Status : Rejected
| Personal Name | Latag, Glenn V. |
|---|---|
| Resource Title | Fabrication of electrospun chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofiber mats and effects of RF plasma treatment |
| Date Issued | 28 June 2018 |
| Abstract | The intricate structure and assembly as well as the mechanical integrity and the thermal stability are of paramount consideration in the design and fabrication of biomedical devices. Electrospun nanofiber mats (NFMs) have promising biomedical applications such as wound dressings and tissue scaffolds owing to its high surface area to volume ratio and superior mechanical properties. To fully utilize this material for its intended application, understanding the effects of different electrospinning process parameters is important. In this study, the effects of the solution and process parameters on the morphology and fiber diameter of the electrospun NFMs were investigated. Beadless, spindle-free network of electrospun NFMs with average diameter 294 ± 45 nm (for V = 18.00 kV, Q = 1.00 mL/h, D = 15 cm) were successfully fabricated using a polymer blend of one part 1% (w/v) chitosan (CS) and 10 parts 15% (w/v) poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The applied voltage (V) and solution flowrate (Q) have direct effects on the fiber diameter of the electrospun NFMs while the tip to collector distance (D) has an inverse effect. These three parameters together with the interaction between the Q and D as well as the interaction between V and D are considered statistically significant (p < 0:10) with RSM derived equation: Fiber Diameter (nm) = -1045.68 + 56.61V + 1175.43Q - 72.23D - 3.39VD - 69.68QD. This equation is helpful to the fiber diameter prediction tailored for a specific application such as wound dressings and tissue scaffolds requiring nano-sized fibers. The effects of the 13.56 MHz radio frequency plasma modification using argon (Ar) and oxygen (O2) plasma discharges on the morphological, thermal, and tensile properties of the CS/PVA NFMs were also investigated. Significant changes in the morphology of the NFMs were observed due to the exposure to Ar and O2 plasma that resulted to an increase in wettability. TG-DTG suggests a two-step degradation due to physical ablation and e |
| Degree Course | MS Materials Science & Engineering |
| Language | English |
| Keyword | electrospinning; nanofiber mats; plasma treatment |
| Material Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
Category : P - Author wishes to publish the work personally.
Access Permission : Limited Access