Method and device for manufacturing nanofiber

Abstract

Provided is a nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus capable of mass-producing nano-fibers having uniform quality at a low manufacturing cost. The nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus is equipped with a nozzle block having a plurality of upward nozzles and a polymer solution supply channel. The nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus field-emits the nano-fibers while overflowing the polymer solution from the upward nozzles, and at the same time, collects the overflowed polymer solution so as to reuse it. The nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus is additionally equipped with a raw material tank, regeneration tanks, a middle tank, a first transfer device for transferring the polymer solution to the regeneration tanks, a second transfer device for transferring the polymer solution to the middle tank, and first and second transfer control devices for controlling the transfer operations of the first and second transfer devices.

1 . A nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus, which includes: a nozzle block having a plurality of upward nozzles for upwardly discharging a polymer solution from outlets of the upward nozzles and a polymer solution supply channel for supplying the polymer solution to the upward nozzles; a collector arranged above the nozzle block; and a power supply for applying high voltage between the upward nozzles and the collector, and which is capable of field-emitting nano-fibers by discharging the polymer solution from the outlets of the plural upward nozzles while overflowing the polymer solution from the outlets of the plural upward nozzles, and at the same time, collecting the polymer solution overflowed from the outlets of the upward nozzles so as to the collected polymer solution as a raw material of nano-fibers, the nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus comprising:
 a polymer solution collecting channel formed in the nozzle block for collecting the polymer solution overflowed from the outlets of the upward nozzles;   a raw material tank for storing the polymer solution which becomes the raw material of the nano-fibers;   regeneration tanks adapted for regenerating the collected polymer solution and for storing the regenerated polymer solution;   a middle tank for storing the polymer solution supplied from the raw material tank or the regeneration tank;   a first transfer device for transferring the polymer solution from the polymer solution collecting channel of the nozzle block to the regeneration tank;   a first transfer controller for controlling a transfer operation of the first transfer device;   a second transfer device for transferring the polymer solution from the raw material tank and the regeneration tank to the middle tank; and   a second transfer controller for controlling a transfer operation of the second transfer device.   
     
     
         2 . The nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second transfer controller controls that the polymer solution is transferred from which one of the raw material tank and the regeneration tank to the middle tank. 
     
     
         3 . The nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein a plurality of the regeneration tanks are provided, and
 wherein the first transfer controller controls that the polymer solution is transferred from which one of the regeneration tanks to the middle tank, and in the case that the polymer solution is transferred from the regeneration tank to the middle tank, the second transfer controller controls that the polymer solution is transferred from which one of the regeneration tanks to the middle tank.   
     
     
         4 . The nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the middle tank comprises:
 a partition wall for covering a portion where the polymer solution is supplied;   a bubble removal filter arranged at the bottom of the partition wall;   a first storage part for storing the polymer solution before bubbles are removed by the bubble removal filter; and   a second storage part for storing the polymer solution after the bubbles are removed by the bubble removal filter, and wherein the polymer solution stored in the second storage part is supplied to the polymer solution supply channel of the nozzle block.   
     
     
         5 . The nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the middle tank comprises a first sensor for measuring a surface height of the polymer solution in the second storage part, and the second transfer controller controls a transfer operation of the second transfer device according to the surface height measured by the first sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the nozzle block comprises a second sensor for measuring a surface height of the polymer solution in the polymer solution collecting channel, and the first transfer controller controls a transfer operation of the first transfer device according to the surface height measured by the second sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the polymer solution collecting channel comprises:
 a receiving portion for receiving the polymer solution overflowed from the outlets of the upward nozzles;   a cover covering the receiving portion and having a plurality of nozzle holes respectively communicating with the upward nozzles; and   a plurality of jackets for covering sides of the upward nozzles protruding from the nozzle holes.   
     
     
         8 . The nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom of the middle tank is located above the top of the upward nozzles. 
     
     
         9 . The nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a measuring pump is arranged between the middle tank and the nozzle block for supplying the polymer solution stored in the middle tank to the polymer solution supply channel of the nozzle block. 
     
     
         10 . The nano-fiber manufacturing apparatus to  claim 1 , wherein the field emission device further comprises another transfer device for transferring a long sheet, and essentially comprises the nozzle block and the collector in order to laminate nano-fibers on the surface of the long sheet, and wherein a plurality of the field emission devices are arranged in series in a transfer direction of the long sheet. 
     
     
         11 . A nano-fiber manufacturing method, which includes the steps of field-emitting nano-fibers by discharging a polymer solution from outlets of plural upward nozzles while overflowing the polymer solution from the outlets of the plural upward nozzles, and collecting the polymer solution overflowed from the outlets of the upward nozzles so as to reuse the collected polymer solution as the raw material of nano-fibers, the nano-fiber manufacturing method comprising the steps of:
 collecting the polymer solution overflowed from the outlets of the plural upward nozzles to a regeneration tank;   measuring the content of a solvent in the collected polymer solution;   adding the solvent of a necessary amount into the polymer solution on the basis of the measured result, so that the polymer solution can be reused as a raw material of nano-fibers.