Modeling the Mono- and Bicomponent Fiber Meltblown Process with Surface Response Methodology

Abstract

Mono- and bicomponent (bico) meltblown webs are produced on a 24-inch wide Reicofil® side-by-side bicomponent meltblown system using polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), poly[ethylene terephthalate] (PET), poly[butylene terephthalate] (PBT), polyamide (PA), and their bicomponent (bico) combinations, such as PP/PE, PP/PET, PE/PET, PP/PA, PBT/PE, and PBT/PP. Extensive tests reveal the character of the webs, including their fiber diameter, bulk density, web uniformity, filtration efficiency, air permeability, hydrostatic head, bursting strength, flexural rigidity, and tensile strength. In addition, DSC and SEM are used to examine bico distribution across the die and fiber structure in the webs. Fiber diameters in the range of 1.64-2.85 μm and high uniformity are achieved for both mono and bico meltblown webs at polymer throughputs of 0.55-1.1 g/hole/min (20-40 kg/hr). Since meltblowing is a highly complex and multivariable process where knowledge of the mechanistic model is lacking, and because the new bico capability makes the process much more complicated, surface response methodology (SRM) is suggested for further study of the process. Preliminary work shows that SRM is an efficient and effective method for meltblown process optimization and product development.