Electrospinning apparatus and electrospinning method

Abstract

According to an embodiment, an electrospinning apparatus includes a head assembly and a pair of conductors. In the head assembly, a plurality of heads are arranged. Each head has a head main body, and nozzles projecting outward from the outer periphery surface of the head main body, and configured to eject a raw material liquid. The conductors are respectively arranged on the outer sides of the head assembly with respect to the head arrangement direction, and generate an electric field when a voltage of the same polarity as the voltage applied to the heads is applied. The cross-sectional area of each conductor in a cross section in the head-arrangement direction is smaller than the cross-sectional area of each head main body in a cross section in the head-arrangement direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrospinning apparatus comprising:
 a head assembly in which a plurality of heads are arranged, each head having a head main body in which a storage hollow for storing a raw material liquids is formed, and nozzles made of a conductive material and projecting outward from the outer periphery surface of the head main body, and configured to eject the raw material liquid upon application of a voltage to the nozzles;   a pair of conductors arranged on each of the outer sides of the head assembly with respect to a direction of arrangement of the heads and made of a conductive material, the conductors configured to generate an electric field when a voltage of a same polarity as the voltage applied to the heads is applied, wherein   a cross-sectional area of each of the conductors in a cross-section along a direction of arrangement of the heads is smaller than a cross-sectional area of each head main body in a cross-section along the direction of arrangement of the heads.   
     
     
         2 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a distance from a head closest to the conductor among the plurality of heads to the conductor in the direction of arrangement of the heads is shorter than a head-to-head distance in the direction of arrangement of the heads.   
     
     
         3 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the heads has a first nozzle line that includes a plurality of the nozzles arranged along a direction of a center axis of the head main body, and a second nozzle line that includes a plurality of the nozzles arranged along the center axis of the head main body, the second nozzle being arranged at a location different from a location of the first nozzle line around the center axis of the head main body, and   the nozzles that constitute the first nozzle line and the nozzles that constitute the second nozzle line are alternately arranged with respect to the direction of the center axis of the head main body.   
     
     
         4 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in each of the heads, the nozzle projects from the head main body toward a substrate and ejects the raw material liquid toward the substrate,   a center axis of the head main body intersects a direction of conveyance of the substrate, and   the plurality of heads are arranged in the direction of conveyance of the substrate.   
     
     
         5 . The electrospinning apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the head assembly is provided facing a conveyance path that conveys the substrate in a vertical direction, and   the plurality of heads are arranged in a vertical direction.   
     
     
         6 . An electrospinning method, comprising:
 preparing a head assembly in which a plurality of heads are arranged, each head having a head main body in which a storage hollow for storing a raw material liquid is formed, and nozzles having an electrical conductivity and projecting outward from an outer peripheral surface of the head main body;   applying a voltage to the raw material liquid stored in the storage hollow to cause the nozzle to eject the raw material liquid; and   applying a voltage of a same polarity as a voltage applied to the raw material liquid to a pair of conductors, the conductors being arranged at outer ends of the head assembly in a direction of arrangement of the heads and each having a cross-sectional area smaller than a cross-sectional area of each head main body in the direction of arrangement of the heads.