title: Melt electrospinning of poly(lactic acid) and polycaprolactone microfibers by using a hand-operated Wimshurst generator.
abstract: A conventional melt electrospinning setup usually needs a large, heavy high-voltage power supply and cannot work without a plug (electricity supply). In this article, we report a new melt electrospinning setup based on a small hand-operated Wimshurst generator, which can avoid electrical interference between the high-voltage spinning system and the heating system, and make the setup very portable and safe. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers with diameters of 15-45 μm were fabricated successfully by using this apparatus. Experimental parameters such as the rotational speed of the generator handle (a half turn to two turns per second) and the spinning distance (2-14 cm) were investigated. In addition, PLA and PCL fibers were directly melt-electrospun onto a pork liver, and the temperature and adhesiveness of the deposited fibers were studied. The results indicate that the apparatus and melt-electrospun polymer microfibers may be used in dressing for wound healing.
authors.affiliation: College of Physics & Collaborative Innovation Center for Low-Dimensional Nanomaterials and Optoelectronic Devices, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China. yunze.long@163.com.
authors.forename: Chong-Chong
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Xiao-Peng
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li-Hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Rui-Hua
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Hong-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yun-Ze
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Long
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001458:Bandages; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D008099:Liver; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; C016240:polycaprolactone; D019344:Lactic Acid; C033616:poly(lactide)