An Introduction to theoretical and mathematical study of Electrospinning Process

Electrospinning represents an efficient and versatile technique for fabrication of very thin fibers from polymers or composites. Various polymers have been successfully electrospun into ultrafine fibers in recent years mostly in solvent solution and some in melt form. Even though the basic setup for electrospinning contains only a few components (a high-voltage system, spinneret and collector), it is a difficult task to determine the correct settings to produce fibers with the desired properties. The efficiency of this process can be improved by adjusting the composition of the solution and the configuration of the electrospinning apparatus, such as voltage, flow rate etc., therefore optimizing the alignment and morphology of the fibers produced. Mathematical and theoretical modeling and simulating procedure will permit to offer an in-depth insight into the physical understanding of complex phenomena during electrospinning and might be very useful for managing contributing factors toward increasing production rate. In this review article, we give a general outlook of the most common mathematical models for electrospinning, which have been introduced so far, and briefly point out their weak points.

Keywords:

electrospinning , nanofibers , jet instability , modeling