Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.85, No.14, 2885-2889, 2002
Polymer distribution during bicomponent melt blowing of poly(propylene)/poly(ethylene terephthalate) and its improvement
Bicomponent melt blown (MB) microfiber nonwovens of poly(propylene) (PP) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) were produced in this study. It is interesting to analyze the polymer distribution uniformity across the web because it affects many end-use properties. By utilizing the technique of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), a standard working line between heat of fusion and weight percentage was constructed for mixtures of PP and PET components. The fitted equations were used for determination of a component percentage in a certain position across the MB web. Measurements were conducted from DSC re-heating curves to achieve accurate results. The distribution of polymer varies with polymer mass ratio and processing conditions. The overall uniformity increased with the percentage of PP. When PP is the minor component in the polymer pair, it exhibits notably higher percentage in edge areas across the MB web. These results suggest the phase interface distortion of the polymer melt occurred at the entrance of the MB coat-hanger die tip. The polymer distribution uniformity is improved by adjusting temperature profile of the MB die.
Keywords:poly(propylene);poly(ethylene terephthalate);differential scanning calorimetry (DSC);microfiber;melt blown