Shear spun sub-micrometer fibers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016208418-A1
Application number	US-201414912292-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 15, 2014
Priority date	Aug 15, 2013
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process including shearing a first dispersion medium and a second dispersion medium under conditions that precipitate a plurality of polymeric fibers; and collecting the plurality of polymeric fibers at a rate of at least 300 grams/hour. The first dispersion medium is a solution including at least one polymeric component. The at least one polymeric component includes a poly-etherimide component selected from the group consisting of polyetherimide homopolymers, polyetherimide co-polymers, poly etherether ketones homopolymers, polyetherether ketones copolymers, polyphenylene sulfones homopolymers, polyphenylene sulfones copolymers, and combinations thereof. Products produced by the process can be non-woven paper, medical implants, ultra-fine filters, membranes, hospital gowns, electrical insulation paper, honeycomb structures and personal hygiene products, dialyzers, blood, oxygenator filters, intravenous (IV) filters, diagnostic test filters, and blood/apheresis filters.

First claim

1 . A process comprising:
shearing a first dispersion medium and a second dispersion medium under conditions that precipitate a plurality of staple polymeric fibers,
wherein each of the plurality of staple polymeric fibers has a length to diameter ratio of greater than 100:1,
wherein each of the plurality of staple polymeric fibers has a diameter ranging from 0.05 to 5 micrometers,
wherein each of the plurality of staple polymeric fibers is insoluble in the second dispersion medium,
wherein the first dispersion medium is a solution comprising at least one of (a) polyetherimide homopolymers and polyetherimide co-polymers; (b) polyetherether ketone homopolymers and polyetherether ketone copolymers; (c) polyphenylene sulfone homopolymers and polyphenylene sulfone copolymers; (d) poly(phenylene ether) and poly(phenylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymers or (e) polycarbonate homopolymers and polycarbonate copolymers;
wherein the second dispersion medium comprises a liquid component,
wherein the first dispersion medium is insoluble in the second dispersion medium; and
collecting the plurality of polymeric staple fibers at a rate of at least 300 grams/hour.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first dispersion medium is injected into the second dispersion medium.

3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first dispersion medium further comprises water, ethyl alcohol, propyl glycol, propylene glycol, meta-cresol, veratrol, ortho-dichlorobenzene, N-methyl pyrrolidone, chloroform, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, dimethylformamide, dichloromethane, dimethylacetamide, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, ethyl methyl carbonate, ethylene carbonate, dimethyl sulfoxide, hexafluoro-2-propanol, trichloroethane, tetrachloroethane, trifluoroacetic acid, 4-chloro-3-methyl-phenol, 4-chloro-2-methyl-phenol, 2,4-dichloro-6-methyl-phenol, 2,4-dichloro-phenol, 2,6-dichloro-phenol, 4-chloro-phenol, 2-chloro-phenol, ortho-cresol, meta-cresol, para-cresol, 4-methoxyphenol, catechol, benzoquinone, 2,3-xylenol, 2,6-xylenol, resorcinol, or combinations thereof.

4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the second dispersion medium further comprises water, ethyl alcohol, propyl glycol, propylene glycol, glycerol, meta-cresol, veratrol, ortho-dichlorobenzene, N-methyl pyrrolidone, chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, or combinations thereof.

5 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising producing a non-woven web from the collected fibers by depositing the plurality of polymeric staple fibers onto a carrier substrate, a functional sheet, a film, a non-woven, a rolled good product, or combinations thereof.

6 . The process of claim 5 , further comprising at least partially removing the solvent from the fibers before the fibers are deposited.

7 . The process of claim 5 , wherein the non-woven web has a width of at least 150 mm.

8 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising producing a non-woven web from the collected fibers, wherein the non-woven web is formed by entangling the fibers.

9 . The process of claim 8 , further comprising consolidating the non-woven web.

10 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the process is carried out at − 30 to 210 ° C.

11 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first dispersion medium has a viscosity of from 10 to 20,000 cP, and the second dispersion medium has a viscosity of from 10 to 20,000 cP.

12 . The process of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of polymeric fibers is provided with at least one additional functionality imparting at least one of therapeutic activity, catalytic activity microelectronic activity, micro-optoelectronic activity, magnetic activity, biological activity, or combinations thereof.

13 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the non-woven web contains less than 10 wt % of polyvinyl pyrrolidine, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinylidene fluoride, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyethylene oxide, agarose, polyvinylidene fluoride, polylactic glycolic acid, nylon 6, polycaprolactone, polylactic acid, polybutylene terephthalate, or combinations thereof.

14 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the polyetherimide component is a reaction product of at least one from the group consisting of (i) 4,4′-bisphenol A dianhydride and diamine monomers; (ii) 4,4′-bisphenol A dianhydride and meta-phenylene diamine monomers and (iii) 4,4′-bisphenol A dianhydride and paraphenylene diamine monomers; wherein the reaction product is endcapped with at least one of (a) aniline and (b) phthalic anhydride.

15 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the polyetherimide component is a thermoplastic resin composition comprising:
the polyetherimide, and a phosphorous-containing stabilizer, in an amount that is effective to increase the melt stability of the polyetherimide, wherein the phosphorous-containing stabilizer exhibits a low volatility such that, as measured by thermogravimetric analysis of an initial amount of a sample of the phosphorous-containing stabilizer, greater than or equal to 10 percent by weight of the initial amount of the sample remains unevaporated upon heating of the sample from room temperature to 300° C. at a heating rate of 20° C. per minute under an inert atmosphere.

16 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the poly(phenylene ether) component (d) comprises
(i) repeating structural units having the formula 1 :

wherein each occurrence of Z 1 is independently halogen, unsubstituted or substituted C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl provided that the hydrocarbyl group is not tertiary hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbylthio, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxy, or C 2 -C 12 halohydrocarbyloxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms;
wherein each occurrence of Z 2 is independently hydrogen, halogen, unsubstituted or substituted C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl provided that the hydrocarbyl group is not tertiary hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbylthio, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxy, or C 2 -C 12 halohydrocarbyloxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms;
(ii) the poly(phenylene ether) component (d) comprises a homopolymer or copolymer of monomers selected from the group consisting of 2,6-dimethylphenol, 2,3,6-trimethylphenol, and combinations thereof;
(iii) the poly(phenylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer is prepared by an oxidative copolymerization method; or
(iv) a combination thereof.

17 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the polycarbonate component (e) comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) a polycarbonate copolymer comprising bisphenol A carbonate units and units of the formula

wherein R 5 is hydrogen, phenyl optionally substituted with up to five C 1-10 alkyl groups, or C 14 alkyl; and

(ii) a poly(carbonate-siloxane) comprising
bisphenol A carbonate units, and
siloxane units of the formula

or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, wherein E has an average value of 2 to 200, wherein the poly(carbonate-siloxane) comprises 0.5 to 55 wt. % of siloxane units based on the total weight of the poly(carbonate-siloxane).

18 . A product produced by the process of claim 1 to 17 .

19 . The product of claim 18 , wherein the product is a

Assignees

• Sabic Global Technologies Bv

Inventors

• Peters Richard
• Labelle Jacob Scott
• Teutsch Erich

Classifications

• D04H1/40

  from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties · CPC title

• B29B9/10

  by moulding the material, i.e. treating it in the molten state · CPC title

• D04H1/46

  by needling or like operations to cause entanglement of fibres (D04H1/45 takes precedence; needling machines D04H18/00) · CPC title

• D01D5/40 Primary

  by applying a shearing force to a dispersion or solution of filament formable polymers, e.g. by stirring · CPC title