Electrospinning Nozzle with Adjustable Protrusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrospinning nozzles are limited in producing nanofibers of varying diameters and require separate nozzles for pure and air electrospinning, leading to increased facility costs and inefficiencies due to magnetic field leakage and the need for high voltages.
Innovation Solution
An electrospinning injection nozzle design featuring a first nozzle body with a protruding nozzle member and a detachable second nozzle body for air passage, allowing for selective electrospinning styles, including pure, air, and hot air electrospinning, with a voltage applying unit to ensure efficient fiber production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the end of the source liquid extruding unit is recessed into the air injection hole to realize effective injection, then the injection efficiency is improved, but the fiber formed may be caught by the air injection hole and clog it, limiting the nozzle to producing only nanofibers with diameters ranging from several to several hundred nanometers by injecting high-compressed air
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle design allows dynamic adjustment of the protruding length of the source liquid extruding unit end relative to the air injection hole. By making the protruding length adjustable rather than fixed, the system can switch between different spinning styles (pure electrospinning, air electrospinning, hot air electrospinning) depending on the production requirements, thus resolving the contradiction between injection efficiency and spinning style flexibility.
2Reliability
If a conventional electrospinning nozzle is used for general electrospinning where only the source liquid for fiber is injected, then the fiber formation is maintained, but the fiber may be caught by the air injection hole and clog it
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable protruding length of the source liquid extruding unit end enables the nozzle to adapt to different spinning styles. When set for pure electrospinning, the configuration maintains stable fiber formation while preventing clogging issues that would occur with fixed recessed designs, thus improving both reliability and adaptability.
3Manufacturing precision
If the protruding length of the source liquid extruding unit is limited to 1∼3mm to realize error-free electrospinning, then the electrospinning accuracy is improved, but the nozzle cannot carry out pure electrospinning in which only the source liquid for fiber is injected without injecting air
Solution Approach 1:
By making the protruding length adjustable within the 1-3mm range rather than fixing it, the nozzle can achieve error-free electrospinning accuracy when needed while also being capable of pure electrospinning operations, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and adaptability.
4Adaptability or versatility
If separate pure electrospinning nozzles and air electrospinning nozzles are used to produce products with varied structural layers, then the spinning style requirements are met, but the facility cost increases and the nozzle must be frequently changed during the electrospinning process
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is designed with adjustable protruding length capability that enables it to perform multiple spinning styles (pure electrospinning, air electrospinning, hot air electrospinning) within a single device. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate nozzles for different spinning styles, reducing device complexity and eliminating the need for frequent nozzle changes while maintaining full adaptability to various product requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables flexible control over spinning styles for varied nanoweb structures, reduces facility costs by allowing single-line production of multiple structural layers, and enables error-free electrospinning at lower voltages.
Implementation Method 1
electrospinning is based on the phenomenon wherein when an electrostatic force is applied to a polymer solution or a polymer melt having a sufficiently high viscosity, the solution or the melt forms a fiber
Implementation Method 2
the source liquid for fiber extruded from the source liquid extruding unit is injected together with compressed air that has been fed downwards from the periphery of the source liquid extruding unit through the air injection hole
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
An injection nozzle for electrospinning including a first nozzle body and a second nozzle body detachably coupled with each other and nozzle members inserted in the first and second nozzle bodies and an electrospinning device using the nozzle. The electrospinning device basically performs air electrospinning wherein a source liquid for fiber is injected together with air while the source liquid for fiber is discharged through the nozzle members, and pure electrospinning without air injection can be efficiently carried out by separating the second nozzle body in such a manner that the lower ends of the nozzle members are exposed for a predetermined length or more. Therefore, according to the present invention, pure electrospinning, air electrospinning or hot air electrospinning may be selectively carried out.