Journal of Textile Research ›› 2025, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (08): 217-225.doi: 10.13475/j.fzxb.20250100101

• Machinery & Equipment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Design and optimization of multi-tip serrated electrospinning nozzle

LIU Jian1,2(), PAN Shanshan1, LIU Yongru2, YIN Zhaosong1, REN Kangjia1, ZHAO Qinghao1   

  1. 1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, China
    2. Center of Engineering Practice Training, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, China
  • Received:2025-01-02 Revised:2025-05-26 Online:2025-08-15 Published:2025-08-15

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Abstract:

Objective A serrated electrostatic spinning jet exciter has been developed to overcome the problems of easy clogging in conventional electrostatic spinning tips and unstable position of the Taylor cone formation. By increasing the number of tips to excite more spinning jets, this research aims to increase the electrospinning rate to industrial production levels. The sawtooth shape is to be optimized to improve the uniformity of the electric field to ensure stability of the spinning process and uniformity of fiber quality.

Method The study is based on the theory of jets originating from wave crests and the theory of tip-collected charge, combined with the existing spinning methods. The serrated jet exciter is designed and 3-D models were established using SolidWorks software and electric field simulation using COMSOL software. The effect on the uniformity of the electric field was analyzed by changing the shape and size of the sawtooth. Laser cutting was used to fabricate the serrated nozzle and the spinning solution was formulated using polyacrylonitrile (PAN) powder and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent for spinning experiments to verify the spinning.

Results The electric field simulation results showed that there is a significant ‘End-effect’ in the distribution of electric field intensity in the straight-toothed saw nozzle. Specifically, the electric field intensity was higher at the tips of both sides of the saw and relatively lower in the middle region, and this uneven electric field distribution can lead to resulted in instability in the spinning process and variability in fiber quality. The initial electric field distribution of the nozzle shows a trend of being high at both ends and low in the middle. To make the electric field uniform, the height of the middle sawtooth was increased while reducing the height of the sawtooth at both ends. By using the principle of a circle formation using three points, an arc was drawn through the outer endpoints of the sawtooth at both ends and the tip vertex of the middle sawtooth. The field strength at the tips was reduced by optimizing the design of the circular arc serrated nozzle. The optimized circular-arc serrated nozzles showed generally 2% to 4% lower CV value than that of straight serrated nozzles. Simulation was carried out for different parameters to find the arc model with the best CV value performance, i.e. when the arc height S=13 mm, the number of teeth n=11 and the tooth width c=15 mm, the CV value of the electric field was 6.09% and the electric field intensity was more uniform. Experimental comparison made by observing the jet morphology verified that the number of straight teeth sawtooth for 5 mm jet was less. However, with the ‘end-effect’ fiber whipping entanglement, the phenomenon of flying silk was obvious. The optimized nozzle jet morphology was better and the edge effect problem was greatly improved, evidenced by no flying silk phenomenon and high fiber quality. The Phenom Pure Plus desktop scanning electron microscope was used to observe the appearance of the fibers, and it was found that the fibers were distributed relatively uniformly. Image processing software was used to randomly select fibers for diameter analysis, which showed that the average diameter of the spun fibers was 163 nm with smooth fiber surface, and the diameter of the distribution area is more concentrated. The experimental and simulation results agree to each other, and the simulation data and experimental phenomena have high accuracy and consistency.

Conclusion In this study, a multi-tip serrated electrostatic spinning nozzle was successfully designed and optimized to improve spinning efficiency and fiber quality by improving electric field uniformity. The optimized circular-arc serrated nozzle has better electric field uniformity compared to the straight-arc serrated nozzle, solves the problem of easy clogging in conventional needles, the jet position is fixed and the shape is more uniform, which provides strong support for large-scale production of electrostatic spinning.

Key words: electrospinning, serrated nozzle, edge-effect, circularly arranged tip, electric field simulation, large-scale production

CLC Number: 

  • TS174.8

Fig.1

Diagram of serrated model. (a)Side view; (b)Front view"

Fig.2

COMSOL simulation model"

Fig.3

Variation of field strength for tooth heights"

Fig.4

Electric field cloud image of linear jet exciters"

Fig.5

Variation of linearly(a) and circularly(b) arranged jet exciters"

Fig.6

Electric field clouds image of circular jet exciters"

Tab.1

Table of electric field strengths of circular jet exciters"

编号
i		 电场强度/(106 V·m-1) 编号
i		 电场强度/(106 V·m-1) 编号
i		 电场强度/(106 V·m-1)
5 mm 10 mm 15 mm 20 mm 5 mm 10 mm 15 mm 20 mm 5 mm 10 mm 15 mm 20 mm
1 前
后		 2.14
2.12		 2.28
2.27		 2.32
2.21		 2.18
2.01		 8 前
后		 2.13
2.08		 2.27
2.48		 2.90
2.84		 2.63
2.68		 15 前
后		 1.95
1.74		 2.17
2.37		 2.43
2.39		 2.63
2.82
2 前
后		 1.88
2.04		 2.16
2.11		 2.42
2.73		 2.16
2.45		 9 前
后		 2.01
2.23		 2.65
2.44		 2.94
2.58		 2.39
2.38		 16 前
后		 2.09
1.99		 2.35
2.19		 2.59
2.70		 2.60
2.72
3 前
后		 2.07
2.07		 2.23
2.20		 2.08
2.33		 2.45
2.16		 10 前
后		 2.23
2.06		 2.27
2.23		 2.37
2.55		 2.57
2.35		 17 前
后		 2.00
1.81		 2.12
2.03		 2.31
2.54		 2.13
2.29
4 前
后		 2.17
2.01		 3.37
2.41		 2.54
2.27		 2.23
2.52		 11 前
后		 2.29
2.25		 2.52
2.66		 2.66
2.58		 2.89
2.84		 18 前
后		 2.09
2.04		 2.12
2.02		 2.32
2.77		 2.28
2.32
5 前
后		 2.33
2.09		 2.17
2.31		 2.30
2.72		 2.51
2.58		 12 前
后		 2.59
2.13		 3.62
3.42		 2.56
2.29		 2.47
2.76		 19 前
后		 2.11
2.13		 2.19
2.01		 2.06
2.03		 2.09
2.03
6 前
后		 2.20
2.21		 2.28
2.16		 2.39
2.34		 2.54
2.26		 13 前
后		 2.28
2.06		 2.21
2.08		 2.54
2.33		 2.47
2.52		 平均值
标准差		 2.12
1.50		 2.30
2.42		 2.46
2.17		 2.45
2.29
7 前
后		 2.26
2.29		 2.43
2.38		 2.44
2.42		 2.70
2.71		 14 前
后		 2.20
2.25		 2.19
2.13		 2.39
2.38		 2.50
2.35

Fig.7

CV values of circularly and linearly arranged exciter"

Fig.8

Electric field strength and CV of circular sawtooth"

Fig.9

Effect on electric field strength of teeth number"

Fig.10

Electric field clouds image of different number of teeth"

Fig.11

Effect on electric field strength about width of tooth"

Fig.12

Electric field clouds image of different tooth widths"

Fig.13

Experimental equipment. (a)Test bench; (b)High voltage power supply"

Fig.14

Straight-toothed serrated jet morphology at different tooth height"

Fig.15

Jet morphology of optimal arc- shaped sawtooth"

Fig.16

Fiber membrane produced. (a)10 mm of tooth height;(b)15 mm of tooth height;(c)20 mm of tooth height; (d) Optimal arc arrangement"

Fig.17

Distribution of fiber diameter. (a)10 mm of linear arrangement; (b)15 mm of linear arrangement; (c)20 mm of linear arrangement; (d)Optimal arc arrangement"

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