Application of needle-free roller spinning technology in nanofibers

Although electrospinning is considered a powerful and generic tool for the preparation of nanofiber webs, several issues still need to be overcome for real-world applications. Most of these problems are caused by needle-based systems, where the key factor influencing successful electrospinning is limited by the low yield of nanofibers prepared by needle-type electrospinning and the balance between the electric field force and the surface tension of the droplets. In order to solve these two issues, we use the roller type electrospinning system to prepare nanofibers. The characteristic of the system is that the roller is made of glass, and the voltage is connected to the liquid bath and the auxiliary electrode is added. We demonstrate that needle-disk electrospinning produces nanofiber with super-high throughput of 15.9 g/h, which is 177 times higher than traditional electrospinning under similar spinning conditions. Not only does it increase productivity, but also it facilitates handling and cleaning work. In addition, the auxiliary electrode can optimize the electric field and reduce the edge effect of the collecting plate. This method should help expand the range of applications for electrospun nanofiber webs in the near future.