Chemical-resistant Ultrafine Poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) Fibers by Electrospinning: Process Optimization by Design of Experiment

The effects of solution and processing parameters on the morphology and diameter of electrospun poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) fibers were investigated by design of experiment. Morphology of the electrospun fiber mats were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. With increasing solution concentration, fiber morphology changed from that of a spindle-like beaded one to smooth, and the average fiber diameter increased from 96 to 876nm. Average fiber diameter gradually increased with applied voltage; however, fiber morphology was only slightly influenced by flow rate. Regression analysis results reveal that solution concentration has the most significant impact on the average and standard deviation of fiber diameter.