Influence of Polymer Concentration and Nozzle Material on Centrifugal Fiber Spinning

• Main Authors: Jorgo Merchiers, Willem Meurs, Wim Deferme, Roos Peeters, Mieke Buntinx, Naveen K. Reddy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-03-01
• Series: Polymers
• Subjects: centrifugal fiber spinning; nonwoven fibers; polymer rheology; wall slip
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/12/3/575

Centrifugal fiber spinning has recently emerged as a highly promising alternative technique for the production of nonwoven, ultrafine fiber mats. Due to its high production rate, it could provide a more technologically relevant fiber spinning technique than electrospinning. In this contribution, we examine the influence of polymer concentration and nozzle material on the centrifugal spinning process and the fiber morphology. We find that increasing the polymer concentration transforms the process from a beaded-fiber regime to a continuous-fiber regime. Furthermore, we find that not only fiber diameter is strongly concentration-dependent, but also the nozzle material plays a significant role, especially in the continuous-fiber regime. This was evaluated by the use of a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and an aluminum nozzle. We discuss the influence of polymer concentration on fiber morphology and show that the choice of nozzle material has a significant influence on the fiber diameter.