Preparation of micro-nano fiber composite yarn by water bath electro-spinning and its electric field simulation

To address the challenge that nanofibers possess a high specific surface area and notable surface activity but generally lack sufficient mechanical strength for practical applications, an experimental method and apparatus for fabricating micro-nano fiber composite yarns via multi-needle water bath electrospinning technology were designed and developed. The ANSYS finite element analysis software was used to simulate the changes in the electric field during spinning under the influence of voltage, and the impact of voltage on the electrostatic field and structural properties of the composite yarn was explored. The results showed that, based on the electric field analysis, under all other conditions being equal, the greater the voltage, the greater the electric field intensity at each needle and the stronger the electric field interference between the needles. Experimentally, it was found that a voltage of 18 kV yielded the optimal nanofiber morphology. At this voltage,the breaking force of cladding was 42.37 ± 1.97 cN, the breaking strength was 0.36 ± 0.02 cN/dtex, and the breaking elongation was 40.77 ± 6.64%. The mechanical properties of the composite yarn were significantly improved compared to those of the core yarn.