Nick Tucker Email: TuckerN@crop.cri.

nz

Nigel Larsen Jon Stanger

LarsenN@crop.cri.nz StangerJ@crop.cri.nz

A laboratory-scale electrospinning machine

N. Tucker, N. Larsen, J. Stanger, M. P. Staiger, A. Lucas, A. Clark, T. Hornblow, A. Z. Chen, B. Kearns & N. Buunk

Figure 1 The prototype machine.

Figure 2 The production machine.

Introduction
Electrostatic attraction of liquids was rst observed by William Gilbert in 1628, but it was not until the 1900s and 1930s that attempts were made to commercialise the process. In the late 1960s the physics of thread formation were described. More recently electrospinning has emerged as a ready way to produce nanoscale polymer bres. This poster describes the development of a laboratory-scale electrospinning machine and some preliminary results concerning the manufacture of composites from biodegradable and bio-origin materials. As part of the project a laboratory-scale electrospinning machine was constructed.

Materials
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVoH) is used as a baseline material. Cereal extracts zein and -glucans. Fibrillar proteins marine collagens and amyloid brils. Globular proteins bovine serum albumin. Figure 3 PVoh-epoxy composite fracture surface.

Techniques used
Rotating mandrel bre collection. 60X magnication examination of the spinning tip. Image analysis (UTHSCSA ImageToolVersion 3.00). High speed photography of the spun bre. Micro-current measurement. Constant ow rate delivery computer-controlled syringe pump. Linux-based open source data capture and control software. Electrostatic eld modelling (COMSOL multiphysic)

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food Research Ltd. for nancial support. M. Kral organised the involvement of the Department of Mechanical Engineering undergraduate team. J. Stanger is a Technology for Industry Fellow funded by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. M. Flaws prepared the SEM samples. This poster was presented at The Gordon Research Conference on Composites, Ventura, California, 13th-18th January 2008.

Figure 4 Impregnation the epoxy flow front moving over PVoH fibre.
production and design by Photography & Design Team C&FR:22909 December 2007

Research undertaken in partnership with

www.electrospinz.co.nz

Crop & Food Research Private Bag 4704 Christchurch, New Zealand Tel. +64 3 325 6400 Fax +64 3 325 2074

K N OWLED GE A N D VA LU E FR OM SC IEN TIFIC DISCOVERY

www.crop.cri.nz