Electrospining Machine: Development status and application of electrospinning technology

Overview

It outlines the principle of electrospinning, factors affecting electrospinning, briefly describes the development status of electrospinning at home and abroad, introduces the advantages of electrospinning nanofibers and the main application areas, and provides certain theoretical references for the future development of electrospinning nanofibers.

Background

With the rapid development of electrospinning machine, the study of nanofiber materials with various properties is of great theoretical significance and application value because traditional textiles cannot meet specific functional and performance needs. Electrospinning technology can prepare nanofibers with diameters from 3μm to 5μm, which can be endowed with new properties through surface electrostatic charge, and show advantages in the fields of tissue engineering, biomedicine, electrode materials, wastewater treatment, noise control, and protective filtration. In addition, electrospinning promotes the development of applications such as water purification, air filtration, medical protection, medical excipients, tissue scaffolds, energy materials and smart wearable devices.

Main content

To the overview of electrospinning technology: 

Electrospinning is a technique for the preparation of nanofibers using a high voltage electrostatic field. The technology involves placing a polymer solution or molten polymer in an electric field and regulating the formation of fibers by controlling the voltage and current. The principle is that a polymer droplet forms a “Taylor cone” in the presence of an electric field and ejects fibers when a critical field strength is reached.

Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of electrostatic spinning device

Classification of electrospinning: 

Electrospinning is categorized into solution type electrostatic spinning and melt electrostatic spinning. Melt electrospinning allows for high safe yields and low energy consumption. Solution electrospinning, on the other hand, is simple in design and does not require additional assembly.

Electrospinning Technology:

Needle-based electrospinning: Single Nozzle electrospinning; Multi-Nozzle Electrostatic electrospinning; Coaxial electrospinning; Triaxial electrospinning; Centrifugal electrospinning. Needleless electrospinning: Bubble electrospinning; Corona electrospinning; Double Layer Fluid electrospinning.

Fig. 2 Single nozzle bubble and four nozzle bubbles

Fig. 3 Schematic diagram of needleless electrostatic spinning device

Fig. 4 Disc nozzle spinning process

Factors affecting electrospinning:

polymer molecular weight and solution viscosity, solution concentration, solvent volatility, solution conductivity, solution surface tension; applied voltage, positive/needle spacing, solution flow rate; temperature effects, humidity effects.

Development status at home and abroad:

Electrospinning technology at home and abroad are in the initial stage, the market is growing rapidly, electrospinning nanofibers are still in the process of experimentation and research and development, only a few European companies have pushed their products to the industrialization of the road, and the low-end needle-type electrospinning technology still dominates the market.

Table 1 China's main electrospinning equipment manufacturers and technical characteristics

Table 2 The main foreign manufacturers of electrospinning equipment and technical characteristics

Electrospun Nanofbers performance characteristics:

A rich variety of raw materials can be spun, the structure can be adjusted and variable morphology, as well as the fiber's larger specific surface area and other characteristics.

Table 3 Electrospinning Raw Materials and Examples

Applications of Electrospun Nanofbers:

Biomedical materials; drug-carrying nanofibers with different particle sizes and distributions prepared using electrostatic spinning technology; filtration and adsorption materials; energy materials, nanofibers manufactured using electrostatic spinning technology can significantly enhance their sensing properties in sensor applications, as well as catalysts.

Link to the paper: the development status and application of electrostatic spinning technology