Analysis of the Effects of Solution Conductivity on Electro-Spinning Process and Fiber Morphology

Abstract

The electro-spinning process and morphology of electro spun nanofibers depend on many processing parameters. These parameters can be divided into three main groups: a) solution properties, b) processing conditions, c) ambient conditions. In this paper, we report the results of a comprehensive investigation of the effects of changing the conductivity of poly ethylene oxide (PEO) water solution on electro-spinning process and fiber morphology. The effects of the conductivity of PEO solution on jet current and jet path are discussed. Furthermore, fiber diameter and fiber uniformity are investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. It was found that the fiber diameter decreases with increasing solution conductivity at first, reaches a minimum value and it increases again.