IMPROVED DIELECTRIC SURFACE FOR ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE TARGET

摘要

An improved dielectric surface coating (16) for electrostatic charge target electrodes (14) used in electrostatically charging flash-spun fibrous structures (26) being fed to and along the target surface. The dielectric surface coating is primarily comprised of a rubber copolymer formulation of acrylonitrile/butadiene and phenolic resin hardener and exhibits a volume resistivity in the range of about 2x10<9> and 2x10<10> ohm-cm when measured at 60 DEG C and 1000 volts and a hardness in the range of 75-85 shore a Durometer. The dielectric surface coating significantly decreases coating degradation rate due to in-process environment and substantially reduces the loss in charging efficiency caused by flash-spun fouling deposits on target electrodes.