Electrospun Fibrous Mat of Cellulose Acetate: Influence of Solvent System (Acetic Acid/Acetone) on Fibers Morphology

Objectives: Electrospun Cellulose Acetate (CA) fibers system are of high demand due to its desired properties associated with the final fiber features. This polymer inability to dissolve may hinder its electrospinning processing. The goal of the current study is to explore the fiber forming ability of solvent mixture of varying ratios of acetone and acetic acid and to derive the optimized formulation that facilitate the continuous and uniform CA fiber formation. Methods: In this study, a new solvent system for electrospinning of cellulose acetate is developed for the preparation of continuous uniform CA fibers. Different concentrations of cellulose acetate are dissolved in solvent system consisting of acetic acid/acetone mixture. The polymer solution prepared was hosted in a mechanical syringe pump, with a stainless-steel blunt end needle fixated to the tip acting as the spraying nozzle. The polymeric cellulose acetate in acetone/acetic acid mixture was examined for its viscosity and electrical conductance. Moreover, the formed cellulose acetate-based fibers were morphologically examined. Results: The solvent system composition as well as the cellulose acetate concentration affected the final CA fiber morphology, where the 10% cellulose acetate solution in acetone: acetic acid at 9:1 ratio presented uniform fiber morphology with a diameter of 549±45 nm. The solvent system optimized preserved continuous and uniform, beads-free CA fibers. Conclusion: In the current study, the different solvent systems studied presented different fiber morphologies and diameter sizes thus preserving the importance of the solvent system for the cellulose acetate fine fiber production.