Preparation of Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibers by Solution Blowing Process

Abstract

Solution blowing is an innovative process for spinning nanofibers from polymer solutions using high-velocity gas flow as fiber-forming driving force. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were prepared using PAN solutions in N, N-Dimethylformamide and the morphologies of the fibers were examined using a scanning electron microscope. The process parameters including solution concentration, gas pressure supplied to the gas cavity, and solution-feeding rate were varied to investigate their effects on the morphologies of the fibers. PAN fibers were successfully prepared in the form of a nonwoven web. The fiber diameters mostly ranged in hundreds of nanometers and were affected by the process parameters. Results indicated that solution blowing is an alternative technique for manufacturing nonwoven webs that consist of micro- and nanofibers.