Effect of Evaporation Rate on Butyl Rubber Electrospun Pore Size

 Joey Mead, Plastics Engineering

The pore size of butyl rubber electrospun membranes is affected by controlling the solvent evaporation rate of the solution being spun. Tetrahydrofuran is a typical solvent used for the electrospinning of butyl rubber which yields a rapid evaporation. The rate of evaporation with the addition of xylene the evaporation rate is impeded. A lower evaporation rate impedes the formation of the fiber exterior frozen layer. This facilitates the fibers to flow. Lower solvent evaporation rates produce larger fiber cross-sections while reducing the mode pore size throughout the membrane