An investigation on the effects of twist on geometry of the electrospinning triangle and polyamide 66 nanofiber yarn strength

Abstract

The formation of a symmetric electrospinning triangle zone (E-triangle) via a technique based on using two oppositely charged nozzles is described for fabricating continuous twisted nanofiber yarn of polyamide (Nylon 66). This study shows how changing the dimensions and geometry of the E-triangle influences the distribution of nanofiber tension and diameter in this zone, and consequently how it affects the nanofiber yarn strength. The twist effect on the E-triangle geometry was investigated by changing the rotational speed of the twister plate of values of 96, 160, 224 and 288 rpm. The results showed that by increasing the twist rate, the apex angle of the E-triangle increased, whereas the height and width of the Etriangle decreased. An energy method was adopted to study the distribution of tension on nanofibers in the E-triangle. Considering a constant spinning tension, it was observed that the gradient of the nanofiber tension curve was steeper and the extreme values of tension on nanofibers were increased by increasing the twist rate. Furthermore, the mean diameter reduction of nanofibers confirmed these results. It is concluded that mechanical properties of nanofiber yarn have been considerably improved by increasing the twist rate and changing the shape of the E-triangle.