[nanoPost] Nanofibers of various polymers

Company USA

The electrohydrodynamic spinning (EHS) process allows the forming of nanofibers of various polymers, inorganic materials, and blends of materials onto a substrate in a continuous web in a highly controlled process at uniquely high production rates.

Electrohydrodynamic coating process can "spin" continuous organic, inorganic or particulate/polymer blend fibers with nanoscaled diameters, typically in the range of 50 - 500 nm. Electrospinning (ES) has been around for 20 years but has had limited commercial viability due to the low production rates of existing ES equipment, which impedes the prospect of using it for practical applications.

EHS process nanofiber coatings are typically applied at 0.25 to 0.75 grams per square meter and achieve equivalent or improved performance to most conventional coatings applied at 10 to 15 times higher weight. The EHS coating system can apply coatings and surfaces consistently in this range.

The process makes use of electrostatic and mechanical force to spin fibers from the tip of a fine orifice or spinneret. The spinneret is maintained at positive or negative charge by a DC power supply. When the electrostatic repelling force overcomes the surface tension force of the polymer solution, the liquid spills out of the spinneret and forms an extremely fine continuous filament. It has the misleading appearance of forming multiple filaments from one spinneret nozzle

The polymer is usually dissolved in suitable solvent and spun from solution.

Nanofibers in the range of 50-500 nm diameter can be achieved by choosing the appropriate polymer solvent system.

Coatings can be applied to paper, fabric, metals, glass, or any flexible or rigid surface at very high rates.