JPH0144802B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

The present invention comprises a mixture forming region (A) comprising a stationary mixing element for forming a layered or block-like mixture flow of at least two types of molten thermoplastic synthetic polymers, and a fiber bundle from the molten mixture flow. The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a composite filament-like fiber bundle comprising a fiber cambium layer region (B) to be formed. The mixture forming region (A) of the present invention, which is composed of a stationary mixing element, can be summarized as follows: (i) It consists of a stationary element for fluid mixing in which a large number of plates having concave portions are laminated; (ii) A plate having each concave portion; are in communication so that the molten polymer flows in the recesses, (iii) the element is composed of a plate having at least two types of recess shapes, and (iv) the element is viewed from a certain stacking direction. The plates having inlet portions having the same concave shape form a common molten polymer introduction region, and the plates are stacked so that the molten mixed polymer discharge region forms a common surface, and ( v) The element is characterized in that it is provided with a plurality of common introduction zones for the molten mixed polymers to be mixed and a coplanar discharge zone from which the molten polymers are mixed and discharged. On the other hand, the fiber forming layer region (B) in which a fiber concentrator is formed from the molten mixture flow of the present invention has a large number of slits on the discharge side that push out the thermoplastic synthetic polymer mixture flow. However, adjacent slits are provided with discontinuous protrusions, and the mixture flow extruded from one slit through the concave area existing between the slits is transferred to another slit adjacent thereto. a spinneret having a structure such that it can communicate with a mixture stream extruded from the spinneret, preferably further cooling means for cooling the surface of the spinneret, and a composite filament formed from the mixture stream of said polymers. The present invention is characterized by comprising a forming device having a taking-off means for taking off the shaped fiber bundle. The first feature of the mixture forming region (A) comprising the stationary mixing element of the present invention is that the molten thermoplastic synthetic polymer can be mixed regularly and as finely as desired. By setting the shape and size of the recesses on each plate constituting the stationary mixing element as desired in advance, and controlling the stacking and combination of the plates, the mixing state can be freely changed. This is a feature of the mixture forming region (A). The thickness of the plate is 5 mm or less, preferably 1 mm.
The size can be freely selected from mm or less, especially 0.5 mm or less, and it is characterized by a simple structure and suitable mixing stationary element for micro-mixing with a size of about 50μ to 300μ. . A second feature of the mixture forming region (A) comprising the stationary mixing element of the present invention is that the mixed state of two or more types of molten thermoplastic synthetic polymers is controlled in a layered manner or by a combination of the stationary elements. It is possible to make it into a block shape (cyno shape),
Moreover, the mixing state is uniform and regular. The stationary element has a plurality of common introducing areas for the molten polymer, each of which can be large, and in the coplanar discharge area where the molten polymer is mixed and discharged, When there is only a single element, the respective molten polymers can be mixed in layers. Moreover, if a plurality of each of the mixing elements are used in combination in the bias direction, each molten polymer can be mixed in a block shape. The third feature of the mixture forming region (A) comprising the stationary mixing element of the present invention is that in order to perform static and physical mixing, the surface tension of each molten polymer to be mixed, the interface It is possible to mix them into a desired shape and size without being significantly affected by differences in physical properties such as state, viscosity, and solubility parameters. In traditional mechanical mixers, the molten polymers do not yet come into contact with each other inside the stationary mixing element, but substantially contact and coalesce in the discharge area of the element. In a static mixer, the above-mentioned problematic differences in physical properties of molten polymers do not adversely affect the mixing action when forming a mixture using the static mixing element of the present invention. This is a characteristic of area (A). Therefore, each of the different molten polymers has the characteristic that it can serve as a suitable mixer for mixing difficult-to-mix materials. A fourth feature of the mixture forming region (A) made of the stationary mixing element of the present invention is that only after passing through the same plane discharge area where the stationary element is discharged,
Since the molten polymers to be mixed will come into contact in a layered or block form, the molten thermoplastic synthetic polymers that may react with each other should be selected according to their reaction induction periods. hand,
The advantage is that mixing can be performed while controlling the viscosity, temperature, etc. A fifth feature of the mixture forming region (A) comprising the stationary mixing element of the present invention is that each molten polymer can be statically mixed, so that it is an energy-saving mixture forming region. It is a certain thing. A sixth feature of the mixture forming region (A) made of the stationary mixing element of the present invention is that the stationary element is made of a large number of plates having recesses so small that they cannot be machined. It is inexpensive and can be easily manufactured by laminating. A seventh feature of the mixture forming region (A) made of the stationary mixing element of the present invention is that the entire stationary mixing element can be formed very densely and regularly as desired.
Since the polymers are compactly stacked, the positions of the different molten polymers can be changed to the state to be mixed in a short time. Next, in order to facilitate understanding of the mixture forming region (A) comprising the stationary mixing element of the present invention and its effects, the present invention will be explained in comparison with various conventionally known mixers. Traditionally, equipment for streamlining the dispersion and kneading of molten polymers can be broadly classified into dynamic mixers and static mixers.The former dynamic mixers include kneading machines such as single screw extruders and twin screw extruders. Examples include dispersion and mixing machines using high-speed stirring mixers such as the Henschel type and the like. These dynamic mixers are
Literally, the different molten polymers to be mixed,
A large amount of energy is consumed due to stirring by a rotating body. In addition, since the different molten polymers to be mixed coexist in these dynamic mixers from the beginning, differences in the physical properties inherent to each molten polymer, such as viscosity, solubility parameters, surface tension, and interfacial Condition, affinity, etc. directly affect the kneading and mixing conditions, and it is extremely difficult to obtain almost the same mixing condition under the same mixing and kneading conditions.
Suitable cases or kneading conditions must be found for each different molten polymer. Furthermore, although a micro-dispersed mixture or a non-uniform block-like mixture can be obtained by mixing with this mixer, it is impossible to obtain a regular and uniform block-like or layer-like mixture. On the other hand, conventional static mixers include Kenix's static mixer, Sulzer's static mixing element, Charles-Ross' Ross ISG mixer and Ross LPD mixer, Bayer's BKM Bayer Continuous Mixer, BASF's
BASF mixer, Multiflux mixer from Dow Chemical Co., Komatsu mixer from Komatsu System Co., Ltd., Lightning Inliner from Mixing Equipment Co., Ltd., Emma Formroll mixer from Hilma Plan & Ruytube Co., Ltd., Toray Co., Ltd. A large number of mixers are known, such as Hi-mixer, Tatsumi Kogyo's honeycomb mixer and Imstat mixer, Sakura Seisakusho's square mixer, and Koritsu Kogyo's Shimazaki pipe mixer. The static mixer, which is a common feature of these conventionally known static mixers, is common to the static mixing element of the present invention. The main purpose of these conventionally known static mixers is to minimize the mixing energy consumption and to perform finer dispersion or mixing. By changing the fineness (or size) of the dispersion or mixing state, it is possible to adjust to some extent the fineness (or size) of the dispersion or mixing state, but when observing this dispersion or mixing state under a microscope, the shape of each fluid is as follows.
The mixing state is completely irregular and unevenly distributed on one side of the liquid mixture, and it is almost impossible to control the dispersion or mixing shape by each static mixer. On the other hand, in conventional static mixers, a plurality of elements are usually combined in series, so that different molten polymers mixed from the very beginning of the first element come into contact with each other. They coexist. Therefore, similar to the above-mentioned dynamic mixer, the conventional static mixer has the drawback that it cannot prevent large differences in physical properties between different molten polymers from affecting the mixing state. Furthermore, since these conventional static mixers are manufactured one by one using special machining, the manufacturing cost of each element of each static mixer is currently extremely high. According to the present invention, there is provided a mixture forming region (A) comprising a static mixing element that has improved the drawbacks of the conventionally known dynamic mixers, static mixers, and the like. Next, the fiber formation layer region (B) of the present invention, in which a composite filament-like fiber bundle is formed from the molten mixture flow.
The characteristics of this will be explained in detail. The first object and advantage of the fiber cambium region (B) of the present invention is to create a new type of composite filamentous fiber bundle that cannot be obtained by conventionally known methods for obtaining fibrous materials from molten thermoplastic synthetic polymers. The purpose of this invention is to provide a molding device for manufacturing. A second object and advantage of the fiber cambium region (B) of the present invention is to form a composite filamentous fiber bundle having a cross-sectional shape similar to that of natural fibers, such as silk, and irregularities in the fiber axis direction. The goal is to provide equipment. The third object and advantage of the fiber cambium region (B) of the present invention is to provide a new type of composite filament fiber bundle suitable as a material for various spinning, knitting, woven, nonwoven, and other textile products. The object of the present invention is to provide a molding device for manufacturing. Furthermore, a fourth object and advantage of the fiber cambium region (B) in combination with the mixture forming region (A) of the present invention is that at least 10%, preferably at least 30% of the resulting fiber cross-section An object of the present invention is to provide a forming apparatus for producing a composite filamentary fiber bundle characterized in that at least two different polymer phases are combined to form at least two irregular blocks. A fifth object and advantage of the fiber forming layer region (B) of the present invention is that, for example, per cm ² of the fiber discharge surface of the spinneret,
The object of the present invention is to provide a novel forming device capable of spinning a composite filament-like fiber bundle of 100 to 600 fibers or more. The sixth object and advantage of the fiber forming layer region (B) of the present invention is that it is made of a thermoplastic polymer having an extremely high melt viscosity such as polycarbonate, or a polyester elastomer, a polyurethane elastomer,
Using thermoplastic polymers such as polyolefin elastomers, which exhibit complex viscoelastic behavior and which were previously thought to be difficult or virtually impossible to manufacture into industrial fibers, they can be easily and inexpensively produced. The object of the present invention is to provide a molding device capable of producing a composite filamentary fiber bundle containing these components. The novel composite filament fiber bundle obtained by the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention can be summarized as follows: The composite filament fiber bundle (filament) has a large cross-sectional area irregularly and periodically along its length. The coefficient of variation of the internal cross-sectional area of the filament [CV(F)] is 0.05 to 0.05 as defined below.
It is characterized by a range of 1.0. This CV
The range of (F) values is based on the fact that when the filament is cut at intervals of, for example, 1 mm along its length, the size of each cross-sectional area varies randomly, and It means that there is an irregular period and the width of the fluctuation is within a statistically constant range. More specifically, this new composite filament fiber (filament) has a non-circular cross-section, and the cross-sectional area changes irregularly and periodically along the length of the filament. and a change in cross-sectional shape accordingly. In the composite filament fiber bundle obtained by the production apparatus of the present invention, each of the composite filament fibers has the above-mentioned characteristics, and when the bundle is cut in a direction perpendicular to the fiber (filament) axis, It is characterized in that the cross-sectional area of each filament varies substantially randomly. In the composite filament fiber bundle obtained by the production apparatus of the present invention, at least 10%, preferably at least 30% of the composite filament fiber bundle has at least two or more different thermoplastic synthetic polymer phases in its cross section. It is characterized by being in a layered or block-like mixed state. According to the present invention, it has been found that a novel composite filamentary fiber bundle having the characteristics described above can be produced using a spinning method and spinning apparatus that are completely different from conventionally known methods. Conventionally, many methods for manufacturing fibrous materials from thermoplastic polymers are known, but from the viewpoint of manufacturing principles, they can be roughly divided into orifice molding type and phase separation molding type, which will be described later. The former is a method in which a fibrous material is obtained by discharging a polymer from uniform, regular-shaped tubular holes (i.e., orifices) drilled at regular intervals in a spinneret, cooling and solidifying it while drafting. Accordingly, fibers having a uniform and constant fiber cross-sectional shape based on the geometry of the orifice can be obtained. On the other hand, the latter phase-separation molding type is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,928, U.S. Pat.
"Engineering Chemistry Vol. 48, No. 8, p. 1342 (1956)" is the method described in ``Engineering Chemistry Vol. 48, No. 8, p. The melt or solution is phase-separated from a circular nozzle or a slit-shaped nozzle by means of a high-temperature, high-velocity jet flow or flash flow or other phase separation means so that a fine polymer phase is formed. According to this method, a large amount of reticulated nonwoven fiber aggregate can be obtained, but
The fibers forming this fiber aggregate are characterized by their cross-sectional shapes and sizes being different and not uniform. Furthermore, there are many known methods for producing composite fibrous materials from thermoplastic polymers, but they can be broadly classified into composite spinning types and mixed spinning types based on the method of compounding them. . The former are Special Publications 1973-3816, Special Publications 46-41408,
A method described in JP-A No. 48-4709, etc., in which two or more polymer phases are regularly and intentionally arranged through regular tubular holes drilled in a spinneret. This is a method of obtaining fibers in which polymers are composited relatively regularly by discharging and cooling and solidifying while drafting, and the fibers obtained by this method have arbitrary Examining the cross-sectional state of the fiber at two locations reveals that the cross-sectional shape of the fiber and the arrangement pattern of two or more types of polymer phases are the same. On the other hand, the latter is the Tokuko Sho 48-26804 and the Tokuko Sho 45-
24691, JP-A-54-64508, etc., in which two or more polymer phases arranged irregularly are discharged from a regular tubular hole formed in a spinneret. This is a method of obtaining mixed fibers by cooling and solidifying while drafting.The fibers obtained by this method can be
When we examine the cross-sectional shape of the fiber, we find that
Although the cross-sectional shapes of the fibers are the same, the arrangement patterns of two or more types of polymer phases are not the same, although they are almost similar. The production of composite fibrous materials using these conventional techniques is as follows:
All of these methods are carried out industrially and play a role in providing large quantities of fibrous materials to the market, but each has the following problems from the viewpoint of suitability as a textile material and productivity. If these points can be improved, not only will it be possible to provide a new type of even more excellent fiber material, but it will also be possible to provide the fiber material at a lower price. That is, in general, in the case of orifice molding type, the first problem is that when a large number of orifices are provided in one spinneret and the orifice spacing is narrowed for the purpose of molding a large amount of high-density fiber bundles, orifice discharge becomes a problem. Due to the balance effect of the molten polymer and the melt fracture phenomenon, the filamentous polymer melt discharged from the orifice fuses with each other and causes problems such as breakage, resulting in trouble between the orifices. Industrially, the orifice spacing can only be set to about 2 to 3 mm at most. With this spacing, the number of fibers formed from the nozzle is at most 10 to 1 ^cm2 .
There are about 20 fiber bundles, and it is impossible to mold a large number of high-density fiber bundles. In particular, when trying to mold a large amount of composite fibers using the general orifice molding type mentioned above, the structure of the spinneret becomes extremely complicated, which increases the cost of the spinneret, and the number of fibers that can be molded per 1 ^cm2 increases. had the disadvantage that it was much smaller than the above range. Furthermore, in the case of fiberization by orifice molding, the molding speed must be increased to increase productivity, which is usually on the order of 1000 m/min. A second problem with the orifice molding type is that the geometry of the fibers depends on the shape of the orifice, resulting in a constant, monotonous shape. This cannot be said to be particularly preferable when used as a material for textile products such as woven or knitted fabrics. It is well known that the physical properties of textile products depend not only on the properties of the matrix polymer of the fibers constituting the product, but also on the geometry of the fibers, that is, their cross-sectional shape and size. for example,
The texture of products made from natural fibers largely depends on irregularities in cross-sectional shape and denier, but it is difficult to obtain fibers with such irregularities from thermoplastic polymers by orifice molding. It is extremely difficult. On the other hand, when trying to obtain composite fibers by phase separation molding type molding, it is possible to mold fiber bundles in large quantities by molding from a slit nozzle compared to orifice molding type composite fibers. However, in this case, only a two-dimensional focusing body is obtained. In addition, regarding the geometry of the fibers, the fiber aggregates obtained by this technique are
Without exception, the cross section of each fiber is irregular and has a different denier, but the shape and size of the cross section, the denier of the fiber, and the arrangement pattern of two or more types of polymer phases vary greatly, and these factors must be controlled. It is extremely difficult to control the average denier, and even the average denier is difficult to control, which limits its range of application. Moreover, the fiber aggregates obtained by such phase separation type processes are all highly network-like fiber aggregates or branched short fiber aggregates, with no gaps between the network or branch junctions. The fiber length is, for example, several millimeters to several centimeters, and has the disadvantage of being extremely short.
Therefore, a fiber assembly having a function such as an assembly of a large number of filaments, in which the distance between the joining points of each fiber is, for example, at least 30 cm, preferably at least 50 cm, or more, on average, is suitable for the above-mentioned phase. It is impossible to produce it using a separation type fiber assembly production method. Next, the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention will be explained in detail using the drawings. FIG. 1 is an enlarged schematic view of a stack of stationary elements that is an example of a stationary mixing element constituting the mixture forming region (A) of the present invention. The plate having recesses used in the present invention is normally a flat plate, but it may also be a plate having a large wave-like shape as shown in FIG. So-called each plate,
It is only necessary that the plate has a structure in which a large number of layers can be formed so that the fluid does not overflow or leak outside the recess. The concave portion on the plate of the element used in the present invention is a portion provided on the plate that acts as a passage or groove through which fluid flows, and includes, for example, the different plate plates shown in FIG. This is the shaded part of (P-a) and (P-b),
When a large number of such plates are stacked, the entrance portion on one side of each plate (for example, a ₁ in Fig. 1,
a ₂ , a ₃ or b ₁ , b ₂ , b ₃ , b ₄ ) to the discharge part on the other side (for example, Xa or Xb in Figure 1), which can be a continuous flow hole. ,
It is sufficient if the recess depth (d) is smaller than the thickness (t) of the plate that is a part of the element. Generally, it is appropriate that the thickness of the plate and the depth of the recess satisfy the following formula. 0.3t≦d≦0.7t Here, t is the thickness of the plate, and as mentioned above, it is 5 mm or less, preferably 1 mm or less, especially 0.5
It is preferable that it is less than mm. The element used in the present invention is composed of plates having at least two types of concave shapes, which means that when viewed from the stacking direction from the lower left side to the upper right side in FIG. The plate P-b has a concave portion indicated by upward diagonal lines, and the plate P-b has a concave portion indicated by downward diagonal lines to the right, which means that the shapes of these concave portions are completely different. The shape of this recess can be selected and determined completely freely, and is characterized in that the shape is not limited. Further, the shape of the groove forming the recess on the plate may be any shape such as a rectangle or a semicircle. The shape of this recess is determined by the size, shape, and number of the inlet, the size and shape of the outlet, and the presence or absence of an island-shaped convex part within the recess, such as the plate P-a in FIG.
The island Ia in the plate P-b and the island Ib in the plate P-b can be appropriately selected and designed.
Although the islands of the convex portions present in the concave portions on the plate of the element may not be present, it is better to provide a certain number of convex islands for the shape retention of the laminate. Next, in the element used in the present invention, plates whose inlet portions have the same concave shape when viewed from a certain stacking direction form a common fluid introduction region, and each plate has a common fluid discharge region. They are laminated to form a flat surface. This point will be explained below. FIG. 1, which is an enlarged schematic perspective view showing an example of the present invention, will be described. First, FIG. 1 shows two different plates P when viewed from a certain stacking direction.
This figure shows an element in which a large number of plates -a and plates P-b are alternately stacked. The difference between plate P-a and plate P-b is that, except for the fact that they form a coplanar discharge area, the individual inlets come together in the stacking direction and form the same band-shaped fluid introduction area. The point is that it does not form. The plates P-a are all arranged in the same direction in the stacking direction, and the inlets a ₁ , a ₂ , a ₃ of the plates P-a are stacked so that they are arranged at the same position. The stacked state of plate P-b is also the same as that of plate P-a. Individual inlets a ₂ of multiple plates P-a
A large number of them gather together to form one band-shaped common fluid introduction area _A2 in the stacking direction. Similarly,
The individual inlets a ₃ of a number of plates P-a are
This forms two band-shaped common fluid introduction areas _A3 . Although not shown in FIG. 1, it can be easily seen that the individual inlets a ₁ of the multiple plates P-a also form a common band-shaped fluid introduction area A ₁ . Plate P-a in Fig. 1 is the fluid inlet
Although there are three fluid inlets a ₁ , a ₂ , and a ₃ , plate P-a may have one or two fluid inlets. Also, if there are many inlets on plate P-a (such as a ₁ , a ₂ , and a ₃ ), these may be inlets for introducing the same type of fluid, but this is not necessarily the case. . In short, the two types of fluids that are to be mixed, the liquid discharged from the discharge port Xa of plate P-a and the fluid discharged from the discharge port Xb of plate P-b, contact each other in a layered manner in the discharge area and are mixed. As such, the number and position of the inlets in each plate are determined mainly based on the type and amount of fluid introduced from each plate. On the other hand, the plates P-b are also arranged in the same direction in the stacking direction, and the inlets b ₁ , b ₂ , b ₃ , b ₄ of the plates P-b are arranged in the same position. Laminated. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the individual inlets of a number of plates P-b
A large number of b ₁ are gathered together to form a band-shaped common fluid introduction region B ₁ in the stacking direction. Similarly, in FIG. 1, the individual inlets of a number of plates P-b
b ₂ and b ₃ come together to form different band-shaped common fluid introduction regions B ₂ and B ₃ , respectively. Furthermore, the individual inlet portions b ₄ of a large number of plates P-b are gathered together to form another band-shaped common fluid introduction area B ₄
is formed. Plate P-b in Figure 1
has four fluid inlets b ₁ , b ₂ , b ₃ and b ₄ , but even if the number of fluid inlets on plate P-b is one, it may be two or three. It may be individual. The difference in FIG. 1 is that plate P-a has three inlets, and plate P-b has four inlets. When the plates having recesses used in the present invention are stacked, the individual fluid introduction regions may be present on the same surface or on different surfaces of the plate stack. In FIG. 1, the fluid introduction regions B ₂ , A ₂ and B exist on the same plane, the fluid introduction regions B ₁ and A ₁ (not shown in FIG. 1), and the fluid introduction region A ₃ and B ₄ of
Each exists on the same plane as the other. As shown in FIG. 1, the islands present in the recess area of the plate may face the outlet Xa, such as the island Ia, or may exist inside the recess, such as the island Ib. . As mentioned above, these islands not only improve the shape retention of the fluid mixing stationary element, but also
It may be provided to play a role in improving the fluidity of fluid flowing through the recess. The element used in the present invention is characterized in that it is provided with a plurality of common introduction areas for fluids to be mixed and a coplanar discharge area from which the fluids are mixed and discharged. To explain this point with reference to FIG. 1, which shows an example of the element used in the present invention, the introduction regions include B ₁ , A ₁ , B ₂ , A ₂ , B ₃ ,
There are seven in this order, A ₃ and B ₄ , and they exist on three different sides of the plate stack, but plate P-a has an outlet called Xa, and plate P-b has an outlet called Xb. The outlets Xa and Xb are located on the same side of the plate stack and form one outlet area. Therefore, fluid (A ₁ +A ₂ +A ₃ ) and fluid (B ₁ +B ₂ +B ₃
+B ₄ ) only after passing through the coplanar discharge zone from which it is discharged is substantially adjoined into a layered mixture. It is possible to uniformly mix different molten polymers in a narrow sense, for example, polymers of A ₁ , A ₂ , and A ₃ components, in connected recesses whose entrances have the same shape when viewed from a certain stacking direction. If this is desired, it is a good idea to previously provide a flow regulating plate having a distributing action along the flow direction in the recess, or a flow regulating plate having a pin-shaped island portion. The thickness (t) of the plate having the concave portion constituting the stationary element for mixing molten polymer of the present invention is preferably 5 mm or less, more preferably 1 mm or less, most preferably 0.5 mm or less, and In order to ideally exhibit the effect of the element and achieve ideal mixing conditions, it is best to set the plate thickness to a range of 0.05 mm or more to 0.3 mm or less. However, the thickness of plate P-a and plate P-b do not necessarily have to be the same. An important feature of the element used in the present invention is that it can exhibit its effects even more in fine areas where the element cannot be manufactured by machining. The width (W) of the plate having the concave portion constituting the element used in the present invention ranges from 1 mm or more to several meters.
However, in general use, the width (W) of the plate is preferably in the range of 5 mm or more to 100 cm, more preferably 1
It is best to use something in the range of 50 cm or more. The height (H) of the plate having the concave portion constituting the element used in the present invention can be freely selected within the range of 1 mm or more to several meters. The height (H) is preferably in the range of 5 mm or more to 50 cm, more preferably in the range of 1 cm or more to 30 cm. A single hole, which is smaller than the entire recess penetrating the plate, may be provided in the recess or non-recess portion of the plate having the recess constituting the element used in the present invention, to the extent that the object of the present invention is not impaired. There may be one or more. In FIG. 1, Ha indicates a hole located in a portion other than a recessed portion, and Hb indicates a hole located in a recessed portion. Ha and Hb are provided for pressure adjustment or movement of a small percentage of fluid between two plates P-a, between two plates P-b, or between plates P-a and P-b. The diameter, number and position of the holes may be determined as appropriate within the intended range. In the discharge part (for example, Xa or Xb in FIG. 1) from which fluid is discharged from the plate having the recessed part constituting the element used in the present invention, the shape of the outlet part is not limited to a true straight line. Without,
Step-like unevenness (e.g.

It may have a sawtooth shape (e.g.

There is no problem in doing [formula]). What is required is that the discharge areas lie on the same plane and form a generally planar shape. An example of the mixing stationary element of the present invention has been described above with reference to FIG. According to the embodiment described above, a mixed molten polymer in which two types of molten polymers are mixed uniformly and regularly in a layered manner can be obtained.
This is realized by an element in which two types of plates P-a and P-b are alternately laminated, but it goes without saying that the element used in the present invention is not limited to only this embodiment. do not have. For example, an element may be constructed by laminating three or more types of plates alternately in the same way, thereby obtaining a mixture in which three or more types of molten polymers are mixed and laminated in layers. can. Also, different types of plates do not necessarily need to be stacked alternately and regularly; for example, for plate P-a and plate P-b, two plates of P-a and two plates of P-b are stacked and stacked alternately. By changing the combination, such as alternating two sheets of P-a and one sheet of P-b, or alternating one sheet of P-a and two sheets of P-b, a layered mixture can be obtained as desired. elements can be assembled. Furthermore, the element used in the present invention does not need to be composed of at least two types of plates each having a concave portion, and may be partially laminated with, for example, a smooth plate-like body or a porous plate-like body having no concave portions. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain an element capable of obtaining a mixture consisting of a characteristic molten polymer. This point will be explained in detail below with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows an example of an element in which the plates constituting the stationary element include a plate P having concave portions on both sides. In this way, there is no need for the recesses on the plate to be on only one side.
In addition, when a large number of plates having concave portions are stacked, as shown in _FIG .
It may be laminated between plates having recessed portions. This smooth plate-like body may have a mirror surface,
Further, the surface may have fine irregularities such as a pear-finished surface. Further, in the smooth plate-like body, for the total area of the recess on the plate,
There is nothing wrong with having one or more small holes drilled into it. When many plates with recesses are stacked,
As shown in FIG. 2, the porous plate-like body S ₂ or S ₃ is
The stationary mixing element used in the present invention can also be produced by inserting and stacking between plates having recesses or between plates having recesses and the smooth plate-like body. The porous plate-like body referred to in the present invention may be a smooth plate-like body having a large number of holes formed by machining or other methods, and may also be a structure filled with a large number of fine particles. For example, a structure such as a sintered metal body, a sintered metal paper, a fibrous web, a woven fabric, or a wire mesh may be used. Furthermore, the stationary mixing element used in the present invention can be constructed even if it is a porous plate-like body formed by combining the various structures described above. FIG. 2 shows an example of the present invention in which two stationary mixing elements constituting the mixture forming region are combined in a bias direction along the flow of the molten mixture flow. is an enlarged schematic view of a state in which a smooth plate-like body S ₁ , a sintered metal S ₃ , a wire mesh S ₂ , etc. are each appropriately inserted between plates P and C having recesses on both sides, and are laminated in large numbers. It shows. The thickness of these smooth plate-like bodies _S1 and porous plate-like bodies _S1 and _S2 is desirably within the range of 5 mm or less, preferably 1 mm or less, which is the same as the thickness of the plate P-c having the recessed portions. It is. Furthermore, in FIG. 2, the mixing stationary element [ ] constituting the mixture forming region is a mixing element in which two of the mixing stationary elements [ ] are laminated with the same or different stationary elements [ ] in the bias direction, that is, perpendicular to each other. This shows the body formation area. In this way, when combined and laminated, the respective different molten polymers supplied from the two common introduction areas of A ₁ and A ₂ are discharged in layers at the first stage mixing stationary element, The common surface is supplied in the bias direction to the stationary mixing element in the second stage while being mixed in a layered state, and is discharged through the channel in the recess of the stationary mixing element in the second stage. It is characterized by a mixture of fine regular blocks (dice-like shapes). Although FIG. 2 is only an example in which two of the mixing stationary elements ([] and []) are stacked in the bias direction, it goes without saying that each element may be constructed singly. Furthermore, it is a feature of the present invention that by sequentially combining a large number of these []:[] in the bias direction, it is possible to provide a mixture forming area in which a very fine dice-shaped mixed state can be easily obtained. It is. Next, FIG. 3, which is an enlarged schematic perspective view showing an example of the stationary element for fluid mixing used in the present invention and viewed from the side of the discharge area that discharges in the same plane, will be described in detail. Third
In the figure, plates P-d and P-e, which have two different types of recesses on only one side of the plate, are stacked alternately and regularly, and a large number of plates P
- the individual inlets of the plates P-d come together to form one strip-shaped common introduction area A ₁ ; the individual inlets of a number of plates P-e come together to form another strip-shaped common introduction area A1. Forming B ₁ . In Figure 3,
Fluid A, indicated by dots, flows from a band-shaped common introduction area _A1 consisting of multiple inlets of plate P-d, using the concave portions of multiple plates P-d as flow channels, as indicated by dots in Figure 3. As shown, the flow is such that it flows from multiple layered discharge portions Xa in the same plane discharge area visible at the bottom of FIG. On the other hand, the third
In the figure, fluid B indicated by diagonal lines flows from a band-shaped common introduction area _B1 consisting of a large number of inlets of the plate P-e, using the concave portions of the large number of plates P-e as flow paths, as shown in Fig. 3. It flows as shown by the dotted line in one place, and flows out from multiple layered discharge portions Xb in the same plane discharge area visible at the bottom of Fig. 3. In FIG. 3, plate P-d
A large number of plates are stacked such that the layered discharge portions Xa of the plate Pe and the layered discharge portions Xb of the plate Pe are alternately and regularly arranged. As can be easily understood from this FIG. 3, the stationary mixing element used in the present invention is capable of
Each has an independent recess, through which two or more different molten polymers flow as a flow path, and two or more different molten polymers are formed in a dedicated elongated rectangular shape on the coplanar discharge area surface of the stationary element. The method used in the present invention is such that two or more different molten polymers are discharged from a large number of discharge portions in a layered manner and are regularly arranged in a layered manner. This is an important and characteristic role of the mixture forming region (A) consisting of a stationary mixing element. Next, a method for manufacturing the stationary element for fluid mixing used in the present invention will be described in detail. The shape of the concave portion of the plate constituting the stationary element used in the present invention can be determined completely freely and has the characteristics that it can be easily manufactured at low cost. No matter how much machining is used, it is not possible to easily fabricate such a sophisticated and complex structure at a low cost. The stationary element used in the present invention is characterized by being manufactured accurately, precisely, and inexpensively by a photo-etching process. First, the shape and size of the plate having the recesses are determined, drawn, and photographed. Next, after applying a photocurable film to the plate surface, photolithography is performed to harden and insolubilize the film in areas other than the recesses, and then the film on the recesses is removed. A plate having recesses can be easily produced by etching the portions that will become recesses to form recesses and removing the photocured film on the portions other than the recesses. As described above, by stacking these in a desired order while inserting desired smooth plate-like bodies and/or perforated plate-like bodies, the stationary mixing element used in the present invention is completed. In order to maintain the shape of the stacked mixing stationary elements, the stacked stationary elements may be made into a heated sintered body, or may be joined by electric welding or the like. In some cases, it can also be used simply by attaching it with adhesive. Generally, it is desirable to use the stationary mixing element thus obtained in conjunction with a dedicated spinneret holder. As described above, the present invention involves forming a composite filament-like fiber bundle from a layered or block-like mixture flow of at least two types of molten thermoplastic synthetic polymers obtained in the mixture forming region (A) of the present invention. The fiber cambium region (B) will be explained in detail. The fiber cambium region (B) of the present invention comprises at least 2
In producing a composite filamentous fiber bundle by extruding a layered or block-like mixture stream of one or more kinds of molten thermoplastic synthetic polymers through a spinneret having a large number of slits, the molten mixture stream of the spinneret is Discontinuous protrusions (mountains) in adjacent narrow gaps on the discharge side of
is provided, and the molten mixture flow extruded from one slit through the slits or recessed areas (troughs) existing between the convex portions (mountains) is extruded from other slits adjacent thereto. The molten mixture stream is extruded through a spinneret which is in communication with the molten mixture stream, such that the molten mixture stream is composed of at least two different polymers at least at the discharge surface. The phases form at least two layers or irregular blocks. As explained above, in the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the conventionally known polymer melt discharge surface is smooth, and the melt discharge holes (orifices) are independently bored in a regular array. This is fundamentally different from a fiber manufacturing apparatus in which the melt is extruded from a spinneret. The spinneret used in the method for producing a composite filamentary fiber bundle according to the present invention is characterized by its surface from which the molten mixture flow is discharged, and the surface has a large number of uneven structures and a large number of molten mixture flows. It has a discharge hole. The surface having such unevenness and discharge holes has discontinuous protrusions (mountains) provided in adjacent narrow gaps on the discharge side of the molten mixture flow of the spinneret, and between the protrusions (mountains) The structure is such that the molten mixture stream extruded from one slit can interact with the molten mixture stream extruded from other adjacent slits through the slits or recessed areas (valleys) present. It is something that you have. The degree of unevenness of the discharge surface of the molten mixture flow in such a spinneret and the proportion of discharge holes are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 55-38993, which was previously proposed by some of the present inventors.
According to the definition stated in the specification (filed on March 28, 1982), (1) the average distance between the discharge ports () is in the range of 0.03 to 4.0 mm, preferably 0.03 to 1.5 mm, particularly 0.06 to 4.0 mm; 1.0mm
(2) Average mountain height () is in the range of 0.01 to 3.0 mm, preferably 0.02 to 1.0 mm, (3) Average mountain width () is in the range of 0.02 to 1.5 mm, preferably 0.04 to 1.0 mm. range, and (4) average mountain height () and average mountain width ()/
Expressed in d, the range is from 0.3 to 5.0, preferably from 0.4 to 5.0.
It is advantageous to have a finely textured surface that satisfies the range of 3.0 and a large number of polymer discharge ports. As mentioned above, the values of , , and / are (1)
〜(4) and (−
It is more advantageous to set the structure of the cap surface so that the value expressed by d)/ is in the range 0.02 to 0.8, preferably in the range 0.05 to 0.7. The specific structure constituting the mixture flow discharge surface of the spinneret mentioned above includes plain weave mesh made of steel wire made of stainless steel or bronze material; Woven wire mesh; a porous plate-like body in which a large number of minute metal spheres are densely packed and arranged at least on the surface layer, sintered and fixed; a laminate in which a large number of the above-mentioned plain woven or special woven wire meshes are vertically and densely arranged; Examples include a laminate in which a large number of metal plates each having a sawtooth shape (〓〓〓) at the tip are stacked vertically at regular intervals; or a combination of these. . As described above, on the polymer discharge surface of the spinneret, as long as two or more different polymer phases are extruded by forming a layer or block shape by the mixture forming region (A), (A) and (B) The binding may be carried out by any means or device. What means or equipment is advantageous depends on the type of polymer phase to be combined, the shape and thickness of the fibers, the shape and size of the layers or blocks of the polymer phase, the surface structure in the spinneret, and the spinning conditions. (temperature, pressure, melt viscosity, cooling temperature, etc.) However, it is generally preferable to mix the two or more different polymer phases so that they form a layer or a block just before the surface of the spinneret. In particular, in order to produce the composite filamentary fiber bundle of the present invention, the mixture of the present invention must be prepared so that at least two different polymer phases form a layer or a block on the surface of the spinneret. providing a flow of molten mixture using the forming region (A) and withdrawing the flow of molten mixture through the slits in its surface;
The molten mixture stream can be converted into a number of separate fibrous streamlets and solidified. The layered (striped) or block-like shape of the polymer phase mentioned here is based on the specification of Japanese Patent Application No. 103067-1983 (filed on July 29, 1982), which was previously proposed by the present inventors. It means the same as the striped or block-like shape described above. Thus, the apparatus of the present invention has a structure in which the laminar or block-like molten mixture flow formed by the mixture forming region (A) is supplied to the fiber forming layer region (B) to form fibers. Moreover, since the fiber cambium region (B) can spin an extremely large number of fibers per unit area as described above, the mixed state in the mixed flow formed in (A) is close to the layered or block-like shape. It is possible to divide the molten polymer into fibers by dividing it into rivulets that can be made into fibers by (B), and therefore, in order to obtain the desired block-shaped fibers,
The advantage is that the shape and structure of (A) can be selected and controlled. Particularly in the production apparatus of the present invention, it is advantageous to extrude the molten mixture stream while heating at least the spinneret near the discharge side surface. In this way, a uniform composite filamentary fiber bundle can be obtained under more stable conditions while maintaining a good mixing state of different molten polymers. Various means can be used to heat the nozzle near the discharge side surface as long as the purpose of heating is achieved, but the preferred method is to supply energy to the nozzle near the discharge side surface. Although there are self-heating means such as electrical heating or dielectric heating, or means for supplying heat by heat transfer, the former method is industrially preferred. In the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the fiber forming region of the spinneret, that is, the region where fibers are substantially formed, uniformly and efficiently cools the flow of the molten polymer mixture discharged from the slits. Therefore, it is desirable to form the fiber forming region in the form of a band, particularly a rectangle. For example, the width of such a rectangle is approximately
The length is preferably 20 cm or less, especially about 10 cm or less, and the length may be any length, and the air flow is directed through the slit-like slit substantially parallel to the length of the spinneret into the melt. Preferably, the discharged molten mixture stream is cooled by blowing toward the discharge surface of the mixture stream such that the air stream flows substantially parallel to the discharge surface in the vicinity of the discharge surface. The cooling fluid, for example, air at room temperature, is used as the cooling fluid, for example, air at room temperature, and the flux is approximately 40 m as a velocity immediately after passing through the fiber bundle at a position 5 mm away from the discharge surface (tip surface of the mountain) of the spinneret. Advantageously, the flow velocity is less than 30 m/sec, preferably less than about 30 m/sec. A device for injecting such a cooling fluid (for example, the device shown in the accompanying drawings of the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application No. 55-38993) is provided in the vicinity directly below the spinneret from which the molten mixture stream is discharged. Preferably. Furthermore, it is preferable that a device is provided for taking off the composite filamentary fiber bundle formed from the cooled mixture stream. Next, the composite filamentary fiber bundle obtained using the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention will be briefly explained. The composite filamentary fiber bundle obtained using the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is: Each fiber constituting the bundle has irregular and periodic changes in cross-sectional area size along its length, and (ii) each fiber has an intra-fiber cross-sectional area coefficient of variation [CV(F) 〕but
(iii) The variation in the cross-sectional area of the fibers when the bundle is cut at an arbitrary position in the direction perpendicular to the fiber axis is the coefficient of variation of the fiber cross-sectional area within the bundle [CV( A)〕
(iv) at least 10% of the cross-section of the fiber is characterized by at least two different polymer phases combined in at least two layers or blocks; . The definitions of the intra-fiber cross-sectional area variation coefficient [CV(F)] and the intra-bundle fiber cross-sectional area variation coefficient [CV(A)] are based on the definition of the coefficient of variation of cross-sectional area within the fiber [CV(A)], which was previously proposed by the present inventors in Japanese Patent Application No. 55-38993.
No. (filed on March 28, 1982) means exactly the same thing as stated in the specification. The molten thermoplastic synthetic polymer used in the present invention includes polymers conventionally used in melt spinning methods, such as polyethylene terephthalate and polyε
- Not only are polymers such as caprolactam, polyhexamethylene adivamide, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polytetramethylene terephthalate advantageously applicable, but also polycarbonates and the above-mentioned polyester elastomers, which have traditionally been industrially difficult to melt spin. Even such polymers can be easily made into fibers without any problems. As described above, according to the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a fiber bundle even if the polymer is crystalline or non-crystalline. In addition, the thermoplastic synthetic polymer used in the production apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned polymers, but also the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application No.
28th) The polymers described in the specification can be used.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of a stationary element for mixing molten polymer used in the present invention, and is an explanatory diagram in which only one plate having a concave portion is peeled off from a laminate composed of many plates. be. FIG. 2 shows a molten polymer mixing stationary element in which various smooth plate-like bodies, various porous plate-like bodies, and plates having concave portions on both sides are laminated in many different ways, and the element is arranged in a bias direction. FIG. FIG. 3 shows that two different types of molten polymers are supplied to a molten polymer mixing element composed of a plate having two different types of recesses, and each molten polymer is discharged into the same planar discharge area. FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic perspective view, seen from the direction of the discharge area, showing the mixing state when the mixture is mixed.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A mixture forming region (A) comprising a stationary mixing element for forming a layered or block-like mixture flow of at least two types of molten thermoplastic synthetic polymers, and a fiber from the molten mixture flow. This is an apparatus for manufacturing a composite filamentous fiber bundle comprising a fiber cambium layer region (B) for forming a bundle, (1) the mixture forming region (A) comprising: (i) a large number of laminated plates having recesses; (ii) the plate having each recess is in fluid communication with the molten polymer in the recess; and (iii) the element comprises a stationary mixing element having at least two recess shapes; (iv) the element is configured such that the plates whose inlet portions have the same concave shape when viewed from a certain stacking direction form a common molten polymer introduction region, and each plate has a molten mixed polymer discharge region; (v) the element is provided with a plurality of common introduction zones for the molten polymers to be mixed and a coplanar discharge zone from which the molten polymers are mixed and discharged; (2) The fiber forming layer region (B) has a large number of slits on the discharge side for extruding the flow of the thermoplastic synthetic polymer mixture, and adjacent slits have discontinuous convexities. An origin is provided, through which the concave area existing between the protrusions allows the flow of mixture extruded from one slot to intersect with the flow of mixture extruded from another slot adjacent thereto. An apparatus for producing a composite filament-like fiber bundle, comprising a spinneret having a structure as described above. 2. The fiber forming layer region (B) has a large number of slits on the discharge side for extruding the flow of the thermoplastic synthetic polymer mixture, and adjacent slits are provided with discontinuous protrusions. and has a structure such that a mixture flow extruded from a certain slit can communicate with a mixture flow extruded from another adjacent slit through the concave area existing between the convex portions. A forming device comprising a spinneret, a cooling means for cooling the surface of the spinneret, and a taking-off means for taking off the composite filament-like fiber bundle formed from the polymer mixture stream. An apparatus for manufacturing a composite filamentous fiber bundle according to claim 1. 3. The forming area in the spinneret of the fiber forming layer area (B) has an average distance ( 3. An apparatus for producing a composite filamentary fiber bundle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the apparatus has a spinneret having a spinneret of approximately 100 mm or less. 4. The forming area of the fiber forming layer area (B) in the spinneret is in accordance with the definition stated in the specification: (1) the average distance between discharge ports () is in the range of 0.03 to 4.0 mm; (2) the average The peak height () is in the range of 0.01 to 3.0 mm, (3) the average peak width () is in the range of 0.02 to 1.5 mm, and (4) the average peak height () and the average peak width () are ()/( ) Composite filament-shaped spinneret according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is a spinneret having a structure having fine irregularities satisfying the range of 0.3 to 5.0 and a large number of polymer discharge ports. Fiber bundle manufacturing equipment. 5. The composite filament-shaped composite filament according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it has a heating means for heating at least the spinneret in the vicinity of the discharge side surface of the fiber forming layer region (B). Fiber bundle manufacturing equipment. 6. The mixture forming region (A) is characterized in that two or more of the stationary mixing elements are combined in a bias direction along the flow of the mixture flow. An apparatus for manufacturing a composite filamentous fiber bundle according to items 1 to 5. 7. The composite filament-like fiber bundle according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the stationary element for fluid mixing is formed by laminating a large number of smooth plate-like bodies and plates having the recessed portions. Manufacturing equipment. 8. The composite filament-like fiber bundle according to claims 1 to 7, wherein the stationary element for fluid mixing is formed by laminating a large number of porous plate-like bodies and plates having the recessed portions. manufacturing equipment. 9. Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that each of the plate having a concave portion, the smooth plate-like body, and the porous plate-like body constituting the stationary element for fluid mixing is 5 mm or less. A manufacturing device for composite filament fiber bundles.