Turbulent Air Flow Field and Fiber Whipping Motion in the Melt Blowing Process: Experimental Study

Electrospinning and melt blowing are the most commonly used processes for producing microfibrous nonwoven materials. A whipping motion during electrospinning has been observed by several researchers. However, much less work has been done on the fiber whipping dynamics in the melt blowing process. In this study, a hot-wire anemometer was used to measure the turbulent air flow field below a single-orifice melt-blowing slot die. The characteristics of the mean velocity, mean temperature, and fluctuating velocity were obtained. Then, a high-speed camera was used to record the motion of a fiber below the die. The fiber whipping path was observed, and the amplitude and frequency of the whipping were obtained. It was found that the turbulent fluctuations are related to the fiber motion in the melt-blowing process. This work examines the physics of turbulent melt-blowing jets and the fiber whipping occurring during melt blowing using an experimental approach.