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. 2021 Aug 18;13(16):2776.
doi: 10.3390/polym13162776.

Bamboo Charcoal/Poly(L-lactide) Fiber Webs Prepared Using Laser-Heated Melt Electrospinning

Zongzi Hou  1 , Nahoko Itagaki  2 , Haruki Kobayashi  3 , Katsufumi Tanaka  3 , Wataru Takarada  4 , Takeshi Kikutani  5 , Midori Takasaki  3
Affiliations

Bamboo Charcoal/Poly(L-lactide) Fiber Webs Prepared Using Laser-Heated Melt Electrospinning

Zongzi Hou et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

Although several studies have reported that the addition of bamboo charcoal (BC) to polylactide (PLA) enhances the properties of PLA, to date, no study has been reported on the fabrication of ultrafine BC/poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) webs via electrospinning. Therefore, ultrafine fiber webs of PLLA and BC/PLLA were prepared using PLLA and BC/PLLA raw fibers via a novel laser electrospinning method. Ultrafine PLLA and BC/PLLA fibers with average diameters of approximately 1 μm and coefficients of variation of 13-23 and 20-46% were obtained. Via wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) analysis, highly oriented crystals were detected in the raw fibers; however, WAXD patterns of both PLLA and BC/PLLA webs implied an amorphous structure of PLLA. Polarizing microscopy images revealed that the webs comprised ultrafine fibers with uniform diameters and wide variations in birefringence. Temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry measurements indicated that the degree of order of the crystals in the fibers was lower and the molecules in the fibers had higher mobilities than those in the raw fibers. Transmittance of BC/PLLA webs with an area density of 2.6 mg/cm2 suggested that the addition of BC improved UV-shielding efficiencies.

Keywords: UV shielding; bamboo charcoal; carbon dioxide laser; melt-electrospinning; polylactide; ultrafine fibers.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) Schematic of laser electrospinning (LES), (b) image of collector section of LES with web prepared under the stationary state of the collector, and (c) image of nozzle section of LES apparatus with an enlarged photograph showing typical spinning behavior.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Images of the thinning behaviors (a) poly-(L-lactide) (PLLA), (b) bamboo charcoal (BC)/PLLA fibers near the nozzle at laser powers of 6–26 W. (c) Enlarged images for the PLLA spinning at laser powers of 10 W (single jet) and 12 W (multiple jet) are also shown.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Diameter profiles of fibers in (a) PLLA and (b) BC/PLLA webs, running speeds of fibers in (c) PLLA and (d) BC/PLLA webs, and strain rate profiles of fibers in (e) PLLA and (f) BC/PLLA webs at laser powers of 6–26 W.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Residence time of (a) PLLA and (b) BC/PLLA fibers and total residence time of (c) PLLA and (d) BC/PLLA fibers near the nozzle at laser powers of 6–26 W.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Infrared images of PLLA fibers near the nozzle during LES at laser powers of (a) 10 and (b) 16 W.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Images of (a) raw PLLA and BC/PLLA fibers and (b) electrospun PLLA (14 W) and BC/PLLA (16 W) webs and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of (c) BC, (d) raw PLLA fibers, and (e) raw BC/PLLA fibers.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Diameter distributions: (a) PLLA and (b) BC/PLLA fibers in the electrospun webs fabricated at laser powers of 6–26 W.
Figure 8
Figure 8
(a) Variations in the average fiber diameter and (b) coefficient of variation (CV) with laser power for the electrospun PLLA and BC/PLLA webs.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Images obtained under cross-polarization conditions for the (a) raw PLLA fiber, (b) electrospun PLLA web (14 W), and (c) electrospun BC/PLLA web (16 W); images acquired under cross-polarization conditions using the Bereck compensator without optical retardation for the (d) raw PLLA fiber, (e) electrospun PLLA web (14 W), and (f) electrospun BC/PLLA web (16 W); and images achieved under cross-polarization conditions with the Bereck compensator and optical retardation for the (g) raw PLLA fiber, (h) electrospun PLLA web (14 W), and (i) electrospun BC/PLLA web (16 W).
Figure 10
Figure 10
Correlation between the fiber diameter and birefringence of a raw PLLA fiber, an electrospun PLLA (14 W) web, and an electrospun BC/PLLA (16 W) web.
Figure 11
Figure 11
X-ray diffraction profiles of BC, raw PLLA and BC/PLLA fibers, and electrospun PLLA (14 W) and BC/PLLA (16 W) webs.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) profiles and two-dimensional patterns at azimuthal angles of 0 and 90° for (a) PLLA and (b) BC/PLLA films.
Figure 13
Figure 13
WAXD profiles at the azimuthal angles of 0 and 90° for raw (a) PLLA and (b) BC/PLLA fibers.
Figure 14
Figure 14
(a) Total heat flow curves, (b) reversing heat flow curves, and (c) non-reversing heat flow curves of raw PLLA and BC/PLLA fibers and electrospun PLLA (14 W) and BC/PLLA (16 W) webs determined by temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC).
Figure 15
Figure 15
Crystallinities of raw PLLA and BC/PLLA fibers and electrospun PLLA (14 W) and BC/PLLA (16 W) webs calculated from total heat flow curves.
Figure 16
Figure 16
Ultraviolet–visible transmission spectra of PLLA and BC/PLLA films and electrospun PLLA (14 W) and BC/PLLA (16 W) webs.
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