Method to produce micro and nanofibers with controlled diameter and large yield

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10837131-B2
Application number	US-201715816639-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2017
Priority date	Nov 17, 2016
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A method for producing microfibers includes the steps of (a) providing a base material; (b) forming the base material in a ring; (c) gripping opposing ends of the ring; (d) flipping one of the opposing ends relative to the other of the opposing ends, forming an upper portion and a lower portion; (e) folding the upper portion onto the lower portion; (f) stretching the folded upper and lower portions; and repeating steps (d)-(f) as desired. Different apparatuses for performing the method are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing microfibers comprising the steps of:
(a) providing an elongate-shaped base material, wherein the elongate-shaped base material comprises a microfiber precursor material having a core and a sheath;
(b) gripping opposing ends of the elongate-shaped base material;
(c) folding the gripped, elongate-shaped base material, thereby reducing the length of the elongate-shaped base material;
(d) stretching the gripped, elongate-shaped base material;
(e) repeating steps (c)-(d) one or more times.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises folding the opposing ends onto each other.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises folding the opposing ends onto the elongate-shaped base material between the opposing ends.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of:
(f) dissolving the sheath.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is performed manually.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is performed automatically.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the method comprises providing a stretch-and-fold machine, wherein the stretch-and-fold machine performs steps (b)-(e).

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the core compartment comprises one or more selected from: a natural polymer, a synthetic polymer, an inorganic material, and combinations thereof.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the natural polymer comprises gelatin.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sheath compartment comprises one or more selected from: a thermoplastic, a pseudo-plastic compound, an inorganic material, and combinations thereof.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the thermoplastic comprises polycaprolactone (PCL).

Assignees

• Univ Drexel

Inventors

• Han Li-Hsin
• Wang Mingkun
• Cui Chunxiao
• Clyne Alisa Morss
• Alhindi Momtaz
• Krystek Jeffrey
• Micucci Victor
• Ostrow Evan
• Shafi Sabah
• Han Lin
• He Lanziye

Classifications

• D02J1/22 Primary

  Stretching or tensioning, shrinking or relaxing, e.g. by use of overfeed and underfeed apparatus, or preventing stretch (stretch spinning D01D5/12) · CPC title

• B82Y40/00

  Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures · CPC title

• D01D5/00

  Formation of filaments, threads, or the like · CPC title

• D02J1/228 Primary

  Stretching in two or more steps, with or without intermediate steps · CPC title

• D01F8/04

  from synthetic polymers · CPC title