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FABRICATION OF POLYMER-BASED NANO FIBER USING ELECTROSPINNING

TECHNOLOGY

Article · April 2015

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M Fahrur Rozy Hentihu Imam Sholahuddin

Universitas Jember Universitas Jember
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 FABRICATION OF POLYMER-BASED NANO FIBER
USING ELECTROSPINNING TECHNOLOGY

M. Fahrur Rozy H.1, Imam Sholahuddin 1

1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Jember, 68121, Indonesia

Email: fahrur.teknik@unej.ac.id

ABSTRACT

Nano fibers can be fabricated using electrospinning technology using local components at low cost. The
advantages of electrospinning technology is the ability to control the morphology, uniformity, porosity
and composition of nano fiber by pumping a gel solution through the nozzle of a metal-needle connected
to a high voltage power source. Based on the results of the research, the general parameters required for
the manufacture of electrospinning machine is a resolution rate of spraying the solution (μℓ / min) and
the magnitude of the high voltage power source (kV). A human hair is approximately 60 μm size looks
larger than the size of the resulting PVA fiber electrospinning machine. These results were confirmed by
the results of fiber characterization using the AFM in the area of fiber 50 μm x 50 μm, fiber size in the
range of <1 μm are included in the order of 1000 nm. It can be concluded that the electrospinning
machine that has been made in this research has been able to create nanometer-scale fibers.

Keywords: Nano fibers, electrospinning

PREFACE the basic ingredients of the polymer solution to

Application and development of nano fibers
intended for use in various fields such as energy
harvesting, developing environment, and nano-
medical. Nano technology is relatively new
technology. It can be seen from the number of
international scientific publications continues to
increase. In 2000, estimated at less than 100
scientific publications on nanotechnology, but then
the number of publications has increased to more
than 500 publications in 2007 with the largest
percentage is still dominated by developed
countries like the United States, South Korea and
China [1]. Nano fibers can be fabricated using
electrospinning technology with low cost
components. Electrospinning technology has
advantages to control the morphology, uniformity,
porosity and composition of nano fibers by
pumping a solution of the gel through the nozzle
needle made of metal with high voltage electricity.
Electrostatic field will attract the droplets to
become a stable spray in the direction of the
collector plate and form random fibers [1]. This
research will be conducted electrospinning
machine design consisting of a controlled pumps
(syringe pump) and high-voltage electrostatic
electronic devices. The study also tested some of
be formed into nano fibers.
Electrospinning is a nano fiber
fabrication process by spraying the polymer
solution by electric charge. Electrospinning
process was first patented by Formhal to
produce filaments using electrostatic force. In
1960 Taylor conducted a study of spray (jet)
from droplets of polymer solution. The
convergence of the droplet shape is then known
as the "Taylor Cone" [2].
Withdrawal spray from the nozzle tip
and the displacement of electric charge, and
how strong the electric field have strongly
influenced during the electrospinning process.
The fluid coming out of the tip of the nozzle
will be accelerated and expanded by the
electrostatic forces. Overall there is a balance
of forces on the cone tip of the nozzle where
the gravitational and electric polarization
voltage tends to be along the drippings from the
inside and is assisted by an electric tangential
surface tension. Viscosity will slow the
formation of the nozzle tip cone. In addition,
there are two forces that are more active on the
surface of the droplets / cone is formed. Surface
tension that tries to minimize the surface area
of the vertical and the opposing forces of the

8
normal voltage electricity that will try to maximize electronic circuit applied using a polymer that
the distance between the electric charge on the has the capability for high-voltage insulation.
surface by increasing the surface area. When the
electric field is large enough then the droplets will
form a "Taylor cone".
After the electrostatic force imposed on
the surface tension, a solution which is sprayed
from the tip of the nozzle will have a diameter of
approximately 1/100 in. Then the solution will
leave the cone and approached the collector
electrode. In this condition, spray-fiber began
unstable. In this area there are three possible
instability; First, the shape of the droplet is called
Rayleigh instability; secondly, the expansion of
the structure created is called asymmetric
Figure 1. Research Design
instability; and third, the non asymmetric fiber
spray generating grooves. In the last grooves, Nozzle flow is driven by a power screw
instability has a role in the process of downsizing using FDK Stepper Motor SMB40-96 with
the diameter of the fiber, from micron size to specifications 24 Volt 96 step / 360o. The
nanometer size [3]. Nano fibers are produced from movement speed of the pump / solution flow is
a solution that is pumped out at a certain speed controlled by a microcontroller Atmega 8 along
then the electrostatic field would create a cone at with driver support. High-voltage equipment
the tip of the nozzle. Furthermore, the tip cone uses a flyback transformer came from a 21 inch
attracted to the collector with three important TV series Polytron FCK-14A006 as an
stages, namely, the establishment of a cone, the electronic circuit on the energy conversion
withdrawal of the solution into fibers, then closer process to produce a high voltage signal to
to the cone, instability occurs, and the process of more than 30 kV.
spinning going on until it reaches the plate
collector.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The main concern in this fabrication
process is the accuracy of the pump minimum
speed of 0.01 mm /h and a minimum flow rate of
1 ml/hour, it depends on the power-screw
mechanism and system-transmission of engine-
pump. To overcome this concern, the
manufacturing process is done by increasing the Figure 2. 3D Design Electrospinning Machine
precision of the components, especially the power
Product specifications target:
screw shaft, the shaft holder and the precision of
1) Controlled syringe pumps:
contact between the components during assembly.
- Capacity: 0 to 20 cc
In the high voltage power source, the main
- Resolution spraying flow rate: 1 µL / min
problem is the voltage control to get a voltage
- Controller: microcontroller atmega8
variation (kV) or the magnitude of the electrostatic
2) High-voltage electrostatic generator
field generated. It is caused by a high electric field
- High Voltage Electrostatic: 0 to 30 kV
radiation causing electronic divider circuit failed to
- Power AC: 170 to 220 volts
fuunction. To avoid electric-field radiation,
insulation against the component parts of an

9
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Electrospinning Machine
Design and manufacture of electrospinning
machine consisting of an automatic syringe pump
and a high voltage power source has been
successfully manufactured and applied to the
polymer solution to create a small-diameter fiber.
By adjusting the speed through the speed
variation control buttons and display directly to
the LCD screen.

Figure 4. Automated syringe pumps, control

buttons, and LCD Display

Nano Fiber Product

In this research, the fiber material using
a polymer solution of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)
is mixed with distilled water (H2O) using a
ratio of 1:10 (wt%) were then inserted into the
Figure 3. Electrospinning Machine syringe pumps to do the process of
electrospinning.
The function of the syringe pump as
atomizer solution with a flow rate that can be
controlled via the control system using
microcontroller Atmega8 and can be set using the
buttons provided by altering parameters that can
be viewed on the LCD screen. The syringe pumps
have specifications for a variety of sizes from 1 cc
to 20 cc. This capability is supported by a stepper
motor with specification 96 step / cycle, power
screw mechanism with a pitch distance of 1 mm,
and a gear ratio of 1:15 stepper motor which Figure 5. PVA fiber product with a strand of
produces the resolution rate of spraying a solution human hair
of up to 1 μℓ / min using a syringe pump sized
The process of spraying is done at a speed
solution 1cc.
of 6 μℓ / min. The positive pole of the high
voltage metal is connected to a syringe needle.
After that, the electrostatic field from a
collector connected to the negative pole will
attract spray solution up into small fibers..

10

Figure 6. PVA fibers from the Scanning Probe
with an area of 50 μm x 50 μm
Figure 5 shows the results of the macro image of
PVA fibers with a strand of human hair looks very
small and is not clearly visible to the normal eye.
Therefore, to clarify the PVA fiber morphology as
shown in Figure 6. The characterization using
scanning probe / atomic force Microscpy (AFM).
Discussion
General parameters required to manufacture
the electrospinning machine based on the above
results is the resolution rate of spraying the
solution in the μℓ / min and the magnitude of the
high voltage power source in units of kilovolts
(kV). This is consistent with the results of the
study Pham Q.P. et al. (2006), that the rate of
spray-solution (μℓ / min) are getting smaller and
growing magnitude of the high voltage (kV)
applied will reduce the size of the fiber. As in
Figure 5 where the size of a human hair is about
60 μm that looks larger than the size of fiber
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beside the hair. These results were confirmed
by using AFM characterization of the extent of
the fiber of 50 μm x 50 μm, fiber size in the
range of <1 μm are included in the order of
1000 nm.
Conclusion
Based on these research results and
discussion above, it can be summed up as
follows:
1. The general parameters in the manufacture
of electrospinning machine is the rate of
spraying the solution in the μℓ / min and
the magnitude of the high voltage power
source in units of kilovolts (kV).
2. The characterization results using AFM on
an area of the fiber of 50 μm x 50 lm. Fiber
obtained in the range of <1 lm. This range
is in the order of 1000 nm.
3. Electrospinning machine that has been
made in this research has been able to
create nanometer-scale fibers.
Sugestion
In the electrospinning machine
manufacture are still many shortcomings in the
effort to produce products that are easy to use
and easy to maintain. So that in the future they
needed a lot of improvement, considering the
use of these machines are still rare for research
in the field of material in the form of nano-
fibers. So the opportunities for nano fibers topic
still wide open for both lecturer and student
researchers.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
[1] He, J. H., Y. Liu, L. F. Mo, Y. Q. Wan, dan L.
Xu. 2008. Electrospun Nanofibers and Their
Application
[2] Lotus A. F., 2008, Synthesis Ceramic
Nanofibers, Development of P-N Junctions And
Bandgap Engineering by Electrospinning.
[3] Sigmund, W., J. Yuh, H. Park, V. Maneeratana,
G. Pyrrgiotakis, A. Daga, dkk. 2006. Processing
and Structure Relationships in Electrospinning
of Ceramic Fiber Systems.