Electrospun Thermoplastic Polyurethane Research Articles

Fabrication, evaluation, and mechanism of TPU nanocomposites containing MWCNTs–Fe2O3 hybrid conductive nanofillers for selective VOC sensing applications

AbstractVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) are highly harmful substances that can bring serious harm to the environment and human health. In this work, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) conductive nanocomposite sensors for selective gas sensing of VOCs were designed and fabricated using electrospun TPU fibers as templates and MWCNTs–Fe2O3 as conductive hybrid nanofillers through a homogeneous liquid impregnation method. The microstructure of TPU matrix fibers and the TPU nanocomposites, and their gas‐sensitive response performance to various VOCs, were investigated. The formation of MWCNTs–Fe2O3 nanofillers was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and Raman analysis. Field emission scanning electron microscope showed that MWCNTs–Fe2O3 nanofillers were uniformly coated on the surface of TPU, forming effective and complete conductive networks. The average volume resistivity of TPU nanocomposites (containing 4.76 wt% MWCNTs–Fe2O3) was reduced from 1.5 × 1012 Ω·mm in pure TPU matrix fiber to 2.93 × 105 Ω·mm. Gas‐sensitive performance tests with 500 ppm of ether, ammonia, formaldehyde, ethanol, xylene, toluene, benzene vapor, and acetone showed that the response value of TPU/MWCNTs–Fe2O3 nanocomposites to ether was 85.7%, and the resistance ratio of desorption to the initial one was 1.01, which was almost a complete recovery. In addition, the gas response values of TPU nanoconductive composites under different humidity environments show better stability.Highlights Novel TPU composites contain MWCNTs–Fe2O3 conductive nanofillers were proposed. Synthesized TPU nanocomposite fibers by electrospinning and liquid dip methods. TPU nanocomposite sensors combine fast response, selectivity, and repeatability. TPU nanocomposites exhibited high gas‐sensitive response selectivity to ether.

Constructing Heterostructured MWCNT-BN Hybrid Fillers in Electrospun TPU Films to Achieve Superior Thermal Conductivity and Electrical Insulation Properties.

The development of thermally conductive polymer/boron nitride (BN) composites with excellent electrically insulating properties is urgently demanded for electronic devices. However, the method of constructing an efficient thermally conductive network is still challenging. In the present work, heterostructured multi-walled carbon nanotube-boron nitride (MWCNT-BN) hybrids were easily prepared using an electrostatic self-assembly method. The thermally conductive network of the MWCNT-BN in the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix was achieved by the electrospinning and stack-molding process. As a result, the in-plane thermal conductivity of TPU composite films reached 7.28 W m-1 K-1, an increase of 959.4% compared to pure TPU films. In addition, the Foygel model showed that the MWCNT-BN hybrid filler could largely decrease thermal resistance compared to that of BN filler and further reduce phonon scattering. Finally, the excellent electrically insulating properties (about 1012 Ω·cm) and superior flexibility of composite film make it a promising material in electronic equipment. This work offers a new idea for designing BN-based hybrids, which have broad prospects in preparing thermally conductive composites for further practical thermal management fields.

SiC whisker/AgNWs/TPU composite film with asymmetric structure for low‐reflection electromagnetic interference shielding

AbstractThe design and preparation of lightweight and flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composites with high efficiency and low reflection are critical to the electronic field. First, silver nanowires (AgNWs) were vacuum filtered on the electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fibrous film. Then, by combining the adhesive with the electrospun silicon carbide nanowhisker (SiCnw) @TPU composite fibrous film, the asymmetric EMI shielding composite films with high electromagnetic shielding efficiency (EMI SE) and low incident power were obtained. The lower AgNWs‐TPU layer provides the primary EMI SE, and the upper SiCnw@TPU fibrous film is used for electromagnetic wave absorption. This unique asymmetric structure, the synergistic effect of SiCnw's particular absorbing function and the excellent conductivity of the AgNWs layer make the film show high overall SE (SET = 55.18 dB). In order to improve the absorption effect of the composite film, the number of layers of SiCnw@TPU was adjusted, resulting in a final reflection coefficient value as low as 0.55. This work proposes a new strategy for developing EMI shielding composite films with high efficiency and low reflection, serving as a reference.

Flexible Strain Sensors Based on Thermoplastic Polyurethane Fabricated by Electrospinning: A Review.

Over recent years, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) has been widely used as a substrate material for flexible strain sensors due to its remarkable mechanical flexibility and the ease of combining various conductive materials by electrospinning. Many research advances have been made in the preparation of flexible strain sensors with better ductility, higher sensitivity, and wider sensing range by using TPU in combination with various conductive materials through electrospinning. However, there is a lack of reviews that provide a systematic and comprehensive summary and outlook of recent research advances in this area. In this review paper, the working principles of strain sensors and electrospinning technology are initially described. Subsequently, recent advances in strain sensors based on electrospun TPU are tracked and discussed, with a focus on the incorporation of various conductive fillers such as carbonaceous materials, MXene, metallic materials, and conductive polymers. Moreover, the wide range of applications of electrospun TPU flexible strain sensors is thoroughly discussed. Finally, the future prospects and challenges of electrospun TPU flexible strain sensors in various fields are pointed out.

Unraveling the Impact of Boron Nitride and Silicon Nitride Nanoparticles on Thermoplastic Polyurethane Fibers and Mats for Advanced Heat Management.

The urgent challenges posed by the energy crisis, alongside the heat dissipation of advanced electronics, have embarked on a rising demand for the development of highly thermally conductive polymer composites. Electrospun composite mats, known for their flexibility, permeability, high concentration and orientational degree of conductive fillers, stand out as one of the prime candidates for addressing this need. This study explores the efficacy of boron nitride (BN) and its potential alternative, silicon nitride (SiN) nanoparticles, in enhancing the thermal performance of the electrospun composite thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fibers and mats. The 3D reconstructed models obtained from FIB-SEM imaging provided valuable insights into the morphology of the composite fibers, aiding the interpretation of the measured thermal performance through scanning thermal microscopy for the individual composite fibers and infrared thermography for the composite mats. Notably, we found that TPU-SiN fibers exhibit superior heat conduction compared to TPU-BN fibers, with up to a 6 °C higher surface temperature observed in mats coated on copper pipes. Our results underscore the crucial role of arrangement of nanoparticles and fiber morphology in improving heat conduction in the electrospun composites. Moreover, SiN nanoparticles are introduced as a more suitable filler for heat conduction enhancement of electrospun TPU fibers and mats, suggesting immense potential for smart textiles and thermal management applications.

Linear Film Strain Sensors with Nanosphere‐on‐Fiber Hetero‐Modulus Microstructure for Human‐Bionic Finger Interfacing

AbstractStretchable film strain sensors show potential applications in healthcare and human‐machine interfacing, while poor signal linearity restricts their practical applications owing to inaccurate and instable strain indication. Signal sensitivity and linearity can be improved via constructing hetero‐modulus microstructure on elastomeric substrate to some extent, though it is challenging to construct hetero‐structure with distinct modulus differences for electrical signal linearity modulation over a wide strain range. Herein, a simple strategy is proposed to tune signal sensitivity, linearity, and detection range of stretchable strain sensors by adjusting the distribution of rigid polystyrene (PS) nanospheres coated on electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fiber mats. Heterostructure characteristics can be controlled by spray coating times of PS nanospheres, which are immobilized onto the fiber mats by weak swelling of TPU and the linking layer of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) between TPU and PS induced by hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking. Relatively, the sensors with moderate spray coating times of PS nanospheres show balanced signal sensitivity and linearity over a strain range of 0–80%, as well as fast response to tensile strain and good signal reproducibility. Such elastomeric film strain sensors can be used for monitoring physiological activities and interfacing human hand and bionic fingers.

Effect of improved electric field distribution on jet motion, fiber morphology, and properties of electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane fibrous membrane

AbstractElectric field plays a pivotal role in electrospinning to produce the desired micro and nanofibers, hence, a tricipital‐needle spinneret was developed to improve electric field distribution and productivity in this work. The effects of electric field distribution induced by spinneret configuration on jet motion, fiber morphology, and properties of electrospun TPU fibrous membrane at different applied voltages were investigated by simulation and experiment. The simulation results show that the designed tricipital‐needle spinneret weakens the electric field near the needle tip and strengthens the electric field in the whipping region in comparison to the single‐needle spinneret, exhibiting a relatively uniform electric field distribution. The experimental results demonstrate that the fiber diameter prepared by the tricipital‐needle spinneret at the corresponding voltage is smaller than that of the single‐needle spinneret due to the improved electric field distribution. Moreover, the fibrous membrane prepared by the tricipital‐needle spinneret shows excellent tensile properties (7 MPa tensile stress and 401% breaking elongation), air permeability (85.32 mm s−1) and water vapor permeability (6.7 kg m−2 d−1). Therefore, the electrospinning system with the tricipital‐needle spinneret not only increases the fiber productivity, but also improves the electric field distribution and endows the fibrous membrane with better properties, which can widen the applications of electrospun TPU fibrous membrane and also provides a new approach for the performance design of other electrospun fibers.

Hierarchical conducting networks constructed as resistive strain sensors for personal healthcare monitoring and robotic arm control

Flexible strain sensors are strongly demanded in fields of personal healthcare monitoring and human–machine interface, as they can accurately perceive external action to produce electrical output signals. Aiming at the existing problems, such as the balanced sensitivity and sensing range, durability as well as expanded application, this paper proposes a flexible strain sensor prepared based on electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) membrane, followed by anchoring mixed conductive materials (carbon black (CB)/carbon nanotubes (CNT)) on its surface via an effective ultrasonic-assisted method. The resulting CB/CNT@TPU strain sensor delivers a desirable integration of sensing performances: good sensitivity, wide work range, fast response speed (<150 ms) and reliable cyclic stability (5000 cycles). Ascribed to the sensing behavior and additional breathability, strain sensor can be applied well to monitor human health, including human joints movements (fingers and wrists) and physiological signals (pulse and laryngeal vibration recognition). Finally, a multiaxial robotic arm control system is constructed, which provides a feasible strategy for intelligent robotic arms.

Electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane membrane decorated with carbon nanotubes: A platform of flexible strain sensors for human motion monitoring

A piezoresistive flexible strain sensor was developed using thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (TPU) as the matrix and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as conductive fillers. Sensitivity, strain range, and tensile cycling stability were concurrently considered during its design. Electrospun TPU fiber membranes were prepared via electrospinning in this experiment, with controllable fiber diameter achieved by adjusting the rotational speed of the electrospinning receiving drum. CNTs were incorporated into a flexible polymer substrate through suction filtration to create the strain sensor. The support structure of the electrospun film served as a carrier for uniformly adhering conductive particles. Well-dispersed conductive CNTs could more easily achieve uniform loading through the pore size of the electrospun fiber film, thereby forming a conductive layer. This study initially determined the influence of TPU content in the spinning solution on the morphology of the electrospun membrane. Subsequently, the effects of CNT content and electrospinning receiving drum rotational speed on the microstructure of TPU electrospun membranes were investigated, along with their impact on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and sensing performance of CNTs/TPU (CT) flexible strain sensors. The results indicate that the electrospun fiber membrane prepared under the conditions of TPU mass fraction of 20 wt% and rotational speed of 100 r/min has a larger average fiber diameter and a more stable scaffold structure. The CNTs/TPU (CT) sensor, prepared by filtering 10 mL of CNTs with a concentration of 2 mg/mL, exhibited the best mechanical properties, with a tensile strength and elongation at break of 6.22 MPa and 575 %, respectively. Additionally, it demonstrated high sensitivity (GF = 420.17 at 200 % strain) and excellent durability stability (300 cycle tests), enabling quick and accurate responses to movements of various parts of the human body, thereby meeting the basic usage requirements of flexible strain sensors.

Flexible Piezoresistive Sensors Based on PPy Granule-Anchored Multilayer Fibrous Membranes with a Wide Operating Range and High Sensitivity.

The employment of flexible piezoresistive sensors has sparked growing interest within the realm of wearable electronic devices, specifically in the fields of health detection and e-skin. Nevertheless, the advancement of piezoresistive sensors has been impeded by their limited sensitivity and restricted operating ranges. Consequently, it is imperative to fabricate sensors with heightened sensitivity and expanded operating ranges through the utilization of the appropriate methodologies. In this paper, piezoresistive sensors were fabricated utilizing electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride/polyacrylonitrile/polyethylene-polypropylene glycol multilayer fibrous membranes anchored with polypyrrole granules as the sensing layer, while electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fibers were employed as the flexible substrate. The sensitivity of the sensor is investigated by varying the fiber diameter of the sensing layer. The experimental findings reveal that a concentration of 14 wt % in the spinning solution exhibits high sensitivity (996.7 kPa-1) within a wide working range (0-10 kPa). This is attributed to the favorable diameter of the fibers prepared at this concentration, which facilitates the uniform in situ growth of pyrrole. The highly deformable TPU flexible fibers and multilayer sensing layer structure enable different linear responses across a broad pressure range (0-1 MPa). Furthermore, the sensor demonstrates good cyclic stability and can detect human movements under different pressures. These results suggest that the piezoresistive sensor with a wide operating range and high sensitivity has significant potential for future health monitoring and artificial intelligence applications.

Sandwich-Like Flexible Breathable Strain Sensor with Tunable Thermal Regulation Capability for Human Motion Monitoring.

High-performance flexible strain sensors with synergistic and outstanding thermal regulation function are poised to make a significant impact on next-generation multifunctional sensors. However, it has long been intractable to optimize the sensing performance and high thermal conductivity simultaneously. Herein, a novel flexible sandwich-like strain sensor with advanced thermal regulation capability was prepared by assembling electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fibrous membrane, MXene layer, and TPU/boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS) composite films. The as-prepared sensor demonstrates a wide strain working range (∼100% strain), an ultrahigh gauge factor (2080.9), and a satisfactory reliability. Meanwhile, benefiting from the uniform dispersion and promising orientation of BNNSs in TPU composites, the sensor possesses a high thermal conductivity of 1.5 W·m-1·K-1, guaranteeing wearer comfort. Additionally, the unique structure endows the sensor with high stretchability, breathability, biocompatibility, and tunable electromagnetic interference shielding performances. Furthermore, an integrated wireless motion monitoring device based on this sensor is rationally designed. It exhibits a fast response time, a wide recognition range, and the ability to maintain skin temperature during prolonged physical activity. These encouraging findings provide a new and feasible approach to designing high-performance and versatile flexible strain sensors with broad applications in advanced wearable technology.

A liquid metal/polypyrrole electrospun TPU composite conductive network for highly sensitive strain sensing in human motion monitoring.

Developing soft wearable sensors with high sensitivity, low cost, and a wide monitoring range is crucial for monitoring human health. Despite advances in strain sensor technology, achieving high sensitivity and a wide operating range in a single device remains a major challenge in its design and preparation. Herein, a liquid metal (LM) is innovatively ultrasonically anchored to the gaps and surfaces of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) electrospun fibers, and then a conductive pathway is constructed through polypyrrole (PPy) self-polymerization to prepare a composite film. The strain sensor developed by ultrasonic anchoring and original polymerization technology shows a high strain coefficient (GF = 4.36 at 12.5% strain) and a low detection limit (less than 1% strain). Importantly, this sensor can monitor joint motion and subtle skin deformations in real time. In addition, the integration of strain sensors and N95 masks enables real-time monitoring of human respiration.

A Stretchable Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Fabric with Dual‐Mode Passive Personal Thermal Management

AbstractElectromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding fabrics are crucial in addressing the increasingly serious electromagnetic pollution. To meet wearable requirements, stretchability and thermal comfortability are often desired, but which still are challenging. Herein, a stretchable EMI shielding fabric is fabricated via electrospinning coupled with biaxial pre‐stretching spraying, in which a block stacking wrinkled silver nanowire (AgNW)/Ti3C2Tx MXene network is coated on one side of electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fabric. As expected, the wrinkled structure protects conductive network from fracture during stretching process, so as to realize the strain‐invariant electrical conductivity. Thus, the fabric exhibits a stretchable EMI shielding performance of over 40 dB when subjected to 10–50% uniaxial strains or 21–125% biaxial strains. More importantly, the white TPU/PDMS side and the black AgNW/MXene side enable the fabric passive radiative cooling and heating, respectively. The cooling side exhibits high mid‐infrared emissivity (97.5%) and solar reflectance (90%), thus reducing the skin temperature by ≈4.9 °C. The heating side with high solar absorptivity (86.6%) and photothermal effect increased the skin temperature by ≈5 °C. Therefore, the fabirc with stretchable EMI shielding and Janus‐type dual‐mode personal passive thermal management is promising in future wearable products.

Constructing interconnected network of MWCNT and BNNS in electrospun TPU films: Achieving excellent thermal conduction yet electrical insulation properties

Thermal management materials with excellent thermal conductivity (TC) and electrical insulation are highly favorable in the modern integrated electronic areas. Herein, an interconnected network of multi-walled carbon nanotubes@boron nitride nanoplatelets (MWCNT@BNNS) in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composite film was constructed through the electrospinning and electrospraying method, followed by hot-pressing process. Most of MWCNT were oriented along the electrospun TPU fibers and wrapped inside the fibers to maintain the insulation properties at the content of 5 wt%. Furthermore, BNNS were attached onto the surface of 1D TPU/5MWCNT fibers and connected with MWCNT to achieve both high TC and excellent electrical insulation. The obtained TPU/5MWCNT@40BNNS composite film exhibited excellent in-plane TC of 9.99 W/(m·K), indicating the excellent heat dissipation capacity than TPU@40BNNS composite films. Additionally, the composite film also displayed remarkable electrical insulating properties (about 1013 Ω cm) and excellent flexibility. This work provides more immense potential applications in the next-generation flexible electronic equipment.

Fabrication of a twisted sensing yarn for multifunctional wearable applications

Nanofibers are ideal for the fabrication of fiber-based sensors owing to the wide applicability of such sensors in various fields. However, achieving high sensitivity and excellent tensile properties while maintaining high electrical conductivity in such sensors is difficult. This study proposes a simple fabrication method for a helical conductive yarn, core–sheath helical yarn (CSHY), in which the electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) /boron nitride (BN) film is used as the fibrous material and coated with a liquid metal (LM), EGaIn. The fiber is then stretched and twisted to obtain the CSHY with high sensitivity, tensile stability, and durability as well as fast response and recovery. Experimental results show that the sensor fabricated by weaving the CSHY has a water contact angle of 143.2°, indicating that it can be used for human motion monitoring and underwater applications. In addition, the LM has excellent electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity and exhibits a synergistic effect with BN that is uniformly arranged along the fiber length. Thus, the fabric-based sensor exhibits excellent heat-dissipation, temperature-sensing, and electric-heating performances. Consequently, the proposed multifunctional smart yarn exhibits excellent strain sensing, self-controlled thermal management, and hydrophobic performance, with potential applications in future wearable electronics.

Thermo-mechanical characterization of electrospun polyurethane/carbon-nanotubes nanofibers: a comparative study

Creating ultrathin, mountable fibers from a wide range of polymeric functional materials has made electrospinning an adequate approach to producing highly flexible and elastic materials. In this paper, electrospinning was utilized to produce thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanofibrous membranes for the purpose of studying their thermal and mechanical properties. Towards a study of the effects of fiber orientation and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a filler on both mechanical and thermal characteristics of electrospun TPU mats, an experimental comparison was held between unidirectional and randomly aligned TPU and TPU/MWCNTs nanofibrous structures. The incorporation of MWCNTs into randomly oriented TPU nanofibers resulted in a significant increase in Young's modulus (E), from 3.9 to 7.5 MPa. On the other hand, for unidirectionally spun fibers, Young's modulus increased from 17.1 to 18.4 MPa upon the addition of MWCNTs. However, dynamic mechanical analysis revealed a different behavior. The randomly oriented specimens exhibited a storage modulus with a significant increase from 180 to 614 MPa for TPU and TPU/MWCNTs mats, respectively, and a slight increase from 119 to 143 MPa for unidirectional TPU and TPU/MWCNTs mats, respectively. Meanwhile, the loss modulus increased with the addition of MWCNTs from 15.7 to 58.9 MPa and from 6.4 to 12 MPa for the random and aligned fibers, respectively. The glass transition values for all the mats fell in the temperature range of – 60 to − 20 °C. The thermal degradation of the membranes was not significantly affected by the addition of MWCNTs, indicating that the mixing of the two constituents did not change the TPU’s polymer structure and that the TPU/MWCNTs nanocomposite exhibited stable thermal degradation properties.

Multifunctional Wearable Device Based on an Antibacterial and Hydrophobic Silver Nanoparticles/Ti3C2Tx MXene/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Fibrous Membrane for Electromagnetic Shielding and Strain Sensing

Although flexible wearable devices have received wide attention in various application scenarios, it is still a challenge to integrate multiple functions on a single flexible wearable equipment. Here, an electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fibrous membrane is selected as the flexible substrate, and Ti3C2Tx MXene is modified on the fibrous membrane by ultrasonic coating, followed by the loading of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by chemical deposition to successfully prepare a AgNPs/Ti3C2Tx/TPU fibrous membrane. The electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance of the fibrous membrane is up to 87.31 dB in a microwave frequency range of 8–12 GHz. As a strain sensor, the AgNPs/Ti3C2Tx/TPU fibrous membrane has a strain of 90%, a low detection limit of 0.5%, and a sensitivity up to a gauge factor (GF) of 157. The AgNPs/Ti3C2Tx/TPU fibrous membrane also has antibacterial and hydrophobic properties, showing the potential for application in complex environments.

Superior sensitive, high-tensile flexible fabric film strain sensor

Developing strain sensor with higher sensitivity and larger monitoring range is urgently needed for meeting the increasing potential applications of high-performance sensors in intelligent electronics, motion signal analysis and human monitoring. Herein, via an advanced and efficient method about embedding silver nanowires on electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane fabric film modified with carbon black, a high-performance flexible strain sensor is fabricated. The strain sensor exhibits excellent electrical response abilities of the superior sensitivity (gauge factor >16,000) with strain of 360%, an ultra-wide strain range (0.1% to 200%) and outstanding durability and reliability (>10,000 cycles) under cyclic stretching-recovering operating. Furthermore, mathematical fitting models about variation of resistance (ΔR/R0) and gauge factor upon the applied strains during the stretching process are proposed, which can quantitatively describe and analysis the variation of conductive pathways and inter-particles distance under the external stimuli. It is expected that such fitting models can be used to predict conductive sensing behaviors of flexible strain sensors for actual manufacturing and improvement of products.

Effects of different types of surfactant treatments on the electromechanical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes decorated electrospun nanofibers

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have a strong tendency to form agglomeration due to van der Waals interactions, which hinders their practical utilization. Therefore, an effective and stable dispersion of CNTs in a surfactant based solvent is very important for the realization of CNTs based nanocomposites in various applications. In this paper, influence of different types of surfactant on the electromechanical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) decprated electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanofibers were investigated by UV-VIS spectroscopy, zeta potential, FT-IR analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and uniaxial tensile strain sensing. Obtained results suggest that type of surfactant has not only effecting the dispersion level of CNTs but also has a significant influence on the electromechanical properties of CNTs decorated elecrospun CNTs/TPU nanofibers. The results of the present study provide new insights into the design and tailoring the electromechanical properties of CNTs decorated electrospun nanofibers.

Development and characterization of lanolin incorporated electrospun nanofibers for nursing pads

In this study, to combine the biological properties of lanolin and the advantages of electrospun nanofiber mats for developing a potent topical wound dressing/nursing pads that includes lanolin, lanolin incorporated electrospun cellulose acetate (CA), polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyethylene oxide/chitosan (PEO/chitosan) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanofibers were developed and characterized. Surface tension, viscosity and conductivity measurements of each polymer solution were carried out in order to characterize the spinning solutions. Lanolin addition did not affect the conductivity values but increase the viscosity of each spinning solution. According to the SEM images, smooth nanofiber surfaces were produced which could be appropriate for a top layer of a nursing pad. Slightly attached, thicker nanofibers could be seen from the TPU/Lanolin images. Similar to TPU nanofibers, CA nanofibers were smoother and thinner than CA/Lanolin nanofibers. Lanolin effected the uniformity of the PEO nanofibers, but it could be said that homogeneous distribution of lanolin was achieved. Characterization of these nanofiber membranes were also carried out with FTIR, DSC, swelling and weight loss analysis. Since TPU nanofibers were hydrophobic and the addition of lanolin made the nanofiber more hydrophobic, they did not show high swelling ratios. CA nanofibers swelled 610% due to their relatively hydrophilic nature and bulky structure. PEO nanofibers were totally dissolved in the water, a very thin layer remained for PEO-Chitosan/lanolin nanofibers. So, using electrospun CA and TPU nanofiber membranes for a nursing pad upper layer could be suitable. CA/lanolin nanofibers showed better hydrophilicity and swelling when compared to TPU nanofibers. On the other hand, TPU nanofibers are more elastic and durable with lower swelling.