Abstract
In this article, the electrospinning process for Silica nanoparticles reinforced Nylon 6 nanofiber composite mats is investigated. More specifically, the effect of Nylon 6/Formic Acid concentration and silica weight fraction on the solution viscosity and the properties of the end product is studied. Rheological measurements were conducted to investigate the solutions’ viscosity, and scanning electron microscope was used to characterize the morphology and dimensions of the nanofibers. Energy dispersion X-ray was used to prove that silica nanoparticles are well distributed within the nanofibers. Finally, surface roughness and porosity of the mats were measured. It was found that when Nylon 6/Formic Acid concentration increased from 15 to 20 wt%, solution viscosity increased by 0.63 Pa·s, which leads to the increase in average fiber diameter from 103 to 160 nm. Also, when silica increased by 6%, highest viscosity increase was 0.1 Pa·s, while average fiber diameter increased for around 5 nm. In addition, protuberances or small silica beads are observed when silica weight fraction is increased above a critical value. The porosity remains unchanged while surface roughness increased by increasing silica weight fraction and decreasing Nylon 6 concentration. This study outlines the successful fabrication of bead-free Silica reinforced Nylon 6 nanofibers and their mats via electrospinning. Good control over processing parameters results in tailorability of size, morphology, and surface roughness of the end products.
Highlights
Due to the high surface-to-volume ratio and good physical properties of polymeric nanofibers, they are widely used in various applications such as micro-filtration, protective clothing, and optical sensor.[1]
Comparing solutions with the same Nylon 6 concentration, the viscosity increases slightly by around 0.06 Pa·s when silica weight fraction increased from 0% to 6%
It was discovered that when silica nanoparticles were not added into the solutions, all three Nylon 6 concentrations could produce smooth nanofibers and the fiber diameter increased from 103 ± 11 to 160 ± 15 nm
Summary
Due to the high surface-to-volume ratio and good physical properties of polymeric nanofibers, they are widely used in various applications such as micro-filtration, protective clothing, and optical sensor.[1]. Nylon 6 is an important polymer due to its biocompatible nature and good physical and mechanical properties. It is one of the most commonly utilized polymers around the world. A number of researchers[10,11,12,13,14] have demonstrated the ability of forming Nylon 6 nanofibers in the range of 100 to 300 nm diameter, and the electrospun Nylon 6 nanofiber mats are widely used in applications such as tissue engineering,[15] wound healing,[16] and filtration.[17]
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