Development and Filtration Performance of Polylactic Acid Meltblowns

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable material that can be used to make meltblowns (MBs, which are fabrics made by the meltblowing method) using direct melt spun. PLA MBs were successfully produced in a 20 cm laboratory meltblown line. The relationships between the processing parameters and the filtration performance of PLA MBs were explored in this study. The key parameters regarding the filtration performance of PLA MBs, including the PLA chip drying process, the melt temperature, the hot air temperature, and the width of the air gap, were thoroughly investigated using scanning electronic microscopy, filtration efficiency, and breathability tests. It was found that the processing parameters were significant to the structure, thus the filtration performance of PLA MBs. PLA turned out to be a favorable material for meltblowing. The preferred spinning temperature was 220°C for optimal web quality. The diameter of PLA MB fibers became larger with the increase of hot air temperature. With the increase of ...