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Transitioning Concepts into Working Prototypes
NEI Corporation offers electrospun mats, as well as electrospinning services for producing nanoscale and microscale fibers. We use our knowledge and expertise to help transition your concepts into working prototypes. Electrospinning is a technique to form fibers by the use of a voltage potential between a solution of the material and a grounded collector. The process elongates the fiber as it is formed, yielding fiber diameters typically in the range of 50 to 500 nm. 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.
Available Products
NEI offers three types of electrospun mats:
- PAN (polyacrylonitrile) mats – choose from 4in x 4in (102mm x 102mm) or 8in x 11in (203mm x 279mm mats)
- PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) mats – choose from 4in x 4in (102mm x 102mm) or 8in x 11in (203mm x 279mm mats)
- PVDF-HFP (poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) mats – choose from 4in x 4in (102mm x 102mm) or 8in x 11in (203mm x 279mm mats)
Click on a tab below for additional information about each product, view the spec sheets, or request a quote.
Electrospun PAN
Electrospun PAN is an ultrafine mat of polyacrylonitrile produced by electrospinning. This product is a free standing flexible sheet with microstructural features not available from a bulk material. The fine scale of fiber diameters produces a membrane material with an inherently high surface area to volume ratio. The interconnected, irregularly shaped pores within the fibers largely increases the pore volume (porosity) and accessible surface area. The membrane has a typical thickness of 1 mil (25 microns) and the thickness can easily be adjusted as per customer’s specifications. The diameter of the nanofiber can also be adjusted.
Applications
Electrospun PAN finds various applications such as waste water treatment, nanofiber separator membrane for lithium ion batteries, and precursors for the production of high surface area carbon nanofibers (CNFs), which can be used for electrode materials for flexible lithium ion batteries, catalyst support for fuel cells, etc.
Typical Properties
Color: White
Available Sizes: 4″ x 4″ or 8″ x 11″
Typical Thickness: 1 mil (25 microns)
Typical Fiber Diameter: 50 – 300 nm
Areal Density: 1 x 10-3 g/cm2
Specification Sheet: Electrospun PAN »
Electrospun PVA
Electrospun PVA is an ultrafine mat of polyvinyl alcohol produced by electrospinning. This product is a free standing flexible sheet with microstructural features not available from a bulk material. The fine scale of fiber diameters produces a membrane material with an inherently high surface area to volume ratio. The interconnected, irregularly shaped pores within the fibers largely increases the pore volume (porosity) and accessible surface area. The membrane has a typical thickness of 1 mil (25 microns), however the thickness can easily be adjusted as per the customer’s specifications. The diameter of the nanofiber can also be adjusted.
Applications
Because of its non-toxicity, electrospun PVA finds important biomedical applications such as tissue scaffolds, wound dressing, and controlled release of antimicrobial drug. Other applications include air filtration membranes, sound absorption materials, and separator membranes for batteries.
Typical Properties
Color: White
Available Sizes: 4″ x 4″ or 8″ x 11″
Typical Thickness: 1 mil (25 microns)
Typical Fiber Diameter: 100 – 500 nm
Areal Density: 4 x 10-4 g/cm2
Specification Sheet: Electrospun PVA »
Electrospun PVDF-HFP
Electrospun PVDF-HFP is an ultrafine mat of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) produced by electrospinning. This product is a free standing flexible sheet with microstructural features not available from a bulk material. The fine scale of fiber diameters produces a membrane material with an inherently high surface area to volume ratio. The interconnected, irregularly shaped pores within the fibers largely increases the pore volume (porosity) and accessible surface area. The membrane has a typical thickness of 1 mil (25 microns), however the thickness can easily be adjusted as per the customer’s specifications. The diameter of the nanofiber can also be adjusted.
Applications
Electrospun PVDF-HFP can be used as membrane distillation materials, tissue scaffolds, and separators for lithium ion batteries. Due to its piezoelectric properties, electrospun PVDF-HFP also finds applications in energy harvesting, biosensors, audio devices, and transducers.
Typical Properties
Color: White
Available Sizes: 4″ x 4″ or 8″ x 11″
Typical Thickness: 1 mil (25 microns)
Typical Fiber Diameter: 100 – 500 nm
Areal Density: 4 x 10-4 g/cm2
Specification Sheet: Electrospun PVDF-HFP »
Specification Sheets
View and download the latest specification sheet for our NANOMYTE® Electrospinning Products.
Spec Sheet (pdf) | Size | Description | Issue Date |
---|---|---|---|
Electrospun PAN » | 11" x 8” (25 µm thick) | Ultrafine mat of Polyacrylonitrile ("PAN") produced by electrospinning | 27-September-2018 (v1.0) |
Electrospun PVA » | 11" x 8” (25 µm thick) | Ultrafine mat of Polyvinyl Alcohol ("PVA") produced by electrospinning | 27-September-2018 (v1.0) |
Electrospun PVDF-HFP » | 11" x 8” (25 µm thick) | Ultrafine mat of Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) ("PVD-HFP") produced by electrospinning | 27-September-2018 (v1.0) |
Quote Form
Complete the form below to request a quote (*required field).
Available Services
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.
Core-Sheath Fiber Spinning
Should your application include biomimetics, microfluidics, or a host of other novel technologies, NEI will work with you in developing the next state-of-the-art, multi-core fibers. Typically, there is a specified core material and a different sheath material. Such a system can be envisioned as a drinking straw where the tube of the straw is a material, such as a polymer or ceramic, that contains another material in the core (even liquids).
Exploratory Prototyping
Whether your vision is polymer, ceramic, or metal fibers – single core or multi-core – NEI has the right tools and expertise to help you realize your ideas into the next great innovation. The world of advanced nanometer-scale fibers is rapidly expanding as new breakthroughs are made each day. We can help you transfer these breakthroughs into working prototypes by providing the appropriate environment and equipment to produce electrospun fibers.
TEM of a core-sheath fiber with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) located in the sheath.
Learn More
NEI White Paper: Exploring the Capabilities of Electrospinning »
Among the several methods to make nanofibers, 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. Here, we review the morphology of electrospun nanofibers and the various parameters and versatile techniques used to transform a wide range of polymers and ceramics into fiber structures. We also explore the growing number of applications… continue reading »