Fabrication of Thick Microfiber Mats Using Melt-Electrospinning

Recently, porous structures of nano/microfibers are receiving great attention because of their excellent mechanical properties, surface area to volume ratio, and permeability. In this study, thick microfiber mats were fabricated using a melt-electrospinning process in a controlled manner. A melt-electrospinning equipment including a three-axis precision motion control with pneumatic dispensing was constructed. The diameter and deposition pattern of melt-electrospun microfibers with respect to the barrel temperature and pressure were investigated. Based on identified effects of process conditions on microfiber geometry, thick microfiber mats with various properties were successfully fabricated using melt-electrospinning with snake scanning and iterative layering. Their mechanical properties and porosities were then compared and analyzed.