Theoretical study of the most efficient electrospinning configurations

Nowadays, an electrospinning process is one of the most promising technique to produce nanofibers. The popularity of this method is still significant, due to its simplicity and relatively low cost. Moreover, many electrospun compounds can be used in numerous applications in different areas, for instance medical and pharmaceutical fields, textile engineering, environmental remediation. However, a design of an efficient electrospinning system remains challenging, due to high number of parameters strongly affecting fibers properties and productivity of their formation.

Lately, a great attention is given to development of needleless configurations, characterized by multi-jets system, thanks to their enhanced output. Indeed, a surface of spinneret, where the liquid jet formation is initiated, plays crucial role to improve the process. The electric field profile of the spinning electrode directly influences the size and uniformity of the produced fibers and should be strongly considered in further development. Our study presents a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the most effective needleless electrospinning configurations and compares their electrostatic features. Our extensive analysis was prepared in COMSOL Multiphysics software, known as a great tool to describe in details physical phenomena and it can strongly help to select the proper electrospinning set up, depending on desired results.