Abstract
Abstract Melt electrospinning has been used to manufacture fibers with diameters in the low micrometer range, but the production of submicrometer fibers has proven more challenging. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of fabricating polylactic acid nanofibers using polymer grades with the increasing melt flow rates (15–85 g/10 min at 210°C) by melt electrospinning with a 600-nozzle pilot-scale device featuring an integrated climate control system realized as a glass chamber around the spinneret. Previous experiments using this device without appropriate climate control produced fibers exceeding 1 µm in diameter because the drawing of fibers was inhibited by the rapid cooling of the polymer melt. The integrated glass chamber created a temperature gradient exceeding the glass transition temperature of the polymer, which enhanced the drawing of fibers below the spinneret. An average fiber diameter of 810 nm was achieved using Ingeo Biopolymer 6252, and the finest individual fiber (420 nm in diameter) was produced at a spin pump speed of 5 rpm and a spinneret set temperature of 230°C. We have therefore demonstrated the innovative performance of our pilot-scale melt-electrospinning device, which bridges the gap between laboratory-scale and pilot-scale manufacturing and achieves fiber diameters comparable to those produced by conventional solution electrospinning.
Highlights
Electrospinning is the most common method for the production of polymer fibers with diameters in the low micrometer to nanometer range [1,2]
We investigated the influence of climate control on the temperature distribution below the spinneret, on the melt viscosity of three different polylactic acid (PLA) grades with increasing melt flow indices (MFIs), and on the diameter of the resulting fibers at different spin pump speeds
We have previously reported the use of our prototype melt electrospinning device for the production of biobased thermoplastic submicrofibers and nanofibers
Summary
Electrospinning is the most common method for the production of polymer fibers with diameters in the low micrometer to nanometer range [1,2]. The polymer is heated to above its melting point and solidifies as the fiber is spun In both cases, a strong electric field is applied during spinning to stretch the polymer, typically resulting in fibers that are several hundred nanometers in diameter after drawing [4]. Using a commercial spinning-grade polylactic acid (PLA) resin (Ingeo Biopolymer 6201D) supplemented with 6% (w/w) sodium stearate to increase the electrical polymer conductivity, we were able to produce fibers ranging from 1.00 to 7.00 μm in diameter, which are the finest biobased fibers manufactured far using our pilot-scale melt electrospinning device [15]. We investigated the influence of climate control on the temperature distribution below the spinneret, on the melt viscosity of three different PLA grades with increasing melt flow indices (MFIs), and on the diameter of the resulting fibers at different spin pump speeds. We were able to optimize our pilot-scale device to produce fibers with a diameter below 1 μm for the first time, offering an industrial solution for the preparation of melt-electrospun nanofibers
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