@article{210b2c17c7eb48d9a6b2069526d9ceb7,
title = "The Effect of Dye and Pigment Concentrations on the Diameter of Melt-Electrospun Polylactic Acid Fibers",
abstract = "Sub-microfibers and nanofibers produce more breathable fabrics than coarse fibers and are therefore widely used in the textiles industry. They are prepared by electrospinning using a polymer solution or melt. Solution electrospinning produces finer fibers but requires toxic solvents. Melt electrospinning is more environmentally friendly, but is also technically challenging due to the low electrical conductivity and high viscosity of the polymer melt. Here we describe the use of colorants as additives to improve the electrical conductivity of polylactic acid (PLA). The addition of colorants increased the viscosity of the melt by >100%, but reduced the electrical resistance by >80% compared to pure PLA (5 GΩ). The lowest electrical resistance of 50 MΩ was achieved using a composite containing 3% (w/w) indigo. However, the thinnest fibers (52.5 µm, 53% thinner than pure PLA fibers) were obtained by adding 1% (w/w) alizarin. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that fibers containing indigo featured polymer aggregates that inhibited electrical conductivity, and thus increased the fiber diameter. With further improvements to avoid aggregation, the proposed melt electrospinning process could complement or even replace industrial solution electrospinning and dyeing.",
keywords = "Biobased composite, Dope dyeing, Environmental sustainability, Melt electrospinning, NANOTECHNOLOGY, PLA, CELLS, DESIGN, NANOFIBERS, DISPERSION, ELECTRICAL-CONDUCTIVITY, dope dyeing, POLYMER MELTS, environmental sustainability, PHTHALOCYANINE, nanotechnology, ALIZARIN, DEGRADATION, melt electrospinning, biobased composites, MORPHOLOGY",
author = "Naveen Balakrishnan and Kylie K{\"o}nig and Gunnar Seide",
note = "Funding Information: Author Contributions: Conceptualization, K.K., N.K.B.; Methodology, K.K. and N.K.B.; Software, K.K, N.K.B.; Validation, K.K, N.K.B.; Formal Analysis, K.K. and N.K.B.; Investigation, K.K. and N.K.B.; Resources, G.S.; Data Curation, K.K. and N.K.B.; Writing—Original Draft Preparation, K.K. and N.K.B.; Writing—Review and Editing, Author Contributions: Conceptualization, K.K., N.K.B.; Methodology, K.K. and N.K.B.; Software, K.K, N.K.B.; Validation, K.K, N.K.B.; Formal Analysis, K.K. and N.K.B.; Investigation, K.K. and N.K.B.; Resources, G.S.; Data Funding: This research was funded by the NWO under the project number RAAK.PRO02.107. Curation, K.K. and N.K.B.; Writing—Original Draft Preparation, K.K. and N.K.B.; Writing—Review and Editing, Acknowledgments: The authors acknowledge support from the students Niccolo Aldeghi, Matilde della Fontana, Celine Aarsen, and Joshua Verstappen from the Maastricht Science Program, Maastricht University, Funding: This research was funded by the NWO under the project number RAAK.PRO02.107. Maastricht, The Netherlands. We also acknowledge the Microscopy Department of the Institute for Textile Technology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. Finally, we thank our laboratory technician Henri Fontana, Celine Aarsen, and Joshua Verstappen from the Maastricht Science Program, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. We also acknowledge the Microscopy Department of the Institute for Textile Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest. Technology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. Finally, we thank our laboratory technician Henri Becker for the maintenance and modification of our equipment. Appendix A Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest. Funding Information: Funding: This research was funded by the NWO under the project number RAAK.PRO02.107. Funding Information: Acknowledgments: The authors acknowledge support from the students Niccolo Aldeghi, Matilde della Fontana, Celine Aarsen, and Joshua Verstappen from the Maastricht Science Program, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. We also acknowledge the Microscopy Department of the Institute for Textile Technology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. Finally, we thank our laboratory technician Henri Becker for the maintenance and modification of our equipment. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",
year = "2020",
month = oct,
day = "9",
doi = "10.3390/polym12102321",
language = "English",
volume = "12",
journal = "Polymers",
issn = "2073-4360",
publisher = "Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)",
number = "10",
}