Abstract: A casting film is formed by releasing a casting dope onto a moving circumferential surface. The casting film is cooled to obtain self supporting property. A peel roller peels the casting film as a primary wet film and sends the primary wet film to a transfer section. Through the transfer section and the like, the primary wet film is guided to a first drying chamber where a wet gas containing water vapor is blown onto the primary wet film. Water molecules are absorbed in the primary wet film. Absorption of the water molecules in the primary wet film promotes diffusion of the constituent compounds contained in the primary wet film, which facilitates release of constituent compounds.

Abstract: A primary dope is obtained by mixing solvent and polymer, and an additive is added to the primary dope so as to prepare three sorts of dopes. The dopes are cast from a casting die onto a casting belt to form three-layer film. The thickness of the first layer t1 is the same as the thickness of the third layer t3 or less, and the thickness of the third layer t3 is the same as the thickness of the second layer t2 or less. After the film is peeled from the casting belt, both side edge portions of the film are clipped by clips. The film is stretched in a widthwise direction and dried. The film is excellent in smoothness and optical properties.

Abstract: A casting dope is cast onto a moving peripheral surface to form a casting film. The casting film is cooled to be hardened or solidified. The casting film is peeled from the peripheral surface by a peeling roller to form a primary wet film. The primary wet film is transported to a transfer section. The primary wet film is sent from the transfer section to a first drying chamber. Wet gas containing water vapor is applied to the primary wet film in the first drying chamber. Water molecules are absorbed into the primary wet film. The water molecules absorbed into the primary wet film expand meshes of network structure of polymer molecules of the primary wet film. The diffusion of liquid compounds contained in the primary wet film is accelerated. Thus, the elimination of the liquid compounds can be facilitated.

Abstract: In a solution casting apparatus, polymer dope containing cellulose ester and solvent is cast to form cellulose ester film continuously. A filtration device has a precoat of a filter aid deposited on a filter screen, for filtering polymer dope to be cast. A washer washes the filtration device after discontinuing supply of the polymer dope to the filtration device. A filter regenerating device deposits a precoat of the filter aid in the washed filtration device by use of precoat solution containing the filter aid, the polymer dope and solvent. A drain line drains the precoat solution from the filtration device after depositing the precoat. The filtration device is charged with solvent saturated gas upon draining. A valve mechanism changes over plural filtration devices, to manage the filtration device among the filtration devices in the washer, the filter regenerating device and the drain line.

Abstract: In solution casting, dope containing a polymer and a solvent is cast on to a support to form a cast film. The cast film is stripped from the support to obtain a polymer film of cellulose ester, for example, cellulose acetate propionate (CAP). The polymer film is stretched. While the polymer film is stretched, tension of 80 N/m or more is applied thereto in a stretching direction. Polymer film surface temperature thereof is set equal to or more than a glass transition temperature Tg thereof. Furthermore, before stretching the polymer film, the polymer film stripped from the support is dried. After stretching the polymer film, the polymer film is dried. Also, the solution casting process is according to multi casting of plural dopes at one time together for plural cast films in the polymer film.

Abstract: A dope is cast onto a casting drum from a casting die while forming a casting bead. Oxygen concentration at the vicinity of the casting bead is set to 0 vol % or more and less than 10 vol %, and a static electricity applying electrode applies static electricity between the casting drum and the casting bead. An intervening film forming device supplies intervening film forming liquid onto the casting drum to form an intervening film. A compression chamber decompresses a downstream area from the casting bead. Thereby, it is possible to form the casting bead having a stable shape, and enhance the extent of adhesion between a casting film and the casting drum. Accordingly, it is possible to enhance the extent of adhesion between the casting drum and the casting bead, prevent occurrence phenomenon of air entrainment, and speed up a film forming speed, thus forming a polymer film.

Abstract: A liquid (14) is prepared by dissolving and dispersing poly-?-caprolactone, polyacrylamide and fine particles in chloroform. Viscosity of the liquid (14) is adjusted. Further, a substrate (30) is produced. A frame (31) is provided such that a thickness t1 is 0.5 mm. The liquid (14) is cast onto the casting area (30a) surrounded by the frame (31). A casting film (21) is formed by moving a scraper blade (33) and leveling the surface of the cast liquid (14). A plurality of droplets are formed in a systematic arrangement in the casting film (21) through condensation on the casting film (21). The droplets are evaporated by drying to form pores. Thus, the self-assembled construction having a honeycomb structure with a thickness of 5 ?m and a pore diameter of 5 ?m is obtained.

Abstract: In order to produce a cellulose ester film constructed of a front layer, an intermediate layer and a rear layer, a dope solution is doped on a supporter. In at least one of the front layer and the rear layer, a mass ratio of a cotton linter to a wood pulp (cotton linter/wood pulp) is between 5/95 and 0/100, and a solvent of the dope contains more than 15 wt.% alcohols and hydrocarbons whose carbon number each is 1-10. Further, a ratio of a solid content density of a solution for forming the front layer and the rear layer to a solid density of a solution for forming the intermediate layer is less than 0.9 wt.%, and a total thickness of the solutions for front and rear layers is more than 5% of the dope ribbon.

Abstract: A dope containing a retardation controller, cellulose ester, and a solvent is prepared. In a first film producing apparatus, the dope is cast onto a casting drum whose surface is cooled to form a casting film in a gel state. The casting film is peeled off from the casting drum, and the peeled casting film is dried until a residual solvent amount reaches 10 wt. %. Cellulose ester contained in the casting film is crystallized by heating the casting film to a temperature of not less than 170° C. and not more than 250° C., and the casting film is stretched in the width direction. Thus, a film is produced. An absolute value |P1| of a degree of orientation of the polymer in the in-plane direction of the produced film satisfies 0?|P1|?0.050.

Abstract: A pin tentering apparatus as web transport apparatus includes a tentering mechanism for transporting self-supporting cast film by retaining web edge portions of the cast film. A gas flow device blows evaporative gas to the cast film being transported, to float the cast film. A static pressure adjuster lowers static pressure of the evaporative gas to a web middle portion with respect to a web width direction of the cast film, to regularize distribution of the static pressure in the web width direction. In the gas flow device, a blower duct introduces the evaporative gas. A nozzle plate is positioned at a front end of the duct, and has nozzles which blow the evaporative gas. Preferably, the static pressure adjuster includes an exhaust device, disposed to face the web middle portion between the plural nozzles, for exhausting the evaporative gas.

Abstract: A primary dope containing a polymer, a solvent and an additive is fed to a filtration device in a filtrating unit. The filtration device includes a filter on which a deposit layer of a filtration aid is formed, and impurities in the primary dope are adsorbed to the deposit layer. After the filtration, a residue containing the impurities and the filtration aid on the filter, and the filtration device is filled a cleaning liquid. Then a stirrer in the filtration device is stirred so as to disperse the residue to the cleaning liquid. Thus a slurry liquid is obtained and fed to a separation device. In the separation device, the slurry liquid is fed into a strainer to separate the slurry liquid to the residue and the liquid material. The residue is dried in a drying device and the solvent vapor is recovered.

Abstract: The mixture solvent of dichlorimethane type, the TAC and the plasticizer are supplied into a dissolution tank, and stirred therein with a stirrer to obtain a dispersing solution. The dispersing solution is fed into a storing tank and further stirred therein. Then the dispersing solution is fed by a pump to a heat exchanger for the heating, and thereafter the stirring is made with a static mixer. The temperatures of the dope is measured at many measuring points. On the basis of the temperature distribution, the heat transmission conditions of the heat exchanger are adjusted. Then the dope is fed to a heat exchanger for cooling, to cool to at most the normal boiling point of the dope. Then the mixing is made with a static mixer. Thus the obtained dope is uniform.

Abstract: A solution film-forming method for obtaining the polymer film includes discharging a pressurized polymer solution having a specific temperature from a casting die, casting the polymer solution on a support, solidifying the polymer solution to form a film, peeling and drying the film, wherein the polymer solution to be cast on the support is mixed with a specific solvent such that E1/n is larger than 0.1 (l/second) and smaller than 3.0 (l/second) when the dynamic modulus of rigidity and dynamic coefficient of viscosity of the polymer solution immediately after discharged on the support from the casting die are E1 (Pascal) and n (Pascal·second), respectively.

Abstract: There is provided a casting drum having an outer peripheral surface provided with an electrical insulating layer. Direct-current high voltage is applied to an electrode bar disposed in an upstream side from a discharge port to discharge toward the casting drum. Bead is attracted to the charged casting drum by electrostatic attraction. Thereby, the adhesion between the bead and the casting drum is increased, and therefore the occurrence of phenomenon of air entrainment can be prevented. A wet film obtained by peeling a casting film from the casting drum is dried. Accordingly, it is possible to produce a film having few defects such as voids and high quality such as excellent smoothness at high speed and stably.

Abstract: A polymer film producing apparatus includes a casting device, having a casting die, for ejecting dope to form a bead, and casting the bead on a support drum traveling continuously to form a cast film, the dope containing polymer, solvent and additive. A dryer dries the cast film stripped from the support drum, to obtain a polymer film. A voltage application device is connected with the support drum, for applying voltage to the support drum during casting of the casting device. Preferably, the support drum is electrically non-grounded, and has a surface coated with an electrical insulation film. A surface potential V of the support drum is in a range of 0.1 kV<|V|<3 kV. A decompression chamber is disposed close to a surface of the support drum, for tightening contact of the bead on the surface of the support drum.

Abstract: A honeycomb film as a porous film includes a support and a honeycomb film as a porous film formed on the support. A polymer solution is applied to the support to form a wet layer, and water droplets are formed in the wet layer. Thereafter the water droplet is dried to form pores in the wet layer, such that the wet layer may be the honeycomb film. Thus the honeycomb film is obtained, and when it is piled or wound for storing, it is not damaged or torn.

Abstract: A casting film is made by casting dope including polymer and solvent on a casting drum whose surface is cooled. The casting film becomes to have a self-supporting property by cooling solidification, and then peeled as a wet film from the casting drum. The wet film is fed into a pin tenter in which both side edges of the wet film is held by plural pins. The wet film is dried while conveyed through the pin tenter, to become a film. Next, the film having predetermined X-ray diffraction intensity is fed into a clip tenter. While the film whose both side edges are held by clips is conveyed, it is stretched in the width direction thereof at a stretch rate in a range of 15% to 40%, to control molecular orientation in the film.

Abstract: A production method of cellulose film wherein cellulose film is produced by preparing a polymer solution through dissolving cellulose ester in a solvent containing a prescribed organic solvent as the main component, forming a filmy object from the prepared polymer solution, and evaporating the solvent in the filmy object; the residual amount of the organic solvent is reduced while the film quality is not degraded, and the production efficiency is degraded to a least possible extent; a poor solvent, highest in boiling point among the materials contained in the solvent, is added in the content ranging from 0.1 wt % to 1.0 wt %, taking the total amount of the solvent in the prepared polymer solution to be 100 wt %; and the solubility of cellulose ester in the poor solvent is inferior to the solubility of the cellulose ester in the organic solvent which is the main component of the solvent.

Abstract: The liquid repellent structure includes a support, and a honeycomb-patterned film and a coating film on the honeycomb-patterned film or a liquid repellent film. The method of producing the structure applies a solution of an organic compound in an organic solvent onto the support, places the support in an atmosphere containing water vapor to form water droplets on a surface of the solution film, evaporates the organic solvent and the droplets to form the honeycomb-patterned film, and forms the coating film made of a fluorine-containing material on a surface of the honeycomb-patterned film or etches the honeycomb-patterned film to form a second honeycomb-patterned film. The liquid ejection head includes an ejection substrate having the liquid repellent structure. The protective film includes a support base and the liquid repellent structure.

Abstract: In order to produce a cellulose ester film constructed of a front layer, an intermittent layer and a rear layer, a dope solution is doped on a supporter. In at least one of the front layer and the rear layer, a mass ratio of a cotton linter to a wood pulp (cotton linter/wood pulp) is between 5/95 and 0/100, and a solvent of the dope contains more than 15 wt. % alcohols and hydrocarbons whose carbon number each is 1–10. Further, a ratio of a solid content density of a solution for forming the front layer and the rear layer to a solid density of a solution for forming the intermittent layer is less than 0.9 wt. %, and a total thickness of the solutions for front and rear layers is more than 5% of the dope ribbon.