High-throughput electrospinning of eco-friendly starch-based nanofibers

Abstract

Sustainable material has gained attention throughout the years due to its potential as alternative material to mitigate environmental effects brought forth by conventional polymers. There are many approaches to sustainable material fabrication, one of which is electrospinning. Past studies were focused on the fabrication from the conventional method of production. Hence, this study seeks to explore the scalability of starch-based nanofibers using wire electrospinning. Fibers of different compositions of native potato starch and pullulan were electrospun. Various parameters were investigated to examine their influence on the resultant fiber morphology and the yield of the fabrication. Solution parameters (polymer concentration, viscosity, and electrical conductivity), process parameters (applied voltage and carriage speed) and ambient parameter (humidity) were investigated for their effects on the resultant fiber morphology and yield. Polymer concentrations, applied voltage and humidity were identified as factors that influences yield of fiber with humidity being the most significant. Fiber diameter increased with increase in starch and pullulan concentration while increase in applied voltage led to reduction in fiber diameter. Additionally, increased pullulan loading was shown to reduce the likelihood of beading in the fabricated fiber mat sample. Infrared spectroscopy showed that the composite fibers have similar spectral features of both starch and pullulan. Thermal analysis of the composite fibers showed intermediate thermal stability when compared to pure starch and pullulan. Mechanical testing was also performed on selected compositions of composite fiber mat samples to compare the mechanical properties. The composite material could find potential use in fields such as biomedical industries when designing new products.