Concept of minimum electrospinning voltage (MEV) in electrospinning of PAN–DMF system: effect of distance

Minimum electrospinning voltage (MEV), in a needle–ground plate configuration, is defined as the needle voltage at which the maximum conversion of the polymer dope into nanofibers is achieved in electrospinning. MEV is unique for a set of electrospinning parameters for a given polymer dope and the square of the MEV is directly proportional to the rate of surface formation of the nanofibers in the electrospinning process. In this study, the effect of needle to collector distance on MEV and nanofiber morphology was investigated. The diameter of the nanofibers was found to be primarily dependent on the dope properties and independent of electrospinning process parameters. However, the slope of the plot between (MEV)2 and surface formation rate was found to increase with increasing needle to collector distance signifying that the resistance in electrospinning increases linearly with the distance.