Ramos-Aviles, Vanessa H.

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Evaluation and modulation of electrospun collagen nanofiber diameter
(2016) Ramos-Aviles, Vanessa H.; Almodóvar-Montanez, Jorge; College of Engineering; Torres Lugo, Madeline; Latorre Esteves, Magda; Department of Chemical Engineering; Cancelos, Silvina
Electrospinning is a process for generating ultrathin fibers from a polymeric fluid using an electric field. It is relatively easy to implement, but it is itself complex due to the many parameters that govern the formation of the fibers. In this project, nanofibers from collagen dissolved in acetic acid were produced. The effect of flow rate (Q) and voltage (V) on diameter fiber (D) was evaluated, and a prediction model of the fiber diameter was identified. Also, an expression for the fiber diameter as a function of flow rate was found. Results reveal that fibers obtained had a uniform morphology with no beads-like defects. The flow rate significantly effects the fiber diameter. There is an almost linear increase on the average fiber diameter with the increase of the flow rate. The voltage has low influence over fiber diameter, at the process conditions to which experimental trials were carried out. The identified model predicts the fiber diameter with an average error of 16.75% and, fiber diameter varies proportionally to Q1/6.