Abstract
Electric field strength and polarity in electrospinning processes and their effect on process dynamics and the physical properties of as-spun fibers is studied. Using a solution of the neutral polymer such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) we explored the electrospun jet motion issued from a Taylor cone. We focused on the straight jet section up to the incipient stage of the bending instability and on the radius of the disk of the fibers deposited on the collecting electrode. A new correlation formula using dimensionless parameters was found, characterizing the effect of the electric field on the length of the straight jet, This correlation was found to be valid when the spinneret was either negatively or positively charged and the electrode grounded. The fiber deposition radius was found to be independent of the electric field strength and polarity. When the spinneret was negatively charged, was longer, the as-spun fibers were wider. The positively charged setup resulted in fibers with enhanced mechanical properties and higher crystallinity. This work demonstrates that often-overlooked electrical polarity and field strength parameters influence the dynamics of fiber electrospinning, which is crucial for designing polymer fiber properties and optimizing their collection.
Highlights
IntroductionIt is crucial to understand the relationship between the properties of materials and their structure at the macro and nano scales
In the nanotechnology era, it is crucial to understand the relationship between the properties of materials and their structure at the macro and nano scales
We focus on the changes occurring in the electrospinning process, while positive or negative charges accumulate on the polymer solution jet [21,22]
Summary
It is crucial to understand the relationship between the properties of materials and their structure at the macro and nano scales. Such knowledge can be applied to Materials 2020, 13, 4169; doi:10.3390/ma13184169 www.mdpi.com/journal/materials. Electrospun fibers have unique properties due to flexibility in processing [9,10] that is controlled by many parameters, including ambient conditions, polymer solution rheology and viscoelastic properties, solution conductivity, solution flow rate, nozzle-collector distance and the applied voltage [11,12]. The applied electric field offers a great advantage in tuning the material properties. The fibers’ surface energy and surface potential can be modified by switching the electrical polarity of the nozzle, as was shown with polyamide 6 (PA6) [16], poly (ε-caprolactone)
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