Chapter 4 - Gas-assisted electrospinning and electroblowing

Abstract

The standard electrostatic spinning method can be modified and expanded by blowing air around the spinning nozzle. The resulting modified spinning method is commonly known as “electroblowing.” This chapter aims to introduce the main beneficial effects of flowing air, which positively affects fiber formation at all its stages, as well as the parameters of the produced nanofibrous layers. The main benefit is that the rate of production of nanofibers can be up to 28 times greater than that in electrospinning method. Other benefits, which are less important but still useful in some applications, include the ability to make controlled changes to the surface charge area and size of the produced layer, fiber diameters, number of defects, and the morphology of the produced nanofibrous structure. Even though the use of electroblowing has been investigated in much fewer publications than the use of electrospinning, it demonstrably has the prerequisites for becoming an important alternative method of preparation of nanofibrous layers.