The alternating current electrospinning of aliphatic polyamides solutions enhanced with sulfuric acid

Abstract

This article addresses the influence of sulfuric acid on the alternating current electrospinning of polyamide solutions aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the production of nanofibrous materials. Sets of three homopolyamides and three heteropolyamides solutions modified with sulfuric acid were prepared accompanied by the measurement of their dynamic viscosities and conductivities. The solutions were then electrospun. The nanofiber layers produced were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope along with the determination of the diameters of the nanofibers. The evaluation of the spinning of the various solutions and the quality of the fibers was followed by the testing of their productivity and their comparison with the productivity of the original non-acidified solutions. The experiment revealed that the minor addition of sulfuric acid to the solutions served to enhance the productivity of the alternating electrospinning process but at the cost of increases in the diameters of the fibers obtained. In addition, the use of less polar polyamides led to the degradation of the spinning process. The method described in the study is thus suitable for enhancing the productivity of polyamides.