loading

Leading Hollow Fiber Membrane Spinning Machine and Spinneret Manufacturer - Trustech

all
Hollow Fiber and Flat Sheet Membrane Spinning System FAQ - 20 Questions
Hollow Fiber Spinneret FAQ - 50 Questions
1
How to online calibrate zero drift and temperature compensation for loss-in-weight feeders and Coriolis mass flow meters in high-viscosity fluids?
● Loss-in-weight (LIW) feeder:

● Zero drift compensation: static empty-scale calibration daily before startup; dynamic calibration every 2 h with a standard weight. Example: for viscous PSf dope, error reduced from ±0.5% to ±0.1%.

● Temperature compensation: mount PT100 on the scale; build a temperature–zero drift model (ΔZ = kΔT) to correct readings in real time.

● Coriolis mass flow meter:

● Zero drift compensation: “air calibration” during downtime with dry air at zero flow to record baseline and auto-correct. Example: for PAN/DMF, flow error reduced from ±0.8% to ±0.2%.

● Temperature compensation: use internal temperature sensing with density–temperature curve ρ = ρ0[1 − α(T − T0)] to correct mass flow.

● High-viscosity specifics:

● Use low-shear Coriolis designs to minimize viscosity effects.

● For ultra-high viscosity (> 1000 cP), consider LIW + time integration as an indirect measurement.

● Online verification: periodically perform volumetric checks with a standard prover to ensure system accuracy within ±0.5%.

2
Minimizing cross-contamination from line holdup during multi-component dope switching (CIP/SIP time, solvent use, verification)?
● Three-step “push–clean–verify”:

● Push: displace dope A under laminar flow (Re < 2000) with high-purity solvent until a clear interface forms to maximize physical displacement.

● Clean (CIP): run preset CIP using the same or compatible solvent for the next dope B for forced circulation flushing.

● Verify: inline sampling with UV spectrophotometer or inline viscometer; when key indices (e.g., absorbance) reach baseline and stabilize, cleaning passes.

● Quantification: optimize CIP time, flowrate, and solvent volume based on verification data to achieve minimal consumption with assured effectiveness.

3
How to prevent “rod climbing” and plugging when feeding high-solids content dope?
● Anti-rod-climbing design: use twin-screw pumps (L/D ≥ 20:1); shear from screw rotation disrupts rod-climbing. Example: for 45% solids PAN/DMF, twin-screw pumps raise feed stability to 99%.

● Anti-plugging: install low-speed bottom agitators (5–10 rpm) with ultrasonic anti-settling (28 kHz, 100 W) to prevent sedimentation. Add inline filters (50 μm) and schedule regular back-blow cleaning.

● Steady-state control: link a mass flow meter (±0.2%) with a VFD pump for real-time control, keeping flow fluctuation ≤ 1%. Example: in PVDF/DMAc, this cut spinning diameter CV from 8% to 2%.

4
Environmental cleanliness (powder and liquid handling), temperature/humidity, and dew-point control zoning strategy (charging/dissolving/feeding/spinning rooms)?
● Charging area: ISO 8; 25°C ± 2°C; RH ≤ 65%; dew point ≤ 18°C. Positive pressure ventilation (+10 Pa) to prevent dust backflow.

● Dissolving area: ISO 7; 22°C ± 1°C; RH ≤ 60%; dew point ≤ 15°C. Dehumidifier with ±1°C dew point control to limit solvent-driven humidity increases.
● Feeding room: ISO 6; 20°C ± 0.5°C; RH ≤ 55%; dew point ≤ 12°C. Local laminar flow hoods (0.45 m/s) to keep the feeding process clean.

● Spinning room: ISO 5; 18°C ± 0.3°C; RH ≤ 50%; dew point ≤ 10°C. Dual-stage filtration (pre + HEPA) and constant T&RH AHU to maintain ultra-clean conditions.

5
How to isolate the coupled effects of slip, pulsation, and metering pump resonance on filament/coating thickness variation?
● Slip suppression: servo-driven metering pumps with encoder feedback to control slip ≤ 0.5%. Example: in PA/water, reducing slip from 2% to 0.3% lowered coating thickness CV from 8% to 3%.

● Pulsation damping: install pulsation dampers at pump outlet (N2 charge at ~60% of system pressure) to reduce flow ripple from ±15% to ±2%. For viscous PSf dopes, this markedly stabilizes spinning.
● Resonance isolation: conduct modal analysis to find natural frequencies of pump–piping; shift pump speed away from resonance (e.g., 50 Hz → 35 Hz). Add flexible compensators (length ~5× pipe ID) to attenuate vibration transmission.

6
How to quantify line cleaning time and solvent consumption during recipe/solvent/color changeover for semi- vs. fully-automatic modes?
● Time model:

● Semi-automatic: time = manual disassembly (T1) + cleaning (T2) + reassembly (T3). Example: PVDF/DMAc to PES/NMP, T1 = 45 min, T2 = 60 min (3× line volume flush), T3 = 30 min; total 135 min.
● Fully automatic: time = automatic flush (T4) + system self-check (T5). Example with integrated CIP/SIP: T4 = 20 min (1.5× volume), T5 = 10 min; total 30 min.

● Solvent consumption:
● Semi-automatic: mass = line volume (V) × flush factor (n) × solvent density (ρ). Example: V = 50 L, n = 3, ρ = 0.95 g/cm³ → 142.5 kg.

● Fully automatic: with optimized segmented/variable-flow flushing, n can drop to 1.2 → 57 kg; ~60% saving.

7
Trigger strategy for predicting in-situ filter element clogging and maintenance windows?
● Predictive models:

● Pressure-gradient method: install pressure sensors across the filter to compute ΔP. Warn at 150% of initial ΔP; force shutdown/replacement at 200%. In PVDF hollow fiber production, this yields ~92% accuracy in filter life prediction.
● Particle counting: install a laser particle counter downstream to monitor ≥ 5 μm counts. If counts jump by 50%, initiate backflush; if post-flush counts remain > 100/mL, declare filter failure.
● Maintenance window optimization: model clogging rate with historical data (e.g., ΔP/t = kC, C = contaminant concentration) to adjust cleaning intervals dynamically. For high-solids PAN solutions, this can reduce unplanned downtime by 70%.

8
Is multi-point redundancy needed for inline characterization of viscoelasticity (viscosity, rheology, density, refractive index)?
● Necessity:

Single-point limitation: a single viscometer reflects only local rheology and may miss viscoelastic gradients from shear-rate changes (e.g., shear thinning at diameter transitions in high-solids casting dopes).
● Multi-point scheme:
Place inline viscometers at tank outlet, metering pump inlet, and near spinneret (response ≥ 10 Hz), monitoring dynamic viscosity (η) and storage modulus (G′). Use data fusion (e.g., Kalman filtering) to reduce noise and improve accuracy. Example: in PSf/NMP, three-point monitoring cuts viscosity control error from ±5% to ±1.5%.

9
CIP/SIP compatibility and seal life for different polymer systems (PVDF, PES, PSf, PAN, PA)?
● Material compatibility:

● PVDF systems: tolerate 121°C SIP; prolonged strong alkali (pH > 12) can swell. Use FFKM seals (to 150°C, superior chemical resistance to EPDM).
● PES/PSf systems: sensitive to oxidizing cleaners (e.g., NaOCl); keep free chlorine ≤ 50 ppm during CIP. Use PTFE-encapsulated fluoroelastomer; up to 2000 CIP/SIP cycles.

● PAN systems: poor high-temperature tolerance; SIP ≤ 80°C to avoid thermal degradation. Silicone rubber acceptable (to 120°C); periodically check compression set (≤ 25%).
● PA systems: good acid/base resistance; prolonged organic solvents (e.g., DMF) cause swelling. Prefer HNBR seals for better solvent resistance than NBR.

● Typical polymer/solvent references:
● PVDF: NMP, DMAc, DMF; 316L/2205 SS, Hastelloy compatible; elastomers FFKM/PEEK; PTFE-filled optional.

● PES/PSf: DMSO, NMP, DMAc; sensitive to Cu/Zn—avoid brass; seals FFKM or PEEK lip rings.
● PAN: DMF/DMSO; DMF degrades FKM—use FFKM/PTFE/PEEK.

● PA (melt/solution): amide polymers are water-sensitive; assess hydrolysis under hot steam SIP; seals PTFE + graphite fill or FFKM.
● Cleaning media and SIP:

● Caustic: NaOH 0.5–2 wt% at ≤ 60–80°C; beware Al/Zn corrosion. Oxidizers (hypochlorite/peroxy) used cautiously with PES/PSf.
● Solvent cleaning: tiered from mild to strong; control swelling risk; define material load curves (time × temp × concentration).
● SIP: 121–134°C steam, 15–45 min; suitable for PEEK bushings and PTFE seals; FKM has poor steam life, FFKM preferred.

10
How to avoid long-run holdup, dead zones, gel formation, and cross-contamination during product changeover?
● Fluid dynamics design to reduce dead zones; combine inline cleaning with dynamic circulation.
● Dead-zone-free channels (radius R ≥ 5D); sloped tank bottoms.

● Scheduled CIP (solvent rinse + ultrasonics) with nitrogen blow-down for residue removal.
● Changeover “solvent displacement” method: rinse with a low-boiling solvent (e.g., ethanol), then condition with the new solvent three times; verify cleanliness by refractive index (deviation < 0.5%).

● Gel suppression: for gel-prone systems (e.g., PSf/DMAc), install ultrasonic oscillators in lines (20 kHz, 50 W) to disrupt nuclei; use low-speed tank agitators (10–20 rpm) to maintain homogeneity.
● Anti-holdup operations: maintain minimum line velocity ≥ 0.3 m/s during long runs; rising pressure/temperature indicates pre-gel—auto trigger cleaning and recirculate with feed for 3 minutes to prevent gelation.

11
How to close the loop for multi-zone isothermal temperature control and thermal gradient management (lines, pre-pump, near spinneret)?
● Zoning and sensor placement:

● Zones: tank/line/metering pump/final filter–spinneret as independent control zones.
● Sensors: high-accuracy PT100 in each zone with 2oo3 or main/standby redundancy. Place measurement points on pipe outer wall, in the fluid (where possible), and at jacket medium outlet.

● Control algorithms:
● Cascade PID: master loop on dope temperature setpoint; secondary loop on jacket heat-medium temperature for fast disturbance rejection.

● Feedforward: include ambient temperature and flow changes as feedforward to pre-adjust control valves and suppress gradients.
● Gradient target: zone temperature deviation < ±0.5°C. Optimize insulation, minimize bare flanges, and use equal-length manifolds for balanced branch flows.

● Actuators:
● High-precision control valves or VFD-driven thermal fluid pumps for jacket oil/water flow and temperature. For spinneret proximity, use compact mold-temperature controllers with PID for point control.

12
How to compensate online for viscosity and phase-inversion window shifts caused by purity fluctuations in recovered solvent/nonsolvent (NMP, DMAc, DMSO, water, glycerol)?
● Real-time monitoring: install online GC or NIR on the recovered solvent line to analyze purity and moisture.

● Compensation: when viscosity deviates, the control system finely adjusts fresh solvent addition or temperature setpoints to restore target viscosity. For phase inversion processes (e.g., PVDF hollow fibers), place inline pH and temperature sensors in the coagulation bath; adjust acid/base dosing or cooling flow automatically to stabilize the process.
● Model prediction: build a phase diagram prediction model based on solvent purity to forecast the new phase inversion window (e.g., demixing rate, bath conditions).

● Proactive adjustment: the system suggests or directly adjusts bath temperature/composition or spinning temperature to match the new thermodynamic environment and stabilize membrane morphology.

no data
Ready to work with us ?

About Trustech

Contact Us
Follow Us
Customer service
detect