1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method of producing tourmaline anion fiber and filter material, and more particularly to a method of producing composite fiber from tourmaline, Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) and polypropylene or polyethylene, and then forming into filter material, such that the fiber can generate anion, and present outstanding permeability and mechanical property.
2. Description of Related Art
With growing industrialization and social progress, the human beings now meet the challenge of worsening environmental pollution and decreasing anion in atmosphere. And, owing to the transformation of living functions, the people now spend most of time in a limited indoor environment, where air filter is a key factor to ensure good air quality. Today, improving technologically air quality by filter materials without jeopardizing natural environment is one of most cost-effective ways. Therefore, high-tech textiles now become a focus of competition on international textile market, and also contribute much to the growth of textile industry. Anion-based textile products now raise a high priority concern of international textile industry thanks to a wide range of benefits, such as: accelerating blood circulation of human body, improving functional efficiency and physical status, supplementing microelement for the human body, generating far-infrared ray and stimulating recovery function of human cells.
There are three approaches to improve indoor air quality: improve ventilation, minimize indoor pollutants and utilize air cleaner units. For this purpose, differential pressure of filter materials must be lowered with a higher rate of ventilation. Also, filter efficiency shall be improved. An air cleaner unit comprises a cooler, a cleaner and a dehumidifier.
Indoor air filter is generally made of woven filter screen and non-woven filter screen. Woven filter screen can be cleaned and recycled, with lower differential pressure and filtering efficiency. Non-woven filter materials, made of multi-layer stacks, cannot be recycled with higher filtering efficiency and differential pressure. Differential pressure is a decisive factor to ventilation efficiency, rate of air change and horsepower of air conditioning. One purpose of the present invention is to improve filtering efficiency using woven filter screen with lower differential pressure.
Common filters could filtrate powder, but couldn't remove odor. To achieve this goal, anion generator and active carbon filter shall be generally required. Anion generator could generate ozone (O3), which must be less than 0.12 ppm with poor time efficiency, and also limited within 1 m. So, this generator is not suitable for indoor applications. Active carbon filter also has the problem of absorption saturation. Anion tourmaline, a natural mineral, is recognized as a “dust collector of the nature”. The second purpose of the present invention is to prepare a permanent deodorant fiber by adding submicrometer tourmaline into polypropylene fiber (environmental-friendly plastic).
Tourmaline is easy to absorb powder due to its thermoelectricity and piezoelectricity. The third purpose of the present invention is to identify if the permanent electric property is able to improve the filtering efficiency.
The fourth purpose of the present invention is to study the filters made of common fiber or other fibers, which neither contain extracted vegetable oil, nor yields volatile oil.
Currently, tourmaline or anion fiber technologies are often used to prepare fiber by combining tourmaline and rayon fiber in water solution, or prepare insoluble fiber by tourmaline and polyvinyl alcohol solution, or by combining titanic, zinc oxide, zirconia, tourmaline, silicon oxide and aluminum oxide. Though tourmaline is contained in these common technologies, these patented fibers are made of different materials with varied methods. However, the efficiency of above-specified technologies shall be further verified due to absence of preferred embodiment.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a composite filter made of tourmaline, Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) and polypropylene or polyethylene, which enables the fiber to generate anion, and present outstanding permeability and mechanical property. Firstly, polypropylene or polyethylene chips, submicrometer tourmaline particles and TPE are mixed and prepared into submicrometer tourmaline agglomerate. Then, take submicrometer tourmaline agglomerate and polypropylene or polyethylene chips (the content of tourmaline agglomerate accounts for 1-10% of gross weight), and melt them into a composite fiber comprising submicrometer tourmaline/polypropylene or polyethylene.
Tourmaline anion man-made fiber primarily comprises submicrometer tourmaline particle, Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) and polypropylene or polyethylene, of which the diameter of fiber is 0.01 mm˜3 mm, and particle size of submicrometer tourmaline is 1 micrometer˜100 nm, and tourmaline particle accounts for 1˜10% of fiber. Tourmaline's far-infrared radiation: 0.94 μm (3.48*102 w/m2), particle size distribution: D50(average particle size: 493 nm). Moreover, the present invention permits to produce at least one layer of fluid filter material through aforementioned tourmaline anion man-made fiber. According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, nano-silver grain can be added into above-specified material to yield immunity to bacteria. Of which, added nano-silver accounts for 0.5˜5% of total fiber. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, microcapsule may be added into above-specified material. The microcapsule, which contains functional materials such as extracted vegetable oil, accounts for 0.5˜5% of total fiber.
The production method of tourmaline anion man-made fiber in the present invention is to prepare a first material, which contains first polypropylene chip accounting for 70%˜95% of gross weight with a molecular weight of 3.15×105 g/mole, or first polyethylene chip with a molecular weight of 1.5˜2.5×105 g/mole (of which, the preferred embodiments are described in following tests based on first polypropylene accounting for 80% of first material) and submicrometer tourmaline particle accounting for 5%˜30% of gross weight, as well as Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE or EPDM) accounting for 1˜40% of gross weight. The first material is rolled into agglomerate through mixing and granulation by double screw, and the second polypropylene chip with a molecular weight of 3.15×105 g/mole, or the second polyethylene chip with a molecular weight of 1.5˜2.5×105 g/mole is taken as the second material. Then, mix the agglomerate and the second material. Of which, the content of tourmaline agglomerate accounts for 1˜10% of gross weight. Next, the agglomerate and second material are melted into fiber via spinning, cooling, thermal stretching and forming. The temperature of spinning ranges between 200˜300° C. (in the preferred embodiment of present invention, the temperature of spinning ranges between 200˜250° C. for polypropylene, and between 250˜300° C. for polyethylene), extensibility 3˜8 times (6 times in the preferred embodiment of the present invention), thermal stretching temperature130˜160° C. (100° C. in the preferred embodiment of the present invention) and thermal forming temperature 70° C.˜100° C.
The abovementioned melting and spinning is to heat up and melt polypropylene or polyethylene, and then force out from spinning nozzle into air for cooling and curling at a proper speed. Meanwhile, polypropylene or polyethylene is condensed to form fiber. Next, the fiber is stretched again to improve its mechanical property. The melting and spinning process is to force out spinnable polymer from spinning nozzle at a temperature over melting point, and enable it to be cooled and refined into threadlike material.
The production method of fiber filter materials in the present invention is to prepare the first material, which contains first polypropylene chip accounting for 70%˜95% of gross weight with a molecular weight of 3.15×105 g/mole, or first polyethylene chip with a molecular weight of 1.5˜2.5×105 g/mole (of which, the preferred embodiments are described in following tests based on first polypropylene accounting for 80% of first material) and submicrometer tourmaline particle accounting for 5%˜30% of gross weight, as well as Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE or EPDM) accounting for 1˜40% of gross weight. The first material is rolled into agglomerate, and the second polypropylene chip with a molecular weight of 3.15×105 g/mole, or the second polyethylene chip with a molecular weight of 1.5˜2.5×105 g/mole is taken as the second material. Of which, the content of tourmaline agglomerate accounts for 1˜10% of gross weight. Next, the agglomerate and second material are melted for spinning, cooling, thermal stretching and forming into fiber. The temperature of spinning ranges between 200° C.˜300° C. (in the preferred embodiment of present invention, the temperature of spinning ranges between 200˜250° C. for polypropylene, and between 250° C.˜300° C. for polyethylene), extensibility 3˜8 times, thermal stretching temperature130˜160° C. (100° C. in the preferred embodiment of the present invention) and thermal forming temperature 70° C.˜100° C. (90° C. in the preferred embodiment of the present invention). Next, submicrometer tourmaline/polypropylene or polyethylene fiber is reeled, and woven into submicrometer tourmaline/polypropylene or polyethylene fiber filter through a weaving machine (a steel shuttle in the present invention), of which the longitudinal density is 35˜50 thread/inch, latitudinal density 30˜40 thread/inch, and weaving width □65.
To guarantee antibacterial immunity, the fiber is mixed with nano-silver grain up to 1% of gross weight of fiber. The following test results show that this invention also presents excellent resistance to bacteria.
Furthermore, in order to validate other effects, the fiber of the preferred embodiment is added with microcapsule accounting for 1% of gross weight. The microcapsule contains functional materials such as extracted vegetable oil, so this invention could yield long-lasting fragrance as demonstrated in the following test.
As shown i,n Table 1 for composite filter materials containing tourmaline/polypropylene, the tension strength will decline gradually with the increase of longitudinal strength of tourmaline (from 41.17 kgf/cm2 to 37.21 kgf/cm2). This is possibly because that rigid tourmaline powder is embedded into polypropylene fiber structure via melting and spinning, such that the rigidity of anion /polypropylene fiber is improved, but some anion generate particle in the fiber, which may impair the fiber strength. So, tension strength is lowered with growing amount of particle.
Table 2 shows the Influence of Submicrometer Tourmaline Content upon Tensile Strength of Polypropylene Filter Materials (kgf/cm2).
As shown in Table 2, submicrometer tourmaline allows a higher rigidity of polypropylene filter materials. In the event of particle interaction, tensile strength differs markedly with or without addition of anion. Therefore, tensile strength of filter materials will reduce with the increase of tourmaline content. In the case of tourmaline content of 1%, longitudinal tensile strength declines about 5%. In the case of tourmaline content of 5%, longitudinal tensile strength declines about 8.6%. According to t-test results, there is not remarkable influence with addition of 1-5% or without addition. Also, the content has no remarkable influence for analysis of variance. So, tensile strength is not affected with addition of tourmaline 1-5%.
Table 4 shows the Influence of Submicrometer Tourmaline Content upon Washing Fastness of Polypropylene Filter Materials (Ion/cc). As shown in Table 4, a good fastness is still maintained prior to or after test, so the amount of anion will not reduce due to washing.
Table 5-1 shows the Filter Efficiency of Polypropylene Filter Materials Depending upon Content and Layers of Submicrometer Tourmaline (η) %.
According to the test results listed in Table 5-1, the filter efficiency of submicrometer tourmaline/polypropylene filter materials with the same layers will be improved with the increase of tourmaline content. This is primarily owing to the fact that anion with slight amount of negative charge can absorb some free powder with positive charge, thus improving filter efficiency of air filter. As shown in Chart 5-1, filter efficiency differs markedly with or without addition of anion (filter efficiency increases by 5.7%-12.8% with addition of 1%-5% tourmaline). But, “deep-layer filtration” effect is a most important influential factor.
Under a static mode, the humidity is 58%, and temperature 28° C. Table 6: shows the Analysis of Anion's Release Efficiency Depending upon Content and Layers of Submicrometer Tourmaline Polypropylene Filter is Materials(Ion/cc).
As shown in
Referring to
Under a dynamic mode, the humidity is 64%, and temperature 29° C. Table 7 Analysis of Anion's Release Efficiency Depending upon Content and Layers of Submicrometer Tourmaline Polypropylene Filter Materials (%).
As listed in Table 7, both addition of tourmaline and infiltration layers are influential factors, but layers are primary influential factors.
Contents under the Same Layer of Submicrometer Tourmaline Polypropylene Filter Material. As shown in
In the same volume of anion-based tourmaline, more layers will efficiently facilitate the release of anion.
By means of JEM 1467, the filter materials of the present invention are employed to measure the concentration of NH3 and CH3CHO, and then the removing rate for the concentration of CH3COOH. As listed in Table 8, the filter materials of the present invention present outstanding deodorization performance.
Table 8 shows the Deodorization Effect of Filter Materials of the Present Invention as per JEM 1467 Test Method.
Staphy lococcs aures
Escherichia coli
Klebsiella pneumoniace
Staphy lococcs aures
Escherichia coli
Klebsiella pneumoniace
Staphy lococcs aures
Escherichia coli
As listed in Table 9, the filter materials of the present invention present outstanding deodorization performance In ASTM E 2149-01 test. As listed in Table 9-1, the filter materials of the present invention present outstanding deodorization performance In AATCC 147 test.
As listed In Table 10, the filter materials of the present invention exhibit a 3-month fragrance retention. The test method is 6-Level Odor Strength Grading method. The values of test result indicate the Perception of the Odor Strength are: 0:Odor less; 1:Odor which can be perceived eventually with effort; 2:Weak Odor which can be identified; 3:Odor which can be perceived easily; 4:Strong Odor; 5:Severe Odor.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 11416155 | May 2006 | US |
Child | 12693610 | US |