Geometrical and electrostatic densities in a highly sparse as-electrospun polystyrene microfiber mat

• Published in: Materials letters. X Vol. 20; p. 100221
• Main Author: Ishii, Yuya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.12.2023; Elsevier
• Subjects: Charge; Density; Electret; Electrospinning; Microfiber; Electrospinning; Charge; Microfiber; Density; Electret
• ISSN: 2590-1508; 2590-1508
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mlblux.2023.100221

•A porous single polystyrene microfiber was electrospun to a density of 0.88 g cm−3.•The single fiber exhibited a material filling ratio of 80%.•A fiber mat with a density 0.051 g cm−3 was prepared.•The mat exhibited a material filling ratio of 4.7%.•The mat has a theoretical surface charge density of ≈1.4 × 10−3C m−2. Electromechanically active nano/microfibers are promising components of sensors and actuators; however, piezoelectric polymers are normally expensive. To address this issue, this study examined the geometrical and electrostatic densities of an inexpensive highly sparse as-electrospun atactic polystyrene microfiber mat. The densities of porous individual fibers and the highly sparse fiber mat were experimentally determined to be 0.88 and 0.051 g cm−3, respectively, with corresponding material filling ratios of 80 % and 4.7 %, respectively. A high theoretical surface charge density of approximately 1.4 × 10−3 C m−2 was determined for the fiber mat after excluding air spaces in both individual fibers and the mat. These findings provide a pathway to outstanding electrets that are ultra-lightweight and have high charge densities.