JPH0780053A - Sterilization filter - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Structure] Fiber 1 having a vinyl copolymer of a pyridinium salt and a humectant adhered to the surface thereof, which has an excellent ability to adsorb microorganisms at high humidity, and an electret which has an excellent ability to adsorb microorganisms at low humidity. The non-woven fabric f1 mixed with the fibers 2 of the material constitutes the single-layer disinfection filter F1. Alternatively, a breathable sheet s1 made of an electret material is laminated on a non-woven fabric f2 made of fibers having the vinyl copolymer and a humectant adhered to the surface thereof to form a laminated sterilization filter F2. [Operation] It has excellent bactericidal action throughout the year regardless of weather conditions such as humidity.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sterilization filter for removing microorganisms in the air.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a compound of general formula (1):

[0003]

[Chemical 2]

[In the formula, R ¹ is a benzyl group and has 4 to 16 carbon atoms.
Alkyl group or pentafluorophenylmethyl group,
R ² is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, X is a halogen atom, Y is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, an aralkyl group, an ether group, a carboxyl group, a carboxylic acid ester group or an aryl group. Indicates. m and n are the same or different and show the degree of polymerization. ] A vinyl copolymer of a pyridinium salt represented by the following formula has been proposed (JP-A-3-47).
No. 536).

[0005] by vinyl copolymer of the pyridinium salts, mechanism microorganisms in the air is adsorbed is not clear, group in the formula X ^- -R ¹ -N ^{+ -} are positively charged, the cell membrane surface It is speculated that one of the important factors may be the occurrence of electrostatic interaction with the microorganisms that are considered to be negatively charged by the -OH group of.

Further, since the presence of water is indispensable for the above compound to exhibit the function of adsorbing microorganisms, it can be used in the gas phase by adhering it to the surface of the substrate together with a moisturizer. A gas phase microorganism adsorbent has also been proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-11945).

[0007]

However, when the composition of the above-described gas phase microorganism adsorbent is applied to a sterilizing filter for removing microorganisms in the air, for example, in an air purifier, an air conditioner, etc. When the humidity is low, such as when drying, the effect of the moisturizer becomes weak, and the function of the vinyl copolymer of the pyridinium salt to adsorb the microorganisms decreases accordingly, and the microorganisms pass through the filter without being removed. There was a problem of being lost.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a sterilization filter having an excellent sterilization action throughout the year regardless of weather conditions such as humidity.

[0009]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the sterilizing filter of the present invention has a general formula (1):

[0010]

[Chemical 3]

[Wherein R ¹ is a benzyl group and has 4 to 16 carbon atoms]
Alkyl group or pentafluorophenylmethyl group,
R ² is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, X is a halogen atom, Y is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, an aralkyl group, an ether group, a carboxyl group, a carboxylic acid ester group or an aryl group. Indicates. m and n are the same or different and show the degree of polymerization. ] Pyridinium salt vinyl copolymer represented by the following formula and a moisturizing agent adhered to the surface thereof, and a fiber of an electret material are mixed, and it is constituted by a non-woven fabric.

Another sterilizing filter of the present invention is a nonwoven fabric comprising fibers having a vinyl copolymer of a pyridinium salt represented by the general formula (1) and a moisturizer attached to the surface thereof,
It is characterized in that breathable sheets made of an electret material are laminated and integrated.

[0013]

The sterilizing filter of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure has a function of adsorbing microorganisms in the air by electrostatic interaction when humidity is low by applying high voltage and polarizing in advance. The electret material was adhered to the surface with a vinyl copolymer of a pyridinium salt represented by the general formula (1) and a humectant, which had excellent adsorption function for microorganisms in the air when the humidity was high as described above. Since it is combined with fiber, it has excellent bactericidal action throughout the year regardless of weather conditions such as humidity. Further, since the above electret material has a dust collecting function, the sterilizing filter of the present invention has a dust collecting function in addition to the sterilizing function.

The sterilization filter of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "single-layer sterilization") is made of a non-woven fabric formed by mixing the fibers having the vinyl copolymer and the moisturizer attached to the surface thereof with the fibers of the electret material. The “filter”) requires few manufacturing steps and is easy to manufacture. On the other hand, another nonwoven fabric of the present invention formed by laminating a breathable sheet made of an electret material on a non-woven fabric made of fibers having the vinyl copolymer and a humectant adhered to the surface, and integrating the sheets. Filter (hereinafter referred to as "multilayer sterilization filter")
Is a breathable sheet made of electret material, because it is relatively easily available as an electrostatic filter, etc., simply by combining a nonwoven fabric made of fibers having a vinyl copolymer and a humectant attached to the surface, It has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings showing an embodiment thereof. First, the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A will be described. The embodiment shown in the figure corresponds to the single-layer type sterilization filter F1 of the present invention, in which a vinyl copolymer of a pyridinium salt represented by the general formula (1) and a moisturizer are attached to the surface. , The fiber 1 that adsorbs microorganisms in high humidity,
The corrugated plate-shaped nonwoven fabric f1 is made of an electret material and is mixed with the fibers 2 that adsorb microorganisms when the humidity is low.

The non-woven fabric f1 is produced by using the above-mentioned both fibers 1 and 2 by a production method which does not affect the vinyl copolymer attached to the surface of the fiber 1 and the moisturizing agent, among ordinary production methods of the non-woven fabric. To be done. Specifically, a method in which fibers are defibrated by an air flow, and then a sheet-formed web is treated with a needle punch machine or a stitch bond machine so that the fibers of the web are entangled with each other (dry mechanical bonding method), etc. The manufacturing method of is adopted.

Next, the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B will be described. The embodiment shown in the figure is a laminated type sterilization filter F of the present invention.
Corresponding to 2, a corrugated plate-shaped nonwoven fabric f2 made of fibers having the vinyl copolymer and a humectant adhered to the surface thereof,
Similarly, it is formed by stacking and integrating breathable sheets s1 that are corrugated and made of an electret material.

The non-woven fabric f2 is a) a method of forming a non-woven fabric by the above-mentioned production method using fibers having the surface of the vinyl copolymer and a moisturizing agent attached in advance, and b) a vinyl copolymer and a moisturizing agent. A non-woven fabric produced from fibers not attached with an agent, impregnated with the vinyl copolymer and a moisturizing agent, on the surface of the fibers constituting the non-woven fabric, a method of adhering a vinyl copolymer and a moisturizing agent, Manufactured by either Of the above, the latter used in the method b), the nonwoven fabric composed of fibers not adhering the vinyl copolymer and the moisturizer, is manufactured by the manufacturing method of, after the fibers are defibrated by an air flow, A method of applying a resin component to a sheet-formed web by means such as impregnation or spraying to heat-cure it (dry adhesive method), a method of dispersing fibers in a fluid such as water, and scooping to form a sheet (wet method). Method), a synthetic fiber filament that has been spun is immediately laminated in layers to form a web, and the web is subjected to heat or mechanical treatment (dry direct spinning method).

Breathable sheet s laminated with nonwoven fabric f2
Examples of the non-woven fabric include a nonwoven fabric made of fibers of an electret material, a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, and a porous sheet made of an electret material. Among them, a nonwoven fabric made of fibers of an electret material is preferably used in terms of air permeability. To be done. In order to laminate and integrate the nonwoven fabric f2 and the breathable sheet s1, a joining method such as adhesion with an adhesive, heat welding, or ultrasonic welding is adopted.

The single-layer type or multi-layer type sterilizing filter F
1 and F2 are used for an air cleaner, an air conditioner, etc. as a disinfection element or a dust collection element, for example, by stacking a plurality of sheets themselves or by stacking them with other members such as a disinfection filter. . The vinyl copolymer of the pyridinium salt represented by the general formula (1) attached to the surface of the fiber in each of the above-mentioned examples is a copolymer of 4-vinylpyridine and a monovinyl monomer, It is synthesized by reacting the nitrogen of the pyridyl group with a halide containing a group represented by —R ¹ —X.

Examples of monovinyl monomers used for copolymerization include monoolefins (ethylene, propylene,
Butene, etc.), styrene, vinyl acetate, acrylic acid, acrylic acid ester, methacrylic acid, methacrylic acid ester, fatty acid vinyl ester, acrylonitrile, and derivatives thereof. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Examples of the halide acting on the copolymer of 4-vinylpyridine and monovinyl monomer include alkyl halide, benzyl halide, pentafluorophenylmethyl halide and the like. The copolymerization ratio of 4-vinylpyridine and monovinyl monomer, that is, the ratio of m and n in the general formula (1) varies depending on the type of monovinyl monomer used and the degree of polymerization, but usually m: n is It is preferably in the range of 10:90 to 90:10.

If the proportion of 4-vinylpyridine is less than this range, sufficient microbial adsorption may not be obtained, and conversely if the proportion of 4-vinylpyridine is greater than this range, the vinyl copolymer obtained may be insufficient. When the polymer becomes highly water-soluble, for example when the water content on the fiber surface is high,
There is a risk that the vinyl copolymer may be eluted into this water, resulting in uneven distribution in the sterilization filter, or flowing out from the sterilization filter.

The degree of polymerization of the vinyl copolymer is preferably 300 or more. When the degree of polymerization is less than 300, the obtained copolymer also becomes highly water-soluble and may cause the above problems. The vinyl copolymer of the pyridinium salt represented by the general formula (1) is substantially insoluble or sparingly soluble in water, and in organic solvents such as alcohols, esters, phenols and ethers. It is soluble. Utilizing this property, the vinyl copolymer is dissolved in an organic solvent to form a solution, which is attached to the surface of the fiber by various methods such as dip coating and spray coating.

Specifically, in the case of the single-layer type sterilization filter F1, the fiber 1 at the stage after spinning and before forming the nonwoven fabric f1.
By treating with a solution containing the vinyl copolymer,
The vinyl copolymer is attached to the surface of the fiber 1. On the other hand, in the case of the laminated sterilization filter F2, as described above, the fibers at the stage before forming the nonwoven fabric f2 are treated with the solution,
Attaching a vinyl copolymer to the surface of the fiber, or
The non-woven fabric f2 formed in advance may be impregnated with a solution to attach the vinyl copolymer to the surface of the fiber.

The amount of the vinyl copolymer of the pyridinium salt attached to the fiber is not particularly limited, but it is preferably in the range of about 0.001 to 100% by weight, expressed as the weight% of the fiber. If the amount of the vinyl copolymer attached is less than the above range, a sufficient effect of adsorbing microorganisms may not be obtained.
On the contrary, even if the amount of the vinyl copolymer attached exceeds 100% by weight, no further adsorption effect can be obtained, which is uneconomical.

As the moisturizing agent which is impregnated into the fiber or attached to the surface of the fiber together with the vinyl copolymer of the pyridinium salt, various substances having a property of absorbing and retaining water in the air can be used. Examples of humectants include, but are not limited to, calcium chloride, alkaline earth metal salts such as magnesium chloride, lithium chloride, potassium metasilicate, deliquescent substances such as titanium sulfate, polyvinyl alcohol, poly. Super absorbent polymers such as acrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, carboxymethylcellulose, silica gel, zeolite, collagen,
Examples thereof include ethylene glycol, diphosphorus pentoxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide and the like.

To attach the moisturizing agent to the surface of the fiber, the moisturizing agent is dissolved or dispersed in a solution prepared by dissolving the vinyl copolymer in an organic solvent, and the solution is applied to the fiber, or The solution may be applied to the fiber first and sprinkled with a moisturizer before the solution dries. The amount of moisturizer attached is
It depends on the type of humectant and the water adsorption capacity, but it is about 5 to 500% by weight, expressed in% by weight with respect to the vinyl copolymer.
The range of is preferable. If the amount of the moisturizing agent attached is less than the above range, it may not be possible to supply the water necessary for maintaining the microbial adsorption performance of the vinyl copolymer. On the other hand, even if the amount of the moisturizing agent attached exceeds 500% by weight, it is uneconomical because the vinyl copolymer cannot exert a further adsorption effect.

The fibers to which the vinyl copolymer of the pyridinium salt and the humectant are attached on the surface include natural fibers such as cellulose, rayon, polyester, etc. and synthetic fibers. A bactericide may be further attached to the single-layer type or multi-layer type sterilization filters F1 and F2. Examples of the bactericide include, but are not limited to, antibiotics, positive surface lubricants such as quaternary ammonium salts, amphoteric surfactants such as alkylaminoethylglycine, chlorhexidine, and polyhexamethylene biguanide. Examples thereof include biguanides such as bottles, higher fatty acids such as undecylenic acid, metals and metal ions, and phenols.

In the single-layer type sterilization filter F1, the fiber 2 constituting the nonwoven fabric f1 is constituted with the fiber 1 to which the vinyl copolymer and the moisturizer are attached on the surface, and in the laminated type sterilization filter F2, the vinyl copolymer is used. As the electret material that constitutes the sheet s1 that is laminated and integrated with the nonwoven fabric f2 made of fibers to which the polymer and the humectant are attached on the surface, various conventionally known materials that function as an electret can be used. Specific examples of the electret material include, but are not limited to, for example, Teflon (PTFE), polypropylene (P
P), polyethylene (PE) and the like.

The constitution of the sterilization filter of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, although the sterilization filters F1 and F2 shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b) are both formed in a corrugated plate shape, they may be formed in a flat plate shape or another shape. In addition, various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0032]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a vinyl copolymer of a pyridinium salt and a fiber having a humectant adhered to the surface thereof, which has an excellent ability to adsorb microorganisms in high humidity, and microbes in low humidity are used. Since it is combined with an electret material with excellent adsorption capacity, a sterilization filter with excellent sterilization action can be obtained throughout the year regardless of weather conditions such as humidity.

When the sterilizing filter is made of a non-woven fabric formed by mixing the fibers having the vinyl copolymer and the humectant adhered to the surface together with the fibers of the electret material, the number of manufacturing steps is small. It has the advantage that it is easy to manufacture. Further, a nonwoven fabric made of fibers having the vinyl copolymer and a humectant adhered to the surface thereof, which is easily available as an electrostatic filter or the like, is laminated with a breathable sheet made of an electret material, and integrated to remove bacteria. When the filter is constructed, there is an advantage that the sterilization filter of the present invention can be manufactured at a relatively low cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 (a) is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a single-layer type sterilization filter of the present invention, and FIG. 1 (b) is a perspective view showing a laminated type sterilization filter.

[Explanation of sign]

 F1 Single-layer disinfection filter f1 Non-woven fabric 1,2 fiber F2 Multi-layer disinfection filter f2 Non-woven fabric s1 sheet

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. General formula (1): [Wherein R ¹ is a benzyl group, an alkyl group having 4 to 16 carbon atoms or a pentafluorophenylmethyl group, R ² is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, X is a halogen atom, Y is a hydrogen atom, carbon It represents an alkyl group, an aralkyl group, an ether group, a carboxyl group, a carboxylic acid ester group or an aryl group of the formulas 1 to 3. m and n are the same or different and show the degree of polymerization. ] A vinyl copolymer of a pyridinium salt represented by and a fiber having a moisturizer attached to the surface (1)
And a fiber (2) of an electret material, which is a non-woven fabric (f1). 2. A non-woven fabric (f2) made of fibers having a vinyl copolymer of a pyridinium salt represented by the general formula (1) and a humectant adhered to the surface of the breathable sheet (s1) made of an electret material. ) Are laminated and integrated to form a sterilizing filter (F2).