Electrospun Jets Number and Nanofiber Morphology Effected by Voltage Value: Numerical Simulation and Experimental...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Physics

Background:

• Electrical voltage significantly impacts nanofiber morphology and jet number during electrospinning.
• The underlying mechanisms governing voltage-dependent jet formation remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the electrical field distribution around the spinning electrode during electrospinning.
• To elucidate the relationship between electrical voltage, electrical field distribution, and the number of electrospinning jets.
• To correlate jet number variations with resulting nanofiber diameter and morphology.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulation of electrical field distribution around the electrospinning electrode.
• Experimental electrospinning of Polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) and Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers.
• Analysis of nanofiber morphology and diameter using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Main Results:

• Electrical field concentrates on droplet tips at low voltage and shifts to needle edges at high voltage.
• Low voltage (below 20 kV) typically yields a single jet.
• High voltage promotes multiple jets (two for PVDF-HFP, four for PVA), resulting in increased fiber diameter and wider diameter distribution due to process instability.

Conclusions:

• The study reveals the critical role of electrical field distribution in controlling jet number during electrospinning.
• Higher voltages lead to multiple jets, impacting nanofiber diameter and uniformity.
• Findings provide insights for optimizing electrospinning parameters for controlled nanofiber fabrication.