Investigation of mechanical properties of electrospun poly (vinyl chloride) polymer nanoengineered composite

Abstract

Nanofiber membranes are extensively used in ultra- and micro-filtration purposes due to their high surface-to-volume ratio. However, nanofiber membranes do not have adequate strength to withstand forces acting on the filter surface, especially when using very low porosity membranes. In this study, PVC nanofiber mats and nanofiber composite membranes were fabricated through electrospinning and solvent casting technology. The membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), porosimetry, and tensile strength tests. Analysis indicated that electrospun mats contain varying pore sizes (nano to micro) whose frequencies within the mat vary with fiber diameter. It was also established that mats fabricated from low solution concentration contain the largest percentage of pores. The mats’ tensile strength varied with fiber packing density, fiber assembly, and the density of fiber-to-fiber contact points. The tensile properties of the nanofiber composite membranes were found to be between those of the constituents and changed with change in the nanofiber layer thickness. The fabricated nanofiber composite membranes are intended for use in applications such as air ultra-filtration, acoustic filtration etc. The high porosity and small mesh pore size of electrospun nanofiber mats allow for removal of ultra-fine particles or microbes from contaminated air, water or other media.

Phosphorylated Curdlan Gel/Polyvinyl Alcohol Electrospun Nanofibres Loaded with Clove Oil with Antibacterial Activity

“…The tensile tests were performed with rectangular samples (10 mm length, 6 mm width, and 0.06 mm thickness) with a trigger load of 0.067 N and a tensile rate of 0.1 mm/s. For better handling, the nanofibre membrane sample was placed between two paper frames and then it was attached to the clamps of the device [ 32 ]. Paper frames were cut before testing.…”

Characterization of electrospun fibers and electrospray vancomycin-containing beads through the interstitial or lamellar separation of bead composite fiber membranes to evaluate their biomedical application in vitro

“…43 In addition, the nanofiber surface and internal geometry (fiber diameter and membrane porosity) have been found to significantly affect the efficiency of the membrane in terms of water wettability and absorbency. 44 Figure 6 reveals the captured dynamic images of contact angles at different time points. In the TPU-only group, the membranes exhibited high hydrophobicity at time points of 0, 5, and 10 s, and the measured contact angles ranged from approximately 115° to 130°.…”

A comparison between solvent casting and electrospinning methods for the fabrication of neem extract-containing buccal films

“…These differences are attributed to their different structures caused by different fabrication technologies. For solvent cast films, the material’s tensile properties are mainly influenced by the physical characteristics of the polymer and its molecular chain arrangement, whereas for randomly oriented nanofibrous mats, it is affected by fiber morphology as well as the fiber orientation and number of contact points between fibers in the mat [44]. Based on the results, it seems that crosslinked electrospun film provides a better mechanical properties in comparison with the other samples due to its sufficient tensile strength, stiffness and good flexibility.…”