Dynamics of electrospinning of poly(caprolactone) via a multi-nozzle spinneret connected to a twin screw extruder and properties of electrospun fibers

• Published in: Polymer engineering and science Vol. 53; no. 7; pp. 1463 - 1474
• Main Authors: Senturk-Ozer, Semra, Ward, Daniel, Gevgilili, Halil, Kalyon, Dilhan M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01-07-2013; Wiley; Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Collectors; Dynamics; Electric potential; Electrospinning; Exact sciences and technology; Extrusion; Fibers; Fibers and threads; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Melting; Nanoparticles; Nozzles; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Polymers; Screws; Spinnerets; Technology of polymers; Twin screw extruders; United States; Double screw extruder; Synthetic fiber; Electrospinning; Mechanical properties; Tensile property; Crystallinity; Experimental study; Property processing relationship; Lactone polymer; Structure processing relationship; Aliphatic polymer; Extrusion; Non woven material; Fiber orientation; Polycaprolactone; Diameter
• ISSN: 0032-3888; 1548-2634
• DOI: 10.1002/pen.23389

Conventional electrospinning is a simple process, suitable for the processing of solvated polymers at relatively low rates. It lacks the capabilities of conveying of solids, mixing of polymeric resins and devolatilization and has limited capabilities in melting and incorporation of fillers, including nanoparticles. The use of a twin screw extruder as the front end of the electrospinning process provides these capabilities but only becomes feasible at relatively high throughput rates. Such high rates of electrospinning can only be achieved by using multi‐nozzle spinnerets. However, the dynamics of electrospinning processes using multi‐nozzle spinnerets has not been well studied. Here a multi‐nozzle spinneret attached to a hybrid twin screw extrusion and electrospinning apparatus was employed for the characterization of the dynamics in terms of the electrospun mesh thickness distributions of poly(caprolactone), PCL, as a function of the principal parameters of the electrospinning process, i.e., applied voltage, distance of separation between the spinneret die, and the collector, i.e., a conductive mandrel, and its rotational speed. PCL fiber diameter and orientation distributions, as well as the thickness, crystallinity, and mechanical properties of the non‐woven meshes, were characterized to gain a basic understanding of how the electrospun mesh properties develop as a function of process parameters in the multi‐nozzle configuration. ENG. SCI., 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers