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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11384456-B2
Application number	US-202017085508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2020
Priority date	Nov 17, 2016
Publication date	Jul 12, 2022
Grant date	Jul 12, 2022

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention is a method for producing microfibers comprising 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 (g) repeating steps (d)-(f) as desired.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing microfibers comprising 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
(g) repeating steps (d)-(f) as desired.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein steps (d)-(f) are performed sufficient times to form fibers with sub-micron diameter.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises providing a protein-based base material.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises providing a sheath around the base material.

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

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

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

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the method comprises providing a machine, wherein the machine performs steps (c)-(g).

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein step (f) comprises forcing the folded upper and lower portions onto a cone.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein step (f) comprises placing the folded upper and lower portions around a frame and expanding the frame.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the frame comprises a plurality of radially expanding posts.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the frame comprises a radially expanding bladder.

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

• B29C53/08

  of tubes {or other profiled members} · CPC title

• D01F4/00

  Monocomponent artificial filaments or the like of proteins; Manufacture thereof · CPC title

• D01D5/00

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

• B29C53/04

  of plates or sheets {(B29C63/04 takes precedence; bending or folding paper B31F1/0003; folding films B65H45/00)} · CPC title