Abstract
Electrospinning is an important, widely used process to generate nanofibers. However, there is still an open window for different designs of both spinneret and collector electrodes to be investigated. This paper introduces the impact of new design of conical spinneret electrode on the generated electrospun nanofibers. In this work, the conical feeder is used to generate electrospun Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers, and being compared to the traditional needle feeder at the same processing conditions. The jet’s mechanism is simulated using discrete bead model along with estimated calculations of both deposition area and fiber radius. The electric field distribution that is around the charged cone is analyzed. Based on both theoretical modeling and experimental measurements, a comparison of mean diameter, deposited area, and the thickness of generated nanofibers is presented related to both conical and needle electrodes. Conical feeder shows clearly compact nanofibers mat in terms of deposition area (spherical deposition of diameter ~6 cm) up to half-area of needle deposited nanofibers with high fiber density for the same time of the process. Moreover, the conical electrode is found to have privilege in terms of productivity rate and operation time. This study can be useful in generating localized nanofibers within different applications, such as biomedical tissue scaffolds, textile, and sensors.
Highlights
Electrospinning is an electrostatic drawing process for the fabrication of nanofibers.Electrospinning embraces a simple and versatile technique for the fabrication of fibers with diameters in the range of 100 nm or less
Polymer solution is forced through a syringe, and a solution drop is formed at the tip of the needle
This paper shows the impact of conical feeder inside electrospinning process on the generated
Summary
Electrospinning is an electrostatic drawing process for the fabrication of nanofibers.Electrospinning embraces a simple and versatile technique for the fabrication of fibers with diameters in the range of 100 nm or less. Electrospinning is an electrostatic drawing process for the fabrication of nanofibers. The formation of nanofibers through electrospinning is based on stretching and elongation of solution or melts due to electrostatic forces. This process allows for the drawing of solutions or melts into nanofibers. When the applied voltage exceeds a critical voltage, typically more than 5 kV, the repulsive force within the charged solution is larger than its surface tension and a jet erupts from the tip of the needle. The jet is accelerated toward the electrically grounded collector. As this jet Polymers 2018, 10, 12; doi:10.3390/polym10010012 www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
