Device and Method for Preparing Filament Yarn of Composite Nanofibers

Abstract

Device and method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers. The device includes pairs of electrospinning nozzles on a frame and filament guiding roller pair under the frame. The spouts of each pair of nozzles are oppositely facing. The method includes feeding polymer solutions to the pairs of nozzles, applying high DC voltage with opposite polarity respectively to each one of the pairs of nozzles, forming composite nanofibers by attracting nanofibers with opposite charge from each nozzle and striking together of the charged nanofibers, pulling/stretching the composite nanofibers to form filament yarn of composite nanofibers, drawing down the filament yarn of composite nanofibers from the first pair of nozzles and using it as a carrier to receive the nanofibers with opposite charge electrospun from the second pair of nozzles and coated by the same so as to form multi-layer (e.g., two- or more-layer) filament yarn of composite nanofibers.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
   
   
       10 . A device for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers, comprising: pairs of electrospinning nozzles, a filament guiding roller pair, a frame, fixed sticks and a base, wherein the pairs of electrospinning nozzles are oppositely disposed in two columns and fixed on the frame, the frame is connected to the base by the fixed sticks extending perpendicularly from the base, the filament guiding roller pair is located in a plane of the frame with substantially the same distance away from two spouts of each of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles, and the frame is set at an adjustable acute angle to the fixed sticks. 
   
   
       11 . A device for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 10 , wherein distance between two neighbouring electrospinning nozzles of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles on a same column of the frame is from about 2 to about 50 cm. 
   
   
       12 . A device for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 10 , wherein distance between two oppositely disposed spouts of a pair of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles is from about 10 to about 100 cm. 
   
   
       13 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers with a device for preparing the filament yarn of the composite nanofibers, comprising: pairs of electrospinning nozzles, a filament guiding roller pair, a frame, fixed sticks and a base, wherein the pairs of electrospinning nozzles are oppositely disposed in two columns and fixed on the frame, the frame is connected to the base by the fixed sticks extending perpendicularly from the base, the filament guiding roller pair is located in a plane of the frame with substantially the same distance away from two spouts of each of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles, and the frame is set at an adjustable acute angle to the fixed sticks, the method comprising:
 feeding polymer solutions to the pairs of electrospinning nozzles on the frame;   applying high electrical voltages with opposite polarities to two oppositely disposed electrospinning nozzles of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles, respectively;   forming composite nanofibers by attracting and striking nanofibers with opposite charge from each of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles together during a journey of the nanofibers in the air, or by attracting and depositing the nanofibers on a polymer fibrous carrier drawn down, the composite nanofibers are pulled and/or stretched, resulting in continuous filament yarn of the composite nanofibers;   drawing down the filament yarn of the composite nanofibers fabricated by a first pair of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles and using the drawn down filament as a carrier to receive the nanofibers with opposite charge electrospun out from a second pair of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles, the filament yarn of the composite nanofibers is then drawn down and/or stretched, forming two-layer filament yarn of composite nanofibers; and   drawing down, in turn, filament yarn of composite nanofibers fabricated by a former pair of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles and using the drawn down filament as a carrier to receive the nanofibers with opposite charge electrospun out from a latter pair of the pairs of the electrospinning nozzles, the filament yarn of composite nanofibers is then drawn down and/or stretched by the filament guiding roller pair, forming multi-layer filament yarn of composite nanofibers.   
   
   
       14 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 13 , wherein the high electrical voltages with opposite polarities respectively applied to the two oppositely disposed electrospinning nozzles of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles are fixed at a voltage ranging from about 3 to about 200 kV. 
   
   
       15 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 13 , wherein the multi-layer filament yarn is composed of various layers of polymer nanofibers. 
   
   
       16 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 13 , wherein the multi-layer filament yarn is composed of various layers of polymer nanofibers with a polymer fibrous carrier as a core filament yarn. 
   
   
       17 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 13 , wherein the polymer solutions fed to the pairs of electrospinning nozzles comprise the same or are different polymer solutions. 
   
   
       18 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 13 , wherein the polymer solutions fed to the pairs of electrospinning nozzles comprise additive-containing polymer solutions. 
   
   
       19 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 13 , wherein the polymer solutions fed to the pairs of electrospinning nozzles comprise a mixture of inorganic particles and polymer solutions. 
   
   
       20 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 17 , wherein the polymers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of polyolefin, halogen-substituted polyolefin, silicone, polyether, polyamide, polyester, polycarbonate, polyurethane, epoxy resin, polyacrylonitrile, polyacrylates, polyphenyl ether, polyanhydride, poly(α-amine acid), polyphenyl sulfide ether, and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       21 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 17 , wherein the polymers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of cellulose, dextran, silk fibroin, chitin, hyaluronic acid, collagen, sodium alginate, calcium alginate, chondroitin sulphate, agar, fibril protein, keratin, casein, albumin, elastin, derivatives thereof, and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       22 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 17 , wherein the polymers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of bioabsorbable synthetic polymers, such as poly-L-lactic acid, poly-(D,L)-lactic acid, poly glycolic acid, polycaprolactone, polybutyrolactone, polyvalerolactone, poly-p-dioxanon, polyanhydride, poly(α-amine acid), and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       23 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 17 , wherein the polymers comprise a copolymer synthesized from two or more monomers selected from the group consisting of L-lactic acid, D, L-lactic acid, glycolic acid, 3-hydroxyl butanoic acid, 3-hydroxyl pentanoic acid, caprolactone, butyrolactone, valerolactone, amine acid, and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       24 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 19 , wherein the inorganic particles comprise nano-antibacterial agents. 
   
   
       25 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 19 , wherein the inorganic particles comprise catalysts. 
   
   
       26 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 19 , wherein the inorganic particles comprise carbon nanotubes. 
   
   
       27 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 18 , wherein the additive-containing polymer solutions comprise additives selected from the group consisting of antibiotics, immunosuppressants, antibacterial agents, hormone, vitamin, amino acids, peptides, proteins, enzymes, growth factor, dope, hemostasis agents, anodyne, anti-hyperpiesia agents and anti-tumour agents, and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       28 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers with a device for preparing the filament yarn of the composite nanofibers, comprising: pairs of electrospinning nozzles, a filament guiding roller pair, a frame, fixed sticks and a base, wherein the pairs of electrospinning nozzles are oppositely disposed in two columns and fixed on the frame, the frame is connected to the base by the fixed sticks extending perpendicularly from the base, the filament guiding roller pair is located in a plane of the frame with substantially the same distance away from two spouts of each of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles, and the frame is set at an adjustable acute angle to the fixed sticks, the method comprising:
 feeding polymer solutions to the pairs of electrospinning nozzles on the frame;   applying high electrical voltages with opposite polarities to two oppositely disposed electrospinning nozzles of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles, respectively;   forming composite nanofibers by attracting and striking nanofibers with opposite charge from each of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles together;   pulling and stretching the composite nanofibers to form filament yarn of the composite nanofibers; and   drawing down the filament yarn of the composite nanofibers fabricated by a first pair of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles and using the drawn down filament as a carrier to receive the nanofibers with opposite charge electrospun out from a second pair of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles; and   drawing down and stretching the filament yarn of the composite nanofibers by the filament guiding roller pair to form multi-layer filament yarn of composite nanofibers.   
   
   
       29 . A method for preparing filament yarn of composite nanofibers according to  claim 28 , further comprising:
 drawing down filament yarn of composite nanofibers fabricated by the second pair of the pairs of electrospinning nozzles and using the drawn down filament as a carrier to receive the nanofibers with opposite charge electrospun out from a third pair of the pairs of the electrospinning nozzles; and   drawing down and stretching the filament yarn of composite nanofibers by the filament guiding roller pair to form the multi-layer filament yarn of composite nanofibers.