Dear community,
I am trying to conduct electrospinning with 15% of PCL and I would like to do it with chloroform or dicloromethene. When I try to do it I do not manage to form a Taylor Cone that is stable for more than 5 seconds or that is not spinning all the polymer in one single place forming a mountain.
That is why I would like to ask to the community if someone has tried, If it is worth to try with a smaller gauge needle, flow rate, voltage?
Additionally I end up with wet filaments which I don't know if it means that it was too much flow or too low voltage... Actually If someone could explain me how this affect in the formation of the Taylor Cone it would be nice to know.
Thank you very much community!
Enric
Dear Enric Casanova, I think a lot of work is available on the influence of all operating parameters on the spinability of PCL. The attached file discuss the case of solvents. My Regards
Dear Enric Casanova
Can you let me know the M.W of the PCL you used for the study?
Hi Enric
Yes it is possible to spin PCL in pure choroform or DCM if you use "Coaxial Gas Jackets to Stabilize Taylor Cones of Volatile Solutions and to Induce Particle‐to‐Fiber Transitions"
DOI: 10.1002/adma.200306021
see with movie on the effect of this gasshield in an older post:
https://www.researchgate.net/post/How_to_prevent_spinneret_blockage_when_electrospinning_with_chloroform
I've spun PCL in Chloroform a lot, without gasshield it is a lot of work trying to find a set of parameters that allows stable spinning for more than a few minutes.
See publications below for some ideas on parameters
Electrospinning Poly(ε-Caprolactone) under Controlled Environmental Conditions: Influence on Fiber Morphology and Orientation
- DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2015.03.006
Tailoring the void space and mechanical properties in electrospun scaffolds towards physiological ranges
- DOI: 10.1039/C3TB20995D
Success with spinning!
Marc
You can check this publication, where 20 wt% PCL was electrospun, however solvent used was formic acid.
Article Electrospun polycaprolactone/silk fibroin nanofibrous bioact...
Molecular weight and viscosity plays important role in electrospinning.
What MW and concentration you are using?
It can form a fiber with chloroform, it mostly depends on the MW of the polymer. For needle size, voltage following article may help you.
Article Experimental investigation on process parameters of near-fie...
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