High-throughput free surface electrospinning using solution reservoirs with different depths and its preparation mechanism study

Abstract

This paper presented a self-made spherical section free surface electrospinning (SSFSE) using solution reservoirs with different depths for obtaining high-throughput production of nanofibers, and studied its preparation mechanism. The effects of the solution reservoir depth on the SSFSE process as well as the quality and yield of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were investigated experimentally using high-speed camera, precise electronic balance and scanning electron microscopy, and were analyzed theoretically by response surface methodology (RSM) and numerical simulation. The values predicted by the established RSM model and the electric field simulation results obtained by Maxwell 3D were all consistent with the experimental data, which showed that the solution reservoir depth had little effects on the quality of PAN nanofibers, but had great effects on the yields of them. When the maximum depth of solution reservoir was 4.29 mm, the PAN nanofibers prepared have the best quality and the highest yields.