Cellulose Microfibres Electrospun and Melt-blown from NNMO Solutions

Electrospinning and melt-blown techniques were harnessed to the investigation into the preparation of textile materials of thin cellulose fibres. The spinning was performed by using spinning solutions with cellulose concentration of 3wt% and 6 wt% in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO). By adopting suitable spinning conditions for both of the applied techniques, laboratory lots of the textile materials were prepared with fibres hav ing an average diameter of 0.66µm to 10.6 µm from electrospinning and 1.37 to 1.50 µm from melt-blowing, respectively, for increasing concentration of cellulose in the spinning solutions. It was found by SEM inspection that the fibres obtained by both techniques are of irregular shape and often stick to each other at certain length. In the electrospinning it was observed that thin and thick fibres joined together may take an original shape resembling a tailor seam. In extremities, the fibres are deformed to such degree and combined on such large surface as to form a sort of film with discernible only fibre fragments.