Chemical-resistant Ultrafine Poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) Fibers by Electrospinning: Process Optimization by Design of Experiment

Abstract

The effects of solution and processing parameters on the morphology and diameter of electrospun poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) fibers were investigated by design of experiment. Morphology of the electrospun fiber mats were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. With increasing solution concentration, fiber morphology changed from that of a spindle-like beaded one to smooth, and the average fiber diameter increased from 96 to 876 nm. Average fiber diameter gradually increased with applied voltage; however, fiber morphology was only slightly influenced by flow rate. Regression analysis results reveal that solution concentration has the most significant impact on the average and standard deviation of fiber diameter. 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.