Mechanical behavior of electrospun fiber mats of poly(vinyl chloride)/polyurethane polyblends

Various polyblends of poly(vinyl chloride) and polyurethane (PU) dissolved in a mixture of tetrahydrofuran and N,N-dimethylformamide were produced by electrospinning, in different ratios, with several electrospinning conditions, and the relationship between morphology and mechanical behavior of the resulting fiber mats was examined in detail. The surface tension, viscosity, and electrical conductivity of polymer solutions affecting electrospinning were measured, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) along with a universal testing machine were used to examine the family of polyblends under investigation. The SEM images demonstrated that point-bonded structures in the fiber mats rose with increasing PU composition, and the mechanical properties of the fiber mats, as determined in a static tensile test, can be considered to have a strong effect by the point-bonded structure. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.