An electrospinning apparatus for the production of fibrous materials includes a compartment having at least one chamber to contain a substance from which fibers are to be formed. The chamber is electrically charged at a chamber potential. The apparatus also includes a collector to collect the fibers from the chamber. The collector is electrically charged at a ground potential different from the chamber potential, thereby establishing an electric field between the chamber and the collector. The chamber includes a forming layer having a plurality of openings through which the substance is extruded into the fibers.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for producing a volume of substantially all armchair nanotubes of a preselected chirality for fabricating yarn consisting of substantially all metallic conducting armchair tubes. The systems and methods can be used for the synthesis of (10,10), (11,11), and (12,12) metallic armchair carbon nanotubes and potentially other chiralities. The elements of the present disclosure include: (i) a carbon source that provides substantial numbers of ethylene and acetylene radicals in combination with a high population of ethylene groups and a small amount of methane, (ii) a hydrogen to carbon ratio sufficient to passivate all other chiral growth sites to a higher degree than armchair growth sites, and (iii) a CVD process that can be tuned to create a well-controlled population of catalyst with tight diameter distribution with sparse modal distribution that falls within a range of the desired single wall diameters.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for producing a volume of substantially all armchair nanotubes of a preselected chirality for fabricating yarn consisting of substantially all metallic conducting armchair tubes. The systems and methods can be used for the synthesis of (10,10), (11,11), and (12,12) metallic armchair carbon nanotubes and potentially other chiralities. The elements of the present disclosure include: (i) a carbon source that provides substantial numbers of ethylene and acetylene radicals in combination with a high population of ethylene groups and a small amount of methane, (ii) a hydrogen to carbon ratio sufficient to passivate all other chiral growth sites to a higher degree than armchair growth sites, and (iii) a CVD process that can be tuned to create a well-controlled population of catalyst with tight diameter distribution with sparse modal distribution that falls within a range of the desired single wall diameters.

An apparatus for continuous needless electrospinning of a liquid polymer source into a nanoscale or submicron scale polymer fiber web includes an electrospinning enclosure, a wire drive system located external to the electrospinning enclosure and a plurality of continuous electrode wires. The electrospinning enclosure includes and electrospinning zone and one or more liquid polymer coating devices where liquid polymer is coated onto the plurality of continuous electrode wires. The plurality of continuous electrode wires are parallel to each other, engaged with the wire drive system, and extend through the electrospinning enclosure and the one or more liquid polymer coating devices located therein. High voltage is applied to the plurality of continuous electrode wires in the electrospinning zone to form nanoscale or submicron scale polymer fibers from the liquid polymer coated on the electrode wires.

Described herein are apparatuses and methods of creating fibers, such as microfibers and nanofibers for the production of clothing items and footwear. Also described herein is a microfiber and/or nanofiber coating system having a support that holds an object to be coated by fibers during the coating process. The support may move the object with respect to the fibers, such that at least a portion of each of the exterior surfaces of the object are coated by the fibers formed by the microfiber and/or nanofiber coating system.

Processing reinforcing fiber products to recover reinforcing fibers by removing other material, such fiber sizing material and/or matrix material from the reinforcing fibers. The processing includes cosolvent treating the reinforcing fiber product with a cosolvent composition including a normally-liquid first solvent portion and a normally-gaseous second solvent portion under conditions of temperature and pressure at which the cosolvent composition is in the form of a single fluid phase that is a liquid or a supercritical fluid. The processing may be performed in a continuous manner to recover the continuous reinforcing fibers in a continuous form.

The present invention is directed to a method and a system for the production of at least one polymeric yarn comprising means for mixing a polymer (1) with a first solvent yielding a mixture; means for homogenizing the mixture; means for rendering the mixture inert (21, 22, 23); means for dipping the mixture into a quenching bath (30), wherein an air gap is maintained before the mixture reaches the quenching bath (30) liquid surface forming at least one polymeric yarn; means for drawing (41) the at least one polymeric yarn at least once; means for washing (5) the at least one polymeric yarn with a second solvent that is more volatile than the first solvent; means for heating the at least one polymeric yarn (6); means for drawing at room temperature (7) the at least one polymeric yarn at least once; and means for heat drawing (8) the at least one polymeric yarn at least once.

The instant invention also concerns a system and method of dosing a polymer mixture with a first solvent into an extruder (26), a device (5), a system and a method of solvent extraction from at least one polymeric yarn, and a method and system of mechanical pre-recovery (4) of at least one liquid in at least one polymeric yarn.

The present invention is directed to a method and a system for the production of at least one polymeric yarn comprising means for mixing a polymer (1) with a first solvent yielding a mixture; means for homogenizing the mixture; means for rendering the mixture inert (21, 22, 23); means for dipping the mixture into a quenching bath (30), wherein an air gap is maintained before the mixture reaches the quenching bath (30) liquid surface forming at least one polymeric yarn; means for drawing (41) the at least one polymeric yarn at least once; means for washing (5) the at least one polymeric yarn with a second solvent that is more volatile than the first solvent; means for heating the at least one polymeric yarn (6); means for drawing at room temperature (7) the at least one polymeric yarn at least once; and means for heat drawing (8) the at least one polymeric yarn at least once.

The instant invention also concerns a system and method of dosing a polymer mixture with a first solvent into an extruder (26), a device (5), a system and a method of solvent extraction from at least one polymeric yarn, and a method and system of mechanical pre-recovery (4) of at least one liquid in at least one polymeric yarn.

Densified textile aggregates are co-fed with a fuel into a partial oxidation gasifier. High solids concentrations in the feedstock composition can be obtained without significant impact on the feedstock composition stability and pumpability. A consistent quality of densified textile derived syngas can be continuously produced, including generation of carbon dioxide and a carbon monoxide/hydrogen ratio while stably operating the gasifier and avoiding the high tar generation of fluidized bed or fixed bed waste gasifiers and without impacting the operations of the gasifier. The densified textile derived syngas quality, composition, and throughput are suitable for produce a wide range of chemicals and polymers, including methanol, acetic acid, methyl acetate, acetic anhydride, and cellulose esters through a variety of reaction schemes in which at least a portion of the chemical or polymer originates with densified textile derived syngas.

An apparatus for continuous needless electrospinning of a liquid polymer source into a nanoscale or submicron scale polymer fiber web includes an electrospinning enclosure, a wire drive system located external to the electrospinning enclosure and a plurality of continuous electrode wires. The electrospinning enclosure includes and electrospinning zone and one or more liquid polymer coating devices where liquid polymer is coated onto the plurality of continuous electrode wires. The plurality of continuous electrode wires are parallel to each other, engaged with the wire drive system, and extend through the electrospinning enclosure and the one or more liquid polymer coating devices located therein. High voltage is applied to the plurality of continuous electrode wires in the electrospinning zone to form nanoscale or submicron scale polymer fibers from the liquid polymer coated on the electrode wires.