During electrospinning, a polymer solution becomes an electrically driven jet as it travels to a grounded plate. While the behavior of pressure-driven liquid jets has been extensively studied in fluid mechanics, none of the characteristics of fluid jet break up have been applied to electrospinning. Calculating Weber number can describe what type of breakup occurs as the polymer jet travels to the plate, which could also predict the surface morphology of electrospun fibers. Polyethylene oxide (PEO) solution was electrospun at different voltages to test whether the morphology of the electrospun fibers can be predicted through calculating Weber number. While the continuing research of electrospinning is important, the subject of electrospinning can be used as a course to teach students engineering principals over a semester. Due to the vast interdisciplinary subjects associated with electrospinning, teaching the subject as a course will give students an understanding of critical thinking skills as well as first hand accounts of research. Four weight percent PEO solution was electrospun at a range of testing parameters until the desired results were achieved, beaded or non-beaded fibers. The Weber numbers were calculated and compared to the electrospun material created. Analyzing the surface morphology revealed a beaded to non-beaded trend in nanofibers corresponding to high-to-low Weber numbers. The same trend continued for higher weight percents of PEO solutions electrospun. The course will have many learning objectives the instructor is expected to have the students achieve, building the objectives to help the students become better researchers and to learn the material. Splitting the course into three five week sections will help students understand each component of the electrospinning process, as well as fundamental engineering equations and theories. The students at the end of the semester should be able to recreate the electrospinning process on their own and create nanofibers of varying sizes. The course should also excite students about pursuing more advanced degrees in scientific fields.

Master of Science / Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design / Jooyoun Kim / Seong-O Choi / Superhydrophobicity (water contact angle, WCA >150˚) can be achieved by introducing surface roughness and decreasing surface energy. Polystyrene (PS) electrospun web can be used as an excellent substrate for superhydrophobic surface due to its low surface energy (~33 mN/m) and processibility to form various roughness. As the Cassie-Baxter model explains, the presence of roughness amplifies anti-wettability of materials whose surface energy is low (hydrophobic, WCA >90˚). This study aims to fabricate superhydrophobic PS nonwoven webs by electrospinning process and vapor deposition of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (PFDTS) and to investigate the influence of fiber morphology and surface energy on wettability. To this end, PS webs with various fiber morphologies were electrospun under different polymer concentrations and solvent mixtures. PS substrates were treated by air plasma to attach –OH groups before the vapor deposition of PFDTS. Air plasma treatment itself increased the surface energy of PS; however, with PFDTS coating, the surface energy was decreased. The wettability was characterized by WCA and sliding angle measurement. WCAs on the electrospun webs were greater than that of flat PS film (WCA=95˚) due to the increased roughness of the web. The web with beads or grooved fibers achieved superhydrophobicity (WCA>150˚). PFDTS deposition lowered the surface energy of PS surface to about 15.8 mN/m. PS web with PFDTS deposition presented high water contact angle up to 169˚ and low sliding angle about 3˚. Also it was attempted to characterize the interfacial area between water and a solid surface on irregular fibrous webs. The fraction of solid surface area wet by the liquid (solid fraction) was observed by staining the rough electrospun web with a hydrophobic fluorescent dye, coumarin. The actual solid fraction corresponded fairly well with the theoretical solid fraction calculated by the Cassie-Baxter equation, demonstrating that the treated superhydrophobic surface follows the Cassie-Baxter wetting state.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Novel poly(methacrylic acid)-graft-poly(dimethylsiloxane) copolymers were synthesised by conventional free radical reactions using a poly(dimethylsiloxane) macromonomer. The polymers were electrospun to investigate how the fibre morphology can be modified by manipulating the electrospinning solution parameters, and to determine the possibility of using the polymers as new materials for the production of polymer nanofibre hydrogels. The electrospinning solution parameters were varied by electrospinning the highly amphiphilic copolymers in solvents with variable solvent qualities. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE–SEM) was used to investigate the fibre morphology. Internal morphology was studied using a freeze fracture technique prior to FE-SEM imaging. It is revealed that the polymers in this study does not form any fine structure or pores even when self-assembled structures are present in the solution. Attempts were made to visualise any self-assembled structures of films produced from dilute solutions using TEM. Further studies included investigating the fibres properties, primarily with regards to their rate and extent of moisture and water uptake. The fibres showed hydrogel behaviour and the PDMS content were found to have an impact on the hydrogel stability. Post electrospinning crosslinking of the nanofibres was also explored. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Unieke ent-kopolimere wat bestaan uit poli(metielakrielsuur) (PMAS) en poli(dimetielsiloksaan) (PDMS) is gesintetiseer deur middel van 'n “ent-deur” vryeradikaalkopolimerisasie. 'n PDMS makromonomeer is vir hierdie doel gebruik. Die polimere is geëlektrospin om vesels te vorm. Die doel was om die invloed van verkillende strukture in oplossing op die veselmorfologie te bepaal. Die moontlikheid om hierdie nanovesels as gels te gebruik is ook ondersoek. Die amfifiliese kopolimere is geëlektrospin uit die oplossing waarin dit wisselende oplosbaarheid toon. Skandeer elektron mikroskopie (SEM) is gebruik om die morfologie te ondersoek. Die interne morfologie van die vesels is ondersoek deur die vesels te vries en in die gevriesde toestand te breek. Die studie het getoon dat geen strukture op, of binne, die vesels vorm nie, selfs al moes daar assosiasie tussen segmente van die polimere gewees het. Hierdie tipe assosiasies sou strukture in die oplossing tot gevolg gehad het. 'n Poging is aangewend om die strukture in oplossing te visualiseer deur transmissie elektron mikroskopie (TEM) van dun films te ondersoek. Films is vanaf verdunde oplossings gevorm. Ander studies het ingesluit om die eienskappe van die vesels te ondersoek, met die fokus op hoeveel en hoe vinnig die vesels waterdamp en water kon absorbeer. Die vesels het soos 'n gel reageer. Hierdie gedrag is beïnvloed deur die hoeveelheid PDMS wat 'n definitiewe invloed op die stabiliteit van die gel gehad het. Kruisverbindings van die vesels, nadat dit geëlektrospin is, is ook ondersoek.

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The aim is to investigate models that predicts the potential of pulp and evaluate the relevance of the zero-span tensile index within these. Two chemical pulps made from softwood and eucalyptus were refined in a Voith-beater with different energy input in order to study the change of fiber morphology signals and other pulp and paper properties. Chemical, THP pulp from Södra Värö is also used as an initial analysis for morphological connections to Zero-span tensile index. The L&W Fiber Tester Plus is used in order to study the pulps fiber morphology and Pulmac 2000 for zero span. Handsheets are made for mechanical tests such as tensile properties, ZD-strength and optical properties. Many of the given signals change according to clear patterns with increasing refining energy. Using least square methods, formulas describing the development with high adaptation could be formulated. Many of the measured aspects changes over already known patterns. These are then applied in the models. Three possible models is tested: linear regression, Shear-Lag and Page. Of the three, only the two first ones where able to produce reliable models, whereas the third required data that was difficult to acquire at the same time as the adaptation was very low. The only model that use exclusively morphology data is linear regression.