Preparation of Polyurethane Nanofibers by Emulsion Electrospinning

2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23655209
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Polymer/Textile materials
• Research Institution: Yamagata University
• Principal Investigator: AOKI Yuji 山形大学, 理工学研究科, 客員教授 (30536199)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): S. K Sukumaran 山形大学, 大学院・理工学研究科, 助教 (70598177) ; SUGIMOTO Masataka 山形大学, 大学院・理工学研究科, 准教授 (10361271)
• Project Period (FY): 2011 – 2012
• Keywords: エレクトロスピニング / ポリウレタン / コア・シェル構造 / ナノファイバー / 高強度・高弾性

Research Abstract

In an electrospinning, an organic solvent is usually used to dissolve polymer. From the viewpoint of environment a new process without organic solvent is required. We investigated the novel method of electrospinning by using an emulsion of polyurethane pre-polymer / poly (vinyl alcohol) aqueous solution without using an organic solvent. We obtained PU particles about 2 micrometer in diameter from PVA-aq / PU blend, in which PVA was removed from the electrospun mat.
By incorporating cross-linking agent to the emulsion, we observed large aggregates of the PU particles in emulsion. We obtained a thick fiber (about 260 micrometer in diameter) of PU by using the emulsion with cross-linking agent. The cross-linking reaction generated the urea bond on the surface of PU particles. We considered that the urea bond was more stronger than aggregating that of interaction between the PU particles. This aggregates were extended by electrospinning process and eventually led to the fiber.