Microporous hollow fiber and process and apparatus for preparing such fiber

• Main Authors: LOWERY; JAMES J, PLOTKIN; NEIL D, ROBINSON; JACK
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 20.09.1983
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONFILAMENTS; CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS,THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROMTHE BODY; FINISHING OR DRESSING OF FILAMENTS, YARNS, THREADS, CORDS,ROPES OR THE LIKE; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MECHANICAL FINISHING OF YARNS OR ROPES; MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OFARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES ORRIBBONS; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL THREADS OR FIBRES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; SEPARATION; SPINNING; TEXTILES; TRANSPORTING; WARPING OR BEAMING; YARNS

The present invention provides microporous hollow fiber with improved structural and performance characteristics and a process and apparatus for preparing the improved fiber. The microporous hollow fiber possesses substantially uniform wall thickness, cross-sectional dimensions and porosity. Such characteristics are obtained by melt spinning hollow fiber precursor under defined conditions in a substantially vertically upward direction and subjecting the precursor to a symmetrical quenching step which may be achieved using a hollow annular structure surrounding the precursor. The structure, which is connected to a source of gas, has one or more openings on its inner surface that distribute the gas against the precursor in a substantially uniform manner.