POLY(VINYL ALCOHOL) AND POLY(VINYL ALCOHOL) /ZINC OXIDE COMPOSITE NANOFIBRE WEBS: QUALITY CONTROL WITH CONDUCTOMETER

In the market a wide variety of products are find that contains/releases metal nanoparticles, therefore topical become researches on it impacts on the environment and human health. In the textile industry important step is the development of testing methodology to monitor the quantity of nanoparticles that get into the environment from nanoparticles containing textile materials. In the study analyzed the method based on the use of conductometer for textiles testing with nano-size metal oxides content to determine the persistence of nanoparticles/ions in the water after textile soaking/washing. Compared results acquired in the experiments with nanofibre webs manufactured by electrospinning from pure polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and PVA/ZnO composite. The nanofibre webs were soaked in distilled water and obtained samples of water tested with conductometer. The results of the experiments confirm that measurements taken with the conductometer are fairly stable and repeatable; the equipment is suitable for measurements in distilled water for nanoparticles/ions detection. The measurements of the solution’s specific electric conductance allows to pinpoint the nanoparticles/ions concentration, but for this purpose, must be created the database that contains the resources needed for the calculations and methodology for sample preparation

Effect of Fiber Surface Morphology on Water Sorption of Pre-treated Hemp Fiber Reinforced LLDPE Composites

The chemical fiber pre-processing methods have been investigated, their influence on water absorption of linear low density polyethylene composites and fiber surface were evaluated by atomic force microscopy and water exposure experiments. All used fiber pre-processing methods decrease water sorption of composite. Untreated fiber composite with undamaged fiber surface more rapidly absorbs water

Effect of Electrode Type on Electrospun Membrane Morphology Using Low-Concentration PVA Solutions

Electrospun polymer nanofiber materials have been studied as basic materials for various applications. Depending on the intended use of the fibers, their morphology can be adjusted by changing the technological parameters, the properties of the spinning solutions, and the combinations of composition. The aim of the research was to evaluate the effect of electrode type, spinning parameters, polymer molecular weight, and solution concentration on membranes morphology. The main priority was to obtain the smallest possible fiber diameters and homogeneous electrospun membranes. As a result, five electrode types were selected, the lowest PVA solution concentration for stable spinning process was detected, spinning parameters for homogenous fibers were obtained, and the morphology of electrospun fiber membranes was analyzed. Viscosity, conductivity, pH, and density were evaluated for PVA polymers with five different molecular weights (30–145 kDa) and three concentration solutions (6, 8, and 10 wt.%). The membrane defects and fiber diameters were compared as a function of molecular weight and electrode type. The minimum concentration of PVA in the solution allowed more additives to be added to the solution, resulting in thinner diameters and a higher concentration of the additive in the membranes. The molecular weight, concentration, and electrode significantly affected the fiber diameters and the overall quality of the membrane