Production of aligned electrospun polyvinyl alcohol nanofibers via parallel electrode method

Uniaxially alignment of electrospun nanofibers is one of the main concerns to produce nanofiber yarns. Parallel electrode collectors have been used for this purpose. In this study, the effect of gap distance between parallel electrodes, electrode plate's width, tip to collector distance (TCD) and charge density (CD) on uniaxial alignment and average diameter of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers in parallel electrode electrospinning is investigated. Scanning electron microscopy analysis is used to measure alignment angles and average diameters of the nanofibers. The results indicate that plate width is an effective parameter on the nanofiber alignment and need be considered with gap distance together. Increasing of gap distance and plate width together, increases the alignment of the nanofibers. Also, decreasing of CD and TCD increases the alignment of the nanofibers. Gap distance and plate width affect the average nanofiber diameter, but there is no obvious relationship.