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Characterization and Control of an Electrospinning Process

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2013, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, Polymer Science.
Optical observations of jets provide information useful for control of electrospinning of polymer solutions. Combinations of videography, stereography, and methods for illumination of the multiple coils of an electrospinning jet path, that depend on bright glints of reflected light from the jet, recorded quantitative information about the location and vector velocity of selected segments of the jet. New bending coils were observed to form at rates of 200-1560 turns per second. This bending frequency decreased as the capillary number of the solutions increased. The motion of mergence of coils of a jet was discovered and characterized. This characterization, combined with bending frequency, provides information for control of parameters in fiber collection in nonwoven products. The polarization of light, in glints reflected at Brewster's angle, allows measurement of the index of refraction of the fluid jet, in flight. Birefringence of a coiled charged jet was observed for the first time, providing information about the extension and order of molecular chains in a jet. Asymmetric illumination of an electrospinning jet made both the handedness and changes in handedness of the electrical bending coils apparent to visual observation and in 2-dimensional images. Other reliable methods for handedness characterization of a coiled jet were also established and introduced. Evidence was found, in the form of polarized ribbon-like glint traces, for the occurrence of undulations on the surface of some jets. New strategies were established for external initiation of multiple electrospinning jets at lower voltages than usual without the formation of a Taylor cone.
Darrell H. Reneker, Dr. (Advisor)
Shi-Qing Wang, Dr. (Committee Chair)
Gary R. Hamed, Dr. (Committee Member)
Stephen Z.D. Cheng, Dr. (Committee Member)
George G. Chase, Dr. (Committee Member)
123 p.

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Citations

  • Liu, K. (2013). Characterization and Control of an Electrospinning Process [Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1355239985

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Liu, Kaiyi. Characterization and Control of an Electrospinning Process. 2013. University of Akron, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1355239985.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Liu, Kaiyi. "Characterization and Control of an Electrospinning Process." Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1355239985

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)