Abstract
We have demonstrated noncontact heating of melt electrospun polymer fibers by using radio-frequency (RF) fields which heat carbon nanotube (CNT) receptors inside the fibers. RF radiation is attractive as it allows for noncontact heating of polymers with low concentrations of CNTs. We observed that the heating rate scales with the CNT loading even below the bulk electrical percolation threshold, suggesting that individual CNTs can serve as RF receptors/heat sources. This capability eliminates the requirement for a percolated network of CNTs inside a fiber as a means to enable heating. We also showed that a strong radial temperature gradient will develop within the fibers. For a 2 μm diameter fiber, the temperature of the core is 10–15 °C higher than the surface. Hence, the temperature of the core can surpass the melting temperature inside the fiber without altering the morphology of the fibers (i.e., without fusing between fibers). These electrospun fibers that can be stimulated through RF energy can be us...
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