Experimental and theoretical investigation of the fluid behavior during polymeric fiber formation with and without pressure

Abstract

The fabrication of polymeric micro/nanofibers is gaining attention due to their use in an array of applications including tissue engineering scaffolds, nanosensors, and fiber-reinforced composites. Despite their versatile nature, polymeric fibers are widely underutilized due to the lack of reliable, large-scale production techniques. Upon the discovery of centrifugal spinning and, recently, pressurized gyration techniques, new research directions have emerged. Here, we report a comprehensive study detailing the optimal conditions to significantly improve the morphology, homogeneity, and yield of fibers of varying diameters. A series of polymeric fibers was created using a 21 wt. % solution of polyethylene oxide in distilled water and the fluid behavior was monitored inside a transparent reservoir using a high-speed camera. Fabrication of the fibers took less than 1 s. Using centrifugal spinning, we studied the formation of the fibers at three different rotational speeds, and for pressurized gyration, one rotational speed was studied with three different nitrogen gas pressures. Using the pressurized gyration technique at a gas pressure of 0.3 MPa, there was significant improvement in the production yield of the fibers. We found a strong correlation between the variation of pressure and the rate of the solution leaving the reservoir with the improved morphology of the fibers. The use of reduced power techniques, like centrifugal spinning and pressured gyration, to yield high-quality nonwoven nanofibers and microfibers in large quantities is important due to their use in rapidly expanding markets.

Comparative Study of the Antimicrobial Effects of Tungsten Nanoparticles and Tungsten Nanocomposite Fibres on Hospital Acquired Bacterial and Viral Pathogens

“…This observation suggests the introduction of tungsten oxide particles causes the polymer suspension to have a greater resistance against the stretching caused by the forces on the polymer jet during novel gyration process. Previous studies claim fibre diameter can be tailored by altering working parameters such as polymer concentration in suspension, rotational speed and applied pressure [ 27 , 51 ]. However, during this experiment all working parameters were kept constant therefore suggesting tungsten oxide to be the underlying cause.…”

Graphene Oxide–Silver Nanoparticle Nanohybrids: Synthesis, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Properties

“…Polymer nanofibrous patches containing antimicrobial agents have been fabricated via electrospinning for application in various fields [31]. More recently, Alenezi et al [32] developed a new route that improves the quality and production yield of nanofibers by using the pressurized gyration technique. The microbial properties of graphene nanoplatelet-loaded polymeric fibers obtained by this process have been studied by Matharu et al [33].…”

Probing the Mode of Antibacterial Action of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized by Laser Ablation in Water: What Fluorescence and AFM Data Tell Us

“…This type of AgNPs might also be used as drug carriers by applying different functionalization strategies [ 39 ]. Another application might include AgNP-impregnated polymeric nanofibers [ 40 ] for wound healing or the incorporation of AgNPs into a device for delivering bioactive agents, such as protein scaffolds [ 41 ]. These possible applications require careful consideration of AgNPs’ biological activity and potential toxicity as well as careful quality, efficacy, and safety evaluation of final AgNP-enabled materials complying with the Safe-by-Design approach [ 3 ].…”