Fabrication and Characterization of Cellulose Acetate/Montmorillonite Composite Nanofibers by Electrospinning

Abstract

Nanofibers composed of cellulose acetate (CA) and montmorillonite (MMT) were prepared by electrospinning method. MMT was first dispersed in water and mixed with an acetic acid solution of CA. The viscosity and conductivity of the CA/MMT solutions with different MMT contents were measured to compare with those of the CA solution. The CA/MMT solutions were electrospun to fabricate the CA/MMT composite nanofibers. The morphology, thermal stability, and crystalline and mechanical properties of the composite nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and tensile test. The average diameters of the CA/MMT composite nanofibers obtained by electrospinning 18 wt% CA/MMT solutions in a mixed acetic acid/water (75/25, w/w) solvent ranged from 150~350 nm. The nanofiber diameter decreased with increasing MMT content. TEM indicated the coexistence of CA nanofibers. The CA/MMT composite nanofibers showed improved tensile strength compared to the CA nanofiber due to the physical protective barriers of the silicate clay layers. MMT could be incorporated into the CA nanofibers resulting in about 400% improvement in tensile strength for the CA sample containing 5 wt% MMT.

Citronella oil‐loaded electrospun micro/nanofibrous matrices as sustained repellency systems for the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus

“…The selection of the polymers utilized for the development of the micro/nanofibrous matrices was based on their good electrospinnability, their low cost, their eco‐friendly nature, their safety to the user and their biodegradability . The different physicochemical characters of the hydrophobic CA and the hydrophilic PVP were also taken into consideration for their possible impact on the release of the embedded repellent.…”

Cellulose acetate/sodium-activated natural bentonite clay nanofibres produced by free surface electrospinning

“…The XRD pattern of electrospun CA15BC0 nanofibres shows broad weak diffraction peaks at approximately 2h = 9.4°and 2h = 44.8°which are associated with the principal characteristic of the semi-crystalline acetylated structure of cellulose acetate [87]. The absence of BC peaks from the XRD patterns of CA15BC5 and CA15BC10 composites confirmed that most of the BC had been exfoliated, delaminated and dispersed in the CA nanofibrous fabric [24]. However, XRD pattern of CA15BC10 shows two diffraction peaks with low intensity at 2h = 47.8°and 2h = 46.8°, which could be an indicator of partly stuffing of BC within the CA composites.…”

“…On the other hand, very low evaporation rates lead to film rather than fibre formation. By selecting a binary solvent system of AcOH and water (75:25) with boiling point of 118 and 100°C, respectively, stable spinning conditions were achieved [84] and it is well established that when the ratio of AcOH to water is 75:25, nanofibrous cellulose fibres can be successfully generated without formation of beads [24].…”

“…It has been demonstrated that electrospinning of polymer-clay composites with a small amount (1-10 wt%) of clay filler can lead to remarkable improvements in wettability and swelling [42], mechanical properties, including Young's modulus [19,24], thermal stability [49], flame retardancy [20], heat distortion temperature [45], UV resistance [25], chemical affinity [33] and gas barrier properties [40] compared to pure polymer nanofibres. BC, formed from weathering of volcanic ash in the presence of water, is an absorbent aluminium phyllosilicate clay consisting mostly of smectite [52].…”

Nanofibrous scaffolds supporting optimal central nervous system regeneration: an evidence-based review

“…Nanofibrous scaffolds have been well used to present aligned structures to enable neural tissue development, both in vitro and in vivo. Natural or synthetic materials can be fabricated via phase-separation, 19,20 self-assembly, 21 or electrospinning 22 techniques. Electrospinning is efficient, cost-effective, and versatile in comparison to the other two techniques.…”