Electrospun nanofibers of Nylon-66 coated by TiO2 nanoparticles for making high efficiency nanofilters

Electrospinning is a versatile technique for the production of polymer fibers ranging from a few nanometersto several micrometers in diameter. These fibers are interest for various kinds of applications, for example in sensors,catalysis and composite systems, filter and biomedical applications. In this study, the Nylon-66 TiO2 nanofilters weredesigned using nanofibers with average size of 40 nm in diameter and then the filtration efficiency was evaluated. Theeffect of electrospinning parameters such as voltage ‚needle tip-to-collector distance, solution concentration and flowrate on the average size of the electrospun fibers were investigated and optimized. The range of solution concentrationand flow rate were 12-22 wt.% and 0.2-1.0 mL/h. In the lower concentration of Nylon-66 solution, no continuous fibersobtained and for the higher concentration of solution, the electrospinning process became difficult. The distance of needletip-to-collector was 80-180 mm and the operation voltage was adjusted to 25-35 kV. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) images of electrospun nanofibers showed that the TiO2 nanoparticles were coated on nanofibers successfully.

Keywords:

Electrospinning , Nanofiber , Nanofilter , Nylon-66 , TiO2 nanoparticles