Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Silicon Particle Distribution in Electrospun Nanofibers

Author(s)

Saja M. Nabat Al-Ajrash, University of Dayton
Khalid Lafdi, University of DaytonFollow
Erick S. Vasquez, University of DaytonFollow
Francisco Chinesta
Philippe Le Coustumer, University of Bordeaux

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-25-2018

Publication Source

Langmuir

Abstract

The properties of ceramic materials are dependent on crystal sizes and their distribution. These parameters can be controlled using electrospinning of the two-phase mixed system. The preceramic solution consists of silicon nanoparticles and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymer mixture. Particle distribution during the electrospinning technique was characterized using transmission electron microscopy and modeled using the finite element method. The experimental and numerical results were in agreement. Large silicon particles were located in the skin and the smaller ones were located at the core. This was illustrated by the migration rate from the core, which was the fastest for large particles and diminished as the particles become smaller in size. The threshold for Stokes number was found to be around 2.2 × 10–4 with a critical particle size of 1.0 × 10−7 m in diameter. The current results are very promising, as it demonstrated a novel way for the fabrication of PAN/Si ceramic nanofibers with a gradient of particle size and properties from the skin to the core.

Inclusive pages

7147–7152

ISBN/ISSN

0743-7463 (print); 1520-5827 (web)

Document Version

Postprint

Comments

The document available for download is the authors' accepted manuscript, provided in compliance with the publisher's policy on self-archiving. Permission documentation is on file. To view the version of record, use the DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01167

Publisher

American Chemical Society

Volume

34

Peer Reviewed

yes

Issue

24

eCommons Citation

Nabat Al-Ajrash, Saja M.; Lafdi, Khalid; Vasquez, Erick S.; Chinesta, Francisco; and Le Coustumer, Philippe, "Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Silicon Particle Distribution in Electrospun Nanofibers" (2018). Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications. 228.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cme_fac_pub/228