Electrospun natural cellulose/polyacrylonitrile nanofiber: simulation and experimental study

In this paper, we report on the fabrication and characterization of cellulose/polyacrylonitrile (cellulose/PAN) nanofiber via the electrospinning technique. The effects of voltage and blending ratio on the morphology of the electrospun cellulose/PAN nanofibers are investigated. The electric field distribution of the nanofiber manufacturing system is simulated by using finite element method analysis. The results show that the morphology and diameters of the nanofiber are obviously affected with the change of the electric field and blending ratio. The surface morphology, chemical structural, thermal stability, mechanical property and wettability of the cellulose/PAN nanofibers with different blending ratios are evaluated systematically. The thermal stability and mechanical property of the cellulose/PAN nanofibers have a certain improvement compared with pure cellulose nanofiber. The wettability of cellulose/PAN nanofibers is better than that of ordinary medical gauze.