Posts

,

Exploring the Capabilities of Electrospinning

Nature is full of fibrous structures, such as wool, silk, and spider webs from the animal world and cotton, linen, and bamboo from the plant world. These fibrous materials perform special functions not available from bulk materials. If the diameter of the fibers is in the tens or hundreds of nanometers, we enter the world of nanofibers. Nanofibers, whether natural or synthetic, belong to nanomaterials and possess new material properties and functions due to the unique shape and size of the fibers and the myriad of ways these fibers are assembled. Some advantages of nanofibers are a high surface area (1 – 100 m2/g), high porosity (ca 90%), small diameter (10 nm – 1 mm), and a small, interconnected pore size. These unique features make nanofibers useful in numerous diverse application areas, such as filtration, catalyst, sensor, tissue engineering, and energy storage. Several methods are used to make nanofibers: template, self-assemble, phase-separation, melt-blowing, and electrospinning. Among these, electrospinning is deemed the most promising due to its ability to produce continuous nanofibers on a large scale and adjustable fiber structures from a variety of electrospinnable polymers. Read more

, ,

Advanced Prototyping Service for Complex Electrospun Fibers Offered by NEI Corporation


January 6, 2015

Somerset, New Jersey (USA): NEI Corporation announced today an expansion of its service for producing nanoscale and microscale fibers through electrospinning. Electrospinning is a technique to form fibers by the use of a voltage potential, drawing material out into a thin diameter and collecting it on a grounded platform. The electrospinning equipment at NEI allows for large areas of fiber mats – upwards of one square foot. Combined with a variety of characterization and testing equipment already available in-house, this can accelerate development of the customer’s technology into commercial materials. Electrospinning offers a commercially viable method for rapid prototyping of fibrous materials.

Silicone fiber fabricated using core-shell electrospinning technology developed at NEI: Project funded by a Fortune 50 Company. Inset: schematic of the etching process to yield silicone fibers.

Silicone fiber fabricated using core-shell electrospinning technology developed at NEI: Project funded by a Fortune 50 Company. Inset: schematic of the etching process to yield silicone fibers.

Newly offered through NEI’s capabilities are two approaches which can be utilized for novel fiber production:

  1. Multi-scale fibers which can range from a few hundred nanometers up to tens of micrometer.
  2. Core-shell fibers which contain a different material for the wall of the fibers and another for the core.

NEI’s capabilities in electrospinning also include the ability to fabricate an assortment of different fibers, such as polymeric, ceramic, or metallic materials. Additionally, as part of expanding the scope of recent advancements in electrospinning, NEI can create tailored core-sheath fibers for production of composite fibers.

NEI can also assist the customer in identifying the special attributes of electrospun fibers and how to benefit from them. NEI has worked with other companies to elevate the technology readiness levels of new technologies and can provide direction in advancing fiber production as per the needs of the application. Characterization and tests can be carried out under applicable industry standards, such as American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Given NEI’s vast experience in nanotechnology and materials synthesis, its electrospinning service enables the company to share its knowledge with customers through fabrication, testing, and analysis of its customer’s technologies with NEI’s state of the art equipment.

For more information on NEI’s electrospinning service, view the brochure.


About NEI Corporation:

Founded in 1997, NEI Corporation develops, manufactures, and distributes nanoscale materials for a broad range of industrial customers around the world. NEI’s products incorporate proprietary nanotechnology and advanced materials science to create significant performance improvements in manufactured goods. NEI’s products include advanced protective coatings, high performance battery electrode materials, and specialty nanoscale materials for diverse applications. NEI has created a strong foundation in the emerging field of nanotechnology that has enabled the company to become a leader in selected markets.


For more information, contact:

Ms. Krista Martin
(732) 868‐3141
sales@neicorporation.com
###