Abstract
In the present research project, a novel portable battery-powered handheld device able to produce micron and submicron fibers using centrifugal forces is proposed. The design includes spinnerets with a clamshell configuration with multiple chambers or reservoirs (2, 4, and 8) and different exit orifice diameters (400, 500, 600, and 800 µm). The rotational speed is controlled via an Arduino microcontroller. To validate the design, a series of experiments were conducted and the effect of the orifice diameter, number of chambers, and velocity on the resulting fibers’ diameter and yield was studied. For the experiments, a polymeric solution of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) was prepared. The fiber yield was gravimetrically quantified, and the fiber morphology and diameter were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results showed that spinnerets with an orifice diameter of 500 microns yielded the greatest amount of fibers (0.0777 g). In addition, the number of chambers also affected the amount of fibers produced, and it was determined that the fiber diameter size is dependent on the spinneret speed. Fibers 80 nm in diameter were observed at 6500 rpm.
Highlights
In recent history, ultra-thin fibers (UTF) have been considered for several applications due to their unique mechanical properties, high surface area to volume ratio, and potential to resemble cellular topographies [1]
Regardless of the current interest in nonwoven UTF, considerable concerns remain about their application due to the lack of a high-yield production method
Electrospinning is a widely used method to produce UTF; it requires high-voltage electrostatic forces between a polymeric solution that is electrically charged and supplied via a pump and a conductive collector to promote the formation of fibers [6,7,8,9]
Summary
Ultra-thin fibers (UTF) have been considered for several applications due to their unique mechanical properties, high surface area to volume ratio, and potential to resemble cellular topographies [1]. These characteristics are crucial design parameters for engineering materials in applications such as filtration, composite reinforcements, sensors, and tissue scaffolding [2,3,4,5]. Electrospinning is a widely used method to produce UTF; it requires high-voltage electrostatic forces between a polymeric solution that is electrically charged and supplied via a pump and a conductive collector to promote the formation of fibers [6,7,8,9]. In 2009, Forcespinning® [10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17], was introduced as a new method to produce UTF using centrifugal forces
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