Fabrication of blend biodegradable nanofibrous nonwoven mats via multi-jet electrospinning

A series of blend biodegradable nanofibrous mats comprising poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and cellulose acetate (CA) were prepared via multi-jet electrospinning. A relative high voltage (20 kV) was used to supply the power for multi-jet electrospinning. The weight ratio of PVA/CA in blend nanofibrous mats can be controlled by changing the number ratio of jets of PVA/CA. Moreover, the real composition of PVA and CA in blend nanofibrous mats was determined by immersing the blend nanofibrous mats into water to remove the PVA component. Morphology, dispersibility, and mechanical properties of blend nanofibrous mats were examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and tensile test. The results showed that the blend nanofibrous mats have good dispersibility. Additionally, the mechanical properties of blend nanofibrous mats were largely influenced by the weight ratio of PVA/CA in blends. Potential applications of the blend nanofibrous mats include filters and biomedical materials. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.