Controllable preparation and formation mechanism of nanofiber membranes with large pore sizes using a modified electrospinning

A modified electrospinning (MES), which consists of a copper mesh collector and an air pump placed behind it, was presented to fabricate nanofiber membranes (NFMs) with controllable large pore sizes by adjusting the MES parameters, such as copper mesh size, air velocity, applied voltage, flow rate and collecting distance. The controllable preparation mechanism of NFMs with large pore sizes was systematically investigated by experimental research and theoretical analysis. And the effects of the copper mesh grid dimensions, air velocity, applied voltage, flow rate and collecting distance on the pore sizes of NFMs were demonstrated. The results showed that NFMs with large pores produced successfully by the MES, and the pore sizes were all micrometer scale. And the optimal average pore size reached 14.45 mu m(2) at the grid size of copper mesh of 4 mmx4 mm, the air velocity of 5 m/s, the applied voltage of 12 kV, the flow rate of 1.0 mL/h and the collecting distance of 18 cm. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.