A Quantification of Jet Speed and Nanofiber Deposition Rate in Near-Field Electrospinning Through Novel Image Processing

Abstract

Electrospinning, one of the most effective ways of producing nanofibers, has been applied in as many fields throughout its long history. Starting with far-field electrospinning (FFES) and advancing to the near-field, the application area has continued to expand, but lack of understanding of the exact jet speed and fiber deposition rate is a major obstacle to entry into precision micro- to nano-scale manufacturing. In this paper, we, for the first time, analyze and predict the jet velocity and deposition rate in near-field electrospinning (NFES) through novel image analysis process. Especially, analog image is converted into a digital image, and then, the area occupied by the deposited fiber is converted into a velocity, through which the accuracy of the proposed method is proved to be comparable to direct jet speed measurement. Finally, we verified the proposed method can be applied to various process conditions without performing delicate experiments. This research not only will broaden the understanding of jet speed and fiber deposition rate in NFES but also will be applicable to various areas including patterning of the sensor, a uniform arrangement of nanofibers, energy harvester, reinforcing of composite, and reproducing of artificial tissue.