Study on the production of a new generation of electrospun nanofiber webs

Electrospun nanofiber web has many potential applications due to its large specific area, very small pore size and high porosity. Despite such potentials, the mechanical properties of nanofiber web are very poor for use in textile application. To remedy this defect, a lamination process could be accomplished in order to protect nanofiber web versus mechanical stress. However, nanofiber properties may change during the process. The purpose of this study is to consider the influence of lamination temperature on nanofiber/laminate properties. Hot-press lamination was carried out at five different temperatures and nanofiber web morphology was observed under an optical microscope. Also, air permeability experiments were performed to examine the effect of lamination temperature on the breathability of a multilayer fabric. Optical microscope images showed that the nanofiber web began to damage at lamination temperatures above the melting point of the adhesive layer. Air permeability decreased with increasing the lamination temperature. The adhesive force between layers increased by increasing the lamination temperature.