Electrospinning is a process that generates nanofibres. Temperature and humidity affect this process. In this article the influence of humidity and temperature on the formation and the properties of nanofibres are studied using cellulose acetate (CA) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as target materials. The experiments indicate that two major parameters are dependent of temperature and have their influence on the average fibre diameter. A first parameter is the solvent evaporation rate that increases with increasing temperature. The second parameter is the viscosity of the polymer solution that decreases with increasing temperature. The trend in variation of the average nanofibre diameter as a function of humidity is different for CA and PVP, which can be explained by variations in chemical and molecular interaction and its influence on the solvent evaporation rate. As the humidity increases, the average fibre diameter of the CA nanofibres increases, whilst for PVP the average diameter decreases. The average diameter of nanofibres made by electrospinning change significantly through variation of temperature and humidity

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A mixture of formic acid/acetic acid makes it possible to electrospin polyamide 6.6 in steady state conditions. Steady state conditions are essential in nozzle electrospinning to generate a stable process which fabricates reproducible material, permitting industrial upscaling. This study shows that only a limited mixture range of formic acid/acetic acid allows electrospinning of polyamide 6.6 in steady state.Furthermore, the weight concentration in solution; the tip to collector distance and the flow rate have been changed to control the average diameter of the nanofibres. The average diameter increases by increasing weight concentration in solution, increasing volume fraction of acetic acid in the mixture, increasing tip to collector distance and increasing flow rate.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of nanofibre microfiltration membranes, spun by an innovative electrospinning technique, in water filtration applications. As such, this study bridges the gap between developments in electrospinning techniques for the production of flat-sheet membranes and the application of these membranes in water filtration. Three different applications were examined. Firstly, the use of the membrane (functionalised or non-functionalised) for the removal of pathogens was investigated. Secondly, the electrospun flat-sheet membranes were applied for wastewater treatment in a laboratory-scale submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR). In addition to these applications, physical properties such as clean water permeability (CWP) and strength were also examined. The tests showed that the electrospun membranes can be used for water filtration applications, but that further improvements are necessary before these membranes can be practically employed. In particular, the level of functionality and the properties of irreversible fouling require further research.

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