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Published on: April 19, 2015
Process optimization of electrospun polycaprolactone and nanohydroxyapatite composite nanofibers using response
A Doustgani1, E Vasheghani-Farahani, M Soleimani
1Biotechnology Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-114, Tehran, Iran.
Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
|August 2, 2013
Summary
Electrospinning polycaprolactone and nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) composite nanofibers revealed key parameters influencing fiber diameter. Applied voltage, nHA concentration, and spinning distance significantly impact nanofiber size, optimizing electrospinning processes.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Electrospinning is a versatile technique for fabricating continuous polymer fibers with diameters in the sub-micron range.
- Polycaprolactone (PCL) and nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) composites are of interest for biomedical applications due to their tunable properties.
- Controlling nanofiber diameter is crucial for optimizing the performance of electrospun materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of electrospinning process parameters on the mean diameter of polycaprolactone and nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) composite nanofibers.
- To establish a quantitative relationship between electrospinning parameters and average fiber diameters using Response Surface Methodology (RSM).
- To identify the most influential parameters affecting nanofiber diameter for process optimization.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of polycaprolactone and nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) composite nanofibers using electrospinning.
- Characterization of fiber morphology and mean fiber diameter via scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
- Application of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to design experiments and model the relationship between parameters (nHA concentration, applied voltage, spinning distance, flow rate) and fiber diameter.
Main Results:
- A third-order polynomial model was developed to correlate mean fiber diameter with electrospinning parameters, achieving an R-square value of 0.96.
- Nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) concentration, applied voltage, and spinning distance were identified as the most significant parameters influencing fiber diameter.
- The sole effect of flow rate was found to be unimportant in controlling the mean fiber diameter.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully modeled and identified key electrospinning parameters controlling the diameter of PCL/nHA composite nanofibers.
- Optimizing nHA concentration, applied voltage, and spinning distance is critical for achieving desired nanofiber diameters.
- The developed model provides a quantitative basis for controlling nanofiber characteristics in electrospinning processes.
