Stretching of the steady jet in electrospinning: theoretical analysis and experimental verification

Abstract

With the rapid development of electrospinning, how to control the spinning drawing process is becoming increasingly important. It is significant to establish a complete formula for the fiber drafting process. This paper presents a complete theoretical equation r = c₁nkⁿ/Qe₀b_i.z-0.5 + c₂ between radius r of the jet and the axial distance z in the steady stage in electrospinning. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) aqueous solution with different PVA concentrations and with various LiCl contents was used to validate the theoretical predicted equation. The relationship between radius r of the jet and the axial distance z in steady stage was in the form r ∼ z^-0.5. Moreover, two important equations r ∼ k^-0.11 (the relationship between conductivity and jet radius) and η ∼ C^3.79053 (the relationship between the solution viscosity and concentration) were obtained during the experiments. The results agreed well with our predicted equation.

Keywords

Electrospinning steady jet stretching

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Morton WJ Method of dispersing fluids. US Patent No. 705691, 1902.

Cooley JF Apparatus for electrically dispersing fluids. US Patent No. 692631, 1902.

Reneker DH , Yarin AL , Fong H. and Koombhongse S. Bending instability of electrically charged liquid jets of polymer solutions in electrospinning. J Appl Phys 2000; 87: 4531 4548.

Yarin AL , Koombhongse S. and Reneker DH Bending instability in electrospinning of nanofibers. J Appl Phys 2001; 89: 3018 3026.

Reneker DH and Chun I. Nanometre diameter fibres of polymer, produced by electrospinning. Nanotechnology 1996; 7: 216 223.

Bognizki M. , Czando W. , Frese T. , et al. Nanostructured fibers via electrospinning. Adv Mater 2001; 13: 70 72.

Hohman MM , Shin M. and Rutledge G. Electrospinning and electrically forced jets. I. Stability theory. Phys Fluids 2001; 13: 2201 2220.

Hohman MM , Shin M. and Rutledge G. Electrospinning and electrically forced jets. I. Stability theory. Phys Fluids 2001; 13: 2221 2236.

Yarin AL , Koombhongse S. and Reneker DH Taylor cone and jetting from liquid droplets in electrospinning of nanofibers . J Appl Phys 2001; 90: 4836 4846.

10.

Feng JJ Stretching of a straight electrically charged viscoelastic jet. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech 2003; 116: 55 70.

11.

Yarin AL Free liquid jets and films: hydrodynamics and rheology. New York: Longman Scientific and Technical, 1993.

12.

Spivak AE , Dzcnis I. and Reneker DH A model of steady state jet in the electrospinning process. Mech Res Comm 2000; 27: 37 42.

13.

Shin YM , Hohman MM , Brenner MP and Rutledge GC Experimental characterization of electrospinning: the electrically forced jet and instabilities. Polymer 2001; 42: 9955 9967.

14.

Fridrikh SV , Yu JH , Brenner MP and Rutledge GC Controlling the fiber diameter during electrospinning . Phys Rev Lett 2003; 9: 144 150.

15.

Rutledge GC , Warner SB , Fridrikh SV , and Ubgolue S. Electrostatic spinning and properties of ultrafine fibers. Project no. M01-MD22, National Textile Center 2003.

16.

He JH , Wan YQ and Yu JY Allometric scaling and instability in electrospinning. Int J Nonlinear Sci Numer Simul 2004; 5: 243 251.

17.

Ganan-Calvo AM Cone-jet analytical extension of Taylor’s electrostatic solution and the asymptotic universal scaling laws in electrospraying . Phys Rev Lett 1997; 79: 217 220.

18.

Wan YQ , Guo Q. and Pan N. Thermo-electro-hydrodynamic model for electrospinning process. Int J Nonlinear Sci Numer Simul 2004; 5: 5 8.

19.

Bockris J. and Reddy A. Modern electrochemistry. Vol. 1, New York: Plenum Press, 1970.

20.

Bockris J. and Reddy A. Modern electrochemistry. Vol. 2, New York: Plenum Press, 1970.

21.

Seaver AE A Method to Determine the Surface Charge Density of a Powder Having an Arbitrary Particle Size Distribution. In: Proceedings of the ESA Annual Meeting 1999, p.29 41.

22.

Spivak AF and Dzenis YA Asymptotic decay of radius of a weakly conductive viscous jet in an external electric field. Appl Phys Lett 1998; 73: 3067 3069.

23.

Lukas D. , Sarkar A. and Pokorny P. Self organization of jets in electrospinning from free liquid surface a generalized approach. J Appl Phys 2008; 103: 3091 3097.

24.

Qin XH , Wan YQ , He JH , Zhang J. , Yu JY and Wang SY Effect of LiCl on electrospinning of PAN polymer solution: theoretical analysis and experimental verification. Polymer 2004 ; 45: 6409 6413.

25.

Zuo WW , Zhu MF , Yang W. , Yu H. , Chen YM and Zhang Y. Experimental study on relationship between jet instability and formation of beaded fibers during electrospinning. Polymer Eng Sci 2005; 45: 704 709.

26.

Baumgarten PK Electrostatic spinning of acrylic microfibers . Colloid Interface Sci 1971; 36: 71.

27.

He JH , Wan YQ and Yu JY Application of vibration technology to polymer electrospinning. Int J Nonlinear Sci Numer Simul 2004; 5: 253 251.

28.

He JH , Wan YQ and Yu JY Effect of concentration on electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers . Fibers Polym 2008; 9: 140 142.

29.

Choi JS , Lee SW , Jeong L. , Bae SH , Min BC , Youk JH , et al. Effect of organosoluble salts on the nanofibrous structure of electrospun poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate). Int J Biol Macromol 2004; 34: 249 256.

30.

Son WK , Youk JH , Lee TS and Park WH The effects of solution properties and polyelectrolyte on electrospinning of ultrafine poly (ethylene oxide) fibers. Polymer 2004; 45: 2959 2966.

31.

Zong XH , Kim K. , Fang D. , Ran S. , Hsiao BS and Chu B. Structure and process relationship of electrospun bioabsorbable nanofiber membranes. Polymer 2002; 43: 4403 4412.

32.

Lee CK , Kim SI and Kim SJ The influence of added ionic salt on nanofiber uniformity for electrospinning of electrolyte polymer. Synth Met 2005; 154: 209 212.

33.

Qin XH , Yang EL , Li N. and Wang SY Effect of different salts on electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile solution . J Appl Polym Sci 2007; 103: 3865.

34.

Qin XH and Wang SY Effect of LiCl on the stabile length of electrospinning jet by PAN polymer solution. Mater Lett 2005; 59: 3102 3105.

35.

Gañán-Calvo AM Cone-Jet Analytical Extension of Taylor’s Electrostatic Solution and the Asymptotic Universal Scaling Laws in Electrospraying . Phys Rev Lett 1997; 79: 217 220.

36.

Han T. , Yarin AL and Reneker DH Viscoelastic electrospun jets: initial stresses and elongational rheometry . Polymer 2008; 49: 1651 1658.

37.

Zong XH , Kim K. and Fang DF Structure and process relationship of electrospun bioabsorbable nanofiber membrane. Polymer 2002; 43: 4403 4412.

38.

Beachley V. and Wen XJ Effect of electrospinning parameters on the nanofiber diameter and length. Mater Sci Eng C 2008; 29: 663 668.

39.

Lin T. , Wang H. , Wang H. and Wang X. The charge effect of cationic surfactants on the elimination of fibre beads in the electrospinning of polystyrene. Nanotechnology 2004; 53: 1851.

40.

Wang C. , Hsu CH and Lin JH Scaling laws in electrospinning of polystyrene solutions. Macromolecules 2006; 39: 7662 7672.