JP2011196638A - Vaporization filter - Google Patents

Abstract

A vaporization filter capable of suppressing scale adhesion and maintaining high humidification performance over a long period of time is provided.
A laminated assembly of single-sided corrugated cardboard made of a water-absorbing filter medium containing an antibacterial agent and an antifungal agent, wherein a water retention agent is supported on the open cross section on the windward side of the laminated assembly. On the windward side of the vaporization filter, moisture evaporates quickly and becomes the starting point of scale adhesion, which is the main factor causing deterioration with time of the humidification performance. By carrying a water retaining agent on the cross section of the hole on the windward side, the vaporization filter is prevented from drying and scale is prevented from adhering. The water retention agent is either a layered silicate mineral or a polyalkylene oxide water-absorbing resin.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vaporization filter.

  In the winter when the air is dry, humidifiers are used to increase the relative humidity in the room. As an example of a general humidification method, a vaporization filter is made of a water-absorbing sheet material, one end of the vaporization filter is immersed in water, water is sucked up by capillary action, and air is blown through the water to naturally supply water. There exists what obtains humidified air by evaporating (for example, refer patent document 1). However, in a vaporization filter that absorbs water by capillary action, a compound containing elements such as silicon, calcium, and magnesium in the water gradually becomes a scale and gradually adheres to the vaporization filter, reducing the water absorption capability and increasing the humidification performance. There was a problem of deterioration over time. Furthermore, once the scale is attached, it cannot be easily removed, and it is difficult to recover the humidification performance even if maintenance such as cleaning is performed.

  In order to solve such a problem, there is disclosed a humidified structure in which a hydrophilic inorganic compound is supported on a foam base material having low water absorption, and a decrease in humidification performance is small even when a scale adheres ( For example, see Patent Document 2). However, when the humidified structure is also used for a long period of time, it is inevitable that the scale adheres to the inside of the foam base material or the surface layer voids and the humidification performance is greatly reduced.

  In addition, a humidified structure in which a cation exchange material is supported on a foam base material such as a urethane foam resin is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 3). By removing calcium and magnesium in the water by the action of the cation exchange material, it suppresses the generation of scale, but in order to obtain a reasonable effect over a long period of time, a large amount of cation exchange material must be supported. I must. Further, since the performance of the cation exchange material deteriorates with time, the scale comes to adhere relatively early.

  Furthermore, a humidifier is disclosed in which a filter provided with a cation exchange resin is provided between a water supply tank and a humidification module, and water is supplied to the humidification module after removing calcium and magnesium in water (for example, Patent Documents). 4). Although it is an effective means for suppressing the generation of scale, there is a problem that it is necessary to periodically replace a filter provided with an expensive cation exchange resin, which has a complicated and large humidifier structure.

Japanese Patent No. 2514145 JP 2005-315554 A JP 2006-200833 A JP 2008-89211 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vaporization filter capable of suppressing scale adhesion and maintaining high humidification performance over a long period of time.

  As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the inventors have invented the following vaporization filter.

(1) A single-sided corrugated cardboard laminated assembly comprising a water-absorbing filter medium containing an antibacterial agent and an antifungal agent, wherein a water retention agent is supported on the open cross section of the windward side of the laminated aggregate filter,
(2) The vaporization filter according to (1), wherein the water retention agent is any one of a layered silicate mineral and a polyalkylene oxide water-absorbing resin.

  In a vaporization type filter that humidifies by containing water and ventilating it to naturally evaporate the water, it is a laminated assembly of single-sided cardboard made of a water-absorbing filter medium containing an antibacterial agent and an antifungal agent. The water retaining agent is supported on the cross section of the hole on the windward side of the laminated assembly. On the windward side of the vaporization filter, moisture evaporates quickly and becomes the starting point of scale adhesion, which is the main factor causing deterioration with time of the humidification performance. By supporting the water retention agent on the windward side, it is possible to maintain high humidification performance over a long period of time by preventing the vaporization filter from drying and suppressing scale adhesion.

It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the usage condition of the vaporization filter of this invention.

  Below, the component concerning the vaporization filter of this invention is demonstrated in detail.

  The water-absorbing filter material according to the present invention comprises an antibacterial agent and an antifungal agent on a base material, and a hydrophilic agent as necessary, and has water absorption required for a vaporization filter, and constitutes a vaporization filter. Used as a single-sided corrugated inner lining and liner. In the case of a vaporization type filter, the standard of water absorption required for the water-absorbing filter material constituting the filter is JIS-L-1907: 2004 “Water absorption test method for textile products” 7.1.2 “Bilec method” According to the above, the lower end 10 mm of the test piece is immersed in water, and after 10 minutes, the water suction height from the water surface is 80 to 120 mm. The suction height is a measured value in a direction that is a water absorption direction when the vaporization filter is used.

  There is no particular limitation on the base material of the water-absorbing filter medium, but in order to obtain the above water-absorbing property, a porous sheet material having an appropriate void in the base material is preferable. Specifically, urethane foam, woven fabric, A knitted fabric, a nonwoven fabric, etc. are mentioned, From these, it can select suitably or it can use in combination of multiple. Among these, a nonwoven fabric is a particularly preferable substrate because it is easy to control various conditions such as fiber blending, basis weight, thickness, and the like, and it is easy to impart functions and complex by post-processing.

  The fiber constituting the nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair water absorption or processability to single-sided corrugated cardboard described later, polyester fiber, acrylic fiber, polyvinyl alcohol fiber, polyamide fiber, rayon system. General-purpose organic fibers such as fibers, engineering plastic fibers such as aromatic polyamide fibers and wholly aromatic polyester fibers, inorganic fibers such as glass fibers, carbon fibers and ceramic fibers, and natural fibers such as wood pulp, hemp pulp and cotton linter pulp Such materials can be widely used.

  Examples of the method for producing the nonwoven fabric include a spunbond method, a melt blow method, a thermal bond method, a needle punch method, a spunlace method, a stitch bond method, a wet papermaking method, and the like. . A plurality of methods may be combined as necessary.

  Further, for the purpose of improving the contact efficiency between the water-absorbing filter medium and air, the substrate may be subjected to a hole opening treatment. Examples of the hole opening method include a method of melting with a hot needle, a method of mechanically opening holes by punching, and a spunlace method. Opening by the spunlace method is a method in which a plain base material is loaded on a mesh with a high knuckle, and a high-pressure water stream is jetted to make fibers unevenly distributed.

  Since the vaporization filter of the present invention is used in a wet state at all times, there is a risk of becoming a hotbed of various germs and sputum over time, so it is necessary to carry an antibacterial agent and a fungicide on the base material. Antibacterial and antifungal agents include benzimidazole-based, isothiazoline-based, pyrithione-based, organic copper-based, organic iodine-based antibacterial / antifungal agents, inorganic antibacterial agents mainly composed of calcium phosphates such as hydroxyapatite, A material such as a composite type antibacterial agent in which an antibacterial metal ion such as silver is supported on a simple substance such as zeolite can be appropriately selected or used in combination.

  As a method for supporting the antibacterial agent and the antifungal agent on the base material, for example, an aqueous emulsion of a thermoplastic resin is mixed with the antibacterial agent and the antifungal agent, and various blade coaters, air knife coaters, bar coaters, rod blade coaters, shorts, etc. Examples include a method of coating and supporting on a substrate using various coating apparatuses such as a dwell coater, a die coater, a comma coater, a reverse roll coater, a kiss coater, a dip coater, a curtain coater, an extrusion coater, a micro gravure coater, and a size press. .

  The aqueous emulsion of the thermoplastic resin referred to here is a thermoplastic polymer dispersed in water, and the polymer component includes an acrylic resin, a styrene-acrylic copolymer, and a styrene-butadiene copolymer. And ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer.

  In addition, for the purpose of improving the water absorption of the water-absorbing filter medium, a hydrophilic agent such as silica gel, colloidal silica, vapor phase silica, or wet silica may be used in combination as necessary.

  The vaporization filter of the present invention is a single-sided corrugated cardboard produced according to JIS-Z-1516: 2003 “Exterior Corrugated Cardboard” using the water-absorbing filter medium thus obtained as a medium shin and liner. It is produced by forming an assembly in which layers are stacked. FIG. 1 shows an example of how the vaporization filter of the present invention is used. The vaporizing filter 1 composed of the medium shin 8 and the liner 9 absorbs water in the submerged portion 3, and the water rises along the water absorption direction 4. When the dried air 5 flows along the ventilation direction 7, the humidified air 6 can be obtained. An important point of the present invention is that a water retention agent is carried on the open cross section 2 on the windward side of the vaporization filter 1. Hydrophilic materials such as silica gel, colloidal silica, gas phase method silica, and wet silica can be used as water retention agents, but water absorption of layered silicate minerals or synthetic polymers with excellent water retention capability. Resins can be used particularly preferably.

  Examples of the layered silicate mineral include smectite groups such as saponite, hectorite, montmorillonite, and modified products thereof. The term “modification” as used herein refers to removal of impurities and specific atomic groups from natural minerals, treatment of specific elements in natural mineral constituent elements with other methods, and exchange with other elements, or other compounds. By chemical treatment with (especially organic compounds), especially by modifying the physical properties of the mineral surface, it is possible to extend the properties inherent to the original natural minerals or to impart new properties. Specific examples of the modified product include Na-montmorillonite obtained by performing ion exchange by treating Ca-montmorillonite with sodium carbonate or the like in the presence of water. The layered silicate mineral has the property of adsorbing water and swelling, and has high water retention.

  On the other hand, the water-absorbing resin includes crosslinked polyacrylic acid soda water-absorbing resin, vinyl acetate-acrylate copolymer water-absorbing resin, vinyl acetate-methyl maleate copolymer water-absorbing resin, isobutylene-maleic anhydride copolymer. Polymer-based water-absorbing resin, isobutylene-maleic anhydride copolymer-based water-absorbing resin, starch-acrylonitrile graft copolymer-based water-absorbing resin, polyalkylene oxide-based water-absorbing resin, and the like. Among them, the polyalkylene oxide water-absorbing resin can be used preferably because it can be made into a solution and is excellent in workability when supported on the aperture cross section of the vaporization filter of the present invention.

  In a vaporization type filter that humidifies by adding water and ventilating it to naturally evaporate the water, evaporation of water is fast on the windward side of the filter, and the scale adheres to the filter starting from the windward side. However, the humidification performance deteriorates with time. However, in the vaporization filter of the present invention, since it is most dry out of the windward side, and has a water retaining agent having high water retention in the open cross section where the scale adheres first, adhesion of the scale is suppressed, High humidification performance can be maintained over a long period of time.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example demonstrates this invention further in detail, this invention is not limited to this Example.

Example 1
[Production of substrate]
Polyester fiber (fiber diameter: 0.6 dtex, fiber length: 5 mm) 40 mass%, polyester binder fiber (fiber diameter: 2.2 dtex, fiber length: 5 mm) 40 mass%, softwood bleached kraft pulp (NBKP, unbeaten product) ) 20% by mass was dispersed and mixed in water, and a substrate having a basis weight of 100 g / m ² was prepared using a circular net paper machine.

[Production of water-absorbing filter medium]
Size using a press coating machine, to the substrate, as an antibacterial antifungal agent, was 3 g / m ² impregnated bearing zinc pyrithione, then to produce a water-absorbing filter media to dry. According to JIS-L-1907: 2004 “Water Absorption Test Method for Textile Products” 7.1.2 “Bilec Method”, the flow direction of the water absorbent filter medium (the water absorption direction when used as a vaporization filter) When the lower end of 10 mm was immersed in water and the water suction height from the water surface after 10 minutes was measured, the suction height was 130 mm, and the water absorption was sufficient.

[Production of single-sided cardboard]
A single-sided cardboard having a step pitch = 5 mm and a step height = 3 mm was produced in accordance with JIS-Z-1516: 2003 “Exterior Corrugated Cardboard” using the above water-absorbing filter medium as a medium sash and liner. An acrylic binder resin was used for bonding the top of the middle shin and the liner.

[Production of vaporization filter]
The single-sided cardboard was cut into a flow direction = 115 mm and a width direction = 70 mm, and 80 pieces of the cut pieces were laminated. Next, the periphery of the laminated assembly was wound once with the above water-absorbing filter medium and fixed with a hot melt adhesive. In addition, 80 pieces of cut pieces were only laminated, and were not adhered to each other.

  As a water retention agent, colloidal silica (manufactured by Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd., trade name: Snowtex (registered trademark) -O, 20% by mass aqueous dispersion) is dispersed in water at a concentration of 2% by mass, On one side of the aperture cross section (240 mm × 115 mm), the aqueous dispersion was uniformly applied to 2 g in terms of solid content using a roller, and then dried to produce the vaporization filter of Example 1.

Example 2
As a water retention agent, Na-montmorillonite (Kunimine Kogyo Co., Ltd., trade name: Kunipia (registered trademark) -F), which is a layered silicate mineral, is dispersed in water at a concentration of 2% by mass, and the cross section of the laminated aggregate is open. The vaporization filter of Example 2 in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the aqueous dispersion was uniformly applied to one side of (240 mm × 115 mm) using a roller so as to be 2 g in terms of solid content. Was made.

Example 3
As a water-retaining agent, smectite (made by Kunimine Kogyo Co., Ltd., trade name: Smecton (registered trademark) SA), which is a layered silicate mineral, is dispersed in water at a concentration of 2% by mass, and the cross-sectional area of the laminated aggregate (240 mm × A vaporization filter of Example 3 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the aqueous dispersion was uniformly applied to one side of 115 mm) so as to be 2 g in terms of solid content using a roller. .

Example 4
As a water retention agent, a polyalkylene oxide water-absorbing resin (manufactured by Sumitomo Seika Co., Ltd., trade name: Aqua Coke (registered trademark) TW) is dissolved in isopropyl alcohol at 60 ° C. at a concentration of 2% by mass to open the laminated assembly. Vaporization of Example 4 in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the melt was uniformly applied on one side of the hole cross section (240 mm × 115 mm) to 2 g in terms of solid content using a roller. A filter was produced.

Comparative Example 1
A vaporization filter of Comparative Example 1 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the water retention agent was not applied.

  As mentioned above, the vaporization filter obtained by the Example and the comparative example was tested by the following method, and the performance was evaluated.

[Scale suppression performance]
The vaporization filters of Examples and Comparative Examples were attached to a commercially available humidifier (Mitsubishi Electric Corp., vaporization humidifier, product number: SV-KK606). In addition, about the vaporization filter of the Example, it was made for the application surface of a water retention agent to become an upwind side. For the purpose of accelerating the adhesion of the scale, hard water (manufactured by Nestlé, trade name: Contrex (registered trademark), hardness = about 1480) was injected into the water supply tank of the humidifier. A humidifier is operated in the mode “continuous (strong)” in a test room under constant temperature and humidity conditions (20 ° C., relative humidity 30%), and the scale toward the windward side of the vaporization filter 1 hour and 3 hours after the start of operation The adhesion state of was visually observed, and the following four-stage evaluation was performed.
A: No adhesion of scale is observed.
○: Adherence of scale is recognized, but the degree is small, and generation of scale lump is not recognized.
(Triangle | delta): The adhesion of a scale is recognized and generation | occurrence | production of a scale lump is recognized in a part of this adhesion location.
X: Scale adherence is observed, and generation of scale lumps is observed in most of the adhering portions.

[Initial humidification performance]
A commercially available humidifier (Mitsubishi Electric Corp., vaporization type humidifier, product number: SV-KK606) was mounted with the vaporization filters of Examples and Comparative Examples, and tested under constant temperature and humidity conditions (20 ° C, relative humidity 30%). Driven indoors in mode “continuous (strong)”. In addition, about the vaporization filter of the Example, it was made for the application surface of a water retention agent to become an upwind side. Moreover, tap water was injected into the water supply tank of the humidifier. One hour after the start of operation, the amount of water decrease in the humidifier water tank was measured, and the amount of decrease (cc / hour) was used as an index of initial humidification performance.

  Table 1 shows the evaluation results of the above test items. In the vaporization filter of the example, it was possible to suppress the adhesion of scale by applying the water retention agent to the cross section of the opening on the windward side.

  Since the vaporization filter of the present invention suppresses the adhesion of scale and can maintain high humidification performance for a long period of time, it can be used for humidifiers and various air-conditioning products equipped with a humidification function (such as air purifiers).

1 Vaporization filter 2 Opening cross section on the windward side (water retention agent application surface)
3 Submerged part 4 Water absorption direction 5 Dry air 6 Humidified air 7 Ventilation direction 8 Middle shin 9 Liner

Claims (2)

  A vaporization filter comprising a single-sided corrugated cardboard laminated assembly made of a water-absorbing filter medium containing an antibacterial agent and an antifungal agent, wherein a water retention agent is supported on an open cross section of the windward side of the laminated aggregate.   The vaporization filter according to claim 1, wherein the water retention agent is one of a layered silicate mineral and a polyalkylene oxide water-absorbing resin.

Images