Centrifugally-Spun Fibers

Continuous spun fibers provide an ideal material for various applications, ranging from fibrous membranes and fiber mats to structural scaffolding for tissue engineering. To target specific properties and morphology of centrifugally-spun polymer fibers, a long list of parameters, such as polymer entanglements, extensional relaxation time, surface tension, and evaporation time must be accounted for. This work compares previously studied methods that predict the formation of continuous fibers. We consolidate these parameters and propose additional considerations to provide a more robust processability map for fiber formation prediction via torsional rheometry, Dripping-onto-Substrate (DoS) protocols, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).