Brzezińska 5/15; 92-103 Łódź, POLAND
tel/fax: (48 42) 61-63-101; 67 92 638; e-mail: info@iw.lodz.pl
www.iw.lodz.pl
Study on melt-blown polymer matrices
– for technical and medical applications
Dr eng.
Jadwiga Sójka-Ledakowicz
R&D Director, Textile Research Institute
(IW)
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009
www.iw.lodz.pl
IW R&D works in the area of :
material engineering – new, special high-tech
textiles of barrier properties against UV and
electromagnetic fields radiation, functional added
value textiles and smart textiles
polymers – melt blow technique,
textile chemistry,
nano- and micro-technology,
environment protection – integrated methods of
watewater treatment, water and energy reuse
biotechnology - enzymes application in textiles
processing,
textile techniques and technologies.
R&D works scope
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009
www.iw.lodz.pl
Currently IW employs 283 persons, it has suitable human resources
and equipment:
995 research workers
9 5 Scientific Divisions
9 6 Testing Laboratories (5 accredited)
9 Institute is the notified body within 3 EU Directives:
88/378/EEC/ The Directive on the Safety of Toys,
89/686/EEC/ The Directive on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
93/42/EEC/ The Directive on medical devices
IW Potential
Method of obtaining composite polymer matrices
according to melt-blow technique
This integrated technique consists
in linking fibre-forming process
with web-forming process.
The strings of molten polymer are
blown up by the stream of hot
compressed air.
Molten polymer comes out form
extruder head through the multihole nozzle and sets – as a fine
fibre – on a collecting drum.
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009
Melt-blowing process - scheme
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009
Melt-blowing process stages - scheme
Thermoplastic polymer (granulate):
polypropylene, polyethylene
polyamide, polycarbonate, polyester,
copolymers, etc.
Speed
Temperature
Pressure
Additives
Melting and
homogenisation
Filtration
Pressure
Dosing
(dosing pump)
Speed
Temperature
Pressure
Dosing rate
Polymer extrusion
through nozzle
Fibre formation
Polymer
extrusion
through
nozzle
Formation of end
product
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009
Melt-blowing process
The following factors have the influence on the meltblowing process and the properties of end-products:
- polymer type,
- process temperature,
- the ratio of the hot air mass input to the polymer mass
(technological parameters of the process),
- the method of collecting formed web.
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009
Melt-blown products testing
Characteristics of polymer matrices:
- average molecular mass,
- range of melting temperatures,
- viscosity in molten phase,
- thermal stability,
- glass transition temperature,
- measurement of specific surface area and porosity,
- gas and liquid vapours sorption analysis.
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009
Melt-blown products testing
Degradable polymers can degrade in natural environment
as an effect of different factors: temperature, different
types of chemical compounds, enzymes produced by
micro-organisms as well as light, especially UV radiation.
Degradation of polymer matrices – tests on:
photodegradation (UV radiation)
thermal degradation
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009
Melt-blown nonwovens
and products made of such nonwovens
Melt-blow nonwovens and products made of such nonwovens
form a group of textiles having many applicational possibilities.
BIODEGRADABLE and ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
NONWOVENS CAN BE USED IN :
MEDICINE
TECHNICAL AREA
AGRICULTURE / FARMING
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009
Melt-blown nonwovens
in medical applications
Research works carried our by IW aim at the development of unique,
multifunctional wound covering materials based on melt-blow
nonwovens made of biodegradable polymers modified by biologically
active compounds – chitosan, or other substances of good sorption
properties towards toxins – active carbon.
Developed product after suitable pharmacological testing and after formal
registration (according to official regulations) could be used as wound
covering material for outer and inner application.
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009
Melt-blown nonwoven with active carbon
active carbon
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009
Melt-blown nonwovens
with chitosan of microbiological origin
Recent research works carried by IW concern the application of
chitosan of microbiological origin, isolated from from Absidia type fungi.
Such chitosan is introduced at the stage of forming melt-blown fibres.
Melt-blown nonwovens
with chitosan of microbiological origin
Due to specific chemical, molecular and biological properties
Chitosan (poly(2-deoxy-2-aminoglucose)) is an example of
a polymer having wide applicational range.
Micro-crystalic chitosan has many functional properties:
high value of swelling coefficient, ability to form polymer films
directly from suspensions,
bioactivity,
especially
high tenacity / adhesion, controllable
antibacterial
activity,
non-toxicity,
high
stability, good miscibillity with a range of substances including
polymers, high level of chemical reactivity, high sorption capability.
Melt-blown nonwovens
in technical applications - environment protection
Special focus should be on nonwovens based on superfine fibres, the
diameter in the range of 0,5 – 5 µm, used for high performance
materials for gas (dry filtration) and liquid filtration (wet filtration).
On the basis of highly efficient filtering nonwovens the following
product were developed: aspirator filters, used in industrial dust
measuring, filtrating-sorptive structures for simultaneous
air cleaning from toxic dusts and gases.
Melt-blown nonwovens with average fibre
diameter ca. 2 µm can filtrate impurities - particles
from atmospheric aerosols in the range
of 27 ÷ 274 nm.
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009
Melt-blown nonwovens
in technical applications - environment protection
Method of filtrating liquid medium
and laminar filtrating-sorptive structure
for filtering liquid medium, especially
oiled medium.
Figure – Pack scheme
1. Melt-blow nonwoven
with developed surface
2. Bulky PP nonwoven
3.and 4. Joinings
A method of filtrating liquid media and a
filtrating –sorptive pack for filtrating liquid
medium, especially oiled medium.
Such a pack should be installed in
filtrating chamber of gravity – slow-rate
and high-rate filters in water purification
plants and in wastewater treatment plants.
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009
Melt-blown nonwovens
in technical applications - environment protection
Products absorbing oil-like substances
MATS
removing impurities from hardened surfaces,
removal of spills, cleaning of industrial
installations
Application: petrol stations, parkings, road surfaces,
car service stations, assembly rooms, industrial areas
PILLOWS
removal of impurities from water surface,
absorbing large volume spills from hardened
surfaces
SLEEVES
limiting the spills spreading in water regions,
absorbing spills on hardened surfaces
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009
Current r&d works carried out by IW
Project ordered by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education
no. PBZ-MNiSW-01/II/2007
Biodegradable nonwovens to be applied in medicine, agriculture
and technics
tasks:
Development of composite nonwoven matrices for technical applications
Study on surface properties of biodegradable nonwovens to be applied in
medicine, agriculture and technics
Contact:
„
Textile Research Institute (IW) , Brzezińska 5/15, 92-103 Łódź,
POLAND
„
tel + 4842 6163 180; fax + 4842 67-92-638
„
e-mail: ledakowicz@iw.lodz.pl
AITEX INFODAY – Brussels, 31 March 2009