Effect of Solvent on the Physical and Morphological Properties of Poly(Lactic Acid) Nanofibers Obtained by Solution Blow Spinning

Abstract

Solution blow spinning (SBS) is a simple, safe, and inexpensive alternative to electrospinning for making nanofibers from polymer solutions. However, since SBS is a relatively new technique, there is a general lack of information on polymer solutions and properties that affect fiber morphology and intrinsic properties. The present study reports the solution properties of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) dissolved in chloroform, dichloromethane, and dichloroethane at 4%, 6%, or 8% (w/v) and the properties of fibers made by SBS. In contrast to 4% polymer solutions, fibers made from 6% polymer solutions had few beads and diameters in the range of 120–320 nm. Diameters were greater (311–570 nm) for fibers made from 8% polymer solutions. Solvent evaporation rate affected the fiber porosity and formation. Hansen solubility parameters indicate that dichloromethane was the solvent most miscible with PLA. Fibers made with PLA in dicloromethane had the broader range in fiber diameter. Hansen parameters could be a valuable predictive tool for identifying highly miscible polymer/solvent systems for the SBS process. Polymer solutions with high viscoelasticity and viscosity were well suited for the SBS process. Fibers made from polymer solutions containing dichloromethane had lower crystallinity compared to fibers made from the other solvents.

3D printed UV/VIS detection systems constructed from transparent filaments and immobilised enzymes

“…Several studies [16,25,40] mass shows only a small change in aqueous solutions at neutral and acidic pH, although alkaline aqueous solutions cause filament breakdown [16]. PLA also showed good compatibility with ethanol, which is consistent with many studies that show the PLA polymer has good stability in alcohols and poor stability (high miscibility) with chlorinated solvents [41,42]. Recent work by Heikkinen et al [40] compares the chemical compatibility of a range of FFF materials, including PLA, HD Glass (polyethylene terephthalate glycol) and T-Glase (polyethylene terephthalate).…”

A Review of the Fundamental Principles and Applications of Solution Blow Spinning

“…25,29 Solvent quality and evaporation rate may also affect the crystallinity of the fibers formed by SBS. 30 Filler content, such as nanoparticles, can increase the viscosity of a polymer solution and therefore will affect the morphology of fibers as described in the previous sections. 31 This has also been demonstrated in previous studies of electrospun composite fibers, which showed that fillers can be used to modulate the viscosity of polymer solutions, but fiber formation is still controlled by meeting the minimum polymer concentration requirement of c* .…”

Nanostructured Polylactic Acid/Candeia Essential Oil Mats Obtained by Electrospinning

“…The interplanar distances were not affected by the presence of candeia essential oil, even in the high concentration (PLAO3), as confirmed by Table 4. Oliveira et al [46] reported the results of their work to increase the molecular weight of PLA, which leads to Table 4: Interplanar distances ( ) and crystallite diameters ( ) of the crystalline parts of the electrospun nanofibers. neat) 4 2 3 2 6 5 PLAO1 4 2 3 2 6 5 PLAO2 4 2 3 2 6 5 PLAO3 4 2 3 2 6 5 Subscripted: peak number: 1 (14 ∘ ), 2 (17 ∘ ), and 3 (25 ∘ ); PLAO1: 5% of candeia essential oil and 95% of PLA; PLAO2: 10% of candeia essential oil and 90% of PLA; PLAO3: 15% of candeia essential oil and 85% of PLA.…”