Needleless Electrospinning from a Tube with an Embedded Wire Loop

Enhancing the production rate while maintaining control in electrospinning has been a challenge for years. This work proposes a novel spinneret from a tube with a single wire loop embedded in its one end. With the feeding of solution precisely controlled and the spinning process stablized, multiple polymer jets can be continuously generated from the wire loop. The as‐spun fibers show nanofibrous structure and its fiber diameter is greatly affected by the applied voltage and polymer concentration. As compared to needle electrospinning, the wire loop spinneret generates a stronger electric field with a larger spinnable area due to its special geometrical structure and a higher applied voltage it is connected to. Slightly coarser nanofibers are fabricated as compared to the nanofibers from needle electrospinning and the production rate is as high as 0.48 g h^?1.     

Efficient preparation of polymer nanofibers by needle roller electrospinning with low threshold voltage

A novel electrospinning system with needle roller as spinneret for efficient preparation of nanofibers was proposed. The results of finite element simulation indicate that the electric field is more concentrated at the tip of needle piece compared with that for disc and coil spinnerets, which can effectively reduce the threshold voltage of electrospinning. Using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as model polymer, the effects of spacing between needle pieces and concentration of spinning solution on fiber diameter and productivity of nanofibers were investigated. The results indicate that the average diameter decreases and the uniformity of diameter increases when increasing the spacing between needle pieces. When the spacing between the needle pieces is 14 mm, the average and standard deviation (SD) of fiber diameter is as small as 190 and 72 nm, respectively. The productivity of nanofibers slightly increases with the concentration of spinning solution, and it is as high as 12.8 g/h when the PVA concentration was 11 wt% for a needle piece spacing of 10 mm, which is much higher than the productivities of reported electrospinning systems. The proposed system has the potential for the preparation of uniform nanofibers with increased throughput and reduced cost. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:745–751, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers     

A method for scale‐up of co‐electrospun nanofibers via flat core‐shell structure spinneret

An approach to the scale‐up of co‐electrospinning via a flat core‐shell structure spinneret has been developed in this study. The spinneret with a flat surface involves shell‐holes and core‐needles. Electric field simulation reveals that the flat core‐shell spinneret configuration creates a more uniform electric field gradient. Experimental study shows that in comparison with the conventional needle co‐electrospinning, core‐shell nanofibers produced by this new designed setup are finer and of better morphology. Composite nanofibers with special morphologies can be fabricated by modifying the structure of this spinneret. The production rate of the core‐shell nanofibers can be enhanced by increasing the hole and needle number of the spinneret. This novel design is expected to provide a promising method towards the massive production of core‐shell nanofibers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 41027.     

Needleless electrospinning. I. A comparison of cylinder and disk nozzles

In this study, we demonstrated the needleless electrospinning of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers with two nozzles, a rotating disk and a cylinder, and examined the effect of the nozzle shape on the electrospinning process and resultant fiber morphology. The disk nozzle needed a relatively low applied voltage to initiate fiber formation, and the fibers were mainly formed on the top disk edge. Also, the PVA concentration had little influence on the disk electrospinning process (up to 11 wt %). In comparison, the cylinder electrospinning showed a higher dependence on the applied voltage and polymer concentration. The fibers were initiated from the cylinder ends first and then from the entire cylinder surface only if the applied voltage were increased to a certain level. With the same polymer solution, the critical voltage needed to generate nanofibers from the disk nozzle was lower than that needed to generate nanofibers from the cylinder. Both electrospinning systems could produce uniform nanofibers, but the fibers produced from the disk nozzle were finer than those from the cylinder when the operating conditions were the same. A thin disk (8 cm in diameter and 2 mm thick) could produce nanofibers at a rate similar to that of a cylinder of the same diameter but 100 times wider (i.e., 20 cm long). Finite element analysis of electric field profiles of the nozzles revealed a concentrated electric field on the disk edge. For the cylinder nozzle, an uneven distribution of the electric field intensity profile along the nozzle surface was observed. The field lines were mainly concentrated on the cylinder ends, with a much lower electric field intensity formed in the middle surface area. At the same applied voltage, the electric field intensity on the disk edge was much higher than that on the cylinder end. These differences in the electric field intensity profiles could explain the differences in the fiber fineness and rate of the nanofibers produced from these two nozzles. These findings will benefit the design and further development of large‐scale electrospinning systems for the mass production of nanofibers for advanced applications. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Foam electrospinning: A multiple jet,needle‐less process for nanofiber production

A multiple jet, needle‐less process to fabricate electrospun nanofibers from foamed columns, produced by injecting compressed gas through a porous surface into polymer solutions, capable of circumventing syringe electrospinning shortcomings such as needle clogging and restrictions in production rate is presented. Using polyvinyl alcohol and polyethylene oxide (PEO) as model systems, we identify key design, processing, and solution parameters for producing uniform fibers. Increasing electrode surface area produces thicker mats, suggesting charge distribution through the bulk foam facilitates electrospinning. Similar trends between foam and syringe electrospinning are observed for collection distance, electric field strength, and polymer concentration. Interestingly, the empirical correlation between polymer entanglement and fiber formation are found to be similar for both foam and traditional needle electrospinning, but the fiber crystallinity shows enhancement with foam electrospinning. In addition, foam electrospinning with a PEO‐nonionic surfactant system yields two orders of magnitude increase in production rate compared to syringe electrospinning. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 1355–1364, 2014     

Polymeric nanofibers via flat spinneret electrospinning

Electrospun nanofibers are most often produced by needle electrospinning process, which has inherent disadvantages like clogging and low efficiency. In this study, an alternative needleless electrospinning process is reported for the fabrication of nanofibers based on a novel spinneret. Firstly, a spinneret with a 0.5‐mm diameter hole in the middle of a flat plastic cap was custom‐made that may be readily scaled up for mass production. Then, polyethylene oxide (PEO) aqueous solution with 6.0 wt% concentration was used to demonstrate the needleless electrospinning process. The processing window for the jet formation in the flat spinneret electrospinning process was determined. The relationships between various processing parameters (applied voltage, working distance, and flow rate) and the resultant PEO nanofibers were also investigated. It was found that stable fluid jet launched from the tip of the coned droplet anchored at the rim of the hole and formed fibers. The morphology and diameter of electrospun fibers were examined using scanning electron microscopy. The results show that PEO nanofibers produced by this needleless electrospinning have similar structure and morphology to those from the single needle source. Finally, the hole number of spinneret was increased to four holes, which was still able to produce smooth nanofibers with a higher production rate. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Concept of minimum electrospinning voltage in electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile N,N‐dimethylformamide system

Polyacrylonitrile solutions in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) were electrospun into nanofibers by charging the polymer fluid in an electric field. Controlled experiments were performed using a needle type spinneret to investigate the effect of various electrospinning parameters on the percentage conversion of polymeric fluid into fibers and on fiber diameter obtained. It was found that when the polymeric fluid was continuously fed at a constant rate, application of a minimum electrospinning voltage (MEV) was necessary to “completely” convert the ejected fluid into nanojets to form nanofibers. Also, that the maximum amount of splitting or elongation that a polymeric fluid could undergo was primarily dependent on number of entanglements per chain in the fluid. This resulted in obtaining nanofibers with a particular diameter irrespective of the values of important electrospinning variables such as applied voltage, flow rates, and distance between the electrodes. On the other hand, MEV, necessary to obtain full conversion into nanofibers, was found to be strongly dependent on the spinning parameters and was unique for a given set of parameters. The significance of the MEV was evident from the fact that the square of the MEV, which is a measure of the electrical energy utilized by the system, was found to be directly proportional to the rate of formation of fiber surface area during the electrospinning process. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Recent Progress in Preparing Nonwoven Nanofibers via Needleless Electrospinning

Electrospinning has received a lot of attention in recent years because it can create nonwoven nanofiber webs with high surface area and porosity. However, the typical needle and syringe-based electrospinning systems feature poor productivity that has limited their usefulness in the industrial field. Here, current developments in the creation of nanofibers employing nonconventional electrospinning methods, such as needleless electrospinning and syringeless electrospinning, are examined. These alternate electrospinning techniques, which are dependent on numerous polymer droplets of varied shapes, have the potential to match the productivity required for industry-scale manufacturing of nanofibers. Additionally, they make it possible to produce nanofibers that are difficult to spin using traditional techniques, like electrospinning of colloidal suspensions.     

Double‐nozzle air‐jet electrospinning for nanofiber fabrication

A novel double‐nozzle air‐jet electrospinning apparatus was developed to fabricate nanofibers on a large scale. The distribution of the electric field at different nozzle distances was simulated to analyze the jet path, productivity, and deposition area of nanofiber webs and the nanofiber morphology. Our experiments showed that the bubbles usually ruptured intermittently on the top surface of the two nozzles and the jets traveled in a straight path with a high initial velocity. A continuous and even thickness of the nanofiber webs were obtained when the nozzle distances was less than 55 mm. At nozzle distances of 55 mm, the received fibers were thin with the lowest standard deviation. Experimental parameters involving the applied voltage, collecting distance, and air flow rate were also investigated to analyze the nanofiber morphology at a nozzle distance of 55 mm. The results show that the nanofibers presented a finer and thinner diameter at an applied voltage of 36 kV, a collecting distance of 18 cm, and an air flow rate of 800 mL/min. The nanofiber production of this setup increased to nearly 70 times that with a single‐needle electrospinning setup. On the basis of the principle of this air‐jet electrospinning setup, various arrangements of multinozzle electrospinning setups could be designed for higher throughput of nanofibers. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2014 , 131, 40040.     

Effects of some electrospinning parameters on morphology of natural silk‐based nanofibers

Natural silk, from Bombyx mori solutions were electrospun into nanofibers, with diameters ranged from 60 to 7000 nm. The effects of electrospinning temperature, solution concentration and electric field on the formation nanofibers were studied. Optical and scanning electron microscope were used to study the morphology and diameter of electrospun nanofibers. It was observed that the nanofibers became flattened with ribbon‐like shape with increasing the electrospinning temperature. The nanofiber diameter increases with the increase in the concentration of silk solution at all electrospinning temperature. With increasing the voltage of electric field at 50°C, morphology of the nanofibers changes from ribbon‐like structure to circular cross section. Referring to the literature the probable mechanism responsible for the change of morphology is pointed out. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Electrospinning from a convex needle with multiple jet toward better controlling and enhanced production rate

Multiple jet was successfully generated from a convex needle spinneret based on a conventional electrospinning setup. A convex channel was created in the front part of the needle to generate a limited free surface in the electrospinning process. A high flow rate was implemented with more than one polymer jet being produced, resulting in the production rate 2–3 times higher than conventional electrospinning. Finer nanofibers were produced from the convex needle when the applied voltage was 19 kV. The electric field intensity distribution of this spinneret was analyzed and compared with conventional needle spinneret by Comsol Multiphysics modeling. The research work has demonstrated that scaling up the production rate of nanofibers from needle-based free surface electrospinning is possible. It will benefit further development of electrospinning with enhanced throughput and more precise controlling. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 48014.     

Control of the electric field–polymer solution interaction by utilizing ultra-conductive fluids

Dramatically raising the conductivity of a polymer solution by using a salt additive allows control over the electric field-induced jet feed rate when electrospinning from an unconfined fluid without altering the applied voltage. As the solution conductivity increases, the flow rate drops by an order of magnitude. At a high voltage level and fluid conductivity value, the jets undergo a whipping instability over almost the entire path from the source to the collector experiencing only a negligibly short linear region which, along with the flow rate data, indicates that the jet narrows due to the high conductivity. Under these conditions, even while possessing relatively large individual jet feed rates, thin diameter nanofibers (200–300 nm) are readily produced. In contrast with other approaches to obtain narrow fibers from unconfined fluids (e.g., voltage reduction to control feed rate), here the fiber forming jets are present indefinitely. Continuous, scaled up nanofiber production rate of >125× over the traditional single needle electrospinning method is observed from the presence of multiple jets, each possessing a relatively high solution feed rate. These fundamental experiments reveal new pathways for exploring novel electrospinning configurations where the jet feed rate can be controlled by manipulating the solution conductivity.     

Needleless electrospinning of nanofibers with a conical wire coil

In this article, we have demonstrated a novel needleless electrospinning of PVA nanofibers by using a conical metal wire‐coil as spinneret. Multiple polymer jets were observed to generate on the coil surface. Up to 70 kV electric voltage can be applied to this needleless electrospinning nozzle without causing “corona discharge.” Compared with conventional needle electrospinning, this needleless electrospinning system produced finer nanofibers on a much larger scale, and the fiber processing ability showed a much greater dependence on the applied voltage. Finite element calculation indicates that the electric field intensity profiles for the two systems are also quite different. This novel concept of using wire coil as the electrospinning nozzle will contribute to the further development of new large‐scale needleless electrospinning system for nanofiber production. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effects of reversed arrangement of electrodes on electrospun nanofibers

The process of electrospinning can be affected by various parameters, leading to as‐prepared nanofibers with different morphology and properties. In order to explore the impact of DC(+) high‐voltage position on the resultant nanofibers, two setups with DC(+) high‐voltage individually tethered to the needle (S‐1) and the collecting plate (S‐2) were fabricated. Nanofibers produced by both setups under the same conditions were examined to distinguish their differences in morphology and electrostatic properties. It was found that the nanofibers with positive surface potential produced by the S‐1 setup have a larger surface coverage and porosity, smaller average diameter, and wider distribution of diameters. Furthermore, the differences between both setups in the trajectory of flying jets and the distribution of electric field intensity were studied. The results showed that the volume charge density (VCD) of the flying jets plays a crucial role in determining the morphology and electrostatic properties of the resultant nanofibers. The relationship between the position of DC(+) high‐voltage and the VCD of flying jets was then discussed, which could develop a better understanding of the process of electrospinning and deliver more accurate control over the production of various functional nanofibers. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44687.     

Investigation on jet stability,fiber diameter,and tensile properties of electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibrous yarns

Electrospinning is a flexible and efficient method for producing nanofibers by using relatively dilute polymer solution. However, there are many parameters related to material and processing that influence the morphology and property of the nanofibers. This study investigates the influence of electric field and flow rate on diameter and tensile properties of nanofibers produced using polyacrylonitrile (PAN)‐dimethylformamide (DMF) solution. Stability of the spinning jet is investigated via fiber current measurement and an image system at different electric fields and solution flow rates. It is observed that a set of electric field and flow rate conditions favor producing thinnest, strongest, and toughest nanofibers during electrospinning process. Other conditions may lead to instability of the Taylor cone, discontinuous jet, larger diameter fiber, and lower mechanical properties. Finally, a simple dynamic whipping model is adopted to correlate the nanofiber diameter with volumetric charge density and is found to be excellent validating our experimental results. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41918.     

Preparation of poly(ether sulfone) nanofibers by gas‐jet/electrospinning

Poly(ether sulfone) (PES) nanofibers were prepared by the gas‐jet/electrospinning of its solutions in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF). The gas used in this gas‐jet/electrospinning process was nitrogen. The morphology of the PES nanofibers was investigated with scanning electron microscopy. The process parameters studied in this work included the concentration of the polymer solution, the applied voltage, the tip–collector distance (TCD), the inner diameter of the needle, and the gas flow rate. It was found from experimental results that the average diameter of the electrospun PES fibers depended strongly on these process parameters. A decrease in the polymer concentration in the spinning solutions resulted in the formation of nanofibers with a smaller diameter. The use of an 18 wt % polymer solution yielded PES nanofibers with an average diameter of about 80 nm. However, a morphology of mixed bead fibers was formed when the concentration of PES in DMF was below 20 wt % during gas‐jet/electrospinning. Uniform PES nanofibers with an average diameter of about 200 nm were prepared by this electrospinning with the following optimal process parameters: the concentration of PES in DMF was 25 wt %, the applied voltage was 28.8 kV, the gas flow was 10.0 L/min, the inner diameter of the needle was 0.24 mm, the TCD was 20 cm, and the flow rate was 6.0 mL/h. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Polyvinylidene fluoride nanofibers obtained by electrospinning and blowspinning: Electrospinning enhances the piezoelectric β-phase – myth or reality?

Considerable effort has been devoted to improving the properties of PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), arguably the most technologically important piezoelectric polymer. Electrospinning has been found to be a particularly effective method of producing PVDF nanofibers with superior piezoelectric properties due to the resulting exceptionally high fraction of the piezoelectrically active crystalline β-phase. It is typically assumed that the high external electric fields applied during electrospinning enhance the formation of this β-phase, with the confused literature offering various unsatisfactory mechanistic explanations. However, by comparing PVDF nanofibers produced by two different processes (electrospinning and blowspinning), we show that the electric field is entirely unnecessary; indeed, the crystallization dynamics are principally driven by the applied mechanical stress, as evidenced by structurally identical 200 nm diameter PVDF fibers produced with and without external electric fields.     

Influence of the processing parameters on needleless electrospinning from double ring slits spinneret using response surface methodology

Needleless electrospinning technology was an effective processing method which can fabricate large scale nanofibers. We first developed a novel double rings slit spinneret to overcome the shortcomings of current needleless electrospinning spinnerets. The solution of the flow rate was controlled accurately by peristaltic control pump. Response surface methodology was adopted to investigate the influence of the processing parameters on the morphology and diameter of nanofibers. The main spinning processing parameters comprised solution concentration, applied voltage, collection distance and solution flow rate. The analysis of variance was used to evaluate response surface reduced quadratic model for nanofiber diameter. The linear and quadratic coefficients were obtained. The morphology of nanofibers was observed by scanning electron microscopy. Effects of different processing parameters on the nanofiber mean diameter have been discussed. Predicated values have a good agreement with actual values for nanofiber diameter. Actual nanofiber diameter ranges from129.15 to 404.70 nm with different process parameters. Mechanical properties of nanofiber membrane have been investigated. High quality and high throughout nanofiber could be continuously produced. This novel needleless electrospinning spinneret has a great potential for large scale nanofibers production to promote electrospinning technology development. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46407.     

Influence of electric field interference on double nozzles electrospinning

The low production rate of electrospinning process may limit the industrial use of single needle system. To meet high yield requirement and uniform fibers, a bottom‐up multiple jets electrospinning nozzle was designed, each nozzle can emit 6–18 jets. The influence of electric field interference on jet path, membrane shape, and fiber morphology were investigated. Experiment finds that electrical field strength in the closer part of two nozzles is weakened because of electric field interference when the distance between two nozzles is 30 mm, making the jet hard to emit in this section, and closer part of electrospun fiber webs has fewer fibers. The spinning in far side part of two nozzles is similar to that of single nozzle. While in middle part of one nozzle, the jet path is short, elongation of jets smaller, the formed fibers thicker, solvent evaporation less sufficient. When the distance of two nozzles is increased to 50 mm, influence of electric field interference is weaker, the electrospun fiber web and average diameter of fibers are almost the same as that of single nozzle electrospinning. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Solution electrospinning with a pulsed electric field

Getting finer fibers is one important goal of electrospinning. In this article, we introduce orthogonal experimental research of solution electrospinning with a pulsed electric field. The influences of the voltage, flow rate, frequency, and duty cycle on the mean diameter and diameter distribution of electrospun fibers were investigated. The phenomenon of electrospinning in a pulsed electric field was compared to that of electrospinning in an ordinary electric field. We found that the order of the factors that affected the fiber diameter was Duty cycle > Flow rate > Voltage > Frequency and the order of factors that affected the fiber diameter distribution was Duty cycle > Flow rate > Frequency > Voltage. In addition, compared with the ordinary electric field, the pulsed electric field apparently contributed to reductions in the mean fiber diameter and diameter distribution. In this article, we provide important evidence for the reduction of the fiber diameter with the pulsed electric field. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46130.