provided movably in each of the upper and lower side of the nanofiber, and the filter medium manufacture device comprises a pair of press roller composed of heating roller.   
     
     
         21 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 20 ,
 wherein the pair of the press roller is formed with tooth shape-projections in predetermined spaced in circumferential direction on peripheral edge, and the projections are formed with any one of among triangle, trapezoid, wave, or quadrangle form.   
     
     
         22 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 19 ,
 wherein the filter medium manufacture device is provided in the upper and lower sides of the nanofiber, and comprises upper and lower presses composed of heating press.   
     
     
         23 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 22 ,
 wherein the upper and lower presses are formed with mutually engageable protrusions in the lower and upper sides thereof, and the projections are formed with any one of among triangle, trapezoid, wave, or quadrangle form.   
     
     
         24 . A manufacturing process of filter medium using a filter medium manufacture device of electrospinning apparatus for production of nanofibers, comprising of steps:
 step of electro spinning a spinning solution on elongated sheet locating on the upper side of the collector through nozzle in inside of each unit of the electrospinning apparatus (S 10 );   step of producing nanofiber by laminating the electro spun spinning solution thereon (S 20 );   step of inputting the nanofiber to the filter medium manufacture device (S 30 );   step of forming corrugation on nanofiber inputted to the filter medium manufacture device (S 40 ); and   step of producing the filter medium by outputting the corrugated nanofiber (S 50 ).   
     
     
         25 . The manufacturing process of filter medium according to  claim 24 ,
 wherein, in the case that the filter medium manufacture device is provided movably in the upper and lower sides of nanofiber and comprising a pair of press roller protruding with formed projection in peripheral edge,   the manufacturing process further comprises step of forming corrugation that when the nanofiber is inputting, a pair of press rollers comprising a heating roller is rotated and tooth-engaged with projection formed on peripheral edge, so that forms consecutively the corrugation in the length direction of nanofiber (S 41 ).   
     
     
         26 . The manufacturing process of filter medium according to  claim 24 ,
 wherein, in the case that the filter medium manufacture device is provided compressably in the upper and lower sides of nanofiber and comprising of upper and lower presses protruding with formed projection in upper and lower sides,   the manufacturing process further comprises step of forming corrugation that when the nanofiber is inputting, upper and lower presses press and engage with the upper and lower sides of nanofiber comprising of a heating press, so that forms consecutively the corrugation in the length direction of nanofiber (S 43 ).