Quench air flows across the filament bundle as it leaves the spinneret, freezing the molten polymer before it is drawn. Its temperature, speed and evenness across the width decide filament diameter, breaks and how even the curtain looks. Warm or uneven quench gives stuck filaments, roping and drips, while overly cold quench makes filaments hard to draw.
Quench on beam one is running two degrees warm and we're seeing stuck filaments on the operator side.
Also heard as
- quench air
- cooling air
Related terms
Spunbond
Nonwoven of continuous filaments extruded, air-drawn and laid on a belt, then usually bonded by a hot calender.
Spinneret
Metal plate drilled with many small holes through which molten polymer is extruded into filaments.
Curtain
Line slang for the wide sheet of falling filaments between a spunbond spinneret and the laydown belt.
Drip
Lump of polymer that falls from a spinneret or die and lands in the web as a hard, often glassy spot.