Author

Blesson Isaac

ORCID Identifier(s)

0000-0002-9586-9045

Graduation Semester and Year

2018

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

First Advisor

Robert M Taylor

Second Advisor

Ashfaq Adnan

Abstract

Many advanced applications, including aerospace, can benefit from materials with superior mechanical and dielectric properties. For these applications, most fiber alignment electrospinning research has focused on either mechanical property improvement or dielectric property improvement, but not both simultaneously. Through an improved apparatus design and system parameter optimization, this work develops an electrospinning apparatus that produces an increased electrostatic force and more tightly controlled discharged particle path to enable a more uniform distribution and higher degree of alignment in deposited electrospun material, which results in simultaneous improvement of both mechanical and dielectric properties. The current state-of-the-art in aligned electrospinning techniques are limited. Parallel collectors have aligned fibers but there is a possibility of extraction challenge for applications because of larger volume fraction of gaps. Rotating mandrel collectors have fibers better molecular orientation in the fiber direction because of elongation strain. But the fibers are oriented randomly and the parameter optimization can deliver only limited alignment capabilities. Electrospinning has been successfully used to develop aligned micro- and nano-fiber mats for lightweight reinforcement of composite materials and structures. A horizontal electrospinning apparatus has been designed and fabricated for improved micro- and nano-fiber alignment that provides the possibility of developing better reinforcement and dielectric materials in the form of aligned fiber mats. The design of experiments results show that the improved system has better combined mechanical and dielectric properties because of better degree of aligned fibers than that of the original system.

Keywords

Electrospinning, Alignment, Mechanical, Dielectric

Disciplines

Aerospace Engineering | Engineering | Mechanical Engineering

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

29677-2.zip (26526 kB)

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