Generation of polymer ultrafine fibers through solution (air‐) blowing

Solution (air‐) blowing, an innovative technique for generation of ultrafine polymer fibers from solutions, was developed by feeding polymer solutions (instead of melts) to a die assembly similar to that used in the conventional melt (air‐) blowing process. Micro‐ to nano‐scaled polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) fibers were produced using PVP solutions with water, ethanol, and/or their mixtures as the solvents; and the morphologies of the fibers were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The processing variables, including PVP concentration, air‐blowing pressure, solution‐feeding pressure, and the volatility of the solvent system (the ratio of ethanol to water), were systematically investigated. The results indicated that solution (air‐) blowing was a viable technique to produce nonwoven fabrics consisting of ultrafine polymer fibers with diameters ranging from micrometers to nanometers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009