Parameter study and characterization for polyacrylonitrile nanofibers fabricated via centrifugal spinning process

Electrospinning is currently the most popular method for producing polymer nanofibers. However, the low production rate and safety concern limit the practical use of electrospinning as a cost-effective nanofiber fabrication approach. Herein, we present a novel and simple centrifugal spinning technology that extrudes nanofibers from polymer solutions by using a high-speed rotary and perforated spinneret. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were prepared by selectively varying parameters that can affect solution intrinsic properties and operational conditions. The resultant PAN nanofibers were characterized by SEM, and XRD. The correlation between fiber morphology and processing conditions was established. Results demonstrated that the fiber morphology can be easily manipulated by controlling the spinning parameters and the centrifugal spinning process is a facile approach for fabricating polymer nanofibers in a large-scale and low-cost fashion. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.