Role of chain entanglements on fiber formation during electrospinning of polymer solutions: good solvent, non-specific polymer-polymer interaction limit

Chain entanglements are one of many parameters that can significantly influence fiber fort-nation during polymer electrospinning. While the importance of chain entanglements has been acknowledged, there is no clear understanding of how many entanglements are required to affect/stabilize fiber formation. In this paper, polymer solution rheology arguments have been extrapolated to formulate a semi-empirical analysis to explain the transition from electrospraying to electrospinning in the good solvent, non-specific polymer polymer interaction limit. Utilizing entanglement and weight average molecular weights (M-e, M-w), the requisite polymer concentration for fiber formation may be determined a priori, eliminating the laborious trial-and-error methodology typically employed to produce electrospun fibers. Incipient, incomplete fiber formation is correctly predicted for a variety of polymer/solvent systems at one entanglement per chain. Complete, stable fiber formation occurs at >= 2.5 entanglements per chain. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.