Preparation and anisotropic mechanical behavior of highly-oriented electrospun poly(butylene terephthalate) fibers

This work describes the effect of the speed of drum-type rotating collector in an electrospinning process on the orientation of electrospun poly(butylene terephthalate) fiber mats, and its effect on the tensile properties. The degree of orientation increased with the increase in the drum speed (surface velocity) up to a critical level, and thereafter, wavy fibers were observed. The average diameter reduced and its distribution became narrower with increase in the velocity. The mechanical properties in a parallel direction improved about three times with increase in the surface velocity. The anisotropic mechanical behavior could be predicted with a simple classical equation. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.