Abstract
Using the numerical analysis of the force balance equation and the rheological equation of the model of finitely extensible chains, the dynamics of a charged jet during the electrospinning of a polymer solution and the orientation of macromolecules in the jet are studied. In fairly weak electric fields, the jet always remains rectilinear, while in strong fields the straight section of the jet has a finite length, after which the motion of the jet becomes unstable. This behavior is due to the competition between inertial and viscoelastic forces, with viscoelasticity dominating in strong fields. It is found that polymer chains in the jet are strongly stretched along the flow direction.
Highlights
It is well known that, in strong electric fields, the menisci of polymer solutions emit thin streams, from which a fiber is formed after evaporation of the solvent [1,2,3]
The dynamics of a charged jet and the orientation of macromolecules in the jet are studied by the numerical analysis of the balance equation for electric, capillary, viscoelastic, and inertial forces and using the governing equation of the FENE-P model [45], which describes the rheological behavior of a solution of polymer chains
The study of changes in the conformations of polymer chains in the jet by the numerical analysis of the force balance equation and using the rheological equation of the model of finitely extensible chains (FENE-P) makes it possible to assess the relationship between the orientation of the chains and the dynamics of the jet and to analyze the role of nonlinear viscoelasticity associated with the finite length and its correlation with capillary and inertial forces
Summary
It is well known that, in strong electric fields, the menisci of polymer solutions emit thin streams, from which a fiber is formed after evaporation of the solvent [1,2,3]. The dynamics of a charged jet and the orientation of macromolecules in the jet are studied by the numerical analysis of the balance equation for electric, capillary, viscoelastic, and inertial forces and using the governing equation of the FENE-P model (finitely extensible nonlinear elasticity) [45], which describes the rheological behavior of a solution of polymer chains. Longitudinal electric field Ez acting on the jet includes an external field E0 and the field of charges of the cone-shaped meniscus Ec, Ez = E0 + Ec. The contribution of the meniscus on scales larger than the transition region radius b (usually b < 100 μm) can be represented as [19,20,21].
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