Controlled deposition of electrospun poly(ethylene oxide) fibers

• Published in: Polymer (Guilford) Vol. 42; no. 19; pp. 8163 - 8170
• Main Authors: Deitzel, J.M., Kleinmeyer, J.D., Hirvonen, J.K., Beck Tan, N.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Bending instability; Electrospinning; Exact sciences and technology; Machinery and processing; Nanofibers; Plastics; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Spinning; Technology of polymers; Electrospinning; Nanofibers; Bending instability; Ethylene oxide polymer; Solvent spinning; Manufacturing process; Morphology; Supramolecular structure; Synthetic fiber; Experimental study; Nanostructured materials
• ISSN: 0032-3861; 1873-2291
• DOI: 10.1016/S0032-3861(01)00336-6

Electrospinning is a process by which sub-micron polymer fibers can be produced using an electrostatically driven jet of polymer solution (or polymer melt). Electrospun fibers are typically collected in the form of non-woven mats, which are of interest for a variety of applications including semi-permeable membranes, filters, composite reinforcement, and scaffolding used in tissue engineering. A characteristic feature of the electrospinning process is the onset of a chaotic oscillation of the electrospinning jet. The current work demonstrates the feasibility of dampening this instability and controlling the deposition of sub-micron polymer fibers (<300 nm in diameter) on a substrate through use of an electrostatic lens element and collection target of opposite polarity. Real-time observations of the electrospinning process have been made using high-speed, high-magnification imaging techniques. Fiber mats and yarns electrospun from polyethylene oxide have been analyzed using wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), optical microscopy, and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM).