(180a) Electrospinning of Metal Nanofibers

Metal electrospinning is the process of drawing nanoscale fibers from a metallic liquid solution by using an electric field. Due to the fibers’ high surface area to volume ratio, these materials have the potential of being used in a variety of applications including rapid heating/cooling and artificial muscles.  Little work has been done to date regarding the production of fibers with consistent properties controlled by electrospinning parameters.  In the current study, solutions of copper acetate, nickel acetate and zinc acetate in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were prepared and electrospun fibers were the pyrolyzed at 800°C in inert atmosphere to burn-off the polymer and reduce the metals.  The effect of the voltage, polarity, flow rate, and solution composition in on fiber diameter, mechanical tensile strength, and, piezoelectric properties was studied. A Scanning Electron Microscope was utilized to characterize the physical properties of the electrospun fibers. The experimental work done and the results obtained will be presented.