Method of filling hollow fiber with gel

Details Method of filling hollow fiber with gel Method of filling hollow fiber with gel

1998-01-22

2000-02-08

Jacyna, J. Casimer

Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea

Absorption and/or immersion

141 1, 141 82, 141 13, 811551, D06M 1500, D01F 108

Patent

active

060218223

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a process for filling a hollow portion of a hollow fiber with a gel easily and in an efficient manner more particularly to a process for filling a hollow fiber with a gel without requiring special equipment such as pressure resistant facilities, and with enabling an industrial mass production.
2. Background Art
There have been a number of proposals to offer methods of encapsulating substances such as active drugs into the hollow portion of a hollow fiber on the surface of which pores are diffusely distributed to communicate to said hollow portion.
For example, Japanese unexamined patent 5-339878, Japanese unexamined patent 6-17372 disclose a procedure by which a solution of a natural protein is allowed to absorb into the hollow portion of a hollow fiber on the surface of which pores are distributed to communicate to said hollow portion, and the protein is subject to a cross-linking treatment to be insoluble, thereby to improve the durability of a moisture absorbing ability of the fiber.
However, generally speaking, as a solution of a natural protein is highly viscous, it is difficult to absorb it through the pores into the hollow portion. On the contrary, if the solution is allowed to have a low concentration so that its viscosity may be lowered, the content of the natural protein present in the hollow portion will be so much reduced that the level of moisture absorbing ability will become inadequately low.
Further, Japanese unexamined patent 7-26466 discloses a procedure in which a hollow fiber composed of a single polymer and having a hollowness ratio of at least 20% is subject to an alkali treatment so as to reduce its weight and to generate micro grooves thereby which communicate to the hollow portion, and an agent which impart a functional property to the hollow fiber is absorbed through these micro grooves into the hollow portion.
However, with above method, as the agent which has been absorbed into the hollow portion is not solidified thereto as, for example, gelling, it will be easily lost during washing, and the function imparted by that agent will become progressively reduced in level over time.
On the other hand, Japanese unexamined patent 6-158552 discloses a method in which a substrate of a porous hollow fiber is passed through a tank containing a mixture in the form of sol the substrate is removed therefrom, and is kept under a reduced pressure so that the sol may be absorb into the hollow portion, and then the assembly is dried under the reduced pressure so that the sol may turn into a gel.
However, with the above method, as the substrate is kept under a reduced pressure when the sol is absorbed into the hollow portion of the hollow fiber, the method can not be applied to a sol which contains a substance which easily turns into vapor such as water. Furthermore, this method requires pressure resistant facilities because it uses a reduced pressure. Thus, to increase production, it is necessary to enlarge the production unit or to introduce a lot of the production units, which makes this method inadequate for mass production.


DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The object of this invention is to provide a method of encapsulating a gel into the hollow portion of a hollow fiber in the manner suitable for mass production, without requiring special equipment such as pressure resistant facilities, in order to impart various functions to that fiber by the encapsulating.
The present inventors have strenuously studied to meet the above object, found that, when a hollow fiber on the surface of which pores a diffusely distributed to communicate with the hollow portion is placed in a liquid capable of turning into a gel and is left at room temperature, the liquid is absorbed through the communicating pores into the hollow portion until it fills that portion, and thus achieved this invention.
Namely, this invention is a process for filling a hollow portion of a hollow fiber with a gel, which comprises immersing said hollow fi

REFERENCES:
patent: 3875008 (1975-04-01), Yoshino et al.
patent: 5160627 (1992-11-01), Cussler et al.
patent: 5505773 (1996-04-01), Vitands et al.
patent: 5596988 (1997-01-01), Markle et al.

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