There is provided an apparatus for drawing a fibre, the apparatus comprising, a first outlet for dispensing a volume of a first polyionic polymer solution; and a second outlet for dispensing a volume of a second oppositely charged polyionic polymer solution; said second outlet disposed adjacent to the first outlet such that the polymer solutions dispensed therefrom are capable of contacting each other to form a fused droplet comprising a polyelectrolyte complex interface separating the first polyionic and second polyionic polymer solutions; wherein the fused droplet is arranged to move along a fibre drawing path under gravitational force in an opposing direction from the first and second outlets such that nascent fibre is drawn from the polyelectrolyte complex interface. There is also provided a method of drawing the fibre.

A method of fabricating a continuous nanofiber is described. The method includes preparing a solution of one or more polymers and one or more solvents and electrospinning the solution by discharging the solution through one or more liquid jets into an electric field to yield one or more continuous nanofibers. The electrospinning process (i) highly orients one or more polymer chains in the one or more continuous nanofibers along a fiber axis of the one or more continuous nanofibers, and (ii) suppresses polymer crystallization in the one or more continuous nanofibers. The one or more continuous nanofibers can have diameters below about 250 nanometers and exhibit an increase in fiber strength and modulus while maintaining strain at failure, resulting in an increase in fiber toughness.

An improved electro hydrodynamic method is provided. The method comprises arranging (11) an electro hydrodynamic device inside an enclosure and distributing (12) positive and/or negative ions inside the enclosure during a charging period with a certain defined amount of power. The distribution of the positive and/or the negative ions inside the enclosure (20) is performed so that a predefined amount of charge is set on the interior of the enclosure (20). Within a predetermined period of time after the charging period has ended, the electrospinning device is activated so as to create a product. Finally, the product is removed from the device. The present invention offers a solution for the problem of non-identical initial process conditions for an electro hydrodynamic process caused by any electric charges on the equipment.

A network of microfibers are fabricated with a core-shell construction from sustainable materials, where the core includes a phase-change material, such as coconut oil, and the shell includes a biomass, such as cellulose. The microfibers are made via a wet-wet electrospinning process utilizing a coaxial spinneret with an inner conduit and an outer conduit. The biomass and the phase-change material are coaxially extruded into a coagulation bath including a mixture of ethanol and water. The collected microfibers exhibit a beaded structure of PCM aggregates and biomass connecting regions between the aggregates and are effective to aid in the thermoregulation of the immediate environment surrounding the network. The microfibers are suitable for use in a variety of sustainable products such as wearable thermoregulating textiles, wall/ceiling panels, insulation, packaging material, and more.

A method of producing a microtube is provided. The method comprising co-electrospinning two polymeric solutions through co-axial capillaries to thereby produce the microtube, wherein a first polymeric solution of the two polymeric solutions is for forming a shell of the microtube and a second polymeric solution of the two polymeric solutions is for forming a coat over an internal surface of the shell, the first polymeric solution is selected solidifying faster than the second polymeric solution and a solvent of the second polymeric solution is selected incapable of dissolving the first polymeric solution. Also provided are electrospun microtubes.

Methods for the production of ceramic composites in which three-dimensional (3D) printed organic polymer fibers are embedded in an amorphous inorganic ceramic matrix are provided. The composites are made by electrospinning the organic polymer fibers and collecting them in a liquid or gel collector. Ceramic precursors added to the liquid collector after the fibers are collected, or present in the gel collector during the electrospinning, are then cured to form a solid ceramic matrix around the organic polymer fibers to produce an organic polymer fiber-reinforced ceramic.

Disclosed herein are methods of forming a fiber mat, involving forming an aqueous solution of at least one protein, at least one polysaccharide, and optionally a plasticizer, and electrospinning the aqueous solution onto a collector to form a mat.

Disclosed is a method for mass-producing densified carbon nanotube fiber. The method includes preparing carbon nanotube fiber, swelling the carbon nanotube fiber by applying an acid solution thereto, and stretching the carbon nanotube fiber, coagulating the stretched carbon nanotube fiber so as to remove the acid solution present therein, and drying the coagulated carbon nanotube fiber.

Nonwoven webs formed from modified 1,3-α-D-glucan polymer and methods of forming the nonwoven webs are disclosed. The modified 1,3-α-D-glucan polymer can have a number average degree of polymerization in the range of from 55 to 10,000. The nonwoven webs can be used for personal hygiene wipes, filtration media, apparel or other uses.

A method for producing a continuous filament from electrospun fibers includes providing a conducting collection surface that is an elongate three-dimensional surface. An attractive electric field gradient is formed between the collection surface and a source of electrically charged fibers. The collection surface is moved in a longitudinal direction relative to the source of electrically charged fibers. The fibers are collected on the collection surface so as to form a continuous filament.