I am trying to dissolve a blend of 2 polymers one is hydrophilic and the other is hydrophobic to be used in electrospinning. How can I select a solvent? and is it better to use a one solvent or mix of 2 solvents?
Hello, Dina:
If you already have a good solvent for your polymer mix and your aim is to choose an option or replacement, maybe checking the Hansen solubility parameters could help (the smaller the difference between the Hansen parameters of the solvents, the greater the similarity). In such this way, a mix a solvents could even be as good as or even better than a single one. In any case, it should always be checked that boling points were not too different. Next there is a page thay may be useful: http://www.stevenabbott.co.uk/practical-adhesion/hsp.php.
Dear Dina
Have a look at this paper for some inspiration:
Ultraporous interweaving electrospun microfibers from PCL–PEO binary blends and their inflammatory responses
DOI: 10.1039/C3NR06197C
They use a DCM/DMF system; which polymers are you using?
Hi Dina,
As you have stated coz its "hydro" phobic or philic does not matter the "solvent" (otherwise its water or water containing solvent)
Its totally related about your polymer type. better to choose solvents suitable for solving your polymer (not degrade or decompose the chain structure of the polymer, but solve) . Thats my idea.
If you want, my colleagues can help you about that if you will conatct with them form the website with sharing some more details about your polymer and end-use area.
Regards.
Hi Dina,
you can use strong solvent like hexafluoroisopropanol . The alternative way is to use weaker solvent but in such a case you should probably face with a problem of limited miscibility of polymers, getting emulsion. You can take a look on our paper related to e-s of the blend of PCL with gelatin or collagen using different solvents
Hi Dina, ofcoz it depends on the PCL type but we can easily spin PCL with using Chloroform and DMF solvent blend on our previous works.
PCL dissolves and spins in many different solvents and solvent combinations, and you will find tons of literature on it. Focus on a solvent for your hydrophilic polymer and start from there to find literature.
If you don't mind the price and toxicity -as proposed by Pawel- HFIP is the most straight forward and most promising solvent.
Hello, Dina:
If you already have a good solvent for your polymer mix and your aim is to choose an option or replacement, maybe checking the Hansen solubility parameters could help (the smaller the difference between the Hansen parameters of the solvents, the greater the similarity). In such this way, a mix a solvents could even be as good as or even better than a single one. In any case, it should always be checked that boling points were not too different. Next there is a page thay may be useful: http://www.stevenabbott.co.uk/practical-adhesion/hsp.php.
you may think in this direction to solve the problem
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ma300656u
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