Effect of electrospinning process parameters of polycaprolactone and nanohydroxyapatite nanocomposite nanofibers

Electrospinning is the process of producing polymer nanofibers through the action of an external electric field imposed on a polymer solution or melt. Nanofibrous composites of polycaprolactone (PCL) and nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) were fabricated in this study and the effects of most important process parameters, such as polymer concentration, applied voltage, spinning distance and flow rate, on the mean fiber diameter (MFD) of prepared nanofibers were investigated. The fiber morphology and MFD of nanofibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Nanofibers were subjected to detailed analysis for chemical properties by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results showed that the MFD of fibers was in the range of 300–650 nm, which increased with decreasing spinning distance and decreased with reducing flow rate. Initially, the MFD decreased with increasing nHA concentration and voltage and then increased. FTIR analysis demonstrated good intramolecular interactions between the molecules of PCL/nHA. The results indicate that prepared nanofibers could be suitable candidates for tissue engineering applications.