Effect of air blowing on the morphology and nanofiber properties of blowing‐assisted electrospun polycarbonates

Polycarbonate (PC) nanofibers are prepared using the air blowing‐assisted electrospinning process. The effects of air blowing pressure and PC solution concentration on the physical properties of fibers and the filtration performance of the nanofiber web are investigated. The air blowing‐assisted electrospinning process produces fewer beads and smaller nanofiber diameters compared with those obtained without air blowing. Uniform PC nanofibers with an average fiber diameter of about 0.170 μm are obtained using an applied voltage of 40 kV, an air blowing pressure of 0.3 MPa, a PC solution concentration of 16%, and a tip‐to‐collection‐screen distance (TCD) of 25 cm. The filtration efficiency improvement of the air blowing‐assisted electrospun web can be attributed to the narrow distribution of fiber diameter and small mean flow pore size of the electrospun web. Performance results show that the air blowing‐assisted electrospinning process can be applied to produce PC nanofiber mats with high‐quality filtration. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

熔体微分静电纺PBAT纤维膜的制备工艺研究

探究了聚己二酸对苯二甲酸丁二醇酯（PBAT）熔体静电纺性能,并研究了熔体微分静电纺工艺参数与PBAT纤维性能之间的关系。结果表明,随着纺丝温度的升高,纤维直径减小,纤维直径分布呈先减小后增大的趋势;随着纺丝电压的升高,纤维直径减小且分布均匀,纤维膜力学性能逐渐提高;当纺丝距离为9 cm,纺丝温度为260 ℃,纺丝电压为45 kV时,制备的纤维细度及均匀度最佳,其直径为4.31 μm,直径分布标准差为0.76,纤维膜拉伸强度为9.9 MPa、断裂伸长率为111.2 %。     

高黏度聚乳酸(PLA)熔体微分离心静电纺丝

离心纺丝已成为制备超细纤维的有效途径,将离心纺丝和静电纺丝结合起来的离心静电纺丝,纺丝效率高、纤维细度低。但是目前离心静电纺丝相关的研究十分有限,且主要涉及溶液离心静电纺丝。为了解决这一问题,本文设计了一种基于熔体微分的熔体离心静电纺丝装置,选取聚乳酸（PLA）作为研究对象,探究了挤出机转速和流量的关系,得出挤出机转速在20r/min、流量为1.6089g/min时纺丝效果最佳。研究了离心盘转速、纺丝电压等因素对纤维的影响,得出增加离心盘转速可大幅细化纤维直径,离心盘转速提高1倍,纤维直径减小77.26%;纺丝电压的加入不仅可以细化纤维直径,而且可以提高纤维的结晶度。结果表明：熔体微分离心静电纺丝可以高效制备PLA超细纤维,并且通过改变实验参数可以控制纤维特征,为离心静电纺丝产业化提供实验依据。     

静电纺丝法纺制聚乳酸纳米纤维无纺毡

采用静电纺丝法制备了生物降解聚乳酸(PLLA)纳米纤维无纺毡。分析了纺丝液浓度、电压、接收距离、挤出速度等因素对纤维形态的影响。结果表明:纺丝液的浓度和挤出速度对纤维直径的影响较为明显,溶液挤出速度增大,所得纤维微孔含量及尺寸也增大;适当的电压和接收距离有利于收集无液滴纤维;随着纤维直径的减小,无纺毡的孔径呈减小趋势。在PLLA质量分数为5．7％、挤出速度0．8 mL／h、接受距离 15．5 cm、电压8 kV的静电纺丝条件下,可制备纤维直径为200-400 nm的PLLA纳米纤维无纺毡。     

熔体静电纺丝的工艺条件对纺丝纤维直径的影响

主要研究纺丝温度、纺丝电压、接收距离等参数对聚丙烯(PP)熔体静电纺丝纤维直径的影响。采用了只变一个参数,其它参数固定的常规实验方法。在实验条件范围内,随着纺丝温度的升高,纤维的平均直径逐渐减小,得到PP的最佳纺丝温度240℃。在固定电压的情况下,得到最佳接收距离7cm。在固定接收距离的情况下,随着电压的增加,电场中的喷射流熔体受到的电场力逐渐增大,得出最佳纺丝电压35kV。     

Orthogonal design study on factors effecting on fibers diameter of melt electrospinning

Melt electrospinning is a much more simple and safe method to produce ultra fine fibers than solution electrospinning. The diameters of melt electrospinning fibers are thicker. To find the factors that affect the fibers diameter in melt electrospinning, orthogonal design was used to examine melt temperature, spinning voltage, spinning distance, and melt flow rate (MFR) of polymer. Results showed that MFR at present three levels has the most important impact both on the average diameters and standard deviations of fiber diameters. The scanning electron microscopy pictures show that all the fibers have smooth surface, which means the melt electrospinning fibers have good mechanical properties. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:2074–2078, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

High-efficiency preparation of polypropylene nanofiber by melt differential centrifugal electrospinning

Melt differential centrifugal electrospinning (MDCE) method is proposed by integrating the advantages of centrifugal spinning and melt differential electrospinning, including high efficiency, solvent-free, multiple jets formation from nozzle-less spinning system, and small diameter. A mathematical model of jet diameter in MDCE is established. An orthogonal experiment is carried out to explore the effects of main processing parameters on the average diameter and the diameter standard deviation of the prepared fibers. Ultimately, polypropylene (PP) nanofibers with an average diameter of 790 nm are successfully prepared in a higher flow rate of 124.26 g h⁻¹ than that of other methods. The X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimeter indicate that the introduction of high-voltage electrostatic field in centrifugal spinning contribute to the crystal orientation of the PP molecular chain. Therefore, tensile mechanical strength is enhanced as the increase of the loading voltage. MDCE may provide an efficient and eco-friendly method for nanofiber manufacturing in the future. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48299.     

Solution blow spinning: A new method to produce micro‐ and nanofibers from polymer solutions

A solution blow spinning technique was developed using elements of both electrospinning and melt blowing technologies as an alternative method for making non‐woven webs of micro‐ and nanofibers with diameters comparable with those made by the electrospinning process with the advantage of having a fiber production rate (measured by the polymer injection rate) several times higher. The diameters of fibers produced ranged from 40 nm for poly(lactic acid) to several micrometers for poly(methyl methacrylate). This solution blow spinning method uses a syringe pump to deliver a polymer solution to an apparatus consisting of concentric nozzles whereby the polymer solution is pumped through the inner nozzle while a constant, high velocity gas flow is sustained through the outer nozzle. Analysis of the process showed that pressure difference and shearing at the gas/solution interface jettisoned multiple strands of polymer solution towards a collector. During flight, the solvent component of the strands rapidly evaporates forming a web of micro and nanofibers. The effect of injection rate, gas flow pressure, polymer concentration, working distance, and protrusion distance of the inner nozzle was investigated. Polymer type and concentration had a greater effect on fiber diameter than the other parameters tested. Injection rate, gas flow pressure, and working distance affected fiber production rate and/or fiber morphology. Fibers were easily formed into yarns of micro‐ and nanofibers or non‐woven films that could be applied directly onto biological tissue or collected in sheets on a rotating drum. Indeed, virtually any type of target could be used for fiber collection. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

熔体直写电纺聚己内酯纤维有序沉积工艺

目前聚合物熔体电纺技术制备的纤维大多以杂乱无序的无纺布形式存在,限制了电纺技术在组织工程支架以及机器人等需要有序结构领域的应用。本文将熔体电纺技术与三维运动平台相结合,采用自主设计的熔体电纺可控成型实验装置,对聚己内酯（PCL）进行熔体直写静电纺丝,获得了有序纤维。研究了喷头移动速度、接收距离和纺丝电压对熔体直写电纺纤维沉积形貌的影响。结果表明,纤维直径随着喷头移速、接收距离和纺丝电压的增大而减小,其中接收距离的改变对直径的影响最为显著;接收距离的增大虽然有利于纤维的细化,但是距离过大会使纤维沉积的有序性变差;当射流下落速度与喷头移动速度相匹配时,射流才能实现有序沉积;增大接收距离和纺丝电压会引起射流鞭动,需要相应地增大喷头移动速度才能实现有序沉积。     

Nanofibers from gas-assisted polymer melt electrospinning

The concept of a gas-assisted polymer melt electrospinning process is presented. This technique allows for reduced quenching of the melt jet in the spinning region, and thus increasing the jet attenuation rate and resulting in production of sub-micron scale fibers. A comprehensive melt electrospinning model was used to analyze the effects of the heated air stream on the polymer jet. It was found that under the investigated conditions in electrospinning of polylactic acid (PLA) melt, air drag produced an additional 10% thinning compared to the un-assisted melt electrospinning process, and the heating provided by the air stream resulted in an additional 20-fold jet thinning.     

A Review on Current Nanofiber Technologies: Electrospinning,Centrifugal Spinning,and Electro-Centrifugal Spinning

Nanofiber-based products are widely used in the fields of public health, air/water filtration, energy storage, etc. The demand for nonwoven products is rapidly increasing especially after COVID-19 pandemic. Electrospinning is the most popular technology to produce nanofiber-based products from various kinds of materials in bench and commercial scales. While centrifugal spinning and electro-centrifugal spinning are considered to be the other two well-known technologies to fabricate nanofibers. However, their developments are restricted mainly due to the unnormalized spinning devices and spinning principles. High solution concentration and high production efficiency are the two main strengths of centrifugal spinning, but beaded fibers can be formed easily due to air perturbation or device vibration. Electro-centrifugal spinning is formed by introducing a high voltage electrostatic field into the centrifugal spinning system, which suppresses the formation of beaded fibers and results in producing elegant nanofibers. It is believed that electrospinning can be replaced by electro-centrifugal spinning in some specific application areas. This article gives an overview on the existing devices and the crucial processing parameters of these nanofiber technologies, also constructive suggestions are proposed to facilitate the development of centrifugal and electro-centrifugal spinning.     

Investigation of gravity‐spun,melt‐spun,and melt‐blown polypropylene fibers using atomic force microscopy

The morphology exhibited in a polymer depends on the particular process and processing conditions used to shape and modify the polymer. This morphology has an important influence on the final polymer product (sheet, molded part, etc.). Ten years ago, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was applied for the first time on polymer materials. Since then, AFM has been used extensively on polypropylene (PP) surfaces, but still very little has been reported on the use of AFM for analyzing PP fibers. The purpose of our work was to show the modifications of (a) the morphology and (b) the microstiffness of PP fiber surfaces processed under different operating conditions. Three fiber production processes were used: gravity spinning, melt spinning, and melt blowing. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 1921–1937, 2000     

Characterization of poly(L‐lactic acid) fibers produced by melt spinning

Biodegradable poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) fibers were processed by a two‐step melt‐spinning method (melt extrusion and hot draw) from PLLA with three different viscosity‐average molecular weights (494,600, 304,700, and 262,800). Before spinning, the polymer flakes were first milled into powders and dried under vacuum. Viscosity‐average molecular weight of PLLA following the fabrication process was monitored. Tensile properties of as‐spun and hot‐drawn fibers were investigated. Morphology of the PLLA fibers was viewed under a scanning electron microscope. Crystallinity of these fibers was assessed by thermogram analysis of differential scanning calorimetry. Results showed that the extent of decrease in the viscosity‐average molecular weight of PLLA dropped sharply by 13.1–19.5% during pulverization and by 39.0–69.0% during melt‐extrusion. The hot‐draw process in this study had a little effect on the viscosity‐average molecular weight of PLLA. Smoother fibers could be obtained for the die temperature at least 230°C for raw materials with higher crystallinity (more than 75%) and at least 220°C for raw materials with lower crystallinity (about 60%). The as‐spun fibers showed crystallinity of 16.5–22.8% and the value increased to 50.3–63.7% after hot draw. Tensile moduli of the as‐spun fibers were in the range of 1.2–2.4 GPa, which were raised to 3.6–5.4 GPa after hot draw. The final PLLA fibers with 110–160 μm diameters showed tensile strengths of 300–600 MPa. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 251–260, 2001     

气体拉伸纺丝法生产医用止血纤维

以医用高分子化合物聚乙烯醇为载体 ,加入止血中草药和消炎药物 ,采用熔喷技术和溶液纺丝方法 (气体拉伸纺丝方法 ) ,生产出符合标准的医用止血纤维。介绍了纺丝设备 ,讨论了工艺条件对纺丝的影响     

The effects of processing parameters on the morphology of PLA/PEG melt electrospun fibers

Electrospinning of a polymer melt is an ideal technique to produce highly porous nanofibrous or microfibrous scaffolds appropriate for biomedical applications. In recent decades, melt electrospinning has been known as an eco‐friendly procedure as it eliminates the cytotoxic effects of the solvents used in solution electrospinning. In this work, the effects of spinning conditions such as temperature, applied voltage, nozzle to collector distance and collector type as well as polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentration on the diameter of melt electrospun polylactic acid (PLA)/PEG fibers were studied. The thermal stability of PLA/PEG blends was monitored through TGA and rheometry. Morphological investigations were carried out via optical and scanning electron microscopy. Based on the results, blends were almost stable over the temperature range of melt electrospinning (170 ? 230 °C) and a short spinning time of 5 min. To obtain non‐woven meshes with uniform fiber morphologies, experimental parameters were optimized using ANOVA. While increasing the temperature, applied voltage and PEG content resulted in thinner fibers, PEG concentration was the most influential factor on the fiber diameter. In addition, a nozzle to collector distance of 10 cm was found to be the most suitable for preparing uniform non‐woven PLA/PEG meshes. At higher PEG concentrations, alterations in the collector distance did not affect the uniformity of fibers, although at lower distances vigorous bending instabilities due to polarity augmentation and viscosity reduction resulted in curly fibrous meshes. Finally, the finest and submicron scale fibers were obtained through melt electrospinning of PLA/PEG (70/30) blend collected on a metallic frame. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Computer Simulation of Polyester High‐Speed Thermal Channel Spinning

A mathematical model to describe the thermal channel spinning (TCS) process in PET high‐speed melt‐spinning has been developed. This model, which is based on the spinning process kinematics, includes the effects of acceleration, gravity, and surfacial air friction. It incorporates the constitutive equation of PET polymer, the heat transfer related to the transverse air blowing and, in particular, to a convection and radiation combining procedure in the thermal channel, while taking into account the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics related to temperature and molecular orientation as well as the elongational viscosity of PET polymer connected with temperature, intrinsic viscosity and crystallinity. The developments of crystallinity, molecular orientation and morphological features of high‐speed‐spun PET fiber in the TCS process are investigated at take‐up speeds ranging from 3 600–4 400 m/min and thermal channel temperatures ranging from 160–200°C. The simulated results of this model are compared with the measured crystallinity, diameter, and birefringence of the spun yarn. The “necking point” in the TCS spinline can be predicted by this model.     

Experimental study and numerical simulation the air jet flow field of a dual slot sharp blunt die in the melt blowing nonwoven process

In this work, the physical model of a polymer in a melt blowing process is established and solved by introducing the numerical computation results of the air jet flow field of the dual slot sharp inset die. The influence of the melt blowing processing parameters and the die design parameters on the fiber diameter is also studied. A lower polymer throughput rate, higher polymer melt initial temperature, higher air initial temperature, higher air initial velocity, smaller angle between slot and axis of the spinneret, smaller width of the die head, and larger width of the slot can all produce finer fibers. At the same time, the air jet flow field model of the dual slot sharp inset die of polypropylene polymer nonwovens fabrics in melt blowing process was also established. The air jet flow field model was solved by using the finite difference method. The computational simulation results of the distributions of the z‐components of air temperature and air velocity along the spinline during melt blowing process are in accordance with the experimental data. The air drawing model of melt blowing process was simulated by means of the numerical simulation results of the air jet flow field. The predicted fiber diameter agree with the experimental data. The effects of the air initial velocity and air initial temperature on the fiber diameter were studied and discussed. The results demonstrate that a higher air initial velocity and a higher air initial temperature are beneficial to the air drawing of the polymer melt and thus to reduced fiber diameter. The results show the great potential of this research for computer assisted design in melt blowing nonwoven process and technology. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:417–423, 2017. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers     

狭缝式熔体微分电纺工艺参数对射流间距的影响

采用自主设计的狭缝式熔体微分静电纺丝装置对聚丙烯（PP）材料进行熔体静电纺丝,研究了纺丝电压、纺丝距离和纺丝温度3个纺丝参数对射流间距的影响。结果表明,射流间距随纺丝电压的升高而减小;射流间距随纺丝距离的减小而增大,但当纺丝距离低于80 mm并继续减小时,射流间距保持不变;射流间距随纺丝温度的升高而减小,当纺丝温度达到230 ℃并继续升高时,射流间距保持不变;当纺丝电压为60 kV,纺丝距离为100 mm,纺丝温度为245 ℃时,射流间距最小,可达3.3 mm。     

The thermal effects on electrospinning of polylactic acid melts

We demonstrate that melt electrospinning can be a feasible way to produce sub-micron scale polylactic acid (PLA) fibers in this paper. This solvent-free approach to produce sub-micron scale fibers is more environmentally benign than common solution electrospinning processes, and has a potential to increase the production rate significantly. Our experimental results show that temperatures at the spinneret and in the spinning region are critical to produce sub-micron sized fibers: a high-speed photographic investigation reveals that when spinning temperature is below glass transition temperature, whipping of the jet is suppressed by fast solidification in the spinning region, leading to a larger jet diameter. Both thermal and mechanical degradations of PLA in melt electrospinning can be significant but no change in chemical composition is found. Due to rapid solidification, melt electrospun PLA fibers are mostly amorphous, and the small presence of β crystals is noted in the sub-micron scale PLA fibers by XRD studies. The highly oriented structure of PLA fibers gives rise to cold crystallization at around 95 °C, and the degree of crystallinity of fibers increases with increasing the degree of annealing. Finally, PLA nanofibers have directly been electrospun onto cellulose filter media, and a drastic enhancement in collection efficiency of sub-micron sized dust particles is presented. Melt electrospun PLA nanofiber mats with no residual solvent may serve as better filter media and tissue scaffolds than those obtained from solution electrospinning processes.     

Conversion of Recycled Polymers/Fibers Into Melt-Blown Nonwovens

Being a simple one-step process for converting polymer directly into a nonwoven fabric, melt blowing is ideally suited for processing of several recycled plastics. The process uses hot air to draw the fibers and does not require precise, individual control of each filament as in the conventional fiber-spinning processes. Recycled polypropylenes (PPs) from several sources were investigated as candidates for melt blowing. Waste from spun-bond line and spun-bond-melt-blown-spun-bond (SMS) fabrics were pelletized and then melt blown at our facility. The feasibility of using a melt-blowing line with an extruder gear pump unit to remelt the waste fibers/web and feed it with the molten virgin polymer stream coming from the main extruder was explored. A 1000 MFR virgin PP resin and fabrics produced from that polymer were used for this investigation. Fabrics were characterized in all the cases for their performance properties. Some of the relevant data are reported here. It was observed that in most of the cases, fabrics with good properties could be produced at high throughputs, thus demonstrating that most of the plant waste can be reused.