DESIGING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ELECTROSPINNING SYSTEM TO PRODUCE

THE POLYMERIC NANO-FIBERS

BALKEES M. D. AL-DABBAGH & HANNA J. K. AL-SHIMARI

Department of Applied Science, Baghdad Technology University, Materials Branch, Baghdad, Iraq

ABSTRACT

Designing and Implementation of electrospinning system to produce the polymeric nano fibers at different range

diameter is done and is explained in this paper. This system consists of three main parts : 1- Syringe pump from German

company with pump ratio between (0.1 – 1000 ml/hr) for polymer solution or melt which are contained at syringe with

metallic needle , 2- High voltage power supply (AC-type)to generate 15 KV from Thailand company , 3- Aluminum

collector with (45*45)cm2dimensions cover with glass foil by (0.2 cm)thickness. These parts are collected by local steel

stand with some notches to change the distance between the collector and needle.

KEYWORDS: Designing and Implementation, Electrospinning System, Polymeric Nano Fibers

INTRODUCTION

Electrostatic spinning, or “electrospinning” is a process capable of producing polymer fibers in the nanometer

diameter range. The electrospinning technique may be considered as a variant of the electrostatic spraying process,[1].

There are many attempted to produce the nanofibers systematic by different designees , vertical or horizontal systems with

one syringe , tow syringes or more as in fig (1,2,3)respectively:

Fig . 1: Show the Vertical System to Produce the Electrospinning Nano Fibers [1]

Fig . 2: Show the Horizontal System to Produce the Electrospinning Nano Fibers [1]

International Journal of Chemical and

Petrochemical Technology (IJCPT)

ISSN 2277-4807

Vol.2, Issue 3 Dec 2012 23-32

© TJPRC Pvt. Ltd.,

24 Balkees M. D. Al-Dabbagh & Hanna J. K. Al-Shimari

Fig. 3: Show the Co-Syringe System to Produce the Electrospinning Nano Fibers [1]

Set Up of Electrospinning System

The basic setup for electrospinning consists of three major components: a high-voltage power supply, a spinneret

(a metallic needle) and a collector (a grounded conductor) (fig.4). The spinneret is connected to a syringe in which the

polymer solution (or melt) is hosted. With the use of a pump, the solution can be fed through the spinneret at a constant

and controllable rate. When a high voltage is applied, the pendent drop of polymer solution at the nozzle of the spinneret

will become highly electrified and the induced charges are evenly distributed over the surface, [1-10] as in fig (4),[10-11].

Fig. 4: Show the Simple System of Electrospinning Nanofibers Producing

When the high voltage poer supply is operated, the elelectric field forces starting to generate, With increasing

electric field strength, the charge on the surface of the droplet increases until it reaches a critical point when the

electrostatic repulsive force overcomes the surface tension. When this happens the droplet disintegrates and leads to the

formation of smaller droplets Fig.(5). [1,12]

Fig. 5: Show the Translation of Polymer Liquid to Very Small Droplate by Increasing of the Electric Field [1,12]

Desiging and Implementation of Electrospinning System to Produce the Polymeric Nano-Fibers 25

Advantage of Carried out this System

1. The very low coast system is carried out at this search compare with the electrospinning unit .

2. Ability of using the two types of high voltage power supply , AC-power supply which has the low coast and

small volume compare with DC- power supply.

3. We can use the locally materials with low coast such as medical syringe and syringe pump which hosted of

syringe operation.

4. Can control of the distance between the metallic needle and metallic collector by very simple way.

5. Can use different ways to collect the nano fibers after the producing of it.

6. Can produce the different polymeric nanofibers from pure polymer raw materials or blends , and studying of

the round effect conditions such as heat or dry air.

7. Can produce the different nanofibers diameter at (rang between the several nanometers to overcome one

microne).

Materials and Methods

Different polymers raw materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) , polymathyle acrylite (PMA), polystyryne

(PS), blend (PS+PVC),and blend (PS+PMA), these polymers are solved in suitable solvent.

The spinning from solution is used at this search by preparing the different concentrations of above materials

(0.05 ,0.1 ,0.15 & 0.18)wt% . These weights from raw materials are weighted by using the electronic balance with (0.0000)

range, and the magnetic stirrer to mix the polymer raw materials with the solvent.

Optical microscopy with (100 x resolution)is used to image of resulting fibers. Different syringes are used to

prepare the nano fibers (1, 3, 5 &50) ml with needle (0.25, 0.4) mm the inner diameter range, and the producing of the co-

syringe is carried out at this search to produce the blend nano fibers as in fig (6)

Fig. 6: Co. Syringe to Produce the Mixture Polymer Nanofibers

Measurements, Results and Discussions

Fig (7) show the resulting nano electro spray from system which is prepared at this search when the

concentration is (0.05)wt%, Fig (7-a) showes the pvc, electrospray ,Fig 7-b showes the PMA electrospray, and Fig

7-c showes the PS electrospray) .

26 Balkees M. D. Al-Dabbagh & Hanna J. K. Al-Shimari

a b

C

Fig. 7: Show the Electrospray which are Prepare from Electrospinning System of: A- 0.05 Wt PVC, B- 0.05 Wt%

PMA, C- 0.05 Wt PS, and Applied Voltage 15 KV, with Constant of the Other Parameters

We show the nano electrospraying droplets are resulted from above conditions , because the critical value of

concentration ,[1,13].

Fig (8 a,b) show the nano fibers of PVC which are prepared under:, fig (8-a) 0.1 wt% concentration, and fig (8-b)

0.15 wt% concentration with constant of other parameters. We show from these figures the fiber diameter increases with

increasing of polymer concentrations [13,14] , table (1) showes the range of the diameter of resulting PVC fibers, as well

as when the con. is 0.18 wt% there is no resulting fibers because the non controlling jet of polymer solution[13–15] :

Table 1: Showes the Diameter of PVC Resulting Fibers with Con. Wt%

Fiber diameter (nm) CON. wt%

300- 630 0.1

800-1220 0.15

Non 0.18

a b

Fig. 8: Show the PVC Resulting Fibers When A- 0.1 Wt% Con. and B- 0.15 Wt% Con. and Under Constant of

Other Parameters

Desiging and Implementation of Electrospinning System to Produce the Polymeric Nano-Fibers 27

Fig 9 ( a,b,c) show the nano fibers of PS which are prepared under: fig (9-a) 0.1 wt% concentration, and fig (9-b)

0.15 wt% and fig (9-c) 0.18 wt% concentration, with constant of other parameters We show from these figures the fiber

diameter increases with increasing of polymer concentrations [13,14] , table (2) show the range of the diameter of resulting

PS fibers [13 –15]:

Table 2: Showes the PS Resulting Fibers and Using Concentrations Wt%

Fiber diameter (nm) CON. wt%

135 – 239 0.1

241 – 350 0.15

400-980 0.18

a b c

Fig. 9: ( a,b,c) Show the Nano Fibers of PS Which are Prepared Under : (a) 0.1 Wt% Conc. , (b) 0.15 Wt% Con. ,

& (c) 0.18 Wt%, with Other Constant Parameters

Fig 10. (a,b) show the nano fibers of PMA which are prepared under : (a) 0.1 wt% con., (b) 0.15 wt% con. , and

other constant parameters, We show from these figures the fiber diameter increases with increasing of polymer

concentrations [13,14] , table (4) show the range of the diameter of resulting PMA fibers [13 – 15], as well as there is no

resulting fibers when the con. is 0.18 wt%, because there is no stable jet of polymer solution. [1,13,15] :

Table 3: Show the PMA Resulting Fibers and Using Concentrations Wt%

Fiber diameter (nm) CON. wt%

275-355 0.1

290-485 0.15

Non 0.18

a b

Fig. 10: (a,b) Show the Nano Fibers of PMA which are Prepared Under: (a) 0.1 wt% Con., (b) 0.15 wt% ., and

Other Constsnt Parameters

28 Balkees M. D. Al-Dabbagh & Hanna J. K. Al-Shimari

Fig 11. (a) show the nano fibers of (PS + PMA) blends which are prepared under: 0.15 wt% by (1:1) weight ratio

from the tow polymers, and other constant, table (5) show the range of the diameter of resulting blend fibers [13 – 15]. Fig

11(b) show the the nano fibers of (PS + PVC) blends which are prepared under: 0.15 wt% by (1:1) weight ratio from the

tow polymers, and other constant parameters, table (4) show the range of the diameter of resulting blend fibers . we show

from these figures the (PS+PVC) nanofibers blend is less diameter than the other blend, because the controllable of

polymer jet and miscibility of tow polymers,[13-17].

a b

Fig. 11: (a,b) Show the Nano Fibers of (PS + PMA), and (PS+PVC) Blends Respectively which are Prepared Under:

0.15wt% for tow Blends by (1:1)Weight Ratio for Each Polymer, and with Constant other

Table 4: Show the PMA Resulting Fibers and Using Concentrations Wt%

Fiber diameter (nm) CON. wt%

197-250 0.15 (PS + PVC)

200 – 300 0.15 (PS+PMA)

Fig 12. (a,b) show the nano fibers of (PVC) which are prepared under: (a) 5 ml/hr pump ratio, (b) 15 ml/hr pump ratio &

0.1 wt% con. & constant of other parameters. we show the range of the diameter of resulting fibers is (145 – 280) nm with

beads,[1,13,18].

a b

c d

Fig. 12: Show the Nano Fibers of (PVC) which are Prepared Under: (a) 15 Ml/Hr Pump Ratio, (b) 5 Ml/Hr Pump

Ratio and 0.1 wt% Con. , (c) 5ml/Hr , 0.15 wt% Con.& (d) 15 Ml/Hr Pump Ratio , 0.15 wt% Con., and other

Constant Parameters

Desiging and Implementation of Electrospinning System to Produce the Polymeric Nano-Fibers 29

Table 5: Show the Effect of Pump Ratio on Nano Fibers Diameter When the Concentration is 0.1 wt% of PVC

Nano Fibers

D nm Pump ratio ml/hr

680-1040 5

300-630 10

145-280 15

Table 6: Show the Effect of Pump Ratio on Nano Fibers Diameter when the Concentration is 0.15 wt% of PVC

Nano Fibers

D nm Pump ratio ml/hr

2940 5

800-1220 10

400 15

Fig. 13: Show the Ratio between the Conc. Wt% and Fiber Diameters for all Pure Specimens

Pump ratio ml/hr

Fig. 14: Show the Ratio between the Pump Ratio (Ml/Hr) and fiber Diameters (Nm) for PVC Nanofibers

We can show from figs. (13,14) and tables (5,6) the fiber diameter decrease with increase the pump ratio and

increase with increasing of the weight ratio of concentrations, because the high pump ratio gives the higher distance for

30 Balkees M. D. Al-Dabbagh & Hanna J. K. Al-Shimari

solusion flow and faster scratch of nanofibers, also we show the effect of pump ratio more than the concentrations effect

[7-18].

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