Process of making nanofibers
Provided herein are gas and/or temperature assisted electrospinning apparatus, processes, components and polymer nanofibers.
1. A process for forming nanofibers, comprising:
melting a polymer to form a polymer melt;
providing the polymer melt to a center tube, the center tube comprising a first supply end and an opposing first nozzle end, the center tube defining a center chamber along a longitudinal axis, the polymer melt being provided to the first supply end;
providing a high velocity gas via a second tube disposed in surrounding relation to the center tube, the second tube comprising a second supply end and an opposing second nozzle end, the gas supply tube defining an outer chamber along the longitudinal axis, and the high velocity gas having a velocity of greater than 0.01 m/s;
heating the gas with a heater configured to heat the gas within the second tube;
applying a voltage to the center tube, forming a charged liquid polymer jet; and
collecting hardened nanofibers formed from the charged liquid polymer jet.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle end and the second nozzle end are in the same axial position along the longitudinal axis.
3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hardened nanofibers have a diameter in the range of 50 nm to 10 μm.
4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the gas velocity is in the range of 1 m/s to 300 m/s.
5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the gas stream temperature is in the range of 313° K to 523° K.
6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises a thermoplastic polymer.
7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hardened nanofibers have a diameter in the range of about 200 nm to about 5 μm.
8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle end is offset from the second nozzle end by about 0.1 μm to about 20 μm.
9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the high velocity gas is provided via the second tube by providing pressurized gas to the second supply end of the second tube.
10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of rubber, polycarbonate, polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(lactic acid), polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, nylon 6, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon 6,6, and combinations thereof.