Electrospinning of polymeric nanofibers: Analysis of jet formation

Producing nanofiber-diameter polymeric fibers presents an attractive and robust approach toward the processing of nanocomposites, with applications ranging from clear optical components to toughened structural materials. In this work, we are examining the electrospinning process for the production of nanometer-diameter polymer fibers, giving particular attention to the following key features: jet-initiation, fiber architecture, and fiber distribution. A wide range of polymer systems and polymer-solvent combinations were studied in order to broaden the applicability of our conclusions to other systems. Specifically, a dimensional analysis was applied to jet-formation data obtained by quantifying the conditions required for the expulsion of fibers from a charged capillary to a grounded collection plate. The relationships between various dimensionless groups were compared with the expressions for the critical voltage that have been proposed for electrospinning of polymer solutions.